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therealdb1

Welcome to the fold! I can't remember what causes the instrument problem but someone else on here will and shall be along shortly I'm sure. As for the engine management light it could be any number of causes particularly on a car which has not been driven much and the ambient conditions are now cold...

therealdb1

For the cost of a single trip to the garage to get codes read then buy the INPA set up as colb suggests. It is not just a code reader but you can see what the sensors etc are doing in real time, perform adaptions, and plenty more. The downside is you need a laptop but they are not such a rarity thes...

therealdb1

You do not say what your build date is but the information I have is that the airbag module changed from MRS II to MRS III at March 1999. Note that is build and not registration date. As Mr Scalex says the seats may be for the newer module or vice versa and the module that you have is not happy with...

therealdb1

I wouldn't recommend squirting anything into the air intake. If you gunk up the MAF you may need a new one of those too when there may be nothing wrong (at the moment) with the one you have fitted. For the sake of an hour of time why not do the job properly, take the ICV off to see if it is sticking...

therealdb1

Glad you got your money's worth

therealdb1

And I thought for my 30 years of racing I was running the kerbs to shorten the lap!

Saves turning the steering wheel and balancing the back end on the throttle I suppose.

Live and learn, eh?

therealdb1

My local timber merchant prices by the metre and charges for what he sells you as per Brian H's calculation. But then he will sell you the length of timber that you ask for and you are not obliged to buy a fixed length which have become daft due probably to some EU rule. Why 2.4 metres? I can unders...

therealdb1

Yes I believe the all green section on the left is live sensor input which is why it responded to you shaking the sensor around. The right hand side is showing where the sensor is centred in the control unit memory so this would only change when the sensor is successfully calibrated. The sensor prov...

therealdb1

From the INPA screen it looks like the lateral acceleration sensor has an offset outside BMW's limits. This is to measure cornering acceleration (g) and is nothing to do with going faster or slower so tilting fore and aft will not make any difference to it. I suspect that it is some kind of capaciti...

therealdb1

If you intend keeping the car and intend working on it yourself, or at least like to have an idea what is wrong with it before you take it to someone else to fix, plump for an INPA set up like colb's first suggestion. It does so much more than read codes eg. you can look at sensor outputs in real ti...

therealdb1

Lambda has a lower limit too of 0.97 which is why your car failed on it first time round. In my experience of MOT tests you are very much at the mercy of the tester and his ability to interpret the instructions for the test and what the results are telling him. For example, the tester is supposed to...

therealdb1

Whatever you do DON'T disconnect it!

I agree with Brian the seat heaters are fused at 15A and that wire is too skinny.
It is probably for seat belt or seat occupancy sensors neither of which are fitted to your car by the sounds of it so I would just cable tie it out of the way.

therealdb1

Depends how good the pressure test was when it was done. It needs to be more than a quick 5 minutes. My daily driver Volvo had a pressure test and was supposedly ok but after 4 days it was out of gas again. It was checked again and this time dye was added to the gas and when it packed up after anoth...

therealdb1

How romantic Del!
With the top down I listen for the rorty exhaust not the ***** birdsong!

therealdb1

A dealer doesn't know? If someone is trading cars on a regular basis then he has the means to find out and should know what he is selling at least for his own piece of mind without taking into account being an honest seller. Most people have access to a vehicle history these days for a few pounds an...

therealdb1

I have one so that's at least three. The millenium year appears to be when BMW produced most of the Mora's unless someone knows different. It's a bit difficult to tell the colour of mine at present as it's covered in dust created by our builder and I really must replace the rusty rear wing and de-co...

therealdb1

Without researching the actual model of the cream coloured box the wires that you can see will almost certainly be zero volt contacts for the switches on the remote with an analogue input, 4 to 20 mA I imagine, for the speed control. All perfectly safe although the manufacturer is probably expecting...

therealdb1

Sorry! Obviously your sense of humour differs from mine. If the engine is on a pallet the load will be spread so you'll be fine although if you can get someone else to do the transportation for £20 I'd take that option. It does sound cheap but maybe the catch is the delivery time as the company may ...

therealdb1

Are you looking to transport a 6 pot engine made of solid lead? An entire Z3 only weighs about 1300kg and according to Ford the baby Transit Connect has a payload around 700kg and the full size Transit is over 1 tonne. If carrying a car engine ended up "busting" the van then dear old Henry...

therealdb1

If the OP has access to both cars he could simply take a photo from directly behind each car (even better in the same picture) and the difference would be immediately apparent without considering lighting angles, damage or whether or not the bumper is correctly attached.

therealdb1

My "Individual" has body colour engine bay and it appears laquered because it is metallic. I have not checked under carpets inside or in the boot though. Perhaps I should but not at this time of night! Metallic paint generally looks awful without the clear coat which is probably why the O/...

therealdb1

Well it is a simple fix even if you need to replace the battery or the lead. Much easier than tracking down faults with the immobiliser or ignition switch at least! The car would not have been designed to require packing under the battery so if you really do have to stretch the lead to reach the ter...

therealdb1

I've had a loose negative battery terminal too with exactly those symptoms. It must be a common but peculiar issue on Z's as I've never suffered it on any other car I have driven in the last 40 years! It takes longer to open the boot and move the carpet out of the way than to fix once you know what ...

therealdb1

If you can find anywhere to buy French fuel at the moment

therealdb1

Some of the options prices were a bargain! I paid more than that for metallic paint and cruise control on my Volvo V70 purchased new in 1999. It does have air con and wood trim as standard though and as for powered hood it doesn't even have a sunroof! I'll have to think about changing it in a couple...

therealdb1

If you think changing the rubber boot was difficult try changing a throttle body on a Jaguar XJR!!! Sorry off topic there back to the Z3 I hope you never have to get the rear brake discs off when the handbrake shoes have delaminated inside them! :head: I'm glad the new bellows have sorted your runni...

therealdb1

Hi there, I cannot really help with 2 or 3 without seeing / hearing the issues you describe but 1 will almost certainly be rectified by a replacement rubber boot. Even a small split will let unmetered air in which will give mixture problems and cause you misfires, stalling and random lambda readings...

therealdb1

Something is seriously wrong with that! I don't see any way that standard parts in serviceable condition could cause an increased wheelbase. If it were accident damage then you would not expect it to be the same both sides. I would be tempted not to drive the car until it has been checked by someone...

therealdb1

Hi Steve, The two are almost certainly linked since they use the same wheel sensors. The switch is doing nothing because the systems are disabled which is what the warning lights are telling you. If you get the appropriate sensor sorted and clear the stored codes, which the chap with the reader can ...

therealdb1

If it goes as well as you say it is unlikely to be a head gasket but you could get a compression check done for your own piece of mind. A lot of these cars sit around doing nothing for a lot of the time these days and cold damp weather combined with limited running will be prone to condensation and ...

therealdb1

Yes a good idea to get the codes read before changing parts randomly.
Most likely to be a wheel sensor dirty or faulty but if you get the code read by a BMW specific reader like INPA it will tell you which wheel needs attention.

therealdb1

The "individuals" were factory cars; see here http://users.belgacom.net/bmw_z3/bmw_z3 ... ograms.htm
Yes there is a plate under the bonnet that states "individual" with the name and paint code.

therealdb1

Ah ah! We're back on the old chestnut of special editions! You would have thought that an efficient German company would have kept records of how many cars were made but apparently not. No one can give a definitive answer. The excuse I was given when I enquired about my 'Mora' was that the "Ind...

therealdb1

Actually I've confused myself! The last ones I did were on my Volvo which drop in from the top on the front wheels. :dunce: However the technique I describe still holds but you shall have to remove the brake disc and possibly the hub too. It depends how much you want to save the sensor. Why are you ...

therealdb1

No there is no locating groove and when freshly installed they can be wriggled side to side slightly. However it is a common problem for them to seize in the hole. A technique I have used with 50/50 success is to lift the car high enough to get a bar of aluminium (soft but stiff and non-magnetic) of...

therealdb1

If you have a pump and pressure gauge at home why do you want to trust someone else's when you have no control over who uses it or how it is used? The question that needs to be asked is "where can you get your gauge and/or pump calibrated so you know they are correct?" I cannot really help...

therealdb1

Good news! It's nothing to do with DSC or ASC. It sounds like an air leak which can be confirmed by resetting the code and checking that it recurrs when you try to drive the car. This then means old fashioned detective work with your fingers and eyes. You will need to check every rubber hose on the ...

therealdb1

I always thought that Eagle NCT's were Goodyear tyres.
Dunlop tyres normally have "sport" in the name!

therealdb1

Have you checked the gear box oil level?
Autos can do some strange things when the level is marginal and you have been showing it what for!

therealdb1

The bonnet release may not be a service item according to BMW but it definitely needs maintenance. Over time the system siezes due to lack of lubrication and you end up snapping a cable trying to open the bonnet. Then you really have made a job and a half for yourself! How do I know that? When after...

therealdb1

Hi Julie, Before you go rushing in to the inlet cam sensor it is highly likely that there is anything wrong with it if the engine is running correctly. INPA is a great diagnostic tool, even in German since Google translation will give you the gist of what it says and I am sure the version I have con...

therealdb1

I have one of these and it works perfectly on Windows XP and Windows 7. Haven't tried it on 10 yet but the advert claims compatibility. I also found that there was no path option when installing and it defaults to the C drive which is a minor inconvenience but if you are aware of that in advance you...

therealdb1

Do you not have access to a telephone or e-mail? I have always found their phone and over the counter service exceptional. The guys in there are knowledgable and helpful. You don't even need to know the BMW part numbers. Give them your chassis number and they will look up the parts for you then if t...

therealdb1

Hi Marty,
Welcome on your return from me but like Del I cannot believe it is 2 years since the pain of releasing the Z.
I'm glad that your fortunes have changed as they must have improved dramatically if you are considering an M!

therealdb1

What sort of noise?
Do you have the same type of tyre on both sides?
Has the noise changed at all with the new wheel bearing?

therealdb1

Could be your Vanos units. I would say search for a Youtube video of a double Vanos engine like yours with duff units to see if the sound is the same. Otherwise take it to a garage with BMW engine experience since they would have more idea what's wrong without stripping the engine. Do you notice tha...

therealdb1

Yes it is very good at bonding including fingers!
I had some years ago too, kept it in the fridge but it still went rock solid in about a year. Maybe my fridge had too much condensation inside but recommend you buy a small quantity regularly rather than rely on keeping a larger quantity indefinitely.

therealdb1

I took the easy route and purchased a very nice Hameg twin beam scope on eBay for £20 which has far superior specifications to the smartphone adaptor shown in the link! Keep your eyes peeled and you can buy digital storage scopes for about £50 sometimes. Of course you do not get the enjoyment of bui...

therealdb1

Thermostats can fail either open or closed. Trust me I have had both... Several times each!
Not sure about the 4 cylinder but my 6 pot has a heated thermostat.

therealdb1

If it is running rich it may be that the ECU thinks the engine is cold. Hook it up to an INPA and see what engine temperatures you are getting. Also go to a friendly MOT station and get them to check the lambda and hydrocarbon readings at the exhaust. These will tell you if the mixture is over-rich ...

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