E36's suck!

[Shock(/\)ave]

My E36 is a fantastic car.

[flyboyx]

Does the e36 have an oil level indicator?

If so, probably works by closing the circuit to ground when the oil goes low.

So here's the plan.

Wire in a relay on the fuel pump ground so that it's normally in the closed position. Have the coil side of the relay going to the circuit wired into the low oil level sensor. Of course this is a rough idea and you'll need to check out a wiring diagram or use a test light to figure out specifics. Also, that circuit might be only 5v so this is all speculation. Anywho:

Low oil level gets triggered, fuel pump dies. Fuel pump is a safe way to pull this off because the car won't instantly die, but sputter out and she can safely get off the road.

Kindly hide a quart of oil in the trunk, so when you get the panicked phone call you can make her sweat a little before saving the day.

I bet you could remove the relay again after only 1 or 2 uses.

This isnt a bad idea. I kind of wish i would have thought of this before i tore it all apart.

The car has an indicator for both low oil and low coolant. An idiot light illuminates on the dash and a message pops up on the 12 button obc. The display was previously unreadable, but i found a pretty good one in the jy a few months ago. Maybe that will help.

[bostonvert]

My first car was an e36 325 convertible and I loved that thing soo much! Very reliable, great handling and easy to work on. God I miss that thing

[Bimmerman325i]

Meh, E36s are fun cars, and a well-owned one isn't necessarily a crap pile.

You can actually get the starter out, assuming it's a threaded one, without removing the intake or exhaust. Working on an E36 is a pain until you learn the tricks, then it's actually really easy. If it's not a threaded starter then fuck all of that and light the car on fire.

[Das Delfin]

Compared to an E39, E36 is terrible.

Are you saying I should get a 540i? Particularly a brown one?

[mariano_is_my_hero]

From what I have seen, the E36 was a step backward in just about every way from an E30. They drive like trucks, poorly balanced, the interiors are junk, working on the engine is a PITA, and they feel like driving a tank (Way too heavy) The brakes are so so. I'm unimpressed with just about everything about the car, including the looks.

Will

seems legit.

e36's esp m3's are widely regarded as one of the best driving and handling cars ever. you just made up some totally incorrect shit or you've never driven a proper e36 for some reason.

[MR E30 325is]

seems legit.

e36's esp m3's are widely regarded as one of the best driving and handling cars ever. you just made up some totally incorrect shit or you've never driven a proper e36 for some reason.

I agree with you completely.

I have a 98 M3 sitting in my garage right now. With just coilovers it drives better than my old E30, which was extremely built, cage included. There just isn't a comparison in the way an E36 M3 handles itself when driven aggressively. The E30 pales in comparison. In fact, most anything I have ever driven or ridden in fails to match the E36 M3.

"They drive like trucks" is probably the most ignorant thing I have read all year.

[rturbo 930]

E36s aren't that much heavier than E30s either. A late model 325is is like 2850 vs 3200 or so for an M3. It's no lightweight, but hardly a 'tank'.

[BlackbirdM3]

seems legit.

e36's esp m3's are widely regarded as one of the best driving and handling cars ever. you just made up some totally incorrect shit or you've never driven a proper e36 for some reason.

I've driven half a dozen and they all are horrible for all the same reasons I mentioned. I've autoxed them and found every single one lacking. Horrible nose heavy, poorly balanced cars. I keep hoping to find one that drives well, but they all seem to suck. They feel like they weigh a good 2000 lbs more than my e30 M3, and they never ever beat my times. (Unless they have race tires, street tire to street tire, my e30 wins every time.)

Will

[E30 Wagen]

E36s indeed feel way heavier, but I've never felt they were unbalanced. For safety reasons they're probably just more prone to understeer. One complaint I do have about mine is how the rear suspension reacts to bumps or bad road conditions by making the car jerk side-to-side instead of just a simple up-down motion. Every e30 I've driven, which is about a dozen, seems to handle bumps and bad road conditions better. The e30 definitely outshines the e36 as far as road feel, and knowing exactly what all four wheels are doing.

[Bimmerman325i]

I've driven half a dozen and they all are horrible for all the same reasons I mentioned. I've autoxed them and found every single one lacking. Horrible nose heavy, poorly balanced cars. I keep hoping to find one that drives well, but they all seem to suck. They feel like they weigh a good 2000 lbs more than my e30 M3, and they never ever beat my times. (Unless they have race tires, street tire to street tire, my e30 wins every time.)

Will

uh....not sure what you're on about with this.

E36 M3 was practically 50/50 from the factory. Hell, C&D measured one in their 'best handling car' test as 49.3 F 50.7 R weight distribution.

(http://s6.photobucket.com/user/kornk...page3.gif.html)

and full test: http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...7#post11485647


Technically, an E30 M3 is MORE nose heavy than an E36 M3. 53/47, per http://www.strictlyeta.net/technical...ications2.html, which is information from a 1988 R&T article.

[Bimmerman325i]

E36s indeed feel way heavier, but I've never felt they were unbalanced. For safety reasons they're probably just more prone to understeer. One complaint I do have about mine is how the rear suspension reacts to bumps or bad road conditions by making the car jerk side-to-side instead of just a simple up-down motion. Every e30 I've driven, which is about a dozen, seems to handle bumps and bad road conditions better. The e30 definitely outshines the e36 as far as road feel, and knowing exactly what all four wheels are doing.

Replaced the RTABs?

[BobombETA]

+1 for the E36. I love my M3.

[M-technik-3]

I like em but they can be problematic at times. I have had lemon quantity ones and others were great.

[E30 Wagen]

Replaced the RTABs?

Nope. I'm actually hating my e36 now because of this. In only 10k miles I burned through a pair of rear tires so I took it to my local euro shop to check the alignment and, just as I feared, the bushings are shot. We're due for a snowstorm tonight so I swapped my snow tires but now I'm worried I'm going to wear those down in like a month (and one of my snow tires has a bad belt or something that shakes the whole car). Also, my pulley tensioner backing plate snapped and my thermostat is sticking open . If my backup e30 actually ran and I had the time/space to get my shit sorted I wouldn't be stressing as much, but with an impending snowstorm I am stressed the fuck out right now.

e36s do suck