QuoteJohn Yust QuoteEarendil A trip over to wikipedia sites a source saying that car alternators have an efficiency between 50% and 62%. So worst case an alternator will eat 3.2hp, plus other resistance associated with the pulley system. What about the efficiency of an electric motor of the size required to run the fan? I looked up the v-belt efficiency and I asked you about the electricby Earendil - Technical Forum
QuoteArcheo-peteriX QuoteEarendil ... In either case, we're talking about mere fractions of a horsepower I think you will find the losses in the alternator itself are greater than fractions of a hp. Under full load, the alternator could be consuming several hp just to build the magnetic field in it's coils. There is no free lunch Right, but the portion of that that is due toby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quoterkj I'm trying to get Janet's passenger side window to go down, just stopped working one day, on her 1987 325e. I've got juice to the switch, I've tested both sides for matching the layout and the wiring stuff. *snip* I might just have a shitty connection/plug that is dirty or corroded. Rick I'm not exactly sure I follow what you have tested, but since I reby Earendil - Technical Forum
I am not telling anyone they are wrong, I'm just opening this up for further discussion because I love this stuff. Also, I didn't feel like I got my point across before using a little dinky iPod interface. QuoteFerdinand QuoteEarendil the one thing being left out, that I always thought was the biggest deal, is the loss of power to a belt driven system with a pulley. There is resistanby Earendil - Technical Forum
So I'm abroad in Seattle and not replying because all I have is my ipod. But here it goes anyway, short and sweet. I understand what had been said so far, and the logic is sound. but the one thing being left out, that I always thought was the biggest deal, is the loss of power to a belt driven system with a pully. There is resistance there which consumes power. If the fan is transferedby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quoterkj But then, after all's said and done you have another electrical device to go wrong. Keep it simple, my thoughts B) Exactly, so rip out all the fans. Drive so fast you don't need them, and never stop! Is the engine drag that much less? After all, another device that draws power is going to increase the resistance within the alternator. I'd bet large money a belt dby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quoterkj Yes, but if the converter is coming apart why not fix the source of the problem? Mileage on the front pipe? Quite honestly I have no clue what kind of miles are on the Exhaust system. When I bought the car 3 years ago, there wasn't any paperwork on it, though it apppeared it relatively solid shape. Now, on closer inspection I see some rust on the very bottom of the muffler, somethby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quotedaniel QuoteDave_G The difference between 2.0 and 2.3 bars is 29 vs. 33 psi. That may be enough to make a small difference, but not the WOW! dramatic difference that he's describing. Also, no one can see that small a difference in tire pressures just by looking at the tire, certainly not while driving behind the car. You can't see an underinflated tire until it gets a lot lower thaby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quotedaniel QuoteEarendil If someone actually put an object up my tale pipe I'm going to start carrying a large stick around with me... this should be your plan, then. so if you go to the back of your car, grab the tailpipe and start swinging the muffler around, you can make the same noise, right? That is actually the only way I do hear it. With the car running, I don't notice anytby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quotedaniel QuoteDave_G QuotealanrwNah, if it is anything like my 84, you just remove the speakers, the back seat (no biggie) and then the fiberboard base should pop out. The carpet is glued to the fiberboard. I think the speaker screws are what keep the fiberboard in place, I don't think they use pop buttons like the door panels, but you can tell by looking from the trunk. OK, but once you&by Earendil - Technical Forum
Since I have neither a problem with, or money to burn on, a new exhaust system, I have yet to bother with understanding the system all that much. That said, I believe the cat is upstream of muffler in a distinctly different and self contained unit, in about the middle of the car. The sound I describe is definitely coming from the center of the last large metal container near the rear end of thby Earendil - Technical Forum
If your exhaust sounds like it has a golf ball rolling around inside of it, what does that mean? When running it doesn't seem to pose a problem (I don't think), but I was changing the back breaks yesterday and bumps the exhaust, and I could swear it sounds like there is a golf ball rolling around inside. Ideas? Is it just fine? Will it explode? Does this prove the existence of aliby Earendil - Technical Forum
QuoteArcheo-peteriX I've been outside watching my paint fade Looks like you need a little wax. Hey, at least you still have paint there to fade If you want to see something to make you feel good, I can show you what my roof looks like sometime Good to see you are still lurking around, even if you're quiet. I became ever so slightly worried that something may have happenedby Earendil - Community Forum
I've never seen or heard of a hood quite like that. Was this a coating you put on, or did you find a chalk board hood?by Earendil - Community Forum
I have a girlfriend in Kent who would love to see me in the off hours, if she isn't busy with family stuff. Still, you might let me know in case she is too busy, or else I don't want to make the drive back down to south Seattle.by Earendil - Technical Forum
Quotedaniel QuoteEarendil I read that and all I can think is how you are leaving the NW before I get a chance to say "hi". Are you spending the summer out there, or will you be back? well you are going to go to the e30 picnic, right? you live right next to it. it would be silly not to. and i am spending the summer there, but i will be back in august. I don't know aboutby Earendil - Technical Forum
QuoteJohn Yust QuoteEarendil Update: I'm still getting good gas millage, without cause. I don't know what was wrong, but for now, it's working great. <snip> For the record, On the long desert drive back home, I was averaging 23mpg at 70mph. Not bad for a 20 y.o. car if I do say so myself That doesn't look all that good to me. I get 29 mpg at 70 to 80 mph. Of course,by Earendil - Technical Forum
I read that and all I can think is how you are leaving the NW before I get a chance to say "hi". Are you spending the summer out there, or will you be back?by Earendil - Technical Forum
Update: I'm still getting good gas millage, without cause. I don't know what was wrong, but for now, it's working great. Oh, and again, because somehow this impression was given, I have spent *no* money fixing this particular problem. I have replaced broken parts for other reasons (mostly becuase they were broken ) in the past 12 months, and those were listed. I haven't boby Earendil - Technical Forum
My 325i 4 door 1989 has stock carpet/molding that covers the 3rd light. HOWEVER, the bulb is accessible on my car from the trunk. What is it exactly you want to do with it?by Earendil - Technical Forum
I can appreciate the 2002's, but I don't know if I'd feel right driving one around. It would feel like I was faking nostalgia. This is probably due to how young I am :-) Being born in 1984, the E30 really is my generation of car, also being the first car I learned to drive stick on. To try and adopt an older car still, one whose prime time was before I was even born, seems out ofby Earendil - Community Forum
If you double clutch does it go into third better? Could it be the Synchromesh going out on third? I only suggest this because a decade ago when third gear became impossible to shift into on my Dad's E30, it was the synchromesh that had gone bad...or so the mechanic said. We never did get it fixedby Earendil - Technical Forum
Well done! Aren't you glad you weren't driving an SUV? I know my own drivers ed had an optional "extreme" (or something like that) driving hour where we got to take the car out and accelerate as hard as possible, but also brake as hard as possible, brake hard while turning, etc etc. It was invaluable, especially when the teacher told me that I should know how to do this wby Earendil - Community Forum
Quotedaniel QuoteEarendil Has your car always had the 5 lug conversion? By always, I mean since you bought it... yessir but i know lots of things about it if you are curious. Someday, Sir, somedayby Earendil - Community Forum
QuoteCab Treadway I guess for safety's sake, then, we should all drive around in M1 Abrams tanks, eh? Only if I'm allowed to put a fancy loud exhaust on my M1 to make it really sound fast.by Earendil - Community Forum
Has your car always had the 5 lug conversion? By always, I mean since you bought it...by Earendil - Community Forum
So Bev got some love today. I checked the fuel pressure, which while running was at 40psi, just within the Bentley spec (40-46). Pulling the feed back line to the regulator produced 48psi, so that's about spot on. Of course, I don't know how accurate my $20 gauge. I checked out the voltage at the fuel pump, that was spot on. I don't have a multimeter capable of going up to tby Earendil - Technical Forum
QuoteBob P 325is 88 So what you are saying is that the 'indicated' mpg is poor. Is the actual or real mpg poor? I never use the computer to keep tabs on mileage, but use the old 'how many miles (kilometres) do I get for X gallons (litres) of fuel' method. Check that. If it is quite different than your computer figure (i.e. much higher) then you just have an instrument erroby Earendil - Technical Forum
A fuel leak is a good idea, but I think I can rule it out. I'm measuring my drop in MPG with the 13 btn OBC. The OBC should not measure gas leaking, as I think it tabulates MPG with the injectors, correct? Unless of course the fuel leak was so bad that the pressure had actually dropped, but I think I'd see a leak that big ;-) I go under the hood more tomorrow, but I did find out aby Earendil - Technical Forum
Quoterkj Hey Tyler, that sheds a little more light on the subject. First thing you need to do is a compression test, if you get a low cylinder (on every low one) put a few teaspoons of oil and run another test on that cylinder. Once we get the basics in tow then we can figure it out, don't keep throwing parts at it, lets try get to the heart of the matter. Rick I can't possiblyby Earendil - Technical Forum