1984 633CSi Rises again!

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songzunhuang
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Leather Steering Wheel Refresh

Post by songzunhuang »

So as I have been driving my car, almost 1,000 miles since the broken resistor wire incident, I noticed that the left side of my steering wheel feels rough. Upon closer inspection, you can see where the years of sun through the driver window and general touch and contact has caused some of the leather finish to fail. Little chunks of finish are gone and there was even a hole worn through where your thumb would be as you hold the 9 and 3 o'clock position.
Chunks gone and hole where thumb goes.
Chunks gone and hole where thumb goes.
Damaged Leather.png (1009.68 KiB) Viewed 3601 times
Now, I didn't want to send the wheel out for a complete recover, which I have priced out at $350-400. But I also didn't want to feel that rough chunky leather taking away from the overall driving experience, so I looked for a repair kit. Surely something could be done before the leather started coming off like my original wheel. After a bit of research, I came across a company called Angelus who had a lot of leather repair stuff available. I purchase their leather prep, the paintable repair filler and their flat black leather paint. Off we go!

First step was to use the prep to take off as much of the old finish as possible. I decided to go for the entire steering wheel to make things consistent. After that was the first coat of the sandable filler.
Repair kit from Amazon retailer
Repair kit from Amazon retailer
Angelus RepAIR.png (1.08 MiB) Viewed 3601 times
After allowing it to dry, I lightly sanded and then applied another coat. I repeated this 3 times to build up the fill and also until I could no longer feel any roughness.The top picture below was the last sanding pass before I started to apply the flat black. I covered the whole steering wheel and it was looking pretty good.
Final sand and paint.
Final sand and paint.
Fill and Sand.png (1.68 MiB) Viewed 3601 times
The next day, I put some of my Groits 3 in 1 leather conditioner on the wheel and then installed it in the car. In the picture below, you can see the previously damaged area is now smooth and looks like new. I put the wheel back on the car and I am looking forward to next week's commute with a nice smooth leather steering wheel!
Finished and looks great!
Finished and looks great!
Final Repair.png (1.08 MiB) Viewed 3601 times
If you have some minor damage to your leather (steering wheel or seats), this stuff seems to work rather well. All in it was like $48 for the three things I bought. In the past, I did some work on the leather seats of my other cars using a product from a company called "Leather Magic". It seems like a very similar process. They charged $70 for their custom color matched kit, which also included a spatula to apply material and a foam brush for the paint. That stuff worked well for about 6-9 month then needed to be redone.

After this repair, I had tons of left over material so I'll be looking to do a few spot repairs on my seats now. OK, that wraps for this weekend's post.
Last edited by songzunhuang on Sun Feb 26, 2023 11:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

RossDinan6 wrote: Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:40 am
GRNSHRK wrote: Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:01 am Song, funny, "if I only had a clutch to worry about" \:D/

What you need is in the attached photo, a pressure bleeder =D>

This has got plenty of use, and not just on the green shark :-"
My cheap ass built my own pressure bleeder years ago. A garden sprayer, pressure gauge, a bit of hose and a cheap replacement reservoir cap from the local auto parts. I have no idea what that Schwabben unit cost, but I had maybe $15 or 20 in mine. Mine has disappeared though. I think it was a causality of Hurricane Ian.
LOL, I'd say your cheap ass was very creative. Heck, my cheap ass utilized a empty jar that was used for spaghetti sauce, coupled with an a old piece of hose from a vacuum gauge kit. It cost me $0.00. The jar of used brake fluid still sits in my garage. I can't figure out what to do with used brake fluid. My auto parts shop where I recycle oil won't take the brake fluid. I need to find a way to make it disappear, although a Hurricane would be a bit extreme... :lol:
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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New Exhaust Tips

Post by songzunhuang »

I've tried to use exhaust paint to refinish my exhaust tips and it didn't work. I tried to bend out the scraped flatted side and the metal tore. So it was time for some new tips. I wondered if it was going to be hard to get off as it seemed like there's been some rust and other buildup. It turns out that it wasn't a big deal at all as long as I didn't mind destroying the old tips.

I purchased new genuine BMW tips from ECS Tuning. It was a pretty good deal at $22 per tip. First order of business was getting the old tips off. A screw driver and a hammer made short work of it. Under the rust the actual exhaust pipe was very solid still. The old tips would tear as I drove my screwdriver under it. After a certain point, I could just twist off the old tips.
Screw driver ad a hammer and done.
Screw driver ad a hammer and done.
Remove old tips.png (1.44 MiB) Viewed 3510 times
As you can see below, the old tips are destroyed in the process. A lot of rust and debris came as I whacked the screwdriver.
These have seen much better days.
These have seen much better days.
Old tips.png (1.46 MiB) Viewed 3510 times
I used a file to clean up the exhaust pipes a little. The new tips are simply tapped on with a rubber mallet. There are some detents in the new tips so that I get a very snug friction fit.
Tapped on with a rubber mallet
Tapped on with a rubber mallet
New tips.png (820.49 KiB) Viewed 3510 times
These look great and took all of 15 minutes to install. I like quick and easy projects!
Maybe later I'll touch up the visible rusty spots. For now, it looks a lot better and I'm happy.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by 87Shark »

Are the new tips shorter than the ones you took off? Look a heck of a lot better than the old ones did.
'87 L6, Arctic White
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

87Shark wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:00 am Are the new tips shorter than the ones you took off? Look a heck of a lot better than the old ones did.
No, these were the OEM BMW tips. It was exactly the same as the ones I took off.
I agree that it looks a heck of a lot better! I was looking for tips but some are asking crazy prices. ECS Tuning has very reasonable prices, so I thought, "What the heck"?
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
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Re: Intermittent stalling - main relay?

Post by oilcooler »

songzunhuang wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 5:50 am Ok, it's happened twice in two weeks. Once I was at a stoplight and the car was idling fine and then inexplicably died. I had to push it to a gas station where I popped the hood, jiggled a couple of relays and wires, then the car came back alive. Fast forward 1 week, I'm on the freeway tooling around in rush hour traffic at about 40mph, the car just dies. I coast to the side of the freeway, popped the hood and jiggled a couple of relays and wires. The engine fires up again and I drive another 30-45 minutes home without issue.

Each time, the starter is cranking the motor just fine. Hazards, radio and other electrical works. The engine just won't fire. Exploring the forum, people suspect that it's my main relay that sends power to the ECU and the fuel injectors. I believe this is the potted relay with an 87 and 87b marking on it. I bet mine is the original that's never been replaced. Time to throw a part at the problem.

I just ordered a genuine BMW diode relay 12-63-1-708-647 with the potted base. Best deal I found was $54.70 at ECS Tuning. I seem to be going through a period of old electrical parts and connections acting up. Replacing with a new one will eliminate the possibility of that part being the problem. I'll always have a spare if the old one was still good. We shall see how this goes.
i just wanted to update you on my intermittent stalling.

i finally figured out the random stalling/dying issue by process of elimination...it was the main relay! a $20 relay caused loads-O-worries. it wasn't the reference sensors, wasn't the fuel pressure regulator, wasn't the fuel pump, wasn't my two ECU's, wasn't the fuel pump relay...it was a simple and easy to replace main relay.

my 635 runs well again!
1984 635CSi deutsch modell
1989 535i usa model
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by GRNSHRK »

Maybe later I'll touch up the visible rusty spots
Song, you should go back, remove the new tips and coat all of the rusted areas with POR-15 :-"

It comes in lots of colors, including a version of silver that I used on the rusted portions of my brake rotors \:D/

Otherwise, looks great =D>

I was under the impression that these exhaust tips were NLA, guess not :lol:
:mrgreen:
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1980 633 CSi Cypress Green/Pearl Beige
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

GRNSHRK wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:24 pm
Maybe later I'll touch up the visible rusty spots
Song, you should go back, remove the new tips and coat all of the rusted areas with POR-15 :-"

It comes in lots of colors, including a version of silver that I used on the rusted portions of my brake rotors \:D/

Otherwise, looks great =D>

I was under the impression that these exhaust tips were NLA, guess not :lol:
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by bpoliakoff »

Return button
Last edited by bpoliakoff on Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
81 Euro 635 M90 with motronic. Currently under a complete nut and bolt restoration. Pictures at
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by 87Shark »

The exhaust tips don't seem to come up when I checked ecs's website Do you happen to have the part number? Thanks!
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

87Shark wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:41 pm The exhaust tips don't seem to come up when I checked ecs's website Do you happen to have the part number? Thanks!
ES#: 196033
Mfg#: 82119413972

If you use the ES#, it’ll come up.

I don’t know what’s going on, but I just searched they are listing $98 each. I got them for $22 each! Got the invoice confirmation below. I guess they were on sale, but it still doesn't match with the price now.
ECS Tuning BMW Tips
ECS Tuning BMW Tips
Exhaust Tips.png (106.04 KiB) Viewed 3164 times
Now they are in the crazy price range like other places.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
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Oil Change Day - O-Reilly's Dino Oil

Post by songzunhuang »

Looking at my service logs, I realized that I had not changed the oil since my accident, discovering that my car had been running rich and having issues due to the broken resistor in the temp sensor. Since that spendy repair (due to the towing and plugs at the independent mechanics), I've checked my oil several times and thought it appeared really black. So I figured it's time for a change of the oil and the filter.

For this change I use a Mahle filter and O'Reilly's 20W/50 conventional motor oil. O'Reilly's has the best price I've seen at $24 for a 5qt jug of oil. I had a spare quart in my trunk. I've noticed I need about 5.25-5.50 qts for a full change. So, I broke out the Rhino ramps (with a short wooden board to clear the airdam) and got to work.
First change after accident and wire issue.
First change after accident and wire issue.
OilChange.png (1.36 MiB) Viewed 3040 times
This was a relaxing thing. Everything went well and it was good to get fresh oil in there. This is the first oil change since my incident on the freeway, repairing the front and the broken wire fix. It's been quite a eventful few months.

Since my broken wire fix, the car has been driven about 2,100 miles. It's been some of the best performing miles in my ownership of this car. The car starts within 2-3 seconds of cranking, the idle is better with the lumpiness gone, the engine is smooth in all rpms bands, the torque feels better as I go over the mountain road each day I commute. It's one of those periods where all seems good. I feel that I am finally experiencing what the M30 engine is so known for! I hope it lasts for a long time. Happy motoring to everyone.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by bpoliakoff »

Song, etc, low priced Dino oil is 1 thing and not always the answer. But the M30 thrives on oil with ZDDP(zinc) in it. The more the merrier. So when buying oil, c heck the label. Valvoline Dino has a lot of it .
81 Euro 635 M90 with motronic. Currently under a complete nut and bolt restoration. Pictures at
flickr.com/photos/bertsphotos.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

bpoliakoff wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 1:53 am Song, etc, low priced Dino oil is 1 thing and not always the answer. But the M30 thrives on oil with ZDDP(zinc) in it. The more the merrier. So when buying oil, c heck the label. Valvoline Dino has a lot of it .
Appreciate the tip. i think the O'Reilly oil is fine. It's manufactured by a big oil company and just rebranded. The zinc content appears to be 0.08% according to the spec sheet here: https://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/im ... MS4wLjAuMA..

That's about 800 parts per million, which is on the high end for a modern motor oil.
Although I understand the Valvoline VR1 racing oil has 1,300 parts per million. I also hear that too much Zinc can damage the catalytic converter.

Here's the detail on the manufacturer: https://rxmechanic.com/o-reilly-oil/

I've done a bit of homework 8) . I've used this oil for decades on many cars. Also since I change my oil about every 6 months or 5K miles and I live in a pretty mild climate, I think things should be ok and it doesn't get a chance to degrade too bad.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by bpoliakoff »

I think I am lucky living in AZ if a car is 1979 or older, or has classic car insurance, we don't have to be smogged opening up a bunch of doors and windows. I removed the little bit of smogging that was done on my car when it came in from Europe. With my pumped up motor, I don't think I would ever pass a smog test
81 Euro 635 M90 with motronic. Currently under a complete nut and bolt restoration. Pictures at
flickr.com/photos/bertsphotos.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

bpoliakoff wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 2:50 am I think I am lucky living in AZ if a car is 1979 or older, or has classic car insurance, we don't have to be smogged opening up a bunch of doors and windows. I removed the little bit of smogging that was done on my car when it came in from Europe. With my pumped up motor, I don't think I would ever pass a smog test
As you might guess, California isn't so lenient. I once had a Pantera with a twin-turbo 351 Cleveland V-8. Part of the hassle was removing the forced induction system every 2 years to put on a regular carburetor for smogging. It was such a hassle that I gave up.

So far my e24 is doing very well when I smog it, passing with flying colors. I've been considering a different exhaust system, but with CARB required components, which are very $$, I've been putting it off. Now with California's push to electric, the regular registration of old cars is getting more and more expensive. It's almost enough to make me consider a Tesla...almost.
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1984 633CSi
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by RossDinan6 »

TimU wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:12 am
Jubilados wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:31 am There are supposed to be grommets in those holes, and they are still available for cheap.
The grommets are a harder plastic, and in addition to stopping the rattling they also “tighten up” the feel of the interior door handles and the door lock knobs. Takes all the play out of the system.
But the silicone hose will also do ok too.
Part Number 52208238999 if anyone is looking for it.
It's used on a bunch of different parts.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partxr ... series=E24
Sorry for the hijack of Song's informative thread. Anyone know the grommet count? Total or per door. I have to use my trunk lock due to these.
Ross
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Clacking Sound Under Hood - Cruise Control Unit

Post by songzunhuang »

About a week back, I was alarmed to hear a loud clacking noise under my hood. It took a while to figure out that it was not mechanical, but a malfunctioning cruise control computer! I would happen whenever I turned the ignition key. The motor did not need to be running. I found the solution in another post. This forums has saved me a lot of grief again.

But first, here's a video of my discovery that it wasn't engine related.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO ... ufmrFgoPtB

In another post on this forum, issue was that the control computer for the cruise control had failed. I had to locate my cruise control computer, which happened to be easily accessible through the glove compartment. The housing for the control unit and the chime was held by one screw. Here you can see me removing it. Note the location of the white flashlight to get an idea of location above the glove compartment.
Unit coming out of dash.
Unit coming out of dash.
Location above Dash.png (779.22 KiB) Viewed 2610 times
After disconnecting the blue harness and removing the unit, I turned the key and verified that there was no noise. I also started my car for good measure and made sure the engine wasn't affected in any other way. All was well.

Here's a picture of the part number. I found many used units on eBay for anywhere from $25 - 100. Also it looks like Programa sometimes has them for $280. A new one from BMW is available for $550! From the sticker on mine, it looks original with a March of 1984 date.
Part number.
Part number.
Cruise Control Unit.png (711.39 KiB) Viewed 2610 times
So I thought I would give a cheap eBay unit a shot first. There wasn't too much at risk for one of those. Here's what the complete assembly looks like when it's removed. The computer is held in place by a plastic tab. Bend the tab back and slide the unit out. Easy.
Complete assembly.
Complete assembly.
Cruise unit assembly.png (648.96 KiB) Viewed 2610 times
I plan to install my replacement unit over the weekend and hope that all is well. I'll report back when done.

===< Update a few days later, May 15, 2023 >===

I installed the replacement unit from eBay and have driven with the cruise control during my commute. The sound has disappeared and all worked as expected. I paid all of $28 for the replacement unit. It's great when issues are resolved for a very reasonable cost.
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Song Huang
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by TimU »

Nice one Song. =D>
Question: While the CC computer was out, did you notice the behaviour of the OBC display?

Was it functioning as normal, or were the speed & distance related functions dashed (---) out?

Mine is dashed out for all trip-related functions, but the date, time & temperature displays work fine.
I suspect a misplaced speed-sensor wire behind the instrument cluster, but I'm just trying to build up the motivation to pull it all apart again.
04/1986 635csi Euro spec
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by TimU »

RossDinan6 wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 9:18 pm
TimU wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:12 am
Jubilados wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:31 am There are supposed to be grommets in those holes, and they are still available for cheap.
The grommets are a harder plastic, and in addition to stopping the rattling they also “tighten up” the feel of the interior door handles and the door lock knobs. Takes all the play out of the system.
But the silicone hose will also do ok too.
Part Number 52208238999 if anyone is looking for it.
It's used on a bunch of different parts.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partxr ... series=E24
Sorry for the hijack of Song's informative thread. Anyone know the grommet count? Total or per door. I have to use my trunk lock due to these.
Ross, my best estimate is between 4-6 per door, depending on your door configuration.
At 22c each, just buy 15 and have spares for the seat rails or whatever.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

TimU wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 12:40 am Nice one Song. =D>
Question: While the CC computer was out, did you notice the behaviour of the OBC display?

Was it functioning as normal, or were the speed & distance related functions dashed (---) out?

Mine is dashed out for all trip-related functions, but the date, time & temperature displays work fine.
I suspect a misplaced speed-sensor wire behind the instrument cluster, but I'm just trying to build up the motivation to pull it all apart again.
Hey, just seeing this. I did not notice anything, but then again, I wasn't looking. I did drive for a few days with out a CC computer and the OBC was working during that time. I check it a lot for outside temp and to see the remaining range I have. the laast thing was a habit I developed when my fuel gauge was completely bonkers. It's good now though.
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Brain Transplant - ECU swap

Post by songzunhuang »

So my car was experiencing some rough running some mornings and I remembered way back when that I had purchased a Programa ECU and put it in my spare parts bin when my car seemed OK. I mean, why fix something that isn't broken right? Well, my recent swap of the Cruise Control computer reminded me of the ECU again. So I decided to swap out my Motronic ECU for the spare Programa unit.

While doing the swap, I noticed that the Programa had a 1986 date code on it. The seal had never been broken, so I guess it's been safely protected since leaving the factory. Anyhow, here's a picture of the two units.
Programa (right) replacing the OEM.
Programa (right) replacing the OEM.
ECU Exchange.png (1.3 MiB) Viewed 2442 times
Nothing special about the swap progress. The Programa unit looks nice as it's finished and not just raw aluminum.
Incidentally, I also have a Programa idle controller, so now my car's brain has a lot of Programa parts.

Well, it's been a few weeks since the swap and my car is running wonderfully. I have not noticed any more rough running at first startup and the rich smell I sometimes sensed has disappeared. So, I am leaving it all in place.

It also occurred to me that since getting this car, I have replaced every major electronic module. The SI board, OBC computer, the OBC head unit itself, the idle controller, the Cruise Control computer and now the ECU. I hope there's nothing left.

===<Update on 7/27/23>===

So after several tanks of gas, the car continues to run wonderfully. The lumpy idle is gone and and I have never had an issue with starting or stalling. In fact, I was super surprised to see my OBC registering 24.5 mpg over the last few tanks. I filled up the car the other day with 328 miles on the odometer from 1 tank of gas. The reserve light came on at 319 miles. In my 8 years of driving this car, I have never felt comfortable with more than 275-280 miles on a tank. I would usually fill up anytime I was close to 275. I guess I'm still paranoid from being stranded with no gas in the early stages of ownership.

In any case, the shark is doing really well mechanically.
Now I just need to figure out when to do some cosmetic stuff. Alas, my other cars have needed attention so the shark is now the reliable car! What a turn of events.
Last edited by songzunhuang on Thu Jul 27, 2023 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by TimU »

songzunhuang wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 8:15 pm
TimU wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 12:40 am Nice one Song. =D>
Question: While the CC computer was out, did you notice the behaviour of the OBC display?

Was it functioning as normal, or were the speed & distance related functions dashed (---) out?

Mine is dashed out for all trip-related functions, but the date, time & temperature displays work fine.
I suspect a misplaced speed-sensor wire behind the instrument cluster, but I'm just trying to build up the motivation to pull it all apart again.
Hey, just seeing this. I did not notice anything, but then again, I wasn't looking. I did drive for a few days with out a CC computer and the OBC was working during that time. I check it a lot for outside temp and to see the remaining range I have. the laast thing was a habit I developed when my fuel gauge was completely bonkers. It's good now though.
Ok thanks - That confirms my suspicion.
If your OBC was functioning normally without the Cruise Control Computer, then I can ignore that as a potential fault location.
Thanks!
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by AlanS »

I just wanted to say thanks for this outstanding thread. I enjoyed it so much that I subscribed to the forum (they owe you $25....).

You make owning one of these cars seem approachable, and the contributions from you and others on this forum are the only way that owning one would be even partly feasible these days.

I read this through in a couple weeks, and so in my mind it compressed the timeline. You have now owned this car for 8 years! I love that you made this a daily driver and not a garage queen.
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Re: 1984 633CSi Rises again!

Post by songzunhuang »

AlanS wrote: Mon Aug 07, 2023 7:05 pm I just wanted to say thanks for this outstanding thread. I enjoyed it so much that I subscribed to the forum (they owe you $25....).

You make owning one of these cars seem approachable, and the contributions from you and others on this forum are the only way that owning one would be even partly feasible these days.

I read this through in a couple weeks, and so in my mind it compressed the timeline. You have now owned this car for 8 years! I love that you made this a daily driver and not a garage queen.
Thanks for the kind words. Each time I drive the car, there's a special satisfaction knowing that I made it work and that if anything fails, I can fix it. It's a mixed blessing as I may never need another car! Most of my remaining items are cosmetic now. The car keeps teaching me new skills and I like learning. Let me know if you get one and I'd be glad to offer up help whenever I can.
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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