What did you do to your other car(s) today?

[rmiddendorf]

It takes a wise man to flush brake fluid regularly. It takes a cheap man to do it himself. Heck, if you waited till this weekend I could have driven up and done the hard part (getting under the car with a bleeder bottle) for you. And that would have only cost a bottle of fluid and some Yuengling. I haven't worked on E90's, but I highly doubt the brake technology has changed much since the 80's. At least in terms of the hydraulics.

Although I suspect you're correct with the technology comment, if you get an air bubble in the ABS control module (or whatever its called now) you need to use a 'special tool' from BMW to get it out. And then I think you also need to plug into the OBC to tell it that you fixed the air bubble. So there's a bit more of a risk.

However, I can reset the service light myself.

[cddallara]

Took my 4Runner in for an alignment. First time I've ever done that. $90.00 But, still cheaper than replacing the 2 front tires that I probably can't get in that size anymore (the metric equivelant of 33x10.5x16 )
Turns out the toe in was an inch and a half off.

[Rich Euro M5]

Wish I had a lift.

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You can buy a lift for around $3K, but I suspect the cost of laying a slab and erecting a building to house the lift is problematic.

Rich

[davintosh]

This doesn't seem like a part that would break. Do you think it was a factory defect or neglect somehow? Mind you it looks like a power window regulator bracket to me but I'm not really sure what it is.

From what I've read online it's a pretty common failure point. The black doodad that's bolted to that bracket is the door lock actuator, and it pushes on the door latch mechanism. The bracket is made of pot metal, and the break is likely caused by a sticky door lock mechanism causing extra twisting on the bracket. While I had it out, I could see several ways the thing could've been designed & built differently/better to prevent this sort of thing.

I did get the door put back together last week, but now I need to open it up again to adjust the actuator and/or the microswitch on the lock. The key will unlock the doors, but the driver's door actuator doesn't push the lock button all the way up, and when I pull on the door handle the latch opens but then slams shut again when the actuator yanks down on the lock.

Before I do that though I plan on cracking open the original door lock mechanism that came out of the car, cleaning it up & re-lubing it. The replacement I put in there works, but it works differently; with the door open I can't push the door lock down, whereas I could before. I asked around and it sounds like the newer lock is what most people have, and it's designed to help keep people from locking their keys in the car. I would never do that though ( ) so I'm going back to the original's functionality.

[1st 5er]

Wish I had a lift.

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You can buy a lift for around $3K, but I suspect the cost of laying a slab and erecting a building to house the lift is problematic.

Rich

...and then there's the HOA.
Been trying to figure a way around them for some time.

[davintosh]

Wish I had a lift.

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You can buy a lift for around $3K, but I suspect the cost of laying a slab and erecting a building to house the lift is problematic.

Rich

...and then there's the HOA.
Been trying to figure a way around them for some time.

HOA? Non comprendo.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?p=839788

The MaxJax Portable 2-Post Lift is about $2,000, and supposedly works in garages with 9-foot ceilings. From what I understand, it doesn't require the slab to be reinforced, but even so, installing a 12" footing of decent depth would be a prudent precaution against things going horribly wrong.

[1st 5er]

HOA? Non comprendo.

Let me Google that for you.

[slammin_e28]

HOA? Non comprendo.

Let me Google that for you.

Hoa refers to a minority in Vietnam consisting of persons considered to be ethnic Chinese (Han Chinese).

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JK

[Gelatinous]

I continued my search for 6" wide fender flares for my samurai, considered pulling the back seat from the XR4Ti and stared at the '68 Dart... must be time to fix it's brakes soon

[philip1]

I paid road tax on the stupid thing. What ever possessed me to buy a Saturn new

[AlpinaE24]

Wish I had a lift.

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You can buy a lift for around $3K, but I suspect the cost of laying a slab and erecting a building to house the lift is problematic.

Rich

Out here in desert country a lot of people just put lifts in the yard or driveway

[kway]

Immobilized our '01 Subaru Forester:



It's getting head gaskets, timing belt, water pump, etc. This car is stupid easy to work on, kind of like a lawn tractor. I only needed a handful of tools and barely a glance at the Chilton manual to tear it down.

[cvillebimmer]

Immobilized our '01 Subaru Forester:

It's getting head gaskets, timing belt, water pump, etc. This car is stupid easy to work on, kind of like a lawn tractor. I only needed a handful of tools and barely a glance at the Chilton manual to tear it down.

That's good to hear. How many miles on it? We have an '04 XT with ~70k on the clock. I know this isn't a turbo, but curious how long the HGs lasted. I'm sure I'll be doing this, but hoping not until 200k.

[rmiddendorf]

We had 05 and newer Foresters at ABC6/FOX28 and they seemed to be mostly reliable. They would usually throw a CEL sometime between 70-120k miles, and the A/C compressors were known to conk out at about the same time, but other than that they were decent cars.

That engine bay looks easy to work on. I don't remember- is the intake manifold one piece or two?

[Cactus]

Last Thursday I sold my Saab 900s. It won't be missed.

[mooseheadm5]

This doesn't seem like a part that would break. Do you think it was a factory defect or neglect somehow? Mind you it looks like a power window regulator bracket to me but I'm not really sure what it is.

Shitty E32/E34 door lock actuator bracket.

[kway]

Immobilized our '01 Subaru Forester:

It's getting head gaskets, timing belt, water pump, etc. This car is stupid easy to work on, kind of like a lawn tractor. I only needed a handful of tools and barely a glance at the Chilton manual to tear it down.

That's good to hear. How many miles on it? We have an '04 XT with ~70k on the clock. I know this isn't a turbo, but curious how long the HGs lasted. I'm sure I'll be doing this, but hoping not until 200k.

100,2xx right now, but when we took it over at 92k (it was my mom's since new) the right side was just starting to leak. I don't think they're an issue on the turbos, but I knew they were on the EJ25 motor, which is why it's the first thing I looked for when I got the car.

It was nothing to be too concerned about for a while, no oil/coolant mixing, just external coolant seepage, then a slight leak as the miles went on. The left side also started in that time period, and actually caught up pretty quick.

The gaskets have been updated, so hopefully this is a one shot deal. Even if not, I won't be too broken up about having to do it again in another 100k.

That engine bay looks easy to work on. I don't remember- is the intake manifold one piece or two?

Very easy. One piece manifold, once you have that off there really isn't a whole lot left.

[benfidar]

I replaced my heater valve, which was a clump of rust when I removed it. Many thanks to Blue Shadow for the innards. They worked a charm.

[Xenocide]

Dropped a Camry motor on my foot. Check your straps guys, one of my 10 ton tie down straps just wore through - only a year or two old too. Fortunately it's lighter than the m20, the oil pan was still on and it hit pretty flat, no breaks as far as I can tell, just a hell of a bruise, it could have been much worse.
Which means yes, I am looking for another motor for the Camry. I figure worst case is that I put the motor back in and sell it for the scrap value.

[slammin_e28]

Registered the e30 and threw some tags on 'er.

On another note, cancelled insurance on the e28. At least until I get the damned thing to stop again.

Guess I'll have to get used to the lowly M20 now.

[kway]

Reanimated the Subaru (last night actually, but late enough that I wasn't going to get on here and post about it).

It was bittersweet unfortunately, that marks the final nail in Whitey's coffin (my 342k mile e30 that I've known since new); I was keeping it around so we'd have a backup car if needed. With the Subie down, there was the e90 and Whitey; I'd never commute with the 745i, and haven't gotten it out of winter storage yet anyway.

I have a list of parts to scavenge off it, then it's one last drive up to the bimmer boneyard.

[rmiddendorf]

...that marks the final nail in Whitey's coffin (my 342k mile e30 that I've known since new)...

I'll shed a tear for that too. Maybe throw it up on CL for dirt cheap to see if someone will give it new life as a track car?

[kway]

...that marks the final nail in Whitey's coffin (my 342k mile e30 that I've known since new)...

I'll shed a tear for that too. Maybe throw it up on CL for dirt cheap to see if someone will give it new life as a track car?

I actually had been planning on that myself, I even have a free-to-me M50 to use at the shop. It's too rusty though. Over the winter I found a crack developing by the right front shock tower. She's a goner.

[slammin_e28]

Fuel lines, filter, air filter, cap and rotor on the e30.

Then we blasted some backroads and the parkway. What fun!

[Eta power]

Fuel lines, filter, air filter, cap and rotor on the e30.

Then we blasted some backroads and the parkway. What fun!

Is your hatred for the M20 melting away?

[cddallara]

Replaced the starter contacts in my wife's Sienna. Four years newer and 100k less miles than my 4Runner, which has never needed a starter-go figure...

[cddallara]

Let me just say that rotating 33" tires on a lifted 4Runner with a factory bottle jack, 3/4" socket/breaker bar, and (2) 30 year old jackstands brings the suck.

But, it's over now, and I even got a chance to wash it.

Almost forgot- changed the starter on the Sienna as the contacts weren't enough, and changed the oil on both the 4Runner, and Sienna.

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

Paid very close to $40 for the mandatory state vehicle and emissions testing on the Tacoma.

[cddallara]

Paid very close to $40 for the mandatory state vehicle and emissions testing on the Tacoma.

Pshaw, it's closer to $80+ cert (another 7-8 bucks) here, but every two years.

[funfunfer]

replaced all the door striker pins and plastic bushings on the Exploder. Now it doesn't rattle all the time... but still smells like wet dog which is OK since that's its primary purpose.
Took the rotors off wife's G35 to be turned in a tight fisted attempt to cure an annoying lurch when nearing a stop. Lesson learned - cheap slotted drilled rotors don't help with the brake fade and they wear funny.
Every time I look at the forest of aluminum under the G35, I wonder why I don't like it better than I do.