New 2002 Owner :D

[sirius815]

Hi everybody! I just registered here the other day and I've been researching stuff for the past two weeks or so. I can say today that we have a new addition to the family - a '73 2002.

Here it is on the trailer on Wednesday late afternoon in CA:

And after the very due wash after a 3kmi journey:

She drives pretty well - drove her about 20mi from the drop site to home.

Here's some issues that probably need to be dealt with quickly as I'm hoping to take the car down to Wilmington on Saturday for C&C.

1) Blinkers don't stay on unless you keep pressure on the lever - probably just a switch issue that might need adjusting if possible.

2) Brake lights out on both sides - could be bulbs, could be relay, switch, fuse.

3) Windshield wipers INOP - that especially sucked in the downpour on the way home!

4) Blower fan doesn't seem to be working.

5) Not necessarily a bad thing - I noticed some oil spit out the tail pipe when I pulled it into the garage. Not much though.

6) Idle seemed quite low when I first picked it up, but then after restarting after the wash it seemed okay. Possibly due to not being driven much.

Thoughts, comments, suggestion, etc are always welcome and I'm ... well we (the wife is included) are proud to be here

Ben K.

Also, don't mind the VW Touareg and the Buell shirt - there's a 97 M3 behind the '02 that should make up for that

[thinksound_mike]

That's the car from San Mateo! I was looking at that car on EBay. Glad it went to a good home. Congratulations!

[1971Ginger]

give her a thorough cleaning, clean all switches and youl see how quickly lots of things go.back to work.

youl have to do.a tune up. no matter what you see and how clean the engine bay may be,there's nothing better than knowing your plugs, wires, filters, liquids and oil is new.

[M3M3]

welcome!

lol, that first picture should be the subject of a "make up a caption for this" contest....

looking forward to seeing the car at The Vintage in April. you are planning on attending, yes?

:-)

(I have 97 M3 also. TechnoViolet/Mulberry/Lux Sedan. original owner)

[sirius815]

I plan on cleaning the entire engine bay - a decent bit of buildup in there. The oil looks brand new and so does the filter. Brake fluid looks good as well.

Things listed to do so far in the next few weeks:

change oil/filter (already have except for filter)

brake/clutch fluid flush (ATE Super Blue)

transmission fluid change (Probably going to use RP Synchromax)

rear diff fluid change (some 75w90 oil)

spark plugs (already have - NGK something something) and wires (going with IE's 8mm Silicone)

coolant flush (have BMW blue coolant)

Brake light switch is 100% confirmed bad - O'Reilly has one that I can pick up later on today.

Next to troubleshoot will probably be the wipers and the blower fan. - Wiper "wash" works so time to check the switch at the stalk.

Not sure about "The Vintage" in April yet - Military dictates my schedule most of the time.

Oh - additionally - any ideas for halfway decent headlights?

Ben K.

EDIT: The odometer doesn't work either. Oh well - no added mileage

[1971Ginger]

I bought these h4 headlights from this website: http://classicgarage.com/7rounheadwit.html

great lights, great price and the install was direct. id suggest buying some ceramic headlight connectors (ebay) and make sure to order 12v bulbs from that site as they cater more to the 6v bug guys and the 12v bulbs are cheaper.

Tom Jones, a "Guru" on this website recommended these as a great alternative to Bosch. thr lamps are glass and look very much like the original.cities they copy (I had them compared to the real z-beam on my ex-73.

[sirius815]

Thanks for link.

Right now the car has retrofitted H4 low beams, with no actual highs. There are either fog or driving lamps in the bottom bumper. I haven't verified the actual beam pattern yet.

The blinker arm switch just needs a adjustment, however I fear the wiper system is a bit boogered up. The "washer" function works at both speeds, however there is no washer bottle connected anymore. The left lever will not make the wiper actuate. I feel I may have to rewire this - along with rewiring the headlights back to spec. I am planning to do a much better job using a bixenon projector in the future.

So at least now I have a "wiper", the blinkers will soon be fixed, and the brake light switch is on the way (the wife's going to pick it up).

[c.d.iesel]

WELCOME to yer new addiction

sounds like it needs the 'normal' electrical

restoration = cleaning of every plug connectors,

inspection and repair of every plug connector/pin,

solderings, removing PO botched wiring, repair or replacing

missing GROUND wires, cleaning the top side and under side of the

fuse block (please disconnect battery first!), all new silver tip bulbs for

quality connections and reliability .....Oxidation is not your friend!

.......... give us some photos

as you go - one photo to us can result in one of us seeing

something in a blink when you may not see it.

When your "sent" - where and what are your duties ?

C.D.

[Mike Self]

couple of your problems:

Turn signal lever problem--I did a column (BMW CCA Roundel) on how to fix the lever so that it'll stay in position when a left or right turn is selected. Drop me an e-mail if you'd like a copy

The left lever will not make the wiper actuate. I feel I may have to rewire this- - You do know that on a 73 it's the right lever (turn signal) that actuates the wipers--the left lever is high/low beams and headlight flash only. To turn the wipers on you press the end of the right side lever in; select the wiper speed from the dash switch (switch in, low speed; switch pulled out, high speed). And to activate the wash/wipe feature, pull the right side lever towards you. If pressing the lever in won't turn on the wipers, after you've checked the fuse and wiring at the motor, the next thing to check are the two itty bitty wires that run up the lever stalk to the wiper switch. I also did a column on troubleshooting that switch; lemme know if you need a copy.

cheers--and BTW, where are you in NC? If you're military it's either Pope/Ft Bragg, Seymour Johnson or Cherry Point....

mike

[sirius815]

Ah - that makes sense! Haha. I'll check that our right away, and yes, please email me a copy to my screen name @hotmail.com. That would be awesome!

The wiring for the headlights, halos, radio, and fogs looks terrible! But at least right now I know what's going on this those things.

Ben K.

[ndog]

v nice car.Thanks for your service aswell...

[sirius815]

Well, the wipers are now fixed thanks to Mike! I feel like a moron! But that's part of learning.

So that pretty much leaves the blower motor for now (and reverse signal bulbs) - and I need a new passenger seatbelt (or at least just a reel?) as the recoil mechanism is gone? I'm going to need that ASAP!

Any ideas?

[sirius815]

What about these? http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-2002-tii-Seat-Belts-Pair-of-3-point-retractible-/130729631971?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e7017e0e3&vxp=mtr

[FunkyLaneO]

Well, the wipers are now fixed thanks to Mike! I feel like a moron! But that's part of learning.

So that pretty much leaves the blower motor for now (and reverse signal bulbs) - and I need a new passenger seatbelt (or at least just a reel?) as the recoil mechanism is gone? I'm going to need that ASAP!

Any ideas?

Contact bluedevils on this board, he is the resident expert on seatbelts and does an excellent job restoring them.

[Napes]

If you're not already familiar with it there is a Site Search link in the upper right of each page on this board. It can be real helpful as you become familiar with your car, which, by the way, is very pretty.

Top picture reminds of a good friend in Tucson who bought a 2008 Turbo Porsche from a dealership in New York. When it arrived at his home he stood and watched as the car carrier driver rolled it backwards off the the top tier of the carrier, unaware that the brakes do not work if the engine is not on and they couldnt start the engine because the "rocket-scientist" carrier driver had left the key on when he left NY. $82K car came crashing down onto the pavement.

He refused to accept delievery.

Bob Napier