Roadtrip Pics of my new 535

[bahnstormer]

ooo strut tower bar! sexay!

just to let u know when u have the m30 on for a while
and then turn it off the heat soaks the engine and coolant
and if u turn it on again before it cools it'll be a little hotter
than normal, but it always drops down to normal just like
yours did..so i suspect it got up to 3/4 in part to the heat
and partly cuz it was just run.....am i right?

[uscharalph]

The heater thing works.

[TTyMiller]

Where did you get the Wheels i want some .

[632 Regal]

Nice write up Gayle, are you going to condence it into a one page post and like a photogallery? I think most folks here would like to see the different location thing...great idea.

Like posted above the heater does help and the engine can get hot after sitting briefly.

[Kalevera]

Ditto. Heat soak will do that time and time again, especially if it's a nice 'n hot day. Also, the M30 generates a lot of heat as it is....

Glad you're taking pics and enjoying the drive, Gayle!!

best, whit

[Gayle]

TTyMiller--The prior owner bought the wheels from David Chen, a member of this board.

Overheating Part 2

When the car overheated in the first 24 hours I had possession of it, I was not too alarmed, because I had the solution before I had the problem.

The last week before I got the car, it seemed like every post to this board was about overheating. I started having visions of my car overheating on a deserted stretch of road between San Antonio and El Paso. I pictured calling AAA and having the tow truck driver being like the guy in the commercial with Yao Ming saying “You ain’t from around here, er ya?” The thought of the mechanic is just too horrible to describe. I was losing sleep over this vision. Checked the website of BMW indys and couldn’t find any near any of my planned stops, so made an appointment to have the cooling system checked by the stealer in Washington DC.

I thought this would be a 2-3 hour delay in the roadtrip and thought we would just wait. Stealer tells the guy checking in next to me might not get his car back that day, and sitting around dealership seemed like a less appealing idea. They quoted $106 to diagnose. I mentally add repair rates of probably $125/hour and who know what for parts. Do we want to pay for rental car on top of that? Hubby goes to price a rental car. Comes back with the news the rental car is complimentary (fancy word for free). Leave, do some “catch and release” shopping in Georgetown and some monument hopping. Still no call from stealer. Take a nap. Still no call.

Decide to go hang out at stealer and be riff raff in their showroom. Figure if we start scaring off potential buyers, they will up our priority. Car goes into service bay at 1:30. Wait. Pace. Still no news at 3:30. Thoughts: Why don’t they know what’s wrong yet? Are their complications? Did she have to have an organ transplant? (Whine) I just want my car back.

Send hubby to be pushy in the friendly way that only Californians can do. Learn that the guy working on it went home sick without telling anyone. They put the shop foreman on the job. At 4:30 the stealership manager, wearing his bowtie, comes and says “Good news. The radiator flow is good. Everything is good except the aux fan and the stealership doesn’t have one in stock. You can drive on. You can run the air when you are on the road, just not in stop and go traffic.”

I bolt for the car and hubby goes to pay. He comes back mumbling about being shocked about the price. I am wondering if they charged us for the mechanics’ sick time. The price was $0. Free, Nada.

So they fully checked all the components of the cooling system, didn’t charge us the $106 they quoted to diagnose, didn’t stick us for over-priced stealer parts and rates, and gave a free rental car. Unbelievable huh?

I had hoped to have a cool picture that looked like the Washington monument coming out of the sunroof, but instead all I have is a pic at the stealership.

The second picture is in front of the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, NC. It is the largest home in the US. Had to crop part of it out to get the pic down to allowable size to post. Thought it was weird that there were no BMWs in parking lot here. Then I realized I haven't seen a single Bimmer on the road in N.C. and now in Tennessee.

[Kalevera]

Asheville's a great town, isn't it?! One of my good buddies lives on (practically) the side of a mountain there. His driveway's one of these insane ~50 degree deals.

Sounds like you found the only good dealership in the US. Aux fan -- typical


best, whit

[Johntee540]

You were down in South Arlington. BMW Arlington is okay and they are known to be honest. But the best shop in South Arlington / Alexandria is Martin Motorsports - Gary Martin is very active in BMWCCA Local chapters and an enthusiast just like we are. You were about 2 miles from the Best BMW Indy in DC! - JT

[Gayle]

Johntee--Wish I had known about him. Did a search for indys. Remember seeing his name but didn't know where any of the indys were in relationship to where we were going to be. Went with the dealer just because they had a website with a map and they were near the metro.

Kentucy and Bama

Left my friends camera in Knoxville hotel. They will mail it. Bought a camera. Can't figure out the setting to get pics from camera to computer. Will post tomorrow.

Imaginary picture #1
White 535 by roadside stand in front of ramshackle house. Sign on stand advertises Miller lite. You have to love a state that sells beer instead of lemonaide.

Picture # 2
White 535 by flea market. Man on blanket sells wheels, mostly mismatched and rusty. No Style 5s here.

Stop at Unclaimed Baggage Center of America in Scottsboro Alabama. Big garage sale type place selling things people left on airplanes. People have left some pretty amazing things--guidance systems for military jets, live rattlesnakes, mummy. I was hoping for accessories for the 535--pair of dress wheels or something. No luck. Did buy an Olympus c770 (ultra zoom)for $250.

Forge on. Starts to rain as we drive into the front of Huricane Dennis in Alabama. We got a big test of its rain capabilities driving across Virginia. We had a ~500 mile from DC to Asheville. (And yes Whit, Asheville is goregous. I was really impressed). It rained most of the way and we didn't get started til 5pm. It was brutal, but the 535 performed like a champ. The protezas held the road really, really well. I never felt like I was on the verge of losing control, even the times were rolling at 80. I was happy the wripers were good. Water beaded up on the wax nicely. Wished the windsheild had rainex, but you can't have everything. I started to get delirious about midnight. Hubby took over. He discovered the high beam. Duh. What a discovery. The road ahead lite up with stadium lighting. Oh my god, was it amazing. Thank you Philip. When we are not in a rush, I plan to puruse the records and find out what I've got. I want similar lights for low beam. I am assuming that is possible.

We are in Meridian, Mississippi. Today we are going to book for New Orleans, right in front of Dennis. Dennis is supposed to hit land 133 miles south of us. New Oreleans is a little west. We expect to have the place to ourselves.

[Gayle]

Saw a whole string of "used" car lots like this in Alabama. Hubby and I are starting to suspect it is our "po white trash" heritage that makes us want to own a bunch of old cars. It's in our genes.

The second and third pictures are in the French Quarter about 2 hours before the huricane hit. Only a few sprinkles and nice cool weather. The gray skys don't make for interesting pictures though.