billb
10-26-2012, 09:17 AM
Hey gang, it's been forever since I've posted. Ginger still soldiers on at 186k miles. She turned 18 this year (5/94 build). She's starting to come apart a little at the seams (needs a new driver's seat bottom, driver's side electric lock is dodgy, the sunroof switch panel clips disintegrated, other little niggly things). She needs her third battery in the near future (Original Douglas one lasted 11 years, 2nd Autozone one 7 years). She protests in reverse a bit until warmed up, but will move fine once the fluids are moved around a bit.
Had a recent issue with the passenger front door handle. It would stick about halfway up after opening, then when the door was closed and subsequently locked, the door would jump out to the safety position. Quite alarming for my passenger (wife!).
My solution was to remove the handle completely from the car (required pulling the interior door panel, something we should be able to do in our sleep by now), and removing the handle itself from the door. Hardest part is carefully removing the lock actuator rod from the solenoid without breaking anything).
Once the handle was out, I could see that the molded plastic portion of the handle that sweeps across the handle body was dragging during it's swing. My Dremel tool came out, and I sanded the molded plastic portion as well as the cast handle body to remove the interference. I could not detect any damage in the pin or handle that would have caused it to shift down like that, but it had moved somehow.
Anyway, checked that it was clear and moving free before the reinstall (the hardest part is reinserting the lock rod back into the solenoid), and buttoned it all back up. It works like a charm (again).
The E46 has about 146k on it, and is my go-to daily driver. But the E34 is a nice reminder of BMW's good years.
Had a recent issue with the passenger front door handle. It would stick about halfway up after opening, then when the door was closed and subsequently locked, the door would jump out to the safety position. Quite alarming for my passenger (wife!).
My solution was to remove the handle completely from the car (required pulling the interior door panel, something we should be able to do in our sleep by now), and removing the handle itself from the door. Hardest part is carefully removing the lock actuator rod from the solenoid without breaking anything).
Once the handle was out, I could see that the molded plastic portion of the handle that sweeps across the handle body was dragging during it's swing. My Dremel tool came out, and I sanded the molded plastic portion as well as the cast handle body to remove the interference. I could not detect any damage in the pin or handle that would have caused it to shift down like that, but it had moved somehow.
Anyway, checked that it was clear and moving free before the reinstall (the hardest part is reinserting the lock rod back into the solenoid), and buttoned it all back up. It works like a charm (again).
The E46 has about 146k on it, and is my go-to daily driver. But the E34 is a nice reminder of BMW's good years.