ZHPizza's Wascally Wagon

[slater]

Updating my list as I've gotten some work done on the whip.

1. The transmission is still leaking. Ugh. I left the car with a local guy that is very, very experienced with these transmissions. He pulled it out, redid the pump seal, the pump bushing, some of the front clutches, and several other tidbits. He was very confident that everything was done right and this transmission was good to go...$1200 later...I got the owner of the shop in Texas on the phone (who had already done the seal three times for the previous owner) and he paid for the work right then and there, no questions asked. Great dude. http://bertiniseuropean.com for anyone looking for a shop in the Houston area.
   ...So all is well and good? Nah. Pulled the wagon into the garage last night and saw a small puddle of tranny fluid...here we go...
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2. The headlights suck. Needs HIDs. Suggestions? *don't drive at night outside of the city* Ok, that works!
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3. The seats are still bright red and HEATED. I hulked the passenger seat over to my red car yesterday, hooked up the connector, and let it idle with the seat heaters on. It probably took 30 minutes of jumping between cars to figure out if the heat was working (tough to tell in 85 degrees ambient), but I'm 95% certain I felt some genuine butt toasting. Now to get the seat heater wiring from Peterman (or a scrap yard). Totes back-burnering this project until it cools off though.

dude... that SUCKS about the trans. new seals and still leaking... makes me think something is bent. but it shifts smoothly?

headlights - i got ya covered. that TRS kit i have here that i'm not using is H4/H7 compatible - you just need a harness adapter for the H7 bulbs (i bought one for H4 bulbs). i think it's $25.

seats... great that they're heated. and great that they're comfy. maybe you just need some black door panels and call it a day? i'll get you that harness by september.

...THE FILES ARE IN THE COMPUTER!!!

oh man... i laughed so hard at this. forgot all about that one.

7. I give the plate holder a hard test shake and HEAR THE EFFING RATTLE AGAIN. Grab the lift gate handle and violently slam it back and forth, recreating the clunking noise. Son..of..beech. It was under my nose the whole time. Pop open the lift gate, grab a torx bit, and after a few iterations I move the striker a few mm out so that it latches the gate tight nice and tight when I close it.

So all that to say, if any of the other two dudes on this site with tourings hear a rattle from the rear, check your lift gate latch first.

nice, that is a great find! no clunks yet there for my two longroofs, but i will file that one away!

[BMWCurves]

[az3579]

seats... great that they're heated. and great that they're comfy. maybe you just need some black door panels and call it a day? i'll get you that harness by september.

If you're going to swap anything, do it right and every everything. It will not look right with all-black door panels.

[ZHPizza]

It's always entertaining reading your updates.

u flirtin bro?

jk thx dude

You chased that rattle with some mad dedication! Mad props and glad that you figured it out!!

It was just a lucky trail of clues, really. "Ooh! Piece of candy!" but more like "Ooh! Loose rattley bit!"

That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.

Should I write this one the breaker bar the next time you need to use it on a fastener underneath your blue car?

dude... that SUCKS about the trans. new seals and still leaking... makes me think something is bent. but it shifts smoothly?

headlights - i got ya covered. that TRS kit i have here that i'm not using is H4/H7 compatible - you just need a harness adapter for the H7 bulbs (i bought one for H4 bulbs). i think it's $25.

seats... great that they're heated. and great that they're comfy. maybe you just need some black door panels and call it a day? i'll get you that harness by september.




oh man... i laughed so hard at this. forgot all about that one.




nice, that is a great find! no clunks yet there for my two longroofs, but i will file that one away!

Trans shifts great. Smooth as butter in D and responsive in manual mode.

I hate to swap them out since the door panels are in great shape, but I'm leaning that way too. It's just too much red.

The TRS kit sounds dope. I started looking into OE HIDs w/ autoleveling, but it looks way too complicated just to get the leveling feature. Would be nice when the thing is loaded down though.

I'll be up there again by November for beers and parts!

Finally hittem em wit da great success

[slater]

If you're going to swap anything, do it right and every everything. It will not look right with all-black door panels.

nah... it'd look way better.

Trans shifts great. Smooth as butter in D and responsive in manual mode.

I hate to swap them out since the door panels are in great shape, but I'm leaning that way too. It's just too much red.

The TRS kit sounds dope. I started looking into OE HIDs w/ autoleveling, but it looks way too complicated just to get the leveling feature. Would be nice when the thing is loaded down though.

I'll be up there again by November for beers and parts!

so where exactly is the fluid leaking from?

is the car prepped for autoleveling? do you have the plugs at the FR and RR suspension for the sensors?

sounds good on the beers!

[BMWCurves]

Should I write this one the breaker bar the next time you need to use it on a fastener underneath your blue car?

Now I want to etch that on my largest breaker bar...

[holyc0w]

I hate to swap them out since the door panels are in great shape, but I'm leaning that way too. It's just too much red.

Those who would give up red door panels, to retain red seats, deserve neither red door panels nor red seats.

just kidding :D

[704sw]

Those who would give up red door panels, to retain red seats, deserve neither red door panels nor red seats.

just kidding :D

You really gotta see 'em in person to understand his comments. They're very, um, let's just say "vibrant." Much more so than pictures can do justice.

[ZHPizza]

Updating this thread per request from @t.er

The wife has been working from home for a year, so this car has barely been driven. I was going to go through it to check for any questionable bits before our one road trip of 2020, but then my new company delivered a new Nissan Rogue to my house so this thing went right back into the garage.

I had the Rogue the other day so she took this to class and called on the way to say "it sounded like there was gravel in the engine and now the red battery light is on." Got her to pull over just as the temp needle hit red

I knew exactly what it was because I had the airbag recall done at the dealership the day before and they called to say the belts were looking worn and I was all ahhh I'll get to it sometime no biggie.



Luckily I pay the $6/month for roadside assistance on this car through Geico, so we flatbeded it back to the house and dumped it right into the garage.

I'm digging into the carnage now and thought I'd bring y'all along for the ride. Any and all guesses as to what is broken are welcome. Here's the clues I have so far:

- Coolant is full
- Power steering fluid is full
- Nothing leaking out of the bottom
- Belt is shredded and wrapped around the fan


- The fan is uhh crooked


- Looks like something sprayed allover the place, but again fluid levels are fine

[t.er]

That brown spray is odd. Just thinking out loud here, perhaps the belt got pulled into the fan blades, which damaged the fan clutch, and in turn caused it to spray out the wax?

Looks like a good opportunity for an e-fan conversion