Your fleet running reports

[jamcg]

Wasn’t there something with that age of bmw where the impeller falls off the shaft internally?

[Sundayjumper]

I think that’s the water pump ? Could be both though.

[Beany]

Pretty sure that's just the water pump - uses a plastic impellor.

I'll have a deek later this morning and see what I can work out. Solid chance it's low fluid, TBH I haven't checked it in a while. If it was a catastrophic leak I'd have no power steering at all. No weird noises that I noticed other than steering related - doesn't sound like the front of the engine has fallen apart, no flickering alternator light or owt.

[Beany]

Hmm. Got fluid, but it's not red, which I thought all ATF (which is what the power steering system needs) was meant to be.

So has some fucking moron has run this on PAS fluid? So much for that full BMW service history

I guess five litres of ATF and flush the fuck out of the system before anything else....

[Swervin_Mervin]

Hmm. Got fluid, but it's not red, which I thought all ATF (which is what the power steering system needs) was meant to be.

So has some fucking moron has run this on PAS fluid? So much for that full BMW service history

I guess five litres of ATF and flush the fuck out of the system before anything else....

Should be green Beany. Have you not been watching Sreten's vids?! He gets very, very cross about this everytime he buys a new shitter and finds it full of ATF.

this stuff

Was interesting watching his latest vid where he also specifically shows the original sticker on the gearbox which states that ATF fluid only should be used in the gearbox, even though it's a manual

[Swervin_Mervin]

Just got back from the Indy after having my a/c looked at. The a/c hasn't ever been looked at in 11years (at least not specifically at my reqest), and has never been regassed. However, it's also never been that cold. But after driving for 1hr into the sun last week in 28C heat, for a meeting, I decided it was time to get it sorted.

And lo! No issues. No leaks, and good pressure. weirdly it even seemed way colder than it's ever been when I've had it in use.

So they regassed it JIC.

Pretty impressed that a 134,000mi, 17yr old car, that hasn't had the a/c system even looked at in 11 years appears to be totally fine.*




*obvs I've not jinxed it

[Beany]

Hmm. Got fluid, but it's not red, which I thought all ATF (which is what the power steering system needs) was meant to be.

So has some fucking moron has run this on PAS fluid? So much for that full BMW service history

I guess five litres of ATF and flush the fuck out of the system before anything else....

Should be green Beany. Have you not been watching Sreten's vids?! He gets very, very cross about this everytime he buys a new shitter and finds it full of ATF.

this stuff

Was interesting watching his latest vid where he also specifically shows the original sticker on the gearbox which states that ATF fluid only should be used in the gearbox, even though it's a manual

I clearly need to re-read but that's reassuring at least.

Regardless, I've found the actual problem.



So that's, er, a bit odd. I thought I heard something metallic but it didn't start being a problem till I moved the car, which obviously put it in the path of the steering column. Can see the scrapes on the column shroud shield thing.

I'll let the car cool down and then try to get it free.

[Beany]

Actually @Sundayjumper I think you need to pay more attention. When doing the PS reservoir on the E46, he clearly uses ATF to refill it.



You must be thinking of coolant?

[Sundayjumper]

Huh ? Did you mean @swerve ?

[Swervin_Mervin]

I clearly need to re-read but that's reassuring at least.

Regardless, I've found the actual problem.



So that's, er, a bit odd. I thought I heard something metallic but it didn't start being a problem till I moved the car, which obviously put it in the path of the steering column. Can see the scrapes on the column shroud shield thing.

I'll let the car cool down and then try to get it free.

I don't know of hte setup on the E46 but would imagine it's very simlar to the E90 - the rack has a heatshield over the section where the column meets the rack. Could be that that's come loose?

[Beany]

Huh ? Did you mean @swerve ?

Yeah, sorry - I just assumed it was you, because you know, shonky BMW content

[Jobbo]

This turned up today:

[V8Granite]

Yeah that would do it

Even a tight or worn UJ feels odd so anything hitting it will be pretty rubbish.

A good time to change the fluid etc while looking into it all.

Dave!

[Swervin_Mervin]

Well, that's odd. The internet generally seems to suggest ATF but CHF11s for most E9x onwards. But both options are listed for both E9x models and E46 models on realoem

Apparently the caps are stamped ATF on the E9x but have a green sticker stuck on top to indicate CHF. But that sticker peels off over time

[mik]

This turned up today:

Aaaaaand - wheels look great.

[Beany]

Not sure if I can get that out myself - there's a bend in it that catches the engine mount. And it's not thin aluminium so bending it by hand isn't doable.

This could be a problem.

[mik]

Not sure if I can get that out myself

Angle grinder with the on-switch taped “on”, mounted on the end of a stick.

Do I have to think of everything?

[Beany]

a: That's not where the bend is
b; even if it were, there's not space to get snips in there, never mind a grinder/dremel etc.

[Jobbo]

This turned up today:

Aaaaaand - wheels look great.

Something about it on these wheels reminds me of Wayne's mirthmobile. Not sure why, but I don't think this is a bad thing

[Beany]

a: That's not where the bend is
b; even if it were, there's not space to get snips in there, never mind a grinder/dremel etc.

Finally got it out after half an hour of swearing