QuoteFerdinand Update. Well, it wasn't the alternator. It's still doing the same thing. The instrument panel temp gauge jumps up a step whenever any additional electrical load is switched on. If everything is turned on, high beams, blower fan on full, rear defrost on, sometimes the temp gauge needle even goes all the way over full hot into the red! When that happens the eng
Forum: Technical Forum

Check the fuses in the engine compartment fuse box. The terminals tend to corrode and one of the fuses (I forget which one, but a diagram will indicate which one is for the speedometer.) terminal is probably corroded. This happened to me and that was my solution. Salut, Bob P.
Forum: Car Talk

They will just love it there and won't suffer as much from the damp air of the north. Good luck.
Forum: Community Forum

So I guess you aren't going to try the old alternator to prove the dirty/corroded theory? Its the engineer in me - I gotta know! Salut, Bob p.
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteFerdinand I put in a new (refurbished) alternator today. Went for a test spin and it seems like that fixed it. It's back to its usual snappy and peppy performance with no noticeable difference when high beams and blower fan are on full. Yippee! That's great - I guess the dirty corrosion diagnostic was not the problem. Sometimes one just has to bite the bullet and change t
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteFerdinand The alternator belt is tight. Definitely not the problem. Then I pulled the voltage regulator and carbon brushes pack from the back of the alternator. I'm disappointed to report the brushes, as well as the slip rings inside the alternator, all look fine and still have lots of life left in them. I was so sure it was going to be the brushes... javascript:editor_tools_hand
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteMichiel 318iS Stay away from the Xdrives, the slightest difference in tyre circumference messes up the clutches and you're in for an expensive repair. Since the differentials are open, they're quite useless anyway. They'll never meet the E30's iX system performance. I agree. My Impreza had a much better AWD, exceding the E30's in my opinion, which I have also dr
Forum: Car Talk

I can comment on the E60 as a used car. The one (2005 loaded 545 with 110K kms)) that I picked up 2 years ago and on which I have put another 120,000 kms, has really only had one electronics related issue and that was due to the battery. These cars and their electronics are really power hungary and one must keep the battery fully charged at all times. For a battery cost of about 175$, I don�
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteJose Pinto QuoteBob P 325is 88 Unlike other cars, there is not much room for improvement on a BMW 5 series, except for accessories and personal taste. They came awesome cars from the factory, just keep them like that! Agreed. These modders want to remove catalysts and bypass 02 sensors, in the belief that they can gain hords of power. Then they wonder why the cars run rich or exhibit
Forum: Community Forum

I also agree that this forum is atypical. Nice people with interesting ideas, that are discussed with respect. I have joined the 5 series forum since I bought my 2005 545 and it isn't bad, but is mostly for those who want to talk about their mods and how come they are having problems with their cars, when I know that most of their problems are due to their mods! salut, Bob P. PS.
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Sounds like something to do with fuel delivery. Fuel filter(s) plugged or fuel pressure regulator not operating well? Salut, Bob p.
Forum: Technical Forum

I also stop to stare at examples of my older cars, especially my old '73 2002 tii, when i see one.
Forum: Community Forum

Thanks Dave. I guess I got used to not leaving spaces, since most credit card numbers are requested without spaces even though the numbers as shown on the cards do have spaces. It is nice to be back, even though I don't drive an E30 anymore, after having driven one for over 30yrs. This forum has much more sympathetic members, compared to the E60 forum, which really has mostly what seems
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteArcheo-peteriX QuoteBob P 325is 88 QuoteArcheo-peteriX For the automotive uses, no where near as much power is required when the vehicles are propelled by electric motors. We have to stop thinking in terms of huge amounts of horse power for cars that is rarely if ever used. Yes, and when we do that we can use highly efficient 50HP internal combustion engines and cut out the middle 'el
Forum: Car Talk

Quoterkj The other day I had the pleasure of getting in the E30 (which has been sitting there since the new kid came home, but more on him later) and taking a nice drive on my back roads here on the east end. I live on the stretch of road right before the eastern tip of long island, new york. My usual poke my head out the door ride is from the ocean to the bay, my house being almost dead in the m
Forum: Car Talk

Hi there - its Bob P. back. I haven't been on the forum for a long time (maybe 3 years), but I have been visiting often. Just every time I tried to log in, the forum would reject me by saying that I was a hacker. I sent my ,88 325is to the junkyard in the sky about 3 years ago. It had 666,000 kms on it and the drive trai still running strongly, but the electricals were shot and much bo
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteArcheo-peteriX The problem with all those fuels(except hydrogen) is that no matter what engine you use; they all produce CO2 and other pollutants. Hydrogen production is becoming easier and less expensive. It's not there yet but if the money is spent to do the research and roll out the infrastructure, hydrogen will be viable as a fuel. Of course then it will make more sense to use it
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteArcheo-peteriX Have we all just retired the E30s like Cab or are they all running perfectly so that there are no problems to report or ask about...F10 fuses aside Well mine was put to rest 2 years ago after 22 years and 666,000 Kms. Electrical and body corrosion. It took 2 years to find a replacement - an E60 2005 545i 6spd manual, with only 110K kms on it and in perfect condition! T
Forum: Community Forum

Quoterkj QuoteBob P 325is 88 QuoteArcheo-peteriX Hi Bob It seems like a long time since we've seen you here. Too bad, I miss your input. Sorry to hear about the 325is but nothing lasts forever Lucy Cheers, Rick Actually I have been visited the site all along, but couldn't sign on for some strange reason. Site kept on putting up a 'hacker' warning and refusing to p
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteArcheo-peteriX Sad to hear the 325iS is gone but I guess these cars just weren't built for Canadian winter road conditions Can't really complain, though, we are talking 22 yrs and 666,000 kms, after all! An M3 sounds pretty nice. Will this be your retirement present to yourself? Not exactly, since I intend to continue on this contract for another 2 years or so. I don'
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteArcheo-peteriX Now I know that Bob P. used to run his E30 for 15k to 18k kms between changes but I wonder if this new stuff; advertised as being good to 20k kms is really that much better than the non-Extended Service oil? : I really don't think that Mobil changed their formula by much, since the 'original' could give 20K kms intervals anyway, but Mobil, back then, just
Forum: Car Talk

Its been a while since I have been on this site - keep having my posts rejected because of suspected 'Hacking' activities. It is true that I have been using 20K kms intervals for the 325is and often 40K, with sysmthetic You should know that due to a long standing leaking oil pan I needed to make up 5 lires of oil between changes so that is effectively 10 and 20K intervals. Engine s
Forum: Car Talk

That's exactly the same e-mail that I received. I have contacted Cab, using his 'proper' e-mail address and he has responded that, indeed, this is a scam being run and that he is presently changging his passwords etc.. That is probably why he hasn't responded to our posts.
Forum: Community Forum

I should ask the same question. Cab, check your e-mail, I have sent you a note on this. Salut, Bob P.
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteQuoterkj QuoteArcheo-peteriX QuoteBob P 325is 88 ... This is precisely why we have good leaders, so even if the tough decisions have to be made they can be, screw the people, half of them are morons anyway... did I say 1/2.... 15/16 is probably more like it! But it is precisely these 'morons' who vote for the politicians who wish to stay in power (and money). Its what a ca
Forum: Community Forum

The government has already started to weaken it's stance on an offshore drilling moratorium. Give it a couple more months and a few billion more barrels in the water and the government will have changed it's mind with no change to the current mode of business ... get that oil at all costs :X I am afraid that if you put the American people to a vote on whether they wanted to pay 3 tim
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteJose Pinto That kind of activity should be regulated and supervised closely, but then major companies are more power than most countries and they want profit no matter what... And will get more expensive if said regulations and supervision are carried out. Ultimately, we decide how much risk we are willing to take by setting the price that we are willing to pay for energy. Sinc
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Yes, green is the official colour used for labelling N2 pipelines and containers. Bob P.
Forum: Technical Forum

Archie, Ferdinand beat me to it! What ferdinand said is pretty spot on. I haven't looked into this 'nitrogen enriched' fuel thing, although I am curious. I suspect that it has more to do with the use of ammonia or an amine in the fuel processing than adding N2 to the fuel, which would just end up taking up space and adding no value. Even spraying H2O to the fuel charge will giv
Forum: Technical Forum

Actually the proper size to substitute for the 195-65-14 is 215-60-14. I have used that size for over 15 yrs on my 88is and did not see any fuel mileage difference. Depending on the make, however, you will find that aquaplanning is definitely worse with the wider tires, especially on 'slushy' pavement. If you are going with 205-60 size, then yes the car will be slightly lowered rue
Forum: Technical Forum