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evobatman posted:A guy in Norway is selling off a bunch of old single-owner cars with low mileage. http://www.finn.no/finn/car/used/object?finnkode=23273490 I just want everyone here to know that I would kill all of you for that car.
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Jul 16, 2010 18:01
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not black enough posted:http://www.finn.no/finn/car/used/object?finnkode=23273490 Likewise, sir. I'm glad we understand each other.
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Jul 16, 2010 21:36
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not black enough posted:http://www.finn.no/finn/car/used/object?finnkode=23273490 Holy..... 
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Jul 16, 2010 21:37
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Raymn posted: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. Well, I found one up in Waupaca. And I bought it today  . One tiny little spot of rust on the underside of the corner of the hood by the windshield. Underbody is pretty drat clean too. Interior's kinda sucky but I can live with it. Black '89 325iS, I'm in love.
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Jul 17, 2010 04:34
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Are there any issues common to e46 325s or 330s? Big things I should look for or ask about when I'm looking at a car?
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Jul 17, 2010 23:00
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Veins McGee posted:Are there any issues common to e46 325s or 330s? Big things I should look for or ask about when I'm looking at a car? Maintenance history. Window regulators. Cooling system. Suspension clunks.
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Jul 17, 2010 23:18
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Dyno'd the 325iS today. Made 139/135. Fairly respectable for a 21 year old motor rated for 168/163 at the flywheel.
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Jul 17, 2010 23:49
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You guys have probably seen this since you're the BMW thread but the blog post was on the 15th and I didn't see it in the thread so: Neat "making of" YouTube video on the blog post, so watch it if you're bored. http://atlfocus.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/4276584-largest-bmw-e30-meet-ever  Click here for the full 1024x605 image.
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Jul 18, 2010 01:19
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Veins McGee posted:Are there any issues common to e46 325s or 330s? Big things I should look for or ask about when I'm looking at a car? Sunroof shade if it's a pre-2004 model. Bubbling interior A,B,C pillar fabric. Crayon smelling sound deadening in the trunk. Burned reflector bowls in 2004+ coupes with xenons. Rear subframe cracking (dealer fixed for free before Sept. of this year) Strut tower weld cracks. Serpentine belts/idlers. Expansion tank leaks, valve cover gasket oil leaks. Power steering leaks. Vanos rattle, bad Dual mass springs, broken tranny mounts, torn Guibo. e: FCABS, RTABS I can't think of anything else. I love my e46, it just has lots that can go wrong with it.
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Jul 18, 2010 02:13
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chomper posted:You guys have probably seen this since you're the BMW thread but the blog post was on the 15th and I didn't see it in the thread so: That's a big rear end parking lot for a Chiptole! The E30s are pretty cool too.
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Jul 19, 2010 14:41
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After limping along for the better part of 7 years in the old family minivan that finally decided it didn't want coolant anymore, I bought my own car, an automatic 1997 318i. The exterior's nice, undercarriage is a bit of a horrorshow, no service records-was gambling that's not going to kick me in the rear end, but recently I've noticed that after the car's warmed up, there's a noticeable thud when switching between Park/Neutral/Drive, and the car jerks a bit. On a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 is the noise/feel of the transmission engaging/disengaging when cold (essentially "normal" based on the other older automatics I've driven) and 10 is getting rear ended at low speed, this would be a 3. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I haven't been able to find much reference to this online, though the key thing seems to be that it only happens after the car's warmed up. I'll be seeing how the transmission fluid is doing once I get my hands on a plug seal-no leaks currently, but seems likely that wasn't always the case.
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Jul 20, 2010 03:04
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89 325iS Dyno Video Nice and quiet until about 3k
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Jul 20, 2010 04:15
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Xy Hapu posted:After limping along for the better part of 7 years in the old family minivan that finally decided it didn't want coolant anymore, I bought my own car, an automatic 1997 318i. That undercarriage looks great to me. Seems like they all have similar power steering leaks. I think it's the hose at the bottom of the reservoir but I don't recall. Scrub it all down with simple green and a hose and then check back in a week and see where the leaks are. It's a good looking car, how is the interior? As for the transmission, I think all the autos blow up, your best bet is to just save up for a new used one. Definitely change the fluid though and see if that helps. I'd keep the cash in a rainy day fund though. Swapping to a manual is not a good option on these cars. Enjoy the fuel economy and keep it in good shape and it will treat you well. It's not a fast car but it will be reliable, cheap to run and comfortable.
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Jul 20, 2010 16:15
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On my 91 318IS, I just put on new rotors and pads all around, along with new rear calipers. The issue is that, even after bedding in the brakes (there was a huge improvement after this), I get a mushy pedal feel. It was mushy before the new brakes, but I think its worse now. I have a compressor and speed bleeders, but my compressor can only sustain about 75psi at that flow rate while my bleeders recommend 90-120psi. So I bailed on that idea after an hour+ of no progress and bled the brakes manual style, including the clutch, everything went fine, no air bubbles. The question is: Is it possible that I damaged my master cylinder bleeding the brakes? Its obviously an old car with a master cylinder of unknown age. I have read about seals breaking during a brake bleed procedure.
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Jul 20, 2010 17:30
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It's possible that you damaged it, and also possible that it's just old and needs to be rebuilt/replaced. You should also inspect the flex lines. If they're the originals, you might want to consider replacing them.
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Jul 20, 2010 17:50
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SlapActionJackson posted:It's possible that you damaged it, and also possible that it's just old and needs to be rebuilt/replaced. You should also inspect the flex lines. If they're the originals, you might want to consider replacing them. I forgot to mention that I did replace flex lines, and one of the hard lines after destroying the flare nut. I just replaced the final two rear flex lines. Not the front, or inner rear ones. Is there any type of visual way I can tell if the MC is dead, or am I stuck with pedal feel?
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Jul 20, 2010 17:53
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In that case, are you extremely sure there's not still air in there somewhere? replacing that much line give air lots of places to hang out in the new components. I don't think there's a way to visually verify the MC, since the problem is likely to be internal seals. Does the brake pedal sink under constant pressure or just feel spongy?
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Jul 20, 2010 18:08
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SlapActionJackson posted:In that case, are you extremely sure there's not still air in there somewhere? replacing that much line give air lots of places to hang out in the new components. It stops the car pretty good, but does seem to sink to the floor under pressure rather than just holding up like it should. I think I bled the brakes well. I did 2 passes including the slave cylinder, then a 3rd time on the rear.
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Jul 20, 2010 18:21
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The sinking pedal is telling. Either you've got a leak or the MC is bad.
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Jul 20, 2010 18:42
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SlapActionJackson posted:The sinking pedal is telling. Either you've got a leak or the MC is bad. Thanks, exactly what I wanted to hear. Well, not what I wanted to hear, but a specific symptom and cause to look for. I used the ATE Blue, so I just take a look for blue leaks along the brake system. If nothing, a new MC is needed.
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Jul 20, 2010 19:14
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revmoo posted:That undercarriage looks great to me. Seems like they all have similar power steering leaks. I think it's the hose at the bottom of the reservoir but I don't recall. Scrub it all down with simple green and a hose and then check back in a week and see where the leaks are. Thanks for the advice, as well as the second opinion on the undercarriage, it's really helpful because I have little idea of what 'normal' looks like for these cars, and pictures of the undercarriage are surprisingly hard to find online. I was worried about the rust on what looks like the bottom of the driver side footwell, but on closer inspection it seems shallow and relatively easy to take care of (hopefully it's a heatshield or something I can remove and do a more thorough job on, but it looks riveted on there and possibly part of the frame). Will definitely be giving everything down there a good scrub down. The interior has problems, but nothing that seems hard/expensive to fix: -Some of the headliner is sagging, mostly on the rear passenger side-I'm thinking I'll cut a small slit in it, shoot in some spray adhesive, and see if that'll do anything. My only worry is gunking up something mechanical in there, I can't imagine there's anything except the sunroof mechanism though. -The sunroof headliner and insulation has been ripped off, exposing the metal underside. It's factory painted though and doesn't look too bad. If I ever run out of things to fix on the car I'll probably make up some kind of fabric/insulation/fiberboard assembly and slap that up there. -The leatherette/vinyl on the front seat is worn through in a couple spots. I'll to pick up a vinyl repair kit sometime and give that a shot. I'll start saving up and looking around on a source for a new transmission; my hope is I have plenty of time to do so and still have a few years left on the old one, since for now it shifts fine and at the correct revs, it just engages/disengages hard when warmed up. It's all voodoo to me though so I may be way off. I'm somewhat apprehensive about changing out the fluid--in searching for how to do it properly I've started stumbling on accounts of people killing their transmissions by changing the fluid after untold miles on the original (my car's at 155k and may nor may not have had the fluid replaced before--service records  ). Something to do with the old shaving-filled fluid being the only thing keeping the worn-out transmission from slipping. Again, total voodoo to me, I'll probably go ahead and just do it and take any lumps unless this is a common/well-known problem. Thanks again for the help.
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Jul 21, 2010 00:52
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I think the myth refers to transmission flushes not simple drain and fill changes. Though I guess the new detergents could do something. Personally I'd risk it but I know plenty of people wouldn't. Your idea to fix the headliner will probably work, make sure and use headliner adhesive.
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Jul 21, 2010 02:16
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Thanks, that's what I'll do on both counts. Turns out the rusted piece on the underside is just the fuel filter shield, should be a piece of cake to clean, especially since I was planning to replace the filter anyway (assuming I can't find a recent date on it somewhere). Time for some gasoline-to-the-face excitement.
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Jul 21, 2010 04:56
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Xy Hapu posted:...but recently I've noticed that after the car's warmed up, there's a noticeable thud when switching between Park/Neutral/Drive, and the car jerks a bit. The first thing I would explore would be the tranny mounts, guibo, trailing arm bushings, and possibly subframe bushings (in that order) in addition to new tranny fluid. These are all relatively cheap and easy to replace (save for subframe bushings, which are conviently least likely the culprit in my opinion), and also very common failure points on e36s with your mileage. Does this sound familiar? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZf619hm-bc Edit: I think it's worth mentioning that it probably is tranny related though, based on your description, however it's free to inspect what I reccomended above, and I think it would be prudent to explore those as possible causes/contributing exacerbating issues. Pimpsolo fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Jul 21, 2010 |
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Jul 21, 2010 16:11
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edit: nothing to see here
hello internet fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Jul 21, 2010 |
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Jul 21, 2010 16:24
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Just finished taking apart and painting these for my E34.
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Jul 22, 2010 01:18
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I've started looking at cars to replace my poor totaled Golf. I found this listing over in Oakland Hills: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/1852522959.html. Seems like decently low mileage. I've e-mailed asking for an appointment to go and inspect. What condition issues should I look for on this 15 year old car? And, if it is in good condition, is the $3500 they're asking reasonable? I'm certain that my wife and I can be charming and cute and so maybe I can talk her down a little, unless there's a lot of other interest.
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Jul 22, 2010 06:14
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Leperflesh posted:I've started looking at cars to replace my poor totaled Golf. I found this listing over in Oakland Hills: That's actually quite a fair price on a 318Ti, if it's in the kind of shape the PO is making it out to be. He does make some claims that are just wrong (torque, fastest 3 series?) but he sounds like he loves the car. Cooling system is your big issue. Get it checked out by a mechanic. I paid more for my E30.
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Jul 22, 2010 07:54
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Cooling system meaning, radiator leaks, or bad water pump, or just old/cracked hoses? Or is there head gasket issues with these cars?
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Jul 22, 2010 08:25
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Leperflesh posted:Cooling system meaning, radiator leaks, or bad water pump, or just old/cracked hoses? Or is there head gasket issues with these cars? Radiator hose necks, water pump. Basically, if you don't have proof of it being done, you need to spend $3-400 and a weekend replacing your cooling system in any new E36. I'd recommend the $400 kit from Bimmerzone that has an all-aluminum radiator.
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Jul 22, 2010 10:48
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Bookmarked! That's great advice, thanks.
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Jul 22, 2010 18:29
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BMW people I come to you in need of advice. I realize that I could search the thread and the internet, but this thread is monstrous in size. I just sold my Porsche 996 because it was stupid to own it as a daily driver living inside the Cleveland city limits. Right now I'm looking at cars that would fit the "beater, but comfortable with fun on the side" category and I've pretty much focused in on the Mercedes 190 and the E36--325is most likely. The goal is to get one in "okay" condition looks-wise but solid mechanically, and for under $2500. For the first time in my life I'm more concerned about reliability, gas mileage and comfort than I am power and speed, so I'm kind of in the dark. In terms of reliability what can I expect, I mean I see plenty of 170k+ mile early model 325's floating around so I would imagine that the engine and transmission is solid, but am I looking at a vehicle on its last legs at this point or can I expect it to keep on ticking for a good while longer? Also, I figure I'll bother a few sellers this weekend and take some cars for test drives, what kind of things should I be looking out for? I'm considering everything on this list: http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 Summary: Is it stupid to buy a 180,000 mile, early model E36 325is to use as a daily driver / beater?
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Jul 22, 2010 22:19
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The lady with that 318ti responded, I guess someone else was faster and is going to buy it tonight.  She said she got "over 40 responses".
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Jul 22, 2010 23:03
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Since this was the thread/forum that got me to buy my bimmer in the first place three years ago now I figured you guys would be the ones to turn to with a question/problem. But first, I'll offer you a bit of porn since it's kind of a long one... (and, preemptively, that is my shed/chicken coop in the background, not my house) Hey, I have been having a problem with my totally stock '98 328i (E36) which I happen to be getting ready to sell. If you think I should just start my own 'help me' thread (I might anyway) just let me know and you can have this space back for more M5 porn. Basically some water was leaking into the trunk for a while after I got mildly rear-ended and got it fixed at a reputable shop (also the insurer's shop of choice so the insurer said they would cover it for life, even if the shop folds, which is nice). Anyway, for a week after they sent me home it rained and I got about 2" of standing water I had to keep shop-vacing out until I could keep it dry and get it back to their shop. I get it back to them, mention that water had been leaking in ever since they "fixed" my rear end and that now I was having trouble with the taillights (no tails but everything else works. check control says check tail lights). So they take it for a day, say they found a spot that wasn't sealed properly when it went together the first time but now I should be good as new. And yes the leak does appear to have stopped. They didn't really mention anything about the electrical system and I drove away. Of course, the tail lights are still out and I'm still getting 'check control' for tail lights. I should also note that the dash lights are out, leading me to believe it's a fuse. I check the suspect fuse and sure enough, it's busted. I replaced it and it busted a second later. Seems to me I have a short somewhere. Also, I on occasion am now getting the 1 brake light out message but I think/hope that's just because the light is out. I've taken it back to the shop explaining the electrical problems and reminding them that they sent me home with a trunk full of wires and a leak in the middle of December (this started last winter). They guy said he'd take it apart and if it was something they caused/did they would fix it or if it was from the accident then the guys insurance would pay it. Of course, they say they couldn't find any reason why and point to a small dent in my trunk I had gotten a year earlier and said "see this? It could have warped the seal and caused a leak too yadayada" except the thing is tiny and there was a year after no problems until these fuckers sent me home with a trunk with a leak in Seattle in December. Sorry this is getting so long, just thought you should have the back story. Anyway since they won't take responsibility my only option at this point is to take it to another shop or the dealership to get the electrical problem diagnosed. If the independent guy says it's from the old guys or the accident then they'll pay for it. If not I'm stuck footing the bill for the entire thing, plus the labor for the inspection. That's just my story of woe. My real question is if (since I could be stuck footing the bill) it's worth taking it to the dealership for their "experti$e" or should some other trusted local shop do the trick? Usually I avoid the dealership like the plague but I'm thinking they might be good/efficient at diagnosing/solving an electrical thing like this. I'm trying to get ready to sell this car so this is on the list of things to get fixed. Actually it's just this and dropping $500 for a new AC control unit. Then I'm sale-ready. I just hope this doesn't get crazy expensive because otherwise the car is in great shape and low-mileage so I was hoping to get an OK amount for an E63 but this can def gently caress me.tin Tl;dr Is it worth taking my car to the dealership to cause the fault of some possibly complex electrical poo poo in my E36 or can any ol shop do the same shits? I know the rule is generally to avoid the dealership (stealership amirite) but I thought with some possibly complex electrical poo poo like this they may have some proprietary win-ray. Thoughts? Here is a pic of the damage from a year earlier the guy was blaming it on. Basically some prick in one of those older SUVs with the wheel on the back backed into me at an angled parking lot and the metal part in the center left a nice pinch just deep enough to chip all the paint off. Drive off without saying a thing and the cops were totally useless on that one. Fuckers.  I'll see if I can find pics of the original accident. BigSuave fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Jul 22, 2010 |
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Jul 22, 2010 23:11
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Local shop should be fine for diagnosing electrical issues. Hell, they'd probably be better. Local shops always have crusty old motorheads that have half the part numbers memorized.
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Jul 22, 2010 23:33
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The frustrating thing is that I KNOW it's obviously from when they sent me home with a trunk full of water for two weeks. There's a paper trail, at least of them saying "oops let me fix this leak" two weeks later. Most of the cost is in labor, a wiring harness costs next to nothing. I just wish they'd man up and say "hey we dropped the ball by sending you home with a loving hole in your trunk in winter and now your poo poo's all shorted out, how about we cover all the labor since that costs us gently caress all and if you buy the harness we'll diagnose and replace it for free?" Would that be so loving hard?!  Come to think of it, I may have more luck going through the insurance company saying I was not satisfied with their shop and now they're trying to screw me and you guys guaranteed their work, yada. The fact that they repaired the seal again two weeks after I picked it up the first time should be evidence enough that the cause of the water in my trunk during that period is their fault, no? BigSuave fucked around with this message at 00:06 on Jul 23, 2010 |
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Jul 22, 2010 23:59
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Pimpsolo posted:The first thing I would explore would be the tranny mounts, guibo, trailing arm bushings, and possibly subframe bushings (in that order) in addition to new tranny fluid. These are all relatively cheap and easy to replace (save for subframe bushings, which are conviently least likely the culprit in my opinion), and also very common failure points on e36s with your mileage. Thanks, I'll check those out! I opened my windows today after the drive from work and shifted from D to P, there was a solid CLUNK, like someone dropping a hammer on an I-beam from a few feet up--didn't sound muffled at all, so it may be something similar to that video and not something inside the transmission. BigSuave posted:Of course, the tail lights are still out and I'm still getting 'check control' for tail lights. I should also note that the dash lights are out, leading me to believe it's a fuse. I check the suspect fuse and sure enough, it's busted. I replaced it and it busted a second later. Seems to me I have a short somewhere. Also, I on occasion am now getting the 1 brake light out message but I think/hope that's just because the light is out. I've read that the wire bundle running up the driver side trunk arm is a common place for a short to develop due to all the flex it gets (I'm guessing getting rear ended wouldn't help either) maybe you can check there if insurance doesn't work out or you don't want another garage messing with the car.
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Jul 23, 2010 01:10
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Thanks, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.
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Jul 23, 2010 01:13
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I'd thought all e36s had a belt driven fan, but I was (pleasantly) surprised to find that mine is electric. Rummaging around the engine: "La la la . . . wait, something's off . . . huh . . . waaaiiit, how the hell did they route the belt to the fan??!"  I was less enthusiastic to discover my car doesn't have an aux fan, which, according to the Bentley manual, all e36s should have . . . however, according to a random parts website, the aux fan is for "318i, is, ic, thru 6/96". Pretty obvious which source I should trust (the one that doesn't have me spending $250  )
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Jul 23, 2010 02:13
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| # ? May 16, 2024 19:31 |
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Xy Hapu posted:I'd thought all e36s had a belt driven fan, but I was (pleasantly) surprised to find that mine is electric. Rummaging around the engine: "La la la . . . wait, something's off . . . huh . . . waaaiiit, how the hell did they route the belt to the fan??!" Stock E36s (the I-6s anyways) have a clutch driven fan but a common modification is to replace it with an electric fan because they have the unfortunate habit of grenading in your engine bay and taking out your radiator with it.
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Jul 23, 2010 03:42
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