Any fellow BMW DIYers

78

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I was a Porsche man until I went to buy one. Only a 944 but still $750/mo - 7 years. and that was 1985. I've toyed with getting an old 911ish type but I kind of like luxury too and the insides of Porshes are very VW like. But you damn sure are gonna have a hard time beating the performance.
My buddy owns an 20 yo Ferrari but since the body styles are timeless only an aficionado would know it's age. He drives it at most 500 miles a year cus he's afraid to take it anywhere.
Newer 911s are plush, so plush in fact that the purists don't like it.
 

jeeping8r

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Try working on all these things for a living. Ford lost the trans dipstick on most a few years ago, only way to put fluid in them is with a special pressurized vessel. Wife's HHR (yeah it's cheap but she likes it) also has no trans stick, have to have it at operating temp then pull a plug on side of trans while running. Don't get me started on CVT's.

Don't like German cars at all, WAY to over-engineered IMO. Toyotas are decent but when they got nearly as big as GM sales wise I feel they've lost a bit of their reliability. Water pump in a boxster isn't too bad once you pop the seats out to get the access panel out. Some beamers have an electric water pump, And its plastic housing

And speaking of plastics in the cooling systems of all of them, Don't these engineers realize an "Organic ACID" coolant eats the plastics? More $$$ for me :)

Ahhh programming.... Look at EFILive on a GM and see what all can be changed, Let's just say it's real easy to hole a piston with over aggressive timing.

And yeah I'm a Chevy guy, Too bad they don't build Jeeps
 

ThreatMatrix

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Try working on all these things for a living. Ford lost the trans dipstick on most a few years ago, only way to put fluid in them is with a special pressurized vessel. Wife's HHR (yeah it's cheap but she likes it) also has no trans stick, have to have it at operating temp then pull a plug on side of trans while running. Don't get me started on CVT's.

Don't like German cars at all, WAY to over-engineered IMO. Toyotas are decent but when they got nearly as big as GM sales wise I feel they've lost a bit of their reliability. Water pump in a boxster isn't too bad once you pop the seats out to get the access panel out. Some beamers have an electric water pump, And its plastic housing

And speaking of plastics in the cooling systems of all of them, Don't these engineers realize an "Organic ACID" coolant eats the plastics? More $$$ for me :)

Ahhh programming.... Look at EFILive on a GM and see what all can be changed, Let's just say it's real easy to hole a piston with over aggressive timing.

And yeah I'm a Chevy guy, Too bad they don't build Jeeps

Have to agree on the way over engineered. Take a look at the valvetronic system in a bmw compared to a rocker arm cam shaft. Yikes.

bmw-valvetronic-ii.jpg


And the frickin' computers for everything. The battery has to be registered to the vehicle so that the ECU's can optimize power distribution. Is that really necessary?
And I don't get the plastic parts either. Weight saving? There's a plastic gear in one of the seat mechanisms that routinely goes. WTF?
A lot of stuff is done to meet fuel economy, EPA crap. Delete the stupid charcoal filter in the airbox. Lower temp thermostat improves engine life but hurts fuel economy. Change oil at 5k miles instead of 15k miles. I pay more for cornless gas because it's better for the engine.
 

78

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Have to agree on the way over engineered. Take a look at the valvetronic system in a bmw compared to a rocker arm cam shaft. Yikes.

bmw-valvetronic-ii.jpg


And the frickin' computers for everything. The battery has to be registered to the vehicle so that the ECU's can optimize power distribution. Is that really necessary?
And I don't get the plastic parts either. Weight saving? There's a plastic gear in one of the seat mechanisms that routinely goes. WTF?
A lot of stuff is done to meet fuel economy, EPA crap. Delete the stupid charcoal filter in the airbox. Lower temp thermostat improves engine life but hurts fuel economy. Change oil at 5k miles instead of 15k miles. I pay more for cornless gas because it's better for the engine.
I know of only two stations near my home that sell non-ethanol and it's 90 octane. My car calls for 93.
 

Concrete Helmet

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I know of only two stations near my home thRF.at sell non-ethanol and it's 90 octane. My car calls for 93.
The non ethanol thing is not that important for cars because unlike a boat or storing gas for longer periods of time in vented tanks or systems the alky content doesn't have time to draw in the H2O which causes fuel to "separate" at the molecular level "phase separation"....Treated higher octane gas is always better in ANY engine than some gimmicky labeled 90 octane garbage.....like you said 93 or bust is best any way....unless or course if your calibration prefers a diet of 85% Corn...or 110 octane
 

78

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The non ethanol thing is not that important for cars because unlike a boat or storing gas for longer periods of time in vented tanks or systems the alky content doesn't have time to draw in the H2O which causes fuel to "separate" at the molecular level "phase separation"....Treated higher octane gas is always better in ANY engine than some gimmicky labeled 90 octane garbage.....like you said 93 or bust is best any way....unless or course if your calibration prefers a diet of 85% Corn...or 110 octane
I remember buying 98 octane at Sunoco in the '70s. I think Amoco offered 96 back then. It all eventually settled at 93 for high test.
 

Concrete Helmet

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I remember buying 98 octane at Sunoco in the '70s. I think Amoco offered 96 back then. It all eventually settled at 93 for high test.
Are you "brand specific" with the 93 octane you use in your R8 or do you just pull in anywhere and push the 93 button?
I swear my Shelby runs substantially better when I pump my 93 from Shell or Chevron....7-11 and Wawa seem to leave it feeling noticeably down on power. My new Mustang doesn't seem to give a rats ass and runs like a beast on 93 from anywhere. :dunno:
 

78

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Are you "brand specific" with the 93 octane you use in your R8 or do you just pull in anywhere and push the 93 button?
I swear my Shelby runs substantially better when I pump my 93 from Shell or Chevron....7-11 and Wawa seem to leave it feeling noticeably down on power. My new Mustang doesn't seem to give a rats ass and runs like a beast on 93 from anywhere. :dunno:
Shell only. I'm a fuel rewards member. I don't put crap brands in it.
 

ThreatMatrix

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Shell only. I'm a fuel rewards member. I don't put crap brands in it.
Me too but I have to go to Citgo for the corn free. Still a top tier gas but wouldn't be a first choice. Chevron is good too.
 

ThreatMatrix

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The non ethanol thing is not that important for cars because unlike a boat or storing gas for longer periods of time in vented tanks or systems the alky content doesn't have time to draw in the H2O which causes fuel to "separate" at the molecular level "phase separation"....Treated higher octane gas is always better in ANY engine than some gimmicky labeled 90 octane garbage.....like you said 93 or bust is best any way....unless or course if your calibration prefers a diet of 85% Corn...or 110 octane
You can put whatever you want in a Toyota.
 

jeeping8r

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Lower octane fuels actually burn faster, Hence why an engine may detonate (ping) excessively on lower octanes. It's actually a double edged sword, Lower octane burns faster but needs temperature and tuning concessions to use, While higher octane burns slower but allows more aggressive tuning.

E85 runs clean and cool and can run in more than "flex fuel" engines, I may try it in my 02 2500HD with the 8.1 gas engine.

Oh and your BMW electric valve train may be child's play compared to the 2.7 turbo 4 coming out in the new Silverado.... The CAMS actually move back and forth allowing 2 different cam profiles and an AFM cylinder deactivation feature.:headslap:

Let's see how these pan out with folks not adhering to scheduled maintenance. See where the oil change on a Bugatti Veyron (sp?) is said to be around $21K :eek3: edit: If I can manage to do 3 or 4 of those in a year I could semi-retire :)

Hasn't happened yet but the camshaft will be gone eventually, The gains in friction loss alone pretty much demand it with the CAFE ratings going through the roof. Much less the ability to go from a traffic jam idler to a full on race engine by flipping a switch. :woohoo:
 

ThreatMatrix

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CAFE is the devil no doubt. My friends new JEEP shuts off in traffic. F that. Fortunately there's a switch to turn that off but you've got to hit every time you get in the car. Don't know if you can code Jeeps but that's the first thing I'd delete.
 

jeeping8r

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What kind of Jeep? There's many programmers out for the Wranglers. ESS (engine stop start) is gaining along with the transmission exhausting the line pressures at a stop. Anything they can get another 100th of a % gain.
Fortunately I got away from the stealership service department long ago. Have my own little shop now and can pick and choose what I do, And that's mainly Jeep and truck stuff.
 

Concrete Helmet

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You can put whatever you want in a Toyota.
I run 93 in my 18 GT, Tundra and my Shelby(tuned on 93 plus).....ethanol is not an issue in ANY vehicle because they do not have vented fuel systems and typically do not "sit" on fuel for weeks or month's at a time like a boat.
If you really wanna make that BMW fly you should put it on E85 if it's not your daily(sometimes hard to find). If I wasn't going to supercharge my 18GT it would be getting a Flex Fuel tune for the performance advantages alone.
 

Concrete Helmet

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E85 runs clean and cool and can run in more than "flex fuel" engines, I may try it in my 02 2500HD with the 8.1 gas en
Not sure about other brands but newer Ford engines just require bigger injectors....the engines themselves have a self alky level learn already programmed in them.
 

oxrageous

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The battery has to be registered to the vehicle so that the ECU's can optimize power distribution. Is that really necessary?
Of course it isn't. It's a way to be forced to buy and have them install their insanely priced batteries (I heard $300 to $500).

Again, eff them.
 

78

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I replaced my battery a little more than a year ago. $276.00. They're not for everyone.
 

ThreatMatrix

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I replaced my battery a little more than a year ago. $276.00. They're not for everyone.
Again, that's why you DIY. I can get an equivalent battery for $120 and register it myself using Carly.
 

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