Knowing my car better

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 07:55

I saw recently a sale ad for a Z3 and the owner mentioned that: "according my research this is one of the first 3000 units produced in Spartanburg", how is possible to find this? I would be really interested to know this since the production started on 02/1996 and my car is 04/1996.

Also, have you ever find a Z3 safe test result or crash test video? how is Z3 doing in this particular area?

Davejue1 · Post by **Davejue1** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 08:02

I don't know if putting your last 7 digits of the chassis no into bmw archive would give you that information but it would cetainly give you a lot of detail about your car with regards to its build.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 08:31

WOW, i never knew this site, i run my VIN and in the optional equipment, it says: "S209A Sperrdifferenzial Differential lock 25%", does this means i have an LSD???

Davejue1 · Post by **Davejue1** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 08:55

Yes you do. It's good to print off and put in the cars history.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 09:03

i need to double check it, because i am the 2nd owner of the car, and from what i recall, when you turn 1 wheel, the other DOES NOT turn with it, the car is the garage now, i will ask my mechanic to double check it, it is possible that previous owner removed it for some reason and installed a simple diff instead...

i found this regarding the crash test results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LitXAPKZwQI

and this nice film, but it's in German and i understand nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKUQubNwh-I

BladeRunner919 · Post by **BladeRunner919** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 10:21

I don't think the diff will lock up just by you turning one wheel by hand!

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 10:23

i am trying to find more info on how to understand if my car actually has LSD or not, some say that lsd's must have load on them, only then they lock up and turn 2 wheels at the same time

BladeRunner919 · Post by **BladeRunner919** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 12:54

I assume there's a part number on the diff, but I think it's on the top. Do you have any reason to think it's not the one that came with the car?

Try a burnout and see if you can lay down two strips of rubber!

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 12:59

BladeRunner919 wrote:I assume there's a part number on the diff, but I think it's on the top. Do you have any reason to think it's not the one that came with the car?

Try a burnout and see if you can lay down two strips of rubber!

most people tells me that if your turn 1 wheel and the other doesn't turn with it, then it's an open diff, my car does exactly this, if you turn 1 wheel the other does not turn with it, so all these years i thought i have an open diff... will see today, i have the car to garage to change the diff bushing, i told the mechanic to take a look if it's indeed an LSD.

with 1.8L M43 it's a bit difficult to lay down rubber

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 13:14

i just talked with the mechanics, they have the diff off the car on a bench, it has a number on it 3.45V, and as they turn it by hand they understand that it is NOT an LSD...

BUT according to this: http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/Z3-Ro ... xle_drive/

there are 2 differentials, 3.45V open diff, part number: 33101428419, and 3.45V LSD, part number: 33 10 1 214 933, problem is they can't see the diff part number due to heavy mud

BladeRunner919 · Post by **BladeRunner919** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 14:02

Inferno wrote:
most people tells me that if your turn 1 wheel and the other doesn't turn with it, then it's an open diff

Then those people are wrong. What you are describing is a locked diff, such as an offroad vehicle might have. LSD stands for Limited Slip Diff, ie there is a limited amount of slip before the diff starts locking up. You cannot replicate that by turning one side by hand. If the diff's on the bench, just get them to take the diff cover off and have a look inside.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 14:19

BladeRunner919 wrote:
Inferno wrote:
most people tells me that if your turn 1 wheel and the other doesn't turn with it, then it's an open diff

Then those people are wrong. What you are describing is a locked diff, such as an offroad vehicle might have. LSD stands for Limited Slip Diff, ie there is a limited amount of slip before the diff starts locking up. You cannot replicate that by turning one side by hand. If the diff's on the bench, just get them to take the diff cover off and have a look inside.

unfortunately this cannot be done it's late now, they have already installed it on the car again, i didn't have time to talk with them again, i am at work and i had no time to call them in time. anyway i will try do some burnout testing once i have time

beerbelly · Post by **beerbelly** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 14:47

just spin the wheels on some wet/muddy grass if you leave two muddy lines its lsd if not will only spin one wheel

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 17:06

I have two examples that may help understand if it's an lsd or not.

On a shiny (low quality) uphill greek road car cannot go off from full stop whithout losing the rear end.

Once i tried a stop burnout on a mall parking artificial tarmac, i started burnout while i had slightly the brakes applied

, car was on a full stop and the rear wheels where both spinning...

Alan W · Post by **Alan W** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 18:40

If you put in your chassis no and it says your car has a LSD then it has, BMW / Germans don't make mistakes on data records, they are completely anal about it!!

Davejue1 · Post by **Davejue1** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 19:12

Alan W wrote:If you put in your chassis no and it says your car has a LSD then it has, BMW / Germans don't make mistakes on data records, they are completely anal about it!!

Exactly!

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Thu 19 Feb, 2015 19:16

Alan W wrote:If you put in your chassis no and it says your car has a LSD then it has, BMW / Germans don't make mistakes on data records, they are completely anal about it!!

true , true

these are the results:

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Fri 20 Feb, 2015 08:04

Maybe the LSD has become faulty.

But l would not worry too much about it, l don't think it's so important in a 1.9 Z3 although it would help in ice or a muddy field maybe.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Fri 20 Feb, 2015 08:28

lightning wrote:Maybe the LSD has become faulty.

But l would not worry too much about it, l don't think it's so important in a 1.9 Z3 although it would help in ice or a muddy field maybe.

it's the 1.8L M43 not the 1.9 M44, i agree it's not that important, i am not that kind of driver anyway, but it's nice though to know what your car is equipped with.
I don't think it's faulty, car had always a happy tail, you could easily drift it or loose the tail, on the other hand i don't know if this is because it's just an RWD or because it has an LSD

I just remembered this: one time perhaps the most famous greek drifter and BMW expert drove my car with me as a passenger, he did 2 times the circle of a big fountain, drifting, he then asked me if i have an LSD, i said no because that's what i thought, i don't know if this incident has to say something

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Mon 23 Mar, 2015 09:54

i am missing one clip cover from my seat belt drive, i looked in bmwfans.info for the part number to order it, but there isn't one!?! -> http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/Z3-Ro ... port_seat/

then i searched in google etc. and i noticed that the majority of the belt drives are different than mine -> http://www.i-firme.fr/WebRoot/ce_fr3/Sh ... _belt_.png

they don't have plastic covers, they seem to mount in a different way to the seat

mine is like this one-> http://www.autoberry.com/productphotos/ ... 2-1-og.jpg

if you look closer you will see 2 covers up and down.

does anybody knows why?

BladeRunner919 · Post by **BladeRunner919** » Mon 23 Mar, 2015 10:23

The part numbers are:
Left 52108410505
Right 52108410506

I don't really understand your other question - aren't they the same in both image?

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Mon 23 Mar, 2015 11:00

No, if you look closer on the last pic (it is hard i know but it is the only pic i could find), you will see 2 plastic clip covers, up and bottom of the outside part of the driver.

I dont need the drivers, mine are ok, i am just missing one screw cap

BladeRunner919 · Post by **BladeRunner919** » Mon 23 Mar, 2015 11:03

Oh I see now. They aren't separate parts, that's an early car that had the mountings accessible from the front and hidden under two plastic bungs. It's still a one piece clip. Most cars have the later (and far more difficult to replace!) ones without the bungs. I don't think you'll find any early ones, so will have to use the later one.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Mon 23 Mar, 2015 11:20

BladeRunner919 wrote:Oh I see now. They aren't separate parts, that's an early car that had the mountings accessible from the front and hidden under two plastic bungs. It's still a one piece clip. Most cars have the later (and far more difficult to replace!) ones without the bungs. I don't think you'll find any early ones, so will have to use the later one.

oh, ok i see, thanx mate!

another question regarding mostly the bmw archive site system, having again a look, i noticed that in the list doesn't mention air conditioning, i have A/C, and it's the OEM one, with the OEM control buttons, and the green A/C BMW sticker on the engine room... what is going wrong? is bmw archive site incorrect? i doubt that someone paid all this money to install the OEM A/C system later after the first car purchase from the dealership

Sorry for many questions guys..

mrscalex · Post by **mrscalex** » Tue 24 Mar, 2015 21:50

What I am doing wrong then? When I put the last 7 digits of the VIN in BMW Archive I just get some very basic information. No detailed build data.

Inferno · Post by **Inferno** » Fri 27 Mar, 2015 17:26

OK, back to the diff subject, i called BMW today and asked them to run my VIN in their systems to see the actual car factory equipment, they said that the car must have an LSD, it's rare (early 1996 1.8) but it should have it, they also gave me this number: I=38:11=3,45-V and told me that they see i should use Castrol SAF-XO oil 75w-90 ( i already use Red Oil 75w90) i run again my VIN in bmwfans.info, and look at the diagram next to part number 33 10 1 214 933, it has the same code they gave me, and it says "For vehicles with Differential lock 25% Yes S209A".
http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/Z3-Ro ... #1214933_1

S209A is the code i get from bmw archive next to LSD differential when i am running my VIN.

After that i went to my car, i looked at the diff tag and it says: R 345V 1721
i searched all over the net and i cannot find any bmw diff starting with "R", everything starts with "S" (LSD) or no letter (open diff)
i also find out from a German forum that letter "V" stands for "Viskose", i don't have a clue what viskose means!!, i tried to translate it but it's like an unexisting word-> http://www.bmw-syndikat.de/bmwsyndikatf ... -_E30.html

i also saw a reference in an other source that SAF-XO oils are suggested from BMW for open diffs and Torsen Diffs, for Clutch type diffs they use SAF-XJ, so there must exist a Torsen LSD diff too!, from the same source, if in bmw archive systems you see S209A Differential Lock 25% then it is a torsen diff.

any clues about the diff tag? have you ever seen one beginning with "R"?

EDIT: apparently "viskose" means Viscous: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited-sl ... .28VLSD.29

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