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Eat This Glob posted:After my feeble attempt to get an E30 2.5l car in the great digestive salt flats of New England, I'm going to look at an E34 525i on Monday. It's got high milage, like any specimen of its vintage, but looks pretty solid from every other respect. It needs a radiator and a passenger side control arm. After looking up the parts to replace the radiator and both front control arms, is there anything else I should be looking for when checking out the car? It's a non-VANOS model. You should make sure it's an M50 powered car, not the older M20 powered one. The M20 was in the E34 from 1989-1990 or 91ish. The M20 is a slug in that car and requires more maintenance than the M50 that replaced it. If the engine has the black plastic intake with "BMW" on it rather than the older metal one, it's the M50. Other than that, they are pretty solid cars. Listen for clunks and other noises that could indicate loose suspension or driveline parts and check for any obvious rust around rocker panels and door edges. The engine should be smooth and free of vibration, smells, and smoke.
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Dec 6, 2009 15:12
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Pilsner posted:Mounted right along the aux water pump is the heater valve, it'll have some relatively thin (1 inch diameter) coolant hoses going in and out of it, and it's like two cylinders together (one for each side of the climate control). I'm betting it's busted. Interestingly enough, that was the part my grandfather and I originally thought was broken when we first started working on the car (I had a major coolant leak in that area) and we almost ordered it until we got the whole unit out and found the water pump strapped to the bottom. Is there any way to test that part to see if it still works?
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Dec 6, 2009 15:21
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Eat This Glob posted:After my feeble attempt to get an E30 2.5l car in the great digestive salt flats of New England, I'm going to look at an E34 525i on Monday. It's got high milage, like any specimen of its vintage, but looks pretty solid from every other respect. It needs a radiator and a passenger side control arm. After looking up the parts to replace the radiator and both front control arms, is there anything else I should be looking for when checking out the car? It's a non-VANOS model. Check the bottom of the doors. They like to rust on the E34's.
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Dec 6, 2009 17:00
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Eat This Glob posted:is there anything else I should be looking for when checking out the car? If it's a 91-93 automatic, skip it unless you know how to rebuild a 4l30e.
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Dec 6, 2009 20:06
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Brock Landers posted:You should make sure it's an M50 powered car, not the older M20 powered one. The M20 was in the E34 from 1989-1990 or 91ish. The M20 is a slug in that car and requires more maintenance than the M50 that replaced it. If the engine has the black plastic intake with "BMW" on it rather than the older metal one, it's the M50. It's a 1992 model year, so it should be the updated engine. Hopefully. Jorsh posted:
I know the car was resprayed at some point. I'm going to be searching it high and low for rust but I'll look really hard at the doors and the rockers. But for the price he's asking, I'm not expecting anything too special. I just really want a straight six BMW to wrench on. I just hope it's not too much of a money pit.
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Dec 7, 2009 03:04
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http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/1497527766.html Should I?
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Dec 7, 2009 07:36
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aksuur posted:http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/cto/1497527766.html He's got three different prices listed there. If it's $500, maybe. The early 318i is not a desirable BMW. The M10 is a reliable motor but SLOW in that car. It's not going to give you the peppy, fun-to-drive BMW experience. If you just want a really cheap, point A-to-B car, see how bad the exhaust is. At least that's a cheap part on that model.
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Dec 7, 2009 12:48
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Brock Landers posted:He's got three different prices listed there. If it's $500, maybe. The early 318i is not a desirable BMW. The M10 is a reliable motor but SLOW in that car. It's not going to give you the peppy, fun-to-drive BMW experience. If you just want a really cheap, point A-to-B car, see how bad the exhaust is. At least that's a cheap part on that model. Mostly I'm looking for something that's relatively cheap for the winter, that isn't FWD. I'm pretty sure his price is 700.
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Dec 7, 2009 15:14
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aksuur posted:Mostly I'm looking for something that's relatively cheap for the winter, that isn't FWD. I'm pretty sure his price is 700. I had an old E30 318 years ago. It was a great car but my two biggest concerns were the camshaft and the usual suspension issues. Does the engine make an audible ticking noise? Mine did and it was the camshaft that was basically worn to the point that there was a gap between the lumps and the valves. The ticking you could hear was the impact of the surfaces coming together as it spun. It wasn't an emergency, but it's bad for efficiency and it'll only get worse. Expensive fix, too. Also, listen for any banging from the front suspension when driving it. If it's like any other E30/E36 there's a weak spot at the control arm bushings and those will need to be replaced.
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Dec 7, 2009 18:54
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Ah, I just purchased my first BMW. When I signed for the car the dealer shook my hand and said "You are not just buying a car, you're buying a lifestyle," which kind of made me  Anyways, I love the car, it's a 2006 325i, with a six-speed manual (silver ext, black int). My wife will only drive manuals, and I really wanted a BMW, so it all worked out. I'm looking, though, to get some different tires. It's got the stock 16" on it now. I'd like to purchase some 17's and use them a summer set. I can't seem to find a good place to figure out what I need. The BMW service guy said that I shouldn't go any bigger than 17, and on the rear axle they use 8.5" width, and the front gets 8". Would 18" just be too big? I have a friend with a 2008 335i, and I think it has 18's on it, and it looks awesome, but I'm not sure if it'll work on mine. Can someone point me to where I can buy a tire/rim set? I really like the BMW made wheels, so if I can find those cheap, that'd be great. I can do around a thousand or so for the set. Super-NintendoUser fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Dec 7, 2009 |
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Dec 7, 2009 22:03
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Jerk McJerkface posted:Can someone point me to where I can buy a tire/rim set? I really like the BMW made wheels, so if I can find those cheap, that'd be great. I can do around a thousand or so for the set. With that budget you'll have to look at the used market for the wheels, at least for OEM most of the desirable ones will put you over budget on wheels alone if you go new ($300-400 each). For reference I just paid around $850 for four Blizzaks and four 16" steel wheels. e: Jerk McJerkface posted:My wife will only drive manuals You lucky bastard. wolrah fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Dec 7, 2009 |
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Dec 7, 2009 22:15
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wolrah posted:With that budget you'll have to look at the used market for the wheels, at least for OEM most of the desirable ones will put you over budget on wheels alone if you go new ($300-400 each). For reference I just paid around $850 for four Blizzaks and four 16" steel wheels. Hmm... I saw that the sport package for the car, which includes 17's and some other junk was around 1600, so I figured I could get at least get the wheels and tires for that much. I'd get used wheels, but I can't seem to locate any that are staggered. Any recommendations? quote:You lucky bastard. Thanks! Her requirements for a car are quiet simple: leather, sunroof, manual. It also can't be a Subaru. Super-NintendoUser fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Dec 7, 2009 |
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Dec 7, 2009 22:24
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No specific recommendations unfortunately, I've been drooling over some replicas of the E46 M3 CSL wheel (since the real ones are both expensive and staggered), but even as replicas they're close to $1000 alone. What I'd recommend is hitting Tire Rack's web site to get an idea of a general retail price range for tires and third-party wheels, then if you want to continue looking for OEM wheels head to the various forums and look for someone who just replaced a set of whatever style you like with aftermarket, that should be your cheapest source for good condition OEMs. While Bimmerfest is my favorite of the BMW forums over all, one of the more "show oriented" forums like E46fanatics might be a better source for lightly used OEM parts with all the idiots who think a 3 looks good on 20+" wheels.
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Dec 7, 2009 22:42
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wolrah posted:No specific recommendations unfortunately, I've been drooling over some replicas of the E46 M3 CSL wheel (since the real ones are both expensive and staggered), but even as replicas they're close to $1000 alone. Thanks! One question regarding appearance. If I go from 16 to 17's, and get new tires, They should end up with about the same outside tire diameter, right? I'm new to buying performance tires/wheels and I really know nothing about it, and need all the information I can get.
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Dec 7, 2009 22:44
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Jerk McJerkface posted:Thanks! You can use this to make sure you get the same outside diameter, or at least know how far off you are.
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Dec 7, 2009 23:21
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My left front brake caliper on my M3 is sticking. I am going to replace it with a rebuilt unit ($115 including $65 core charge). Now the question is, what else do I need to replace along with it? The auto service shop wants to replace the right front caliper as well (i.e. replace as pairs). Is this necessary? My brake pads and rotors were last replaced 18,000 miles ago. Since I am going to have the left side apart I would think it would make sense to at least change pads/wear sensors on both sides. Do I need to do rotors as well?
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Dec 8, 2009 00:16
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stump posted:http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html That's awesome, thanks. I'm going to hit up the boards, I have no problem buying a set of used rims and then getting my own tires.
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Dec 8, 2009 00:37
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wolrah posted:No specific recommendations unfortunately, I've been drooling over some replicas of the E46 M3 CSL wheel (since the real ones are both expensive and staggered), but even as replicas they're close to $1000 alone. E46 M3 CSL wheels are the only way to go. I was really fond of finding just regular 18" M3 wheels but the previous owner had the CSL.  Not sure if I ever posted photos of mine here. I may have. I would recommend replica wheels unless you have a ton of money burning a hole in your pocket. I think the new 3 series look really good with the large radial wheels.
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Dec 8, 2009 00:58
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McMadCow posted:I had an old E30 318 years ago. It was a great car but my two biggest concerns were the camshaft and the usual suspension issues. M10s and M20s use adjustable eccentrics on the rockers- when they start ticking you can adjust the gap between valve and the rocker. A ticking noise rarely indicates a bad cam (though it can). Besides, most of those motors tick to some degree or another- unless it's really loud it's probably not a concern. Realjones posted:My left front brake caliper on my M3 is sticking. I am going to replace it with a rebuilt unit ($115 including $65 core charge). You don't need to replace calipers in pairs. If the right front still moves freely then save your money. But you will need to replace the front brake pads and either machine or replace the rotors as well.
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Dec 8, 2009 01:58
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Hmmm... http://www.modbargains.com/_e/dept/12-001-009/Wheels.htm
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Dec 8, 2009 02:43
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Earlier in the thread I posted about my heating problem with my 94 530i. Someone suggested the heater control valve was busted http://www.autopartsworld.com/bmw_parts/530i/heatercontrolvalve/1994.html Is there any way to verify this is the problem? My funds are limited, and I dont want to shell out $100 if that's not my problem. To refresh, the car's blowers work fine, I just replaced the auxiliary water pump, and according to my dash, the engine temperature is fine. Following instructions in the thread, I uncapped the coolant container and let the car run until the coolant started bubbling, then shut the car off and capped the container..to get rid of the excess air. Anything else I should check for?
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Dec 8, 2009 03:22
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GobiasIndustries posted:Earlier in the thread I posted about my heating problem with my 94 530i. Someone suggested the heater control valve was busted http://www.autopartsworld.com/bmw_parts/530i/heatercontrolvalve/1994.html Get the engine warm, set heat to highest on the climate controls, and then feel - carefully, don't scald yourself - on the hoses on each side of the heater valve. If the hoses going into the car through the firewall (two in, one return) are cold, that's definitely your problem. If they're warm, then I guess the only thing wrong could be that the heater core inside the cabin is totally clogged.
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Dec 8, 2009 03:46
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Here are a few things to check- Warm the car up to operating temp but leave the cabin heat off. Now feel the hoses to the heater valve- The input hose should be hot and the two hoses leading to the heater core should be cool. Now turn the cabin heat on one side at a time and feel output hoses- they should be hot to the touch. If the hoses aren't getting hot, then you either have a wiring problem or a bad set of valves. Here's a schematic if you want to/are capable of checking out your powers and grounds.  Click here for the full 964x746 image. Edit: ^^^Beaten by the same advice. But I provided a pretty picture.
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Dec 8, 2009 03:53
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peterjmatt posted:M10s and M20s use adjustable eccentrics on the rockers- when they start ticking you can adjust the gap between valve and the rocker. A ticking noise rarely indicates a bad cam (though it can). Besides, most of those motors tick to some degree or another- unless it's really loud it's probably not a concern. Yeah, a mechanic buddy of mine adjusted the valves but there was still visible grooves worn into the cam.
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Dec 8, 2009 04:13
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I'm not saying your cam wasn't destroyed, I'm just saying that it's an unusual problem and that just listening for valve tick doesn't normally indicate that issue.
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Dec 8, 2009 05:01
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I'll add that the CSL reps look drat good on the E46 and even the E90-E92's. I recently put on the gunmetal grey ones, they are pretty reasonably priced at under $200 each. I have found a bit of decreased performance compared to the 18 lb O.Z. Ultraleggera's I had on the car before since the CSL reps are 24 lbs each. I'll be keeping the O.Z.'s for track wheels.  
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Dec 8, 2009 19:34
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Keyser S0ze posted:I'll add that the CSL reps look drat good on the E46 and even the E90-E92's. I recently put on the gunmetal grey ones, they are pretty reasonably priced at under $200 each. Nice. Those are the 18's, right? I think they might be a little too big. I wonder if I can find some staggered 17's.
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Dec 8, 2009 20:27
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What about this guy, I'm really close to here: Those might be good. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=725476 Wow, those forums are pretty much full of people getting rid of OEM 18's and going to crazy 20's. I'm going to get a new set for a song. I'm wondering, though, if I go with 18" will they fit my car, or will the rub the wells, I can't find a solid answer. EDIT: Also, I've been looking at an e46 wheels. Dang, I wonder if they'll fit my E90. Super-NintendoUser fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Dec 8, 2009 |
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Dec 8, 2009 20:33
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Jerk McJerkface posted:EDIT: Also, I've been looking at an e46 wheels. Dang, I wonder if they'll fit my E90. The bolt pattern is the same, dunno about the offset though, especially when looking at a staggered setup. e: EAS lists the following for E9x staggered configurations with the CSL replicas: 18x8.5" +35mm Front 18x9.5" +33mm Rear e2: found some numbers for OEM "Style 162" wheels F: 18x8 +34 R: 18x8.5 +37 The general consensus from what I've found is that the E46 non-M OEM offset is about 10mm greater than the E9x and that using E46 wheels will require spacers (which make me cringe to even think about), but take it with a grain of salt since I'm just googling while bored. wolrah fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Dec 8, 2009 |
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Dec 8, 2009 23:08
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Jerk McJerkface posted:Nice. Those are the 18's, right? I think they might be a little too big. I wonder if I can find some staggered 17's. Those are 18"s 235/255 staggered, no rubbing. I think the offset is 45? From Euro Auto Source site: Available Size: 8.5" +40mm Gunmetal 9.5" +45mm Gunmetal Weight: Wheel: 24.0lbs Front Wheel: 24.5lbs Rear I think the style looks good on E90's. I did get slight rubbing with the 40 offset O.Z.'s rims on the 18/255 rears. But only on pretty extreme dips. Keyser_Soze fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Dec 8, 2009 |
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Dec 8, 2009 23:30
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As an example my E46 Coupe has 18" MV2 wheels on it: The numbers I copied down for reference are: Front: 225 40 ZR18 88W Rear: 255 35 ZR18 94W A neighbour has an E92 Coupe which has identical wheels as far as I can tell
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Dec 9, 2009 01:10
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how much rougher is the ride with 18'' wheels as opposed to the 17s? I just can't imagine having a wheel that big, even though most cars have huge wheels nowadays
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Dec 9, 2009 02:42
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flublandDrussiavelt posted:how much rougher is the ride with 18'' wheels as opposed to the 17s? I just can't imagine having a wheel that big, even though most cars have huge wheels nowadays I'm pretty sure my brother's new Lancer has 18" wheels on it stock. I personally feel it is worth the small decrease in ride quality for just how nice 18-19" wheels look.
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Dec 9, 2009 03:42
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Keyser S0ze posted:Those are 18"s 235/255 staggered, no rubbing. I think the offset is 45? Sorry to be a bit green on this, but offset refers to the difference between the sizes in front and back rims?
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Dec 9, 2009 04:35
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Jerk McJerkface posted:Sorry to be a bit green on this, but offset refers to the difference between the sizes in front and back rims? http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=101
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Dec 9, 2009 04:36
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Picking up my e34 535i tomorrow morning, very, very excited! Probably paid too much, but it's in pretty drat good condition, and has a full, complete dealership service history. Who the hell does that? Silly doctors with more money than they know what to do with.
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Dec 9, 2009 12:38
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I recently purchased a 2002 BMW 530i M-Sport (119k km). Having previously owned a 1989 Mitsubishi Galant GLi, this is one hell of a upgrade. It's definitely the most fun car I've ever owned. It's in very good condition, and I've been happy with it so far.  However, there is one thing that is bothering me. The transmission isn't as smooth as I'd like. Sometimes it can be a bit difficult getting it into first. I don't want to force it, so if I have trouble I'll put it back in neutral and try again, and it usually works on the second or third attempt. I don't think the problem was as pronounced when I first got the car, then again it's gotten a lot colder around here since then. The other gears aren't nearly as bad, however they still don't feel as smooth as I'd like. Having never owned a BMW before, I don't how the transmission is supposed to feel. Another strange problem is that sometimes when I put it in neutral after it's been in fifth, the neutral position of the shifter will be messed up. Instead of positioning itself between third and fourth like it should, the shifter will stay to the right below fifth (see the handy diagram below). I can still shift into 1-4th when this happens, and after driving in the lower gears for a short while, the neutral position will suddenly be back to normal again. I'm wondering if it could a linkage problem, and if it perhaps is related to the transmission generally not feeling as smooth as I'd like, but I'm no mechanic. I'm probably going to have it get looked at by a mechanic in few days, but in the meantime, does anybody have an opinion on what this might be? 
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Dec 9, 2009 22:45
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Id4ever posted:Another strange problem is that sometimes when I put it in neutral after it's been in fifth, the neutral position of the shifter will be messed up. Instead of positioning itself between third and fourth like it should, the shifter will stay to the right below fifth (see the handy diagram below). I can still shift into 1-4th when this happens, and after driving in the lower gears for a short while, the neutral position will suddenly be back to normal again. I'm wondering if it could a linkage problem, and if it perhaps is related to the transmission generally not feeling as smooth as I'd like, but I'm no mechanic. I've heard of this, and an E36 I test drove once had this problem. It was pretty annoying. Here is some more information, look towards the bottom of the first page.
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Dec 9, 2009 22:55
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I have the same issue with it being hard to get in to first, especially when cold. I think your transmission should be the same as mine (E46 2.5L). From what I've found so far it seems to be related to a lack of transmission oil changes thanks to BMW's silliness, and that once it gets bad enough to notice you can't really fix it short of a rebuild but changing the fluid might help a bit. I haven't yet changed my fluid, but it's on the list for Spring. e: don't know how I missed this earlier... Keyser S0ze posted:I'll add that the CSL reps look drat good on the E46 and even the E90-E92's. I recently put on the gunmetal grey ones, they are pretty reasonably priced at under $200 each. wolrah fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Dec 9, 2009 |
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Dec 9, 2009 23:15
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Question -- Dad's got an '08 E90 M3 with the optional 19" wheels. They are loving terrible to clean. The outside face is fine, but the insides of the spokes and the inner wheels are just a pain. So, he's looking for a replacement set. I keep talking him out of things like this http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/pts/1492348498.html where there are a "few" curb marks, etc. To put on his car, the curbed wheels would have to be refinished, the crap tires replaced and who knows what else. The benefit of buying "cheaply" would quickly go away. He wants something like these Harmanns, or the similar AC Schnitzer 5 spokes. Every one I've seen has been "WOW, These are $4000 new," what is a real price for a set of BMW Tuner wheels? What would you suggest to get the best buy for replacement wheels?
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Dec 9, 2009 23:22
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EVERYWHERE 
