92. BMW Slowly reveals...

Did you notice, how BMW (the company) teases people with their new models? They tease for half a year before they finally reveal the pictures and tech data... Well, we're not like them... We'll show you the final car in a couple of days... LOL. Until then, here are some more pictures... :)

81. E39 to E36 Steering wheel retrofit DIY

Well, I got tired of my steering wheel... And, I found a nice wheel from a E39... so, this was kind of expected:

My old wheel:

Removing is simple. First, disconnect the battery. You don't want that airbag blowing into your face. And, you certainly don't want to see that pesky air-bag light on your instrument cluster. Wait for about 30 minutes for the system to discharge. Unscrew the torx bolts that are in the back of the wheel. Torx 30 should do the job. Take the air-bag gently off the wheel. Unscrew the central bolt (16 mm socket) that holds the steering wheel, and disconnect the two connectors. Pull the wheel towards you, and that's it.

This is the E39 leather, 3 spoke wheel that I installed. It's like new. :)

Installation is reverse of the removal.

Well, I had to take it out a couple of times, to center it, but it wasn't that hard... :)

62. BMW E36 EWS Bypass

I've came across an E36 that had EWS system trouble...

There's a lot of Info about E36 EWS Bypass on the net, so I'll post everything I dig up...

This is the first thing I came across:

The thing makes sense. So, I'll try this today. I'll let you know how it works.
(note, the picture of the relays is not from an E36 - might be from a Z3, but I'm not sure.)

60. Mine & friends E36 photoshoot

Well, it's been a while since I posted anything here... Well, I'm not dead, and neither is my E36. :) The project is currently on hold, since I have to sort out my daily-driving issues... Maybe I'll drive my E36 for the next six months or so... (If I don't buy another car, that is. - I'm looking for a E30/E36/E46.) Well, last weekend, my friend wanted me to take a couple of photos of his E36 (the red one). Somehow we ended up on a field, with both our cars, and took a few pictures. I didn't use my 'big' camera, and the weather was stupid, so the pictures aren't that good. I did edit them a little... Well, check them out:

 

 

 

Right... I guess you've noticed - my car is still stock :)
I'm like a hamster (or squirrel, maybe?) - I buy parts and keep them stored in a safe place, so I can put them on the car, all in the same time :)

I'll take a minute-or-two, tomorrow maybe, to write a little 'TO-DO' list for my car... I realized, that, I don't have one... Everything is still in my head - and that's not my idea of safe information keeping :c)

P.S.
Feel free to write comments... I see that this blog attracts hundreds of visitors a day... :) So, I guess I'm not the only E36 nut out there! :)

54. BMW M3 Brochure

Here's something that will take you back in time. An original BMW promotional brochure that was used by BMW dealerships for the promotion of the 'new' M3 3.2 E36. Click on the PDF icon to access the file.

53. BMW E36 Short Shifter

So, short shifter is one of the most popular modifications on an E36. And it's one of the most useful ones too. Also, it's one of the best-value modifications you can do to your car.

Original BMW Shifter components

This image is just for reference. This is how your stock shifter is assembled. We'll mostly talk about the part #1, and in the end, about #4.

What is a short shifter?


A short shifter - also known as a short throw shifter is the result of an automotive after market modification of the manual transmission stick shift either by modification of the existing stick shift or, alternately, by the replacement of the entire part.
The purpose of the modification is to mechanically reduce time between the changing of gears while accelerating or decelerating and thus improving the cars performance.
(source: Wikipedia)

What are the available options for my BMW E36?

There are basically three options:

• A home made short shifter
• An after-market short shifter kit
• An OEM BMW short shifter   

Home made - DIY short shifter

This is the cheapest way to get a short shifter, but at the same time, the hardest, and the most risky as well.

Building your own short shifter is the best when you really know what you want, and can't find an after market product that suites your needs. I've found this picture on a BMW SLO forum:

 As you can see, it's adjustable. Looks don't matter, since it's hidden under the leather booth.

After market short shifter kits

There are a lot of after-market options available. I'll just give you a few links where can you get them.

65$

44$

OEM BMW short shifter

I'm sure that, right now, you're thinking: 'There's no such thing as an OEM BMW short shifter for my E36'. You're right. And not. The idea here is to use an original BMW shifter leaver, but from a 'better' model.
Most E36 owners go for the Z3M shifter. To use it, you have to modify it a little...
Here's a picture that will explain everything:

The Z3M shifter is the one on the bottom. But, the problem is, that other are slightly bent, and the Z3M is straight. So, before installation, you have to bend it. In the end, just another useful info: the part number from this picture is not valid... Here's the new part number: 
Shift lever

Price: €32.80/ $49.19
Part number: 25 11 7 527 254
Old part number: 25 11 2 228 384
 
I'll go for this solution. It's cheap, and I know a lot of people who tried it... So, for me, this is the best option.

BONUS! 
Right, but, there's one other option for improving that shifter feel...

Take a look at this:

And how they perform:

 

(Click on the images for animation)

I've sourced out this selector rod here: Turner Motorsport