<E34> Introduction and newbie Q's

[Aleksandr Milewski <n6mod@xxxxxxx>]

Hello folks,
	I'm a new subscriber to this list, having just bought an E34 on
Thursday. ('95 540i 6-spd) This is my first BMW (OK, so my wife had an E23,
but she sold it shortly after I met her) and I'm delighted to see that
there's an online community here.

	I'll throw out a few questions; while I didn't go through it with a
fine-tooth comb, I didn't see these answered in the FAQ. My apologies if
I've missed them.

	First, a general question: I'm a confirmed car nut, and I usually
turn my own wrenches ('90 Miata, '75 Postal Jeep, '67 Lancia Fulvia Zagato,
etc.). Am I asking for it by doing the same on the new toy? Can I do my own
routine maintenance, or is there just too much complexity to keep all the
automagic engine electronics happy? Any recommendation on Haynes vs.
Bentley manuals?

	Second, the car has a few little electrical gremlins, and I thought
I'd ask here if they're common and easy-to-fix, or if I should keep the
appointment with the dealer on Tuesday. ;)

	1:	The windshield washers don't work. I checked the underhood
fuses, and didn't find anything awry. (Are there fuses elsewhere? The
dealer had to order an owner's manual for me, so I'm flying blind at the
moment.)

	2:	The driver's seat headrest motor makes horrible noises, and
doesn't move the headrest. (I'm told these are the 'sport' seats, if it
matters.)

	3:	The left rear window has a mind of its own. It's OK if you
lock out the rear switches from the console, but otherwise so much as
breathing on either switch will cause the window to raise or lower at
random. The lighting on the switch also flickers at times. The passenger
side is fine.

	Finally, I'm looking for advice on tires. The dealer put brand-new
D60A2's on the car, and, well...I don't really like drifting through
_every_ corner. ;) I'd like to go with something stickier, but choices are
somewhat limited in 225/60-15. Any recommendations? The Yoko AVS-I looks
like the best of what's available in that size. If I were to replace the
wheels, what offset do I need, and how wide can I go without interference
problems?

	Thanks in advance,

	Zandr

	'95 540i
	'90 Miata
	 etc.
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Aleksandr Milewski                                              N6MOD
n6mod@domain.elided                             '90 Crystal White "Starbug"
Ben Lomond, CA                     President, BAMA; Admin, Miatapower

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