|
Quick question for you guys. I've got my own opinion, but it never hurts to ask, so what would you pay for a rust free E30 325is that needs pretty much nothing other than a tires and a new transmission? Edit: Sniped, here's a picture of the 325ix I just got rid of:  Click here for the full 720x482 image.
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2011 23:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 2, 2024 04:38 |
|
|
Yerok posted:Quick question for you guys. I've got my own opinion, but it never hurts to ask, so what would you pay for a rust free E30 325is that needs pretty much nothing other than a tires and a new transmission? Needs a new transmission? $1500.
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2011 00:46
|
|
|
I've been in the market for an SUV recently, and test drove a 2004 X3 2.5 today. I really liked the way the car handled and the test drive did leave a favourable impression on me, but I was wondering what kind of problems I may want to look out for. The car has 95 000 km's on it, and is priced at $17 900 cdn, and I'd be purchasing it from a Nissan dealership. I'm really curious as to what sort of common issues exist with X3's, as everything I've gathered from the internet indicate these vehicles can be a headache once out of warranty. Some of the common issues I've read about are with batteries dying overnight, leaking from the sunroof, sunroof getting stuck, and various electrical complaints. It's also winter right now, so if the sunroof is leaking, I would have no way of finding out for months when it gets warmer. Are there really alot of issues with 2004 X3's, or are alot of the common issues not as common as I've been lead to believe? I really don't want to spend 20k on a vehicle that is just going to cost me a huge amount in repair costs down the line.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 07:21
|
|
|
Anyone got tips or pictures of how to remove an e34 wide grill? The only things about it I can find are like bad pre-fab furniture instructions that don't really seem to match what I see, and I don't want to bust some plastic clips or some poo poo that's been baking in the AZ sun for 16 years.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 09:37
|
|
|
Lightbulb Out posted:Needs a new transmission? $1500. Do you mean it needs a new gearbox? If it's just that and not the rest of the powertrain, I would have thought the answer is fairly close to what you would pay otherwise. You just need to find a Getrag 260 out of a junkyard surely? They're tough and used in every M20 E30, right, so surely not that big a job given that a rust-free 325is is, I assume, pretty drat desirable.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 09:43
|
|
|
I've noticed a very specific issue with my E46 330i lately. If I idle on an incline for 30-60 seconds I sometimes start to smell burning inside the car. One time I pulled over and popped the hood and identified that the smell was coming specifically from the driver's side strut tower/wheel area. Passengers said they smelled nothing. Tonight I was on a super steep incline at a red light, and maybe my mind was playing tricks on me but I could have sworn I saw smoke coming from my hood (it was at night). By the time I pulled over there was no more smoke and the smell was very faint. Any thoughts at all?
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 12:59
|
|
|
ynotony posted:I've noticed a very specific issue with my E46 330i lately. If I idle on an incline for 30-60 seconds I sometimes start to smell burning inside the car. One time I pulled over and popped the hood and identified that the smell was coming specifically from the driver's side strut tower/wheel area. Passengers said they smelled nothing. Valve cover gasket, which I realize is on the passenger side, but the whole scenario sounds just like how mine started leaking.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 14:11
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:Anyone got tips or pictures of how to remove an e34 wide grill? The only things about it I can find are like bad pre-fab furniture instructions that don't really seem to match what I see, and I don't want to bust some plastic clips or some poo poo that's been baking in the AZ sun for 16 years. The grille is a bastard and best done with the bumper off. Getting the bumper off is remarkably easy. This guide isn't bad: http://www.bmwe34.net/Wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Grill+removal
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 18:15
|
|
|
Saga posted:Do you mean it needs a new gearbox? If it's just that and not the rest of the powertrain, I would have thought the answer is fairly close to what you would pay otherwise. You just need to find a Getrag 260 out of a junkyard surely? They're tough and used in every M20 E30, right, so surely not that big a job given that a rust-free 325is is, I assume, pretty drat desirable. Yeah, that's pretty much my thinking. I can get a Getrag 260 for around $200 and put in in myself next time I have a Saturday off work, no problems there.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 19:53
|
|
|
Taco Box posted:Valve cover gasket, which I realize is on the passenger side, but the whole scenario sounds just like how mine started leaking. I would also check the whole power steering system since it's notorious for leaking.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2011 23:24
|
|
|
This is why we can't have nice things. Came out of a bar last night to find my driver's side front quarterpanel crumpled up. Thankfully, no damage to anything other than the headlamp bracket, turn signal, and quarterpanel. Hopefully it won't be more than $700 or so. Sheesh. E: This final ignominy has absolutely solidified my choice to get an E46 325xi wagon as a daily driver that I can haul things (parts/tires) around in, and properly gut this guy for (more) dedicated track use. multiprotocol fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 01:24
|
|
|
Own an E36 M3 and its the tits, except for a few niggling little issues: Crackly blown speaker in the driver's door. I'm assuming that its the mid, and not the tweeter but I really can't tell to be honest. Will this be apparent when I remove the door panel? Doors won't unlock or lock from keyfob when it's cold out. This is something I'd like to tackle when I've got the door panels off, if at all possible. Does anybody have any experience with this? I cracked up the side skirt coming out of my driveway a few weeks ago. Do the drastically cheaper knockoffs look any different than the actual BMW parts? And can I get them painted to Transliber Metallic without it looking jarring or needing the whole car's paint blended to match? Also every so often it just does not want to shift into gear, despite the clutch being fully depressed. Is this a sign of the throw-out bearing being ready to give up the ghost? This is my first car without a warranty, and my first car I care enough about to want to tackle problmes of this sort rather than simply living with it. I am a total car neophyte but would obviously like to gain some experience since I have an aging and somewhat fickle vehicle.  Cheers
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 04:31
|
|
|
GOATSE SOUP posted:Own an E36 M3 and its the tits, except for a few niggling little issues: Pull cover or the the door card off as required (get relevant instructions from bimmerfest, haynes/Bentley manuals o/c so you don't break all the clips) to access the offending article and pull the speaker wires. If the problem goes away, it's the mid. If so, just measure the speaker (diameter, mounting screw positions and don't forget the depth of the speaker in the housing) and order a suitable pair from your online retailer of choice. Watch out for "council" bling over the cones that will interfere with the stock speaker grill/cover. Simples! The gearbox thing - is it in all gears or just particular shifts? When did you (or anyone) last change the gearbox oil?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 12:46
|
|
|
With the gearbox, change out the oil. Also, if you give the tranny a bit of a spin when it won't go into gear it helps. Let off the clutch just enough to get things spinning and it should slide in a bit easier.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 17:40
|
|
|
Yerok posted:Quick question for you guys. I've got my own opinion, but it never hurts to ask, so what would you pay for a rust free E30 325is that needs pretty much nothing other than a tires and a new transmission? Where do you live? Around here (Bay Area), that would be worth less than $1000.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 17:44
|
|
|
I've had the car just under six months, and I definitely haven't changed the tranny fluid. PO had the car just over a month, and before that, I really don't know. But I'm doing some reading and it looks like these cars come with 'Lifetime'-but-not-really oil so that would be my logical next step I guess. I've noticed it going into first, second, and reverse over the past six months. Sometimes accompanied by a 'zzzip' noise as if I didn't put in the clutch at all.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 18:02
|
|
|
GOATSE SOUP posted:I've had the car just under six months, and I definitely haven't changed the tranny fluid. PO had the car just over a month, and before that, I really don't know. But I'm doing some reading and it looks like these cars come with 'Lifetime'-but-not-really oil so that would be my logical next step I guess.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 18:04
|
|
|
So, it looks as if I finally have a reason to post here in Automotive Insanity and stop being a lurker. In January last year, I purchased a E34 530i, production year 1988 with the m30b30 engine. The engine, gearbox and transmission all worked flawlessly but the rest of the car needed some (a lot) of TLC, hence why I got it for 500€ (approx. $665 USD). So I then spent the following 7 months restoring most of the car and spent 2300€ ($3058 USD) in the process. In mid August I took the car in for it's inspection by the German TÜV and it passed with no faults/problems found. Naturally I then took the car on holiday to Italy the very next day. Everything has functioned perfectly up until 2 weeks before Christmas. Was on the Autobahn going to work when the car lost all power and the engine began violently shuddering and I quickly pulled to the side and called the ADAC (German Automobile Club) to give me a tow home. Due to the fairly hard winter I haven't done anything to the car until now. Today I removed the valve cover and confirmed my suspicion of a broken rocker arm by cylinder 1. I'm now a bit down as I had really hoped that this wouldn't be the case. The repair at BMW will cost about 2000€. If I do it myself, the parts will total hopefully no more that about 500€ but obviously involve the nasty work of pulling the head, which will be something I've never done before. I guess I'm looking for an uninvolved opinion. Should I be sinking anymore time and money into a 22 year old car or should I just accept that poo poo happens and part the thing out?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 22:33
|
|
|
That sucks, dude.  I've got no advice to offer because I'm not familiar with that engine, but I am familiar with struggling to keep these old gals in the condition you think they're worthy of. I eventually just stopped trying to pretty up my E36 because it was too frustrating. Now I just make sure it runs like it should. Best of luck, I love those E34s.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 22:48
|
|
|
Alright. $1500 to get a new fender, have it resprayed, and fitting. gently caress. So I'm probably going to end up turning my M3 into a track/autocross champ. I need something more practical anyways, and this is a perfectly valid (automotively insane) justification. Having said that, I'm looking at getting a used E39 or E46 wagon for sheer practicality. I'm not sure what electronic doodads and geegaws the E39 has over the E46, so I'm looking for pure daily driven reliability. And maybe the power in the 540i, but most likely a 2.5l or 2.8l. Figure a 35 mile round trip M-F commute plus road trips once a month. Thoughts & opinions from the collected wisdom of AI?
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 23:16
|
|
|
multiprotocol posted:Alright. $1500 to get a new fender, have it resprayed, and fitting. gently caress. So I'm probably going to end up turning my M3 into a track/autocross champ. I need something more practical anyways, and this is a perfectly valid (automotively insane) justification. Every time I've looked in to it I've been told that the E39 is basically a slightly larger E46 if you're comparing equally equipped models of similar years. The 6 cylinder engines are the same, the electronics are generally the same parts in different shells, etc. I'm not sure whether the E39's rear end has the same potential problems as the E46 (or if it might be easier to convert to LSD), but that may be something worth considering. If I could do it over again knowing what I know now I'd have bought a 530i rather than the 325i I ended up with, but that's mainly because I like the looks of the E39 slightly more than the E46 and of course want the bigger engine.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 23:35
|
|
|
GOATSE SOUP posted:Own an E36 M3 and its the tits, except for a few niggling little issues: I just ran into the exact same problem - definietely the mids, both of mine went within 2 days. Bavarian Soundwerks makes a direct replacement that fits the stock speaker housing and is about half the price of OEM replacements.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2011 23:40
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:I just ran into the exact same problem - definietely the mids, both of mine went within 2 days. Bavarian Soundwerks makes a direct replacement that fits the stock speaker housing and is about half the price of OEM replacements. Bavarian Soundwerks make great speakers. I upgraded my 1 series speakers with their kit and it is much better than the stockers. I didn't think it would be that much of a change without a new headunit/amp, but it was.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 00:17
|
|
|
DatsEvolution posted:Should I fix my e34? You should be able to pull just the whole rocker arm shaft off and maybe even replace just the one broken rocker (note: not very familiar with m30s). That would keep from needing a new head gasket and poo poo and make it a lot easier. It's all up to how much you like the car though. I personally love e34s so I will be super mad if you don't fix it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 03:55
|
|
|
Forgive me for not plowing through all 180+ pages of this thread, but anyone has a good link to a resource for what to check when looking at a 2003 (2004 MY) E46 325i Touring? In particular with regards to rust. It has 113.000 km on the clock.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 08:06
|
|
|
bolind posted:Forgive me for not plowing through all 180+ pages of this thread, but anyone has a good link to a resource for what to check when looking at a 2003 (2004 MY) E46 325i Touring? In particular with regards to rust. It has 113.000 km on the clock. Sure, cooling system, suspension, window regulators, all are pretty commonly worn out by that mileage. For rust, I don't really know what to tell you, I haven't heard of E46's being particularly susceptible, but that could be to their relative youth?
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 08:34
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:I just ran into the exact same problem - definietely the mids, both of mine went within 2 days. Bavarian Soundwerks makes a direct replacement that fits the stock speaker housing and is about half the price of OEM replacements. This was my gut feeling and my plan A. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 14:01
|
|
|
DatsEvolution posted:I guess I'm looking for an uninvolved opinion. Should I be sinking anymore time and money into a 22 year old car or should I just accept that poo poo happens and part the thing out? Why throw away a perfectly good car over 500 euros, especially if it means you have to bust your butt parting it out? By the time you remove the interior or pull the engine, you could have fixed the problem many times over. Lowclock, GIS example  It's not like you'll get on ebay.de with a 500 euro budget and walk away with a perfectly reliable car that will never break down. Alternatively, this might be the perfect time to invest in an engine swap... 
Saga fucked around with this message at 14:28 on Jan 18, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 14:25
|
|
|
I've been considering an E46 recently and this is a great "intro to E46" page: http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_E46 bolind posted:Forgive me for not plowing through all 180+ pages of this thread, but anyone has a good link to a resource for what to check when looking at a 2003 (2004 MY) E46 325i Touring? In particular with regards to rust. It has 113.000 km on the clock.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 15:54
|
|
|
multiprotocol posted:Alright. $1500 to get a new fender, have it resprayed, and fitting. That's absolutely ridiculous. There are $30 aftermarket fenders (Certafit comes to mind) that come primed, can be professionally painted for less than $300, and fit in your garage in ~20 minutes. bolind posted:Forgive me for not plowing through all 180+ pages of this thread, but anyone has a good link to a resource for what to check when looking at a 2003 (2004 MY) E46 325i Touring? In particular with regards to rust. It has 113.000 km on the clock. The Edge Motorworks lists are fairly good: http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=55
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 17:13
|
|
|
McMadCow posted:Where do you live? Around here (Bay Area), that would be worth less than $1000. Wisconsin. Most of the E30's around here are pretty trashed, at least in the time I've been looking on craigslist.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 19:01
|
|
|
Well I've decided to go ahead with the repair. I talked with a mechanic at the local BMW dealership today and he recommends that I definitely pull the head to do the repair. Apparently it is possible to remove the cam and replace the rockers if the damage is limited to one of the first 3 cylinders. However it would mean basically removing the whole front of the car (Radiator, Fan, Grill, Bumper etc...) as well as removing the head bolts on the side that has the broken rocker. He said that the chance of damaging the cylinder head seal with this method is quite high and probably would end up with me having to pull that head at some point in the future. The question now is do I only replace the broken rocker or all twelve? Keeping in mind that BMW wants about 30€ per rocker. The other rockers appear fine with no scouring on the cam lobes. However I would hate to have to go through this again if another one goes just because I tried to save a bit of cash. Finally I never expected to have a perfect car for 500€. Hence why I spent seven months and 2300€ on other necessary repairs and up till now have really enjoyed this car. Still If I think about it, with the 2800€ so far spent plus the extra 500€ that I'm now going to spend, I could have bought a car in much better initial condition and possibly save myself a lot of trouble.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 20:47
|
|
|
Yerok posted:Wisconsin. Most of the E30's around here are pretty trashed, at least in the time I've been looking on craigslist. Yeah, that's a bummer. The cost of living around here is seriously rough, but hell if there isn't a boatload of used Bimmers going for next to nothing!
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 20:49
|
|
|
DatsEvolution posted:Finally I never expected to have a perfect car for 500€. Hence why I spent seven months and 2300€ on other necessary repairs and up till now have really enjoyed this car. Still If I think about it, with the 2800€ so far spent plus the extra 500€ that I'm now going to spend, I could have bought a car in much better initial condition and possibly save myself a lot of trouble. I hear you. I went through basically the same thing on my e34 with the transmission that went to poo poo. I could either pay someone else an assload of money to replace the trans with another used one, sell the car for a big loss in it's unusable state, or go through the silly and rather difficult process of rebuilding it myself. I decided to do it myself, and even though it was pretty hard, especially because I didn't have any of the "required" special tools, I don't regret it for a second. Kind of like Full Metal Jacket, there are many e34s out there, but this one is mine! Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 21:06
|
|
|
All this tranny talk got me wondering..when my car (97 540 6spd) is 'cold' I am having a skipping or hopping feeling as I clutch out getting into first gear and a sensation that the car wants to stall unless I give it more revs. This goes away mostly when it warms up and it doesn't bug me in other gears afaik (haven't driven it much). I just got the slave cylinder replaced so is this a clutch problem or a tranny thing?
Xenoid fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Jan 18, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2011 21:34
|
|
|
Sterndotstern posted:That's absolutely ridiculous. There are $30 aftermarket fenders (Certafit comes to mind) that come primed, can be professionally painted for less than $300, and fit in your garage in ~20 minutes. The quote included blending on the hood and door. OEM parts, and it's absolutely the best shop in town. If I were getting work done on a daily driver, it's the only place I'd trust. Anyhow. Recommendations on where to get a Certafit fender?
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 01:44
|
|
|
Anybody else excited about BMW's new Twin Turbo 4cyl engine? http://www.bmwblog.com/2011/01/19/bmw-launches-new-20-0-liter-twinpower-turbo-4-cylinder-engine/ 245hp, 258 ft-lbs (@1250rpm) and gets the new ~3700lb X1 to 60mph in 6 seconds with 30mpg.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 04:43
|
|
|
So I bought a '90 535i w/ a 5 speed. I didn't realize this car was such a douche-magnet. Kept getting attention from other bmw dorks on the jersey turnpike while driving back to NYC last monday.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 04:45
|
|
|
Jorsh posted:So I bought a '90 535i w/ a 5 speed. I didn't realize this car was such a douche-magnet. Kept getting attention from other bmw dorks on the jersey turnpike while driving back to NYC last monday. I want my next car to be an E34 535i with a 5-speed, they're quite hard to find, and with the stick and the big six under the hood, I'd be  'ing the poo poo out of you.ynotony posted:4-cylinder madness In a word, yes. Forget the X1, I want to see this in a 3 series.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 08:26
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 2, 2024 04:38 |
|
|
tesko.pk posted:In a word, yes. Forget the X1, I want to see this in a 3 series. I want to see it in an e46 . The 3 series that gets this engine will use the extra power and efficiency as an excuse to get fat. Only marginally outperforming your predecessor is good for business. Although I guess we're at a point where I would be happy if performance figures plateaued while efficiency shot up (rather than the other way around).
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2011 09:08
|
|