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bmw-digest                Friday, 9 December 1994      Volume 02 : Number 125

Forum for Discussion of BMWs
 Richard Welty <welty@domain.elided>
 Digest Coordinator

Contents:

FWD: re: $350 vs. $471
BMW software
Re: Steel Wheel Hub Caps
smell
Re: Cold Start 320i
good luck to you all! From University Of Maryland!!! (fwd)

Send administrative requests to bmw-digest-request@domain.elided
For additional information on the BMW digest, see the end of this article.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Peter LaPine <plapine@domain.elided>
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 94 10:10:33 EST
Subject: FWD: re: $350 vs. $471

>>This $350 unit plugged right in to the BMW wiring harness
  in the trunk?

Nope, that's the catch; well not really.  When BMW wanted to OEM and sell
Alpine units, they told Alpine to make the BMW units with "plug in" ports 
so
that all the service guy would do is mount the CD changer/alarm and plug 
the
wire harness in.  This, installed by our trusty dealership, would cost us 
$695
for the alarm and $898 for the CD changer with dust cover.  Amazing, ain't 
it?

Anyway, the only difference from the Alpine unit vs. the BMW is that Alpine
installed a plug-in port in the BMW one.  The big drawback to this is that 
you
can only use the BMW unit with BMW cars.  While the Alpine unit can be used 
on
any car!

The Alpine unit, of course, would have to splice into the wires that are
connected to the factory plug.  This is what's needed to be done if you 
want to
have a direct connection between the cassette player and the CD changer.  
BUT,
for $450 the Alpine unit comes with its own control and RF modulator that 
lets
your receiver receive the CD from an FM station.  Of course, you may lose 
some
(imperceptible to most of us) clarity when you have a "middle man" between 
the
CD changer and the speakers.

I'm going for the $350 one without the RF modulator.  The less clutter in 
the
car, the better.

I'm buying my CD changer from a local  (The Stereo Shop of Buffalo and
Rochester, NY) audio store.  I'm confident that you should be able to come 
very
close to this price by going to the phone book and looking for an Alpine
dealership.  Even if you have it professionally installed, it still won't 
get
close to the $471 when you count the trasferrability between cars and the 
fact
that the Alpine unit is the most up-to-date version...

[Could you post this on the DL.  I lost the DL address.  Thanks]

Armand
95 325iS Sports Package

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% From: ARMAND_A._AQUINO.Henr801B@domain.elided
% Subject: re: $350 vs. $471
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- ------------------------------

From: rgt01@domain.elided (Rock Tabor)
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 11:02:23 +0500
Subject: BMW software

Is anyone on the list aware of any 3rd party vendors out there
that have any software/databases & GUI's (graphical user
interfaces) tailored specifically to BMW diagnosis and 
repair? Or maybe at least a DB that contains labor times and
part numbers geared to various types of repairs?

I've seen the ad in the Roundel for CARSOFT as well as the
recent article on the Krahe diagnostic system and am
looking into both of these. I just wanted to know if any
of you knew of anything else available. Thanks!... :)


Rock

rgt01@domain.elided

- ------------------------------

From: "Rick Kjeldsen" <fcmk@domain.elided>
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 1994 12:21:53 -0500
Subject: Re: Steel Wheel Hub Caps

>I have an '85 325e with 14X7 steel wheels that I use for winter.
>I would like to get some hub caps for the wheels, but I don't want the
>$5- plastic jobs that the dealer sells...
>Any help is appreciated.

I put steel wheels on my 'iX for the winter, and didn't want
full hubcaps.  It turns out BMW sells a small center cap that is
about 3" across by 1.5" tall, nicely made chrome plated steel with
the Roundel in the center. It is supposed to snap onto some wheels,
I think.  It doesn't snap onto the 'iX steel wheels (which I believe
are identical in the center section to other E30 steel wheels), but
the lug nuts fit over the wide flange at the bottom and hold it
on very nicely as I've tried to draw here:


                        Roundel
                           |
                           V
                     |---------------|
                     |               |
            ______   |               |   ______
           | Lug  |  |    Center     |  | Lug  |
           | Nut  |  |     Cap       |  | Nut  |
           |______|  |               |  |______|
           \      /__|               |__\      /
            \    /|_____________________|\    /
   __________|__|__/                   \__|__|___________
             |  |         Wheel           |  |



There is a small gap between the cap and the wheel.  The cap doesn't
rattle, it's held firmly, but water and dirt can get into the hub
nut, so I filled the cap with a block of rigid foam which presses
against the wheel and seals it.

All in all it works really well, and looks sharp (IMHO), especially
with black wheels and lug nuts.

The part number for the caps is 036 13 1 127 230.  I think they ran
about $7.00 each (with the club discount at Hendrick BMW).

enjoy,
rick
'87 325es
'90 325iX

- ------------------------------

From: rgt01@domain.elided (Rock Tabor)
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 12:32:20 +0500
Subject: smell

Stanley,

My 530i had the same problem. It went away
when I replaced the fuel & vapor lines.
Try the vapor lines first, but you might as well
do them all since they have all probably "aged".

Any good shop should be able to sell you the 
diameters and lengths you need. Try a BMW shop
first. 

If the problem doesn't go away, it may be the
fuel tank has started to rust at the seams.

Rock 

'77 530i

- ------------------------------

From: Walter G Barie <wgbst4+@domain.elided>
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 12:47:32 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Cold Start 320i

On Fri, 9 Dec 1994 owner-bmw-digest@domain.elided wrote:

> From: chrisp@domain.elided (Christopher A. Pawlowicz)

{stuff deleted}

> 
> This morning the temperature was around -10C (uhh.. 15F ?) and when
> I went to start the car nothing happened for a few seconds.
> 
> I turned the key to 'start' and nothing happened. Then a few seconds later
> it started cranking.
> 
> Is it just a relay that is old and tired ? I left my Haynes and my Bosch 
> books at home so I'll have to check them later.
> 

This was the first sign in my 320i that the ignition switch was going 
bad.  It eventually got so bad the car would rarely crank on the first 
try and I would have to jiggle the key to get it to work at all.

*******************************************************************************
Walt Barie (wgbst4+@domain.elided, barie+@domain.elided)
Graduate Student
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

'79 320i DSP Solo II car
'80 528i

Of course what I say in no way reflects the views of the University....
******************************************************************************






- ------------------------------

From: "Muzaffer Sakin" <sakinmuz@domain.elided>
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 14:25:12 -0500 (EST)
Subject: good luck to you all! From University Of Maryland!!! (fwd)

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