Beiträge von anguswolfendale

  • HELP!! Starting Problem

    Sorted! I checked on my copy of the TIS and all starting problems were referred to the Fuel Supply. I discovered the fuel pump is under the squab of the RHS rear seat. I undid the protective plate and removed the electrical supply plugs. I thoroughly cleaned the connections and refitted. Turning on the ignition I checked that the fuel pump could be heard whirring. Started the car and it idled up to temperature and runs sweet.

  • Lack of Care in "Stealerships"

    As I have mentioned in my other post (Starting Problems) I had reason to remove the side covers in the boot to check the brake light bulbs. I have just had the car in the local dealership a few weeks ago for various work including the fitting of two new batteries. They said one had sulphated and the other was replaced under warranty as it was not holding its charge.


    I noticed that around the base of each new battery there was the remains of battery acid crusting. They had simply removed the old batteries and inserted the new ones without even cleaning up the battery area. I removed the batteries and this is what I found. After removing the white crusting, much paint also flaked off. I cleaned the whole area and put Kurust on the bare rust, then waxoyled it. If this had been left it would have gradually corroded the boot floor away! At their rates, you don't think you have to check all their work!


    Thanks Robert Stern BMW of Worcester (NOT!)

  • HELP!! Starting Problem

    I last ran my car two weeks ago and everything was fine. Yesterday I decided to go for a run and started it with no problem. I left it running while I answered a telephone call and when I returned a couple of minutes later it had stopped. I started it up again and noticed a brake-light failure warning (the bulb sometimes works loose when the boot lid is closed) so thought nothing of it. The car then suddenly stopped running within a minute. I started it up again and it was running rough (not all cylinders firing right). If I pressed the accelerator it wouldn't pick up and then stopped.


    I decided to sort out the brake light (and discovered a problem around the battery - unrelated to this problem but is my other post today). After replacing a blown bulb I started the car again - it ran for a few minutes then stopped. The CHECK Control is saying OK, there is half a tank of fuel, I just don't know where to start with this one - anyone had the same thing happen?


    I can't get it to a garage as I have no trailer or tow bar on our other cars.

  • EDC and Opinions please

    I have EDC and its brilliant - nice and smooth on the motorway, protects the springs when going over rough/bumpy ground (I have to traverse an unmade road to get from home to the highway), then switch to S setting when I want to throw it round the bends!

  • Staggered 18" Alpina Accoutrements Questions/Advice

    I have the stock mudflaps fitted (front and rear) because the local councils in the UK have a habit of repairing roads by spraying them with tar then throwing loose stones on them. The stones don't all get crushed into the tar and act like sandblasting on the lower sides of the car. I had 18" wheels fitted and found that on hard braking, especially if the front wheels were turned slightly so the outer edge was closest to the bottom edge of the rear of the front wing, the tires rubbed against the mudflaps.


    I have changed back to the stock 17" "Throwing Stars" and have cured this problem and have noticed no difference in performance.

  • Rust.............

    The only other spot of rust I have found is the lip of the rear wing as it folds under the rear arch. I will take a pic and post. Also check the brake pipes and fuel return pipes underneath - these are prone to surface rust after a few years. I always coat them in grease with my fingers to ensure they are fully covered. Remember to undo the securing clips and get grease into those areas too.

  • Leaking Differential Seals

    As mine is an 840 Ci Sport with tiptronic auto gearbox I am trusting that this will bring back some exciting acceleration. It is really impossible to drive above 100 MPH in the UK without facing a driving ban, most of my driving is between 30 MPH and 95 MPH.

  • Leaking Differential Seals

    Dick,
    I am very interested in your 3.91 LSD diff. I have persuaded my wife it would be a great present for Christmas and she has agreed. Can I have your personal email address so we can tie up the details? I am presuming it will be a straight swop for my 840 (1999) diff? - We were thinking of making it a weekend run out to come over from the UK and collect it in person. wolfendale@hotmail.co.uk

  • Hidden Rust Spot

    I decided to thoroughly clean out and waxoyl the wheel arches before winter. I removed all the plastic under wing panels, then power washed the wheel arches. When dry I checked for any signs of rust before spraying liberally with waxoyl before reassembly.


    What I did find was rusting around a screw securing point on both front inner wings. This is hidden by the plastic panel. When I scraped away the rust, I found that the metal had corroded so much that it had gone through. The nearside left a hole about 1/2 diameter, I had just caught the offside at a small 3mm hole stage. I also noted rust on a securing bracket for a cylinder thing on the front offside. See photo.


    After coating the bared metal with anti-rust, I covered the holes with fibreglass. I will fill the hole on the nearside and spray to hide the repair (its not structural).


    I was surprised by this discovery, both because the car is a 1999 and only done 70K miles, but also because it was in the same spot on both front wheel arches - obviously a vulnerable point.


    I strongly recommend that you make this task a routine every year to ensure all the under-wing areas are protected.

  • Limited Slip Higher Ratio Diff

    Have you seen these on Ebay currently -


    [url='http://http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-LSD-gear-set-3-23-e31-e32-e34-e36-e39-e46-540i-850_W0QQitemZ150295422204QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150295422204&_trkparms=72:12|39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14']

  • What a Transformation

    Gerry,
    Do you think it would be possible to fabricate some sort of butterfly valve that would open a straight-through pipe in the rear silencer when the sports mode of the tiptronic box is activated? My thinking is that I like the "silent" cruise on the motorway and don't want a resonating exhaust to interfere with that, but if I want to get a bit serious and switch to sports, it would be great to reduce the exhaust back pressure and hear the true throaty roar of the V8. I always switch to sports suspension (I have the EDC) when I want to push it, so maybe a solenoid activating the butterfly could be switched by the S/K switch?

  • Front CSi/CiSport Spoiler Grille

    I have come across a company called Zunsport (advertise in the BMW Car Club Magazine). I have contacted them about making a grille for the lower air intake of the CSi Front Bumper. Based initially on a photo examination they are quoting around £260 as a one-off but if we could get an order for 25 together, then the price would be circa £95 to £140. Here is a photo from their website of a Bentley full grille set. They are made from 316L Stainless Steel, specially electro polished to maintain life-long performance (looks). They can be offered also in black finish.



    Do we have any interest from you guys?