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How stupid would it be to pickup a 89 325i with a manual swap? Especially as a first car to get semi-familiar with fixing things? I'm mostly concerned with repairing catastrophic transmission failure from poor work. I did a bit of research and it sounds like these types of swaps are fairly straightforward but time consuming. The current owner did the swap himself. Its got 162k miles, seems to be rust free from the pictures and has a LSD. Is there anything I should ask to see if he could have potentially hosed up or poorly picked parts? Hes only ask 1500 which is pretty good for a rust-free manual around here.
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Jan 20, 2010 08:48
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The last car I was going to look at got sold but this has popped up recently:quote:Features: Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Steering, Leather Interior, Airbag: Driver, Anti-Lock Brakes, Fog Lights, Power Windows, Rear Window Defroster, Sunroof/Moonroof, A/C, 5 speed manual The miles are kinda high but its got a ton of replaced parts and the snow tires. The timing belt needs to be replaced but what else could need to be done? I'm likely going to offer 3k for it. There is another car that is similar and is a 97 with a rebuilt 20k old engine for the same price but no indication of maintenance history. Opinions?
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Feb 2, 2010 10:11
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Thanks for the clairification on the timing chain.Sterndotstern posted:Fon't let the mileage on the '92 scare you, but the '97 will almost certainly be a better car. You're in for $1500-$2k of maintenance/refresh either way. Well, I'm trying to avoid a significant initial maintenance investment with the 92 due to all the replaced parts. The 97 I'm not sure about except for the rebuilt engine and replaced clutch. Miles are the same as is price.
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Feb 2, 2010 17:30
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McMadCow posted:That engine has a timing chain, not a belt. 3K seems a bit high, given the mileage. I got mine with 146K for $2K and it also had a lot of recent work done. I got a friend price, but still, yours should be in the $2.5K range I would think. Unfortunately, bmws aren't as common in Wisconsin as they are in California so I am going to be paying a bit more. Add to the fact that 5 speeds are fairly rare here as well makes what I have to pay higher than other areas. If I felt comfortable purchasing across the country that would be one thing. I did give serious thought to pming the guy that was replacing his e36.
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Feb 2, 2010 18:43
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Alright, so I looked at the 92 325is I posted about earlier. It drives great, the snow tires and practically brand new, the all seasons look like theyre in decent shape. The paint looks good, very small bit of rust starting to bubble on the wheel well in the rear but otherwise great. It seemed like he really took care of it for the 8 years he had it. All paperwork from him and the po before him. Only problem is the blower motor isn't working. He says it would intermittently work and then stop working until he went over some train tracks which would cause it to work for a while and then cut out again later. Its currently not coming back to life. I've read this could be a couple things unrelated to the motor itself and could be relatively cheap to fix if that were the case. Is there a good chance of that happening? Also, in the rear seats there is a large piece of plastic paneling on the interior that has come unglued. Its the plastic bit right next to the driver sides rear seats. The entire thing. Its still attached elsewhere but the upper portion has come away. How hard would that be to fix? I assume it just needs to be reglued?
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Feb 6, 2010 23:36
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Pilsner posted:There's a variable resistor that controls it. Try giving it full blast (step 4 or something) and see if it works - the maximum step usually bypasses the resistor part and just gives it +12V directly, and will typically make the blower go. You should be able to fix it by either getting a new/used resistor, or like me, fix it by finding the part where the solder has gone bad in the resistor unit and resolder it We gave it a go turning it on with no luck even on high. It isn't the pillar, and its a coupe so its the area that would be right next to your hip up to mid chest were you sitting in the back seat.
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Feb 7, 2010 01:40
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McMadCow posted:Wasn't this the problem with the resistor on the E30s? My E30 works only on full blast but my E36 works fine. I thought the control setup was completely different between the two. Later model e36s have something different but up to around 95 or 96 they used resistor packs.
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Feb 8, 2010 00:32
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I found a 86 325es in great condition that I'm currently trying to sort out s few issues with. First, even after running for quite a while the engine temp doesn't seem to climb much past the blue portion on the gauge. The heat is working fine so I'm wondering if e30s just run that cool? Second, the 5spd is giving me some troubles wanting to go into gear. Occasionally, 1st will be really tough to push into. The clutch is fully disengaged from what I can tell. All the gears are a bit tougher to get into than I think they should be. I'm planning on replacing the fluid in it to see if that will help. Could it be anything else? I've been led to believe the 260 is nigh unbreakable so hopefully the trsnsmission is ok.
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Mar 14, 2010 19:51
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So I mentioned this a bit ago but didn't really get any sort of response. I have an 86 325es 5spd that occasionally has some problems getting into 1st and reverse. Now, I've read in the past that cars that have trouble getting into reverse just need to be popped into 1st without releasing the clutch and then synchros or some other transmission related bits will align and it'll be all good. Due to the general difficulty in getting into gear and I guess the notchy?ness of the feel when it goes into gear makes me think it could be something else. The mechanic I took it to for other things just suggested popping it into 2nd before putting it into 1st and so far that has worked at lights and things. However, just now I needed to move my car onto my driveway off the street. In order to get it into reverse, I had to put it into 3rd, 2nd, 1st and then reverse as it would not work with just 1st or just 1st and 2nd. So any suggestions on what this could be? There is currently a thread on here for someone's S2K that was unable to go into gear at all. The general consensus and later actual cause was the master cylinder. Could this be a similar problem? The transmission gear oil has recently been replaced and there did not seem to be an abnormal amount of metal bits in the oil when it was taken out.
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Mar 23, 2010 01:33
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random logic posted:The two times I've had the slave/master cylinder go out on my E30's it was an immediate failure and the clutch pedal went to the floor and stayed there. I've had the car not 3 weeks but the flex disc was bad and the harmonic dampener was bent so I had a local shop fix that as well as take an overall look at the car. Turns out the braking system was a bit hosed so they disassembled and reassembled it which I assume means they bled the brakes but likely not the clutch. I actually thought about this while perusing the bentley manual and will get that taken care of asap. The S2K situation was more of a leak than utter failure but I guess even being the same part can be apples to oranges between completely different cars. Thanks for the advice.
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Mar 25, 2010 04:55
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Now, I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination but I like to think I read enough that a decent amount of it sticks. Is Mobil1 an appropriate oil to be in an 86 e30 with 142k miles? I just got bitched at by the Autozone register jockey for getting a couple quarts to replace what I'm losing out of my mystery leak. I don't know that I would have started on Mobil1 but I feel like I remember reading repeatedly that if a car has been on a synthetic diet switching isn't generally a good idea. Now, I can't say WHY this might be true so I'm certainly not taking it as gospel but the mechanic that worked on my car and changed the oil while he was doing it seemed to agree as well. He put in 5w30 which I was also informed was not an appropriate weight for the age of the engine and something like 20w50 would be better. So, whats the deal? Will my engine explode if I stop using synthetic and should I even stop? Will it help with my leak (which is passenger side front of the engine block if anyone has any ideas, lost about a quart during a 700 mile roadtrip last week and maybe another half or so since with much more minimal driving) or will it not make a difference.
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Apr 6, 2010 22:57
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ljw1004 posted:Just for reference, this is what the owner's manual says (the temperature scale is for "ambient air temperature"). Is it still correct for a car this old? Would synthetic be considered a "special oils" as listed? If thats the case then wouldn't that mean synthetic at any weight is appropriate for all ambient temps short of extreme hot and cold?
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Apr 6, 2010 23:40
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I'd been getting a fast turn signal on the left side of my e30 recently but all the lights worked so I figured it was just a dirty connector or acting wonky and ignored it for the time being. Now, I get the fast flashing followed shortly by the left turn signal ceasing to function after a few seconds unless I turn them off and turn them back on. Hazards do the same thing but right turn signal is fine. I plan on replacing the bulbs and cleaning the connectors but was wondering if this is the relay going out or something else.
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Apr 14, 2010 01:57
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Anyone have any advice on removing exterior trim on an e30? Front door and rear panel were easy and matched what the bentley manual said but the front fender is being a bitch. It sounds like its supposed to just pry off but in practice it wasn't nearly that easy and one of the trim pieces got damaged and I'm not even sure how it snaps back in. It looks like its got one of the retaining bolts both the door and rear had which didn't strike me as removable.
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Apr 19, 2010 19:24
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Raymn posted:Anyone have any advice on removing exterior trim on an e30? Front door and rear panel were easy and matched what the bentley manual said but the front fender is being a bitch. It sounds like its supposed to just pry off but in practice it wasn't nearly that easy and one of the trim pieces got damaged and I'm not even sure how it snaps back in. It looks like its got one of the retaining bolts both the door and rear had which didn't strike me as removable. And just for reference, this is what I'm talking about.
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Apr 20, 2010 18:47
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So my e30 has a leaky head gasket on the passenger side. Seems like its just an oil leak as my coolant looks ok and so does the oil on the dipstick. How long can I let this go? I wish I were mechanically inclined enough to do it myself but I don't think that is currently in the cards right now and I don't have the funds to get it done.
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May 1, 2010 03:22
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Black88GTA posted:Head gaskets don't normally leak oil when they go out. Are you sure it isn't a valve cover gasket? BIG difference, and a bad VCG is usually defined by an oil leak. Plus, these are normally an easy DIY for even a novice. Head gasket, not so much. Well, I'm taking the word of the BMW shop I had my clutch master and slave replaced at. Its a pretty decent leak as well and the valve cover seems pretty clean apart from very minor seepage nowhere near the leak. I'll try and take a closer look tomorrow but I feel like the valve cover isn't the source.
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May 1, 2010 04:50
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So right now I'm sitting here with an 86 325es that is really really trying to get me to push it off a cliff. I just had the clutch master and slave replaced after having the flex disk, harmonic balancer and brakes worked on a month ago. The first mechanic I went to was an idiot and probably overcharged me on those last three. This most recent guy has advised me that my clutch and throw-out bearing were going, I had an oil leak in my head gasket, my thermostat was stuck open and my drive shaft coupler bearing was going. This afternoon, I was poking around my engine bay and noticed my engine fan was missing all of its loving blades. Awesome. Some were just hanging out on a little ledge to the right below the radiator and some were stuck between the shroud and the radiator. This car just continues to poo poo itself over and over and over. So, I'm at a bit of a cross roads. There is no way in hell I can afford to pay someone to fix even a percentage of this poo poo, but I feel like I'm already in too deep to cut my losses. I'm not in the least bit knowledgeable about repairing cars (besides super basic poo poo) but my hope with this thing was to learn as I went along. I guess I'm really going to learn. All of this seems mostly time consuming and just a little difficult which I think I can manage. So, on to an actual question instead of me just bitching. When the engine fan blades released themselves into my engine bay the radiator was slightly damaged. I don't think the fan was going too fast as the cooling fins on the radiator itself were only slightly smoothed in and I didn't see any damage to any of the belts or hoses in the area. I realize this will hamper airflow and as a result cooling, but does this require an entire replacement? Can I get by with just replacing the fan itself? Could this have likely caused any damage to the fan clutch as well? Thanks for any advice and thanks for listening to me cry like a little bitch.
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May 3, 2010 23:37
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Black88GTA posted:As long as the rad isn't leaking and nothing else was damaged by flying blades, you should be OK. I'd straighten the fins out as much as possible, but it shouldn't hurt anything even if you don't. I couldn't tell if the radiator was leaking since it rained today and the cars been sitting since I brought it home Friday but the expansion tank looked about what it should be. Clutch isn't seized as I did turn it by hand but I feel like it was kinda wobbly. If I recall correctly, the fan had quite a bit of clearance between most of the hoses up there but I will double check that. Thanks again!
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May 4, 2010 02:42
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Raymn posted:I couldn't tell if the radiator was leaking since it rained today and the cars been sitting since I brought it home Friday but the expansion tank looked about what it should be. Clutch isn't seized as I did turn it by hand but I feel like it was kinda wobbly. If I recall correctly, the fan had quite a bit of clearance between most of the hoses up there but I will double check that. Thanks again!  Click here for the full 600x800 image.  Click here for the full 800x600 image.
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May 5, 2010 00:23
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Pilsner posted:It should be tight. On my M30 engine, the fan began to wobble like crazy at one time, clattering and causing little metal shavings to fly around. It was because the bearing in the water pump that turns the fan was busted, and so the fan clutch (+fan of course) was wobbling around as it turned. I'd replace the water pump. Awesome. SO I get to learn by doing how to pull the head to replace the gasket, replace the water pump, timing belt as long as I'm in there, fan clutch and fan all at the same time. As long as I'm getting that deep is there anything else I should replace? When I was told that my center support bearing needed replacing I asked if the drive shaft would need to be replaced also and was told yes. Is that true? Isn't the only wear item that isn't serviceable the u-joint?
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May 6, 2010 00:51
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Fermunky posted:No... well, that was the case on my E32. I think you have to pop off one end of the shaft, but you shouldn't have to replace the whole thing. I had a shop do it while trying to diagnose another problem years ago, so I don't remember the exact process, but do remember NOT having to replace the shaft. Oh, nono. I know you can replace the bearing without replacing the drive shaft, but was told I should or else poo poo will just break again. Obviously, if the shaft is vibrating because of a bad u-joint that'll gently caress things up prematurely. I phrased the question poorly.
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May 6, 2010 14:35
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So if I were to take my cylinder head to a machine shop, should any decent shop be able to do it? Or should I look for one that has BMW experience? There are a couple decent independent shops around here I suppose I could ask for a recommendation as well? How would I prep it? Just take the whole thing, valves and all in? Is that part of the inspecting/cleaning portion of it? Can I reliably check the head myself for warping or would it be better to just take it to a shop at the very least to get cleaned and checked?
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May 9, 2010 03:28
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Baram posted:couple pages back but I'm just now catching up. Is that about the iS being a coupe true? I always thought the iS was a sportier model with the spoiler? I've got a 90 325i and it's a coupe and came with the spoiler, although not installed. If I'm not mistaken, on the e30 being a coupe and the spoiler was an option for the them without it being an is. The is got a different suspension, sport seats and a LSD I think as well as being a coupe.
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Jun 5, 2010 15:15
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Baram posted:Huh. I'm confused as to what it actually is now, then. 2 door, came with a spoiler but not installed. I got a VIN breakdown awhile ago which said it was a 325i with one of the order options listed as "209 LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL (25%)" Does that mean I likely have an iS with a replaced trunk or something? Badging on the trunk is currently 325i. I think the LSD was an option too. I may be wrong but I feel like most things on the is were available in some form as an option for non is cars. Did it come with sport seats? What is the suspension setup?
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Jun 6, 2010 03:09
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Frogmanv2 posted:I know next to nothing about beamers, but my brother is interested in buying this one. To rebalance the drive shaft you have to remove the heat shield and drop the exhaust. Or it could be the coupler, the guibo, or it could be the u-joint. The first two don't seem to be bad but the u-joint isn't generally serviceable without a rebuild or a replacement. For 6 months you might be able to live but its just going to likely get worse and could wear out other parts of the drive shaft faster.
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Jul 7, 2010 16:58
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T-Square posted:Really wish there were some remotely somewhat kind-of close to nice E30 325 coupes in the midwest that I could look at to buy. Everything's rusted to hell and back Keep looking. You'll pay more than elsewhere but they're out there. I looked for a couple months in Wisconsin and Chicago and was still only able to find an es coupe that wasn't a total piece of poo poo. If you can, look further and drive it or have it shipped.
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Jul 15, 2010 17:59
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I am at my wits end with my fan clutch. I'm trying to do my timing belt, water pump, thermostat and camshaft seals. I've got all my cooling hoses off, upper timing cover off, three in one pulley. I'M SO CLOSE but this loving nut has been taunting me the entire time. I've tried a bunch of different ways to hold the pulley. I've got a slim 32mm bike wrench which I think may be my biggest problem. I've tried immobilizing with a screw driver lodged against the pulley bolts and a strap wrench. I've soaked it in pb blaster. I don't know what else I can do. There isn't a whole lot of space in there or much to hold onto. I'm considering ordering the holding tool from pelican parts but I really don't want to spend the money on it. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Sep 2, 2010 02:03
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two_beer_bishes posted:Where are you located? I do a ton of traveling and if you're city is on my upcoming itinerary I'd be happy to bring it with me... I'm an hour outside of Asheville in Western North Carolina.
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Sep 2, 2010 04:01
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Pilsner posted:Which engine and what have you tried exactly? M20. I feel like the wrench may have not been ideal. Northern tool looks like they have it the cheapest and it looks longer and a bit beefier. I have tried to beat it with a hammer as well as holding it steady with a screw driver and strap wrench. Tons of pb blaster as well. Also I assume you meant hit it on the left to make it turn right. I wish I knew someone that could just fab up the tool. It looks so simple and just makes me hate life more thinking about buying one.
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Sep 2, 2010 19:27
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I'm doing my timing belt on my e30 and after putting on the new one I rotated it twice to make sure the notches were still lined up. While rotating it I noticed that it would intermittently get easier and then harder to turn. Not super difficult but a change in resistance. My friend who was helping me said it was just the compression which I knew would be at play since I didn't remove the plugs. However, while nosing around online for info on timing adjustment someone mentioned if it gets hard to turn it could be a valve hitting a piston. I'm 100% sure the sprockets didn't move while switching my belts and the car seemed to run fine prior (fine could be subjective tho?) so would the valve hitting the piston be easier to identify in any way vs it just compressing? I didn't notice any pinging prior either. Thanks!
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Oct 14, 2010 18:36
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Pilsner posted:You should be able to feel and hear if it hit a valve. It's natural that you feel the compression, and the engine will alternate being easy and hard to rotate, ending in a little elastic-feeling "jump" every time you beat the compression and open an exhaust valve, letting the air out. You'll also hear "psssssh" from the air seeping out. No, zero metal noise when rotating it. Everything lined up fine I was just paranoid. Beach Bum posted:Pulling the plugs takes two minutes (more if you're slightly It wasn't really bothering me too much since that was the first I'd heard it could happen like that and I feel confident everything stayed properly lined up. I kept the plugs in because I knew it would keep it more difficult to turn. I wanted to minimize the possibility of accidentally doing so as this was my first time and I was unsure of how much actual resistance I would get. I figured the more the better just to be safe. I'm aware I'm more cautious than I need to be with this. Thanks for both your comments.
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Oct 14, 2010 20:57
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). If it's bothering you that much, take the time to make sure. You don't want to destroy your motor over a measly two minutes, do you?
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spodycart posted:Update on this, I was able to get a good look and found that the sound is coming from the water pump pulley (pretty sure that's what it is, it's A on this diagram). It's moving in and out and causing the rattle. The pulley attaches to the pump via those 4 bolts in the picture. If the bolts have come loose for some reason then there you go. Did you reach in and try to move it by hand? Could you tell if it was the pulley or the pump itself visually when you wiggled it? Odds are more likely that the spindle is hosed somehow as opposed to those bolts loosening I'd guess.
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Nov 18, 2010 05:04
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manchego posted:I've skimmed this thread for close to a year and have never really had a reason to post. Happily that's changed and I'm meandering my way towards buying a used BMW. Way too high a price for that car. The ad doesn't mention the suspension at all which if it hasn't been replaced is going to need it as well as the flex disk and center support. 5k gets you the cream of the crop in e30s with some nice upgrades. That one is really really nice but there is a ton of nitpicky poo poo that devalues it to other enthusiasts as well.
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Nov 19, 2010 10:18
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manchego posted:I was browsing and came across this vehicle: That fox is creepy as hell.
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Dec 7, 2010 01:12
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Wombot posted:Mmmm, BMW electrical gremlins. If the indicator is like the e30 one, eventually the rechargeable batteries that work keep track of things die and without replacing them the indicator will always stay red. I think you can replace them but it requires removing the gauge cluster and doing some resoldering.
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Dec 20, 2010 20:09
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Immediately when I start my e30 I hear a deep sort of groaning coming from the front somewhere. I'm assuming its a pump of some kind but it goes away after about 5 seconds and never returns until I need to start it up again. Any ideas what this could be or anything to test?
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Dec 25, 2010 07:02
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Raymn posted:Immediately when I start my e30 I hear a deep sort of groaning coming from the front somewhere. I'm assuming its a pump of some kind but it goes away after about 5 seconds and never returns until I need to start it up again. Any ideas what this could be or anything to test? Quoting myself to see if anyone has any thoughts.
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Jan 12, 2011 18:03
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