Quote from: NT2C on August 31, 2023, 12:06:59 PMFor the Jeep, adjusted tire pressures.

For the trailer, installed new marker lights on the fenders and started the rewiring job,  I want to rewire the lights on it and have functioning reverse lights.  This means everything from the plug back gets replaced.  Today I installed a junction box and 6' 7-wire lead and plug.  Later today (or tomorrow) I'll run some 7-wire cable from the junction box  back to the rear lights but I'll have to either get a helper to crawl under the trailer and attach the cable to the frame, or drill through the floor and run it inside the trailer.  I'm leaning toward the "inside the trailer" option due to the complete dearth of hireable local teens who can be trusted with tools.

If you need a hand, I'd be happy to lend it this weekend, regardless of which option you choose.

In exchange for your assistance with a certain grounding rod project, of course.

More plastic crap broke on the BMW. And more design flaws discovered.

First:
The AC was blowing cold on the drivers side of the car and 'hot' on the passenger side of the car. Come to find out that is a symptom of low refrigerant and is an 'On Purpose' design. So I put my gauge on it and it was right on the line between low and filled.  So I put a little refrigerant in and that fixed that issue. Hardly put any in. BMW designers I curse you to ride in the passenger seat, in Florida, in the summertime, in one of your cars when the refrigerant level ducks down to just that point where the passenger is dying from heat and the driver is saying 'you're crazy, its working perfectly fine'. Smart cars just don't blow 'as cold' air out from ALL the vents and that makes it an EQUITABLE inconvenience for both driver and passengers. Yet still a noticeable symptom of low refrigerant. BMW is racist!

Second:
You know that iconic front end look with the dual grills that BMW's sport? Well there's a chrome trim piece at the top attached to the hood [bonnet to our European allies] and that chrome trim is really just PLASTIC!! Additionally, the steel hood stops about 1/4" back up under that trim piece, and it is right where you pull up on the hood when releasing the hood latch. So guess what BMW designers, the trim piece breaks off. All you had to do was extend the hood under that 1/4 " [6.35mm] to cover and support the bottom of the trim piece to avoid any sort of stress on it.

But the BMW designers weren't thru yet. Each trim piece is held on by 3 non-magnetic, metallic torx bolts. To change the trim pieces you have to open the hood to get at the bolts. Now everyone who's anyone has magnetic torx bits to use in their drill drivers so the steel bolts will 'stick' to the bit and not fall into the engine or where ever, and it also makes for a third hand when screwing bolt or screws, you just stick 'em onto the bit and then screw. We'll you can't do that with non-magnetic bolts so i lost the first one down the engine. And had to have three hands to keep the rest from falling into the engine [and a gigantic towel].

Since I couldn't even see the bolt that fell into the engine and even if I could I couldn't use a magnetic retrieval tool to get it back since its non-magnetic I fabricated a correctly sized bolt from a spare one that was too long that I cut off with a Dremel. Its the center bolt with the round head  .



You see how the 'hood' doesn't go all the way under the trim? POS design.


Both the left and right side trim pieces had to be replaced, the right fell completely off and the left was only held on by the center bolt, the two outside connections, being plastic, had cracked and weren't holding the trim on.


$16 for a BMW trim kit, set of two L/R, made in China.

Oh, and while I had the hood open I noticed that now there is a small oil leak, looks like the valve cover gasket needs to be replaced.



What do you call a 1000 BMW engineers on the bottom of the ocean?

When it rains it pours doesn't it. My wife's Escalade is usually our go to "bugout" vehicle for the whole family, and in the last week I've had to replace 2 different serpentine belts, 2 separate tensioner pulleys, and an alternator. My wife's Escalade had a cascading effect where one broke while we were driving, then by the time we got home the rest needed replaced. Didn't know the alternator needed replaced until she drove it to work and it freaked out about the electrical system not charging. A word of warning to anyone wanting to buy a Cadillac Escalade. They are a great vehicle, but EXTREMELY pricey to fix, although if you can do it yourself you will save a ton of money vs a dealership.

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 07, 2023, 03:49:03 PMFirst:
The AC was blowing cold on the drivers side of the car and 'hot' on the passenger side of the car. Come to find out that is a symptom of low refrigerant and is an 'On Purpose' design. So I put my gauge on it and it was right on the line between low and filled.  So I put a little refrigerant in and that fixed that issue. Hardly put any in. BMW designers I curse you to ride in the passenger seat, in Florida, in the summertime, in one of your cars when the refrigerant level ducks down to just that point where the passenger is dying from heat and the driver is saying 'you're crazy, its working perfectly fine'. Smart cars just don't blow 'as cold' air out from ALL the vents and that makes it an EQUITABLE inconvenience for both driver and passengers. Yet still a noticeable symptom of low refrigerant. BMW is racist!

Second:
You know that iconic front end look with the dual grills that BMW's sport? Well there's a chrome trim piece at the top attached to the hood [bonnet to our European allies] and that chrome trim is really just PLASTIC!! Additionally, the steel hood stops about 1/4" back up under that trim piece, and it is right where you pull up on the hood when releasing the hood latch. So guess what BMW designers, the trim piece breaks off. All you had to do was extend the hood under that 1/4 " [6.35mm] to cover and support the bottom of the trim piece to avoid any sort of stress on it.

But the BMW designers weren't thru yet. Each trim piece is held on by 3 non-magnetic, metallic torx bolts. To change the trim pieces you have to open the hood to get at the bolts. Now everyone who's anyone has magnetic torx bits to use in their drill drivers so the steel bolts will 'stick' to the bit and not fall into the engine or where ever, and it also makes for a third hand when screwing bolt or screws, you just stick 'em onto the bit and then screw. We'll you can't do that with non-magnetic bolts so i lost the first one down the engine. And had to have three hands to keep the rest from falling into the engine [and a gigantic towel].




What do you call a 1000 BMW engineers on the bottom of the ocean?

I remember looking at a BMW dual sport motorcycle and learned that for no good reason it had two different oil drain plugs which were made of cheap metal that was extremely easy to strip out.  Every other motorcycle manufacturer seems to do just fine with a single oil drain plug.  And BMW dealerships charge between $150 and $200 for a simple oil change.  I went with a Kawasaki KLR, which doesn't give a rats ass if you ever change the oil.

About 15 years ago my brother was looking at sporty small sedans and flat out told the BMW sales person he loved the 326i but the lack of a serviceable cupholder was, quite frankly, a complete deal breaker. The sales guy gave an arrogant Teutonic rationale that probably matches why your car blows f*cking hot air on the passenger to alert the owner that the refrigerant is low: "BMW believes their drivers should not be distracted by beverages and instead focus on the vaunted BMW driving experience."  My brother went with an Audi A4 instead.

Had you asked a BMW dealer about your situation, I'm sure the rationale would have been along the lines of: "BMW believes inflicting misery upon a passenger is the most effective way of encouraging owners to keep their fine driving machines in top operating condition." 

Don't get me started on the cup holders in my wife's 325i (to which I will admit no association with) It has 'pop out' cup holders in the dash that will fit small cup's and hold them RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE A/C VENTS. Which block the airflow. They're also pretty fragile.

Right after she got the car it needed a new battery. So she got some quotes. One from the dealership was for $600. She asked the dealer, "why so expensive?" To which they replied she should sell the car if she can't afford the costs associated with owning a BMW.   

Been elbows deep in the wife's car. Replaced the entire front suspension, wheel bearings, brake pads, rotors, and a new caliper.

It was cheaper to buy the entire assembly then just a couple pieces. Hopefully after this it'll be good for another 150k miles or more.

Found this in a hidden compartment by the firewall, along with a bloody chicken foot.   



An exorcist has been summoned. That's another $475. The dealer quoted $3000

ROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMI would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I saw that, liquid would have shot out of my eyes. What's that last car, it tied with the beemer IMO. I was watching the driver cabin size changes for survivability.

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

You are a party POOPER!
I got your computer simulation right here. Party Pooper

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

Upon closer inspection, it would appear you're right on that. Not sure how I didn't notice that at first, but now it's obvious that it's game footage.

My money's on them using that BeamNG game or a similar simulation program.

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

Watching it on my phone as an inserted video in the forum post?  No I did not.  

Although I was wondering what the f*ck they had done to that truck's front end to make it so indestructible.  Now I know why.  

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 03:00:52 PM

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

You are a party POOPER!
I got your computer simulation right here. Party Pooper

That one I completely believe! 

My mechanic dropped the car off this morning.  He talked me out of doing the headlight bulbs, as the bolts are in such bad condition that he estimated it will take 4+ hours of effort on their part to drill everything out and put in new.  Since the headlights are working at the moment, he recommended waiting until one of them actually burns out, THEN do the replacement.

The exhaust is a minor leak and he's ordered parts to replace the flex pipe.  Unfortunately, this is one of those repairs that takes more effort than it should.  It requires removing / reinstalling everything from the exhaust header back through the catalytic converter, just to get at the flex pipe, and will be about 3-4hrs of effort, plus parts. 

I also talked with him about the repairs needed on the truck (rough idle / check engine light, noise from front wheel hub, trans fluid/filter change).  I'll schedule all that once I've got the car done.

The new high beams for the truck arrived yesterday and the fog lights should be here today.  If I have time tonight, I'll swap those in, which will complete the truck light upgrades for now.  Not sure if I'll switch out the rest of the lights for LEDs, because that will require adding resistors for the turn signals, but maybe sometime down the road.

I'm also hoping that the new high beam bulbs will fit into the headlight assembly.  There is a support bracket (plastic) right behind the high beam bulbs and if they stick out too far from the back of the assembly, I'll either have to notch the bracket, or find some smaller bulbs. 

Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PM

Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PM

Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL

Which car brand do you think lost this competition? 


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94

I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.

Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right? 

I was so hoping there was a big yard of cement mixers somewhere with a big shop full of mechanics waiting to fix them after every wreck.

Dreams are now broken.

The new high beams fit!  They have a separate controller box that is attached via wires, so they're not much longer than a stock bulb.  I did have to clean out a dead dragonfly that was stuck in one of the fog light housings, but otherwise it all went pretty well. 

The high beams are... really, really bright!  Like Death Star destroying Alderaan bright!    But I won't use those very much, given that I live in a large metro area.  The surprise was how good the fog lights are on this truck (now that they have decent bulbs in them).  Really low cutoff, so they won't blind anyone, but a TON of light off to the sides (almost like having ditch lights).  The ones on the old truck and my car mostly shine forward, like having a dimmer additional headlight.  These are somewhere around 140-degrees of spread!

You cannot view this attachment.

And the battery work light that I reviewed has been great for doing things like installing these lights.  I like doing lights at night, because it lets me get a immediate look at how they're performing.  But to do that, you have to have work lights.  I've also been using one of the small work lights too (I think this was the Innofox).  When I was having to get inside the wheel well liner to work on bolts, or install the fog lights, I'd just put it right inside the liner to light everything up while I was working. 

Broke out some old... I mean Ooold (you needed a FCC licensing to use CB) comms gear.
This one's  (Robyn SX-101) 23 channel installed in RedFord
my Cobra 29LTD (Both Peaked/Tuned Tweaked backinnaday) is going in the Mom-Mobile,
Just as soon as I can figure out how to mount a decent antenna to the minivan,
The roof panel is non magnetic, and the "bumpers" are 90% styrofoam and 10% plastic... glass mount? maybe?
Not long range comms, but work good enough for a scout vehicle and a transport to communicate.

I have/have used a magnetic antenna, but it messed up the finish on my car. Has anyone else had an issue with them doing that?

I kinda left it on until I figured out it was messing up the paint. [meaning I wasn't putting it up just when i was using it and taking it off again when done.]

Could just be the Florida sun.