[billybob_jcv]

So - my wife's 530i is suddenly causing some trouble. She tried to start the car to come home from work - and, according to her, "nothing happened". She said it was completely dead. By the time I got there, it had spontaneously started working and started right up. We drove it directly to our normal mechanic (a eurocar specialist). He ran tests on all the usual suspects: Alternator, starter, voltage regulator, battery. He determined the battery wasn't taking a charge. Everything else passed the diagnostics, so he only replaced the battery.

Car runs fine for exactly one day. Today, my wife went out, and it stranded her at the first place she stopped. Same thing. She says she inserts the key, turns it, and "nothing happens". I get there, put in my key, and it starts right up. I started it 5 or 6 times - no issues. I then used her key, and it *also* worked fine - no issues over 3 or 4 more starts.

I tried to get her to tell me more about what happens when it fails. Does the dash light-up when you insert the key? Does the BMW iDrive system come on? Does it show any messages? - She didn't know. :rolleyes:

So, here's my thinking for what could be wrong:

1) It could be her key. Perhaps the smart chip in the key is flaky, or the key is worn and not always hitting all the tumblers. If the car ever fails with with my key, then we'll know it's not just her key.

2) It could be the key switch. If the dash doesn't light-up at all, I'm thinking the key switch is a likely suspect.

3) Foot brake switch. If it was this switch, the iDrive system should be telling her this is the problem. But if she's not looking at the messages...

4) Starter relay. This was my first thought. The mechanic said he tested the starter - but I suspect all he did was look at the diagnostic codes and didn't see any errors.

5) Starter motor. My wife didn't know if she heard anything clicking. Again, the mechanic claims to have checked the starter.

6) Other undiagnosed electrical problem. Could be a frayed wire or some other nonsense.

This is going to be a pain in the arse to resolve. Intermittent electrical problems are the absolute worst, and having all the blasted electronics in the way just makes it a 1000X worse.

Am I missing any other possible suspects?

 

[Hutnicks]

Pop the key in and rattle it around. See if there is any play in the ignition assembly. How much stuff does she have on the key ring? If theres a lot of weight there it can continually work the assembly and cause that kind of fault.
 
 I had an Audi that did the very same thing. Once I pulled the ignition assembly apart and put it back together again it was fine. (The dealer of course wanted to replace it for a gawdafull amount).

 

[billybob_jcv]

Yeah - I've wiggled it around pretty good and didn't have any issues. With the chip-in-key, if you just touch the key to the metal around the keyhole, the car recognizes the key and starts bonging. I really hope I can see it when it's in the failure mode to know whether that happens or not.

 

[Hutnicks]

I hear you man. Chasing an intermittent electrical fault around is about as much fun as un anesthetized root canal work.
 
Might be worth a quick look through the shop manual. There may be some bizarro circuit hook up at work. Or a corroded relay contact or....

 

[veyrongatti]

  On a pointless mayhem note.
 
Sad news. John Nash and his wife were killed when they were thrown from their Taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike. A true loss to mathematics and the world .

Nash equilibrium guy?

 

[Hutnicks]

  Nash equilibrium guy?

Thats the man.

 

[Hutnicks]

https://anki.com/en-us
 
Dear lord, new racefan crack

 
 
 
A Developers Kit??????

 

[billybob_jcv]

https://anki.com/en-us

Dear lord, new racefan crack:blink:  


A Developers Kit??????:eek:

Where's the video of this thing actually working??

It makes me sad that all toys now have to have some sort of battle story. You can't just have a cool racetrack and a couple of cars where you can pretend to be a racecar driver, now it all has to be some sort of anime-driven sci-fi story. Why do all toys now have to be a cross between Pokemon, Transformers & Dragonball Z?

 

[Hutnicks]

Where's the video of this thing actually working??

It makes me sad that all toys now have to have some sort of battle story. You can't just have a cool racetrack and a couple of cars where you can pretend to be a racecar driver, now it all has to be some sort of anime-driven sci-fi story. Why do all toys now have to be a cross between Pokemon, Transformers & Dragonball Z?

Well thats what you get when you market to Generation ADD. These guys know who's buying the most phones, period.
 
Thats also why there's a developers kit.  For the rest of us.
 
I'm purely interested in the track and vehicle design here. Couldn't give a rats poo about anything other than birds eye camera on a KA vehicle LM prototype style and a flexible track. Potentially this could be a real wicked new tech Strombeker or AFX .

 

[Shaffer]

Ratrods. What does everyone think of the concept?

 

[billybob_jcv]

Ratrods. What does everyone think of the concept?

I have mixed feelings. I love the idea of building cars that look scruffy but run well, but a lot of rat rods take it too far and they become cars that are just awful to drive. It's sort of the same feeling I have of an old school SoCal low rider. I can appreciate the tremendous work it takes - but if you build a work of art that doesn't drive right, then IMHO you haven't built a good car, so what's the point?

I think I like "Derelicts" better than Rat Rods. Like these: http://www.icon4x4.com/dr/derelicts/gallery


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQVpSFoROg4[/VIDEO]

 

[ssrock64]

I love the concept of a bare bones hot rod assembled from a bunch of discarded parts, and I've had some of my most fun driving experiences in cars that seem to be made of about four pieces of metal and an old inline six. However, I find high-dollar "rat rods" with fake patina and complex design elements to be annoying, since they sort of ruin the whole point of the genre as it was when it first became popular. Below is a good example of the sort of rat rod I enjoy, a no-frills and unpretentious hot rod thrown together on a budget.
 

 

[Shaffer]

I like ratrods. A lot. This being said, I do agree that a built ratrod approaching 6 figures defeats the whole idea, but generally speaking they really stir something inside of me. A reptilian response, for those in marketing. Like my borderline obsession with Citroen's DS-series, the ratrod is an anomaly in my personal preference structure; I like fast cars that can corner. There's something about a ratrod, though, perhaps the Americana aspect, that I simply can't resist on a purely emotional level.

 

[gikigill]

If your ratrod has a paint job that costs more than what it takes to build an actual ratrod, you're doing it wrong.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Just make sure you don't let your ratrod get stuck in the "redneck rust bucket" stage...