Bimmer Owners' Club

Hi Mark Unfortunately, you get a limited time to edit posts and they cannot be deleted but they can be hidden if necessary. Is there something in particular you have in mind?

Hi Johnny...welcome to the Forum Unfortunately, that is one down side to rear wheel drive cars....no weight over the driving wheels. Unless you have the X-Drive then it is a case of finding the best tyres to grip in icy conditions (sorry, not sure which these would be though) and using different driving techniques. Hopefully it won't really get that cold this year in the UK, unless you're in Scotland or remote areas where there is likely to be snow. Let us know what you find with your choice of tyres. Cheers, Trevor

I find this quite unbelievable! Firstly, we are in Europe and all headlamps are made to a European standard and stamped as such. Secondly, what is the difference in the headlamps if the main objective is to aim the kick-up to the correct side (if any) so as not to create any undue dazzling for oncoming cars....that is it! Years ago there were differences on the lens (glass lenses) that affected the parabolic beam pattern but on modern lamps, this is no longer the case. I think they are having a laugh and are after as much money as they can extract from the British motorist. Keep fighting and keep letting us know how it goes.

It seems the Dealers are battling it out amongst themselves then....this could get very interesting. Keep us updated Paul

definitely the best way forward from here is to have a scan carried out and then at least you will know what system / part is at fault before it becomes more of a permanent problem

lol....totally agree with you Greydog

What a nightmare....but I can't see the issue if the beam pattern doesn't kick up to the nearside, not an issue if it doesn't have a kick up on the offside either.

Hi Laura....welcome to the Forum The loud noise is my main worry...engine lights as long as they are amber in colour is okay but if it is red...then you have big problems. If the power is restricted then that also is an issue and one that needs looking at urgently as it won't be safe to drive. Either way, I would take into a reputable garage who can run a scan on the engine ECU to determine the cause of the running problem and go from there. Let us know what you find Cheers, Trevor

Glad you've got a successful (and cheaper) outcome. If you're using the car in Spain for a prolonged period, I was reading an article yesterday saying that the authorities are only allowing a foreign registered car to stay in the country for no longer than one month. Not sure if that affects you?

Oh I see what you mean, sorry misunderstood. If the coolant temperature is not raised enough then that is one issue, however, it could be the heater matrix isn't receiving hot coolant due to it being blocked or similar. Probably the best way is to get a cheap infra-red temperature gun similar to this link and then probe the hoses to see where it is circulating, or not as the case may be. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Infrared-Handheld-Temperature-Gun-Thermometer-Non-Contact-IR-Laser-Point/332426284743?epid=1756017825&hash=item4d66268ec7:g:tZEAAOSwyGZZ8ZGh

Hi Paul...welcome to the Forum I am assuming that it is operating correctly now and was not beforehand. Most windscreens demist settings are variable as you may only want to keep it lower depending on outside temperature to compensate.

Hi Paul....welcome to the Forum It depends on what type of headlights you have, e.g. Xenons, Halogen, etc.... The easiest way is to park up in front of a wall at night and put the headlights on dip beam to see if the beam is flat or whether it kicks up to the left. Sometimes, with projector beam type you can change it by adjusting a small lever to kick up to the right hand side for Europe. Let us know what you find

The perfect car for Spain then....

can you elaborate on when and how this is occurring, thanks

Hi Michael....welcome to the Forum it does sound like a fuse issue if both seats have failed at the same time. Not sure if there is also a relay to auto-time the power supply to them. Let us know what you find Cheers Trevor

Hi Ray...welcome to the Forum Not entirely sure what is causing a rumble but I would certainly be looking for any signs of abnormal tyre wear but otherwise, it may be worth looking up some of the tyre websites that publish noise levels for different tyres and change to something with a lower rating...either that or turn up the stereo. Also, just a thought but maybe worth checking tyre pressures when cold to ensure they are not too high. Cheers, Trevor

Very nice and love the colour...always was partial to that colour. Why Left Hand Drive?

Hi Barry....welcome to the Forum Not entirely sure there was a remote fob back then....if there was then it would be easy enough to pick one up and programme it to the car...plenty of info on this site to do this. Also, I don't think they had undershields on the E36s back then....but I may be wrong, just don't remember seeing them. Feel free to post up some piccys on here would love to see the old girl. Cheers, Trevor

Heard good and bad reports on Terraclean but mostly good feedback on results .... low mileage runs on an large engine aren't good in the longterm really

Forgot about those filters Greydog surely there can't be many left driving around with them? :-)

Hi Rachel If you are seeing white smoke then that is suggestive of coolant being burnt (e.g. head gasket) To be certain, check the coolant level at the same time every day (e.g. when the engine is cold in the morning, finishing work, etc) and if it hasn't gone down then its not that. Alternatively, white smoke can be an injector fault but will need checking out by a Diesel specialist. Keep us updated on what you find Cheers, Trevor

Here's a link for Halfords... http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil?brand=Petronas&pageNo=1&pageSize=21&sort=we_recommend

Try this link https://applications.castrol.com/oilselector/en_gb/c/search?_ga=2.30320191.1280854334.1508926439-1291265006.1508926439

Castrol Magnatec is a great oil but there are others that compare such as Mobil 1 and I recently tried Petronas in my Z3 and it is absolutely fine....no Vanos noise or valve rattle, and a lot cheaper as well. Halfords do great deals periodically on the above makes

The only difference between the two oils is the viscosity or as the Americans call it the 'weight' which is related to the oil flow at certain temperatures. Your engine should be fine with each although for older engines I would be tempted to go for the 10w30. However, there is a huge difference in oil quality so buy the best you can for your money.