Unofficialbmw.com

[tncean]

Am working on a novel. Fiction. Have decided to make an independent bmw wrench and his friends major characters.
Set in modern Western North Carolina. Damsel's car breaks down. It's a 5 series, late mid nineties model. Would an alternator failure be a good excuse to keep damsel in town for few days? Or, smething more dfifinitive, like a reference sensor? Just trying to keep it pllausable, and somewhat technically correct. Sure don't want the bmw board laughing at me.
I'm thinking a somewhat good indie could patch a failed alternator with salvaged parts. Or maybe he's just out of a certain part??

Input appreciated!!

tncean

[jamminjames]

How about if the oil pump drive rod broke? It's plausible, not a common piece, and a little time-consuming to replace...

Just a thought.

Now, what's my percentage of the cut? Hehe.

James
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Some say time is the fire in which we burn.
--Dr. Soren


91 325ic "Tasha" 145K
04 X3 2.5 "Yet Unnamed" 45K
95 Dodge Neon "Beater" Work Car 125K

[RAL]

The alternator works for me it took two tries for my mechanic to get the right one and then the second one was bad.
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'98 323is
'80 320i (deceased)

[tncean]

Technical cosultant....? But, just think, your contributing to literary art!! How about a really huge discount on the purchase of a copy of the book. Help out the struggling author! Support the arts!

Seriously, I do appreciate the input. Though the book is fiction, I do wish to keep it "plausable" and somewhat technically correct. There will be a few chapters devoted to some public road racing, amongst a turboed 88 535i and Porsche Boxter, but I'm trying to keep the references more general. Get to technical and I might lose a bit of the population of readers. The above mentioned cars' owners like to race the twisty roads of Western North Carolina,.....at night. Like 2 AM. They feel its safer, and can let it rip with the headlights of any traffic giving them a bit of a warning. You wouldn't believe how curvy some of those roads are. Hairpins and switchbacks, big elevation changes. At least the headlights of other cars give you a bit of heads-up when entering a blind curve. A good test of these German engineered cars, I think.

Merry Christmas. And a great big THANKS!

Peace.......tncean

[scrat]

nope id stick away from the alternator. As if a mechanic cant get one they could jerry rig up a way to make it work. I kinda like the oil approach or even maybe a blown radiator. where they have to have it shipped in. it will take two days. Water pump too. Those items will keep you dead in your tracks.
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[donaldan]

I heard and read radiator (neck) failures in the E36 and E39 are quite common although it hasn't happened to my car. Radiator failure requires immediate stoppage of engine operation and the car has to be transported.
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Don

[panzerkeil302]

Depends on the protagonist.

Is he;

Sexually impotent? Then his drive shaft is broken.

Not very smart? Then his ECU died.

A dullard? Then flat tire.

Overweight? Then his belt broke.

A short temper? Then his radiator broke.

Disillusioned with life? Then his fuel pump went bad.

[tncean]

Hmm. Now I'm thinking a bad voltage regulator/diode. Damsel's battery went bad a day or two before arriving to N.C. She had it replaced on the way there. Something is awry, causing battery to not recharge.
Sometihing has caused the diode to go bad. Maybe a gps positioner that was covertly added on has gone bad, and is shorting out the diode? Someone wants her car "tracked", and had a positioner/transmitter added, it goes bad, and shorts out diode???

Weird, but plausible??

tncean

[donaldan]

Are you writng a fictional story or a technical documentary? People read novel to be entertained and mentally and emotionally sucked into the story. Too much high level technical details could turn people off. My 2 cents worth.
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Don

[tncean]

Fiction, but "plausable". Just want to add some mystery for the car enthusiast. Chasing down an electrical short can definitely be a mystery for this person.
tncean

[JRS]

Ok... story line.... damsel needs to stay a while...

Her car suddenly stops 1/2 block away from some mechanic shop who happens to have three male characters (each having some issue or background) that show 'interest' in the damsel.

She reciporcates by winking at each male character as she waits for the final verdict on what's wrong with her 1987 325es that she recently swiped from her boyfriend in Cali who forgot to mention that he was married in Seattle, WA.

Don't focus on the problem of the car. Instead make it a simple fix but for some reason she wants to stay longer. Her gas tank was empty. She clearly remembered her boyfriend mentioning that she should never let the tank go below the 1/4 mark....

This isn't an episode of ER. But (typical) women do get taken at major mechanic locations... (e.g. come in for an oil change and walk out with a new wiper blades and air filter for 2x the cost).


JRS
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Is your cup half full or half empty ?

[tncean]

Actually, mechanic is one of the "good guys", and a good wrench. Damsel doesn't know her car had a transmitter/gps covertly installed.
She's a call girl from DC. Bona-fide babe with a degree in accounting.

Yeah, it is like a script from ER. Even the "classics" are soap opera-ish.

Tncean

[JRS]

Run with it... she's a bad influence (with a proper upbringing) and he's a typical good-guy that needs some 'adventure'....

Don't make a realistic issues with an E30/BMW be difficult. The twist here is that he says it was just out of gas. She shows interest and plainly asks if he can look it over just to be sure. It's 7:30pm and the shop closed at 7pm. Tomorrow he can look at it. But she knows that it gives her time to pursue him.

Anyone can relate to an empty tank of gas. Only the die-hard E30 folks will understand what a siezed wheel bearing can do and how long it takes to replace.

Same story line as DOC HOLLYWOOD. But they didn't focus on the Porsche.

JRS
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Is your cup half full or half empty ?

[scrat]

so whats the verdict what did you pick
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[Henry]

Does anyone remember the film: "The Last Run?" George C. Scott played the feature role. He drove a BMW 507 coupe ... the Goertz coupe. The vehicle suffered a mechanical failure during a critical juncture of the film. Check it out.