Re: Anybody else experienced parking lot troubles with your BMW?

[Sung Shin <sshin@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I was sitting here trying to think of the answer to the idling question when
this came in.  Yes, that's the same thing I heard about the catalytic
converter.  I heard it a while back when I was a kid and my parents bought a
new car.  The dealer told them about not letting the car idle.  Thanks for
jogging my memory.  Don't know if it's actually true, but in terms of getting a
consensus opinion on the matter, chalk another one up for catalytic converter
overheating - at least until someone can provide a definitive answer.

In terms of parking, I park at the Metro station every morning, and dings are a
concern for me.  However, one day, I drove into the lot and found a nice 328 at
the end of the lot.  So, I parked my 323iC right next to it.  You know what
they say about birds of a feather and all.  Haven't had a problem yet.
Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, there are still a**holes out
there that feel the need to ruin other people's cherished possessions for some
reason.  I got my car keyed big time in front of my house a few weeks back.  I
touched it up with touch up paint, but it was so deep and so long that you can
totally see the difference from any angle, any distance.  I guess the moral of
the story is, all you can do is take care of your own end to protect from
accidental damage, but if someone feels like being an a**hole, they'll get you,
even in front of your own house.  Ok, time to step down from the soapbox.  Good
luck finding parking.  And if you find a black 323iC in the DC area parked next
to you with the ugly battle scar, please be careful not to ding it up! :-)

Sung Shin
sshin@domain.elided

Michael_Bird@domain.elided wrote:

> John asked this question, describing a faded red, dented Accord that parked
> next to him when he had parked at the far end of the parking lot, taking
> two spaces.   I have two thoughts, John:
>
> 1)   If you were parked far, far away, then why two spots?   Why not just
> one?   I think the Accord owner (parking 3 inches from your door) was
> trying to make a statement.
>
> 2)  Just because the Accord was old, dented, faded and a Honda, doesn't
> mean that it isn't just as precious to its owner as your bimmer is to you.
> He doesn't want any (more) dings either.
>
> I often park -- excuse me, ALWAYS park far, far away from the great
> unwashed, but it never fails that someone will always park right next to
> me.    I assume that they see my nice pretty dingless car and think that
> they will be safe next to me.
> .....................
>
> And there was a post about letting the car warm up for more than 30 seconds
> -- I think BMW warns you to not let the car warm up for more than 30
> seconds because it may cause the catalytic converter to overheat.   I don't
> remember where I first heard that, but that's in the back of my mind.   I
> do know that the car will warm up quicker if driven (gently).   Buy heated
> seats next time!

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