Search found 119 matches

by 78gizmo
Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:15 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Battery drain help please
Replies: 9
Views: 315

Re: Battery drain help please

Hi Brian, did try with ecu unplugged and the earth is removed and the relay remains off, remembered i had a spare ecu, off a l reg cat equipped m40 touring, plugged that in and all is well, problem solved☺. The previous owner had broken the small posi terminal off the battery with the feeds for th...
by 78gizmo
Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:08 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Battery drain help please
Replies: 9
Views: 315

Re: Battery drain help please

Hi had a quick look today, the coil has no feed with the ignition off, the dme relay plug has permenant live at pins 30 & 85, is this normal or should one of these lives be switched? Need a wiring diagram i think. Another fault is the only instrument that works in the cluster is the speedometer, all...
by 78gizmo
Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:53 am
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Battery drain help please
Replies: 9
Views: 315

Re: Battery drain help please

Thanks Brian will check that in a day or two and report back. Its probably the case that someone has been fiddling around....
by 78gizmo
Fri Feb 27, 2015 9:00 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Battery drain help please
Replies: 9
Views: 315

Re: Battery drain help please

Hi Brian, have not tried it with ignition on (the car does start and drive fine), but with ignition off it does click when taken out of its holder and click again when put back in.
by 78gizmo
Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:40 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Battery drain help please
Replies: 9
Views: 315

Battery drain help please

Hi i have just bought a g reg 318i touring, the battery drains overnight. Did some checks today, the white dme relay is causing the drain. Just need to know why it would stay energised with the key out, was thinking poss faulty ignition switch?
by 78gizmo
Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:57 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: e30 recaro seat
Replies: 51
Views: 2176

Re: e30 recaro seat

My non-original 'sports' seats. A free, worn out comfort seat is available for the first person to guess what car they are from....
Image
by 78gizmo
Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:35 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: conversions
Replies: 20
Views: 852

Re: conversions

If you can get an M42 from an e30, it really is plug and play. You can be really lazy like i was and leave your gearbox in place, unbolt the engine from it and slot the new one back on. You will need the complete M42 exhaust though, as none of it matches up.
by 78gizmo
Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:04 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Let's make a Zone Mega Shed
Replies: 5
Views: 341

Re: Let's make a Zone Mega Shed

Chrome washer jets with built in led lights and fake checker plate plastic floor mats are a must! Oh and lots of ebay ///Mpower badges.
by 78gizmo
Tue Feb 11, 2014 8:26 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Some help with coilovers / lowering please!! (HELP!):o
Replies: 68
Views: 2386

Re: Some help with coilovers / lowering please!! (HELP!):o

Corrected :o: Thought what I had been told was correct, glad it was spotted! Luckily didn't need to measure mine to get the right shocks as its a touring and they are all the same size.
by 78gizmo
Mon Feb 10, 2014 10:55 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Some help with coilovers / lowering please!! (HELP!):o
Replies: 68
Views: 2386

Re: Some help with coilovers / lowering please!! (HELP!):o

The 51mm or 45mm is the diameter of the strut insert that fits down inside the suspension leg where you have tried to measure, hence the confusion measuring the outside dia of the suspension leg. I suspect it will be 45mm on your car, as per the info above. If you put the last 7 of your chassis numb...
by 78gizmo
Sun Feb 09, 2014 10:34 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: 318iS or 328 conversion
Replies: 15
Views: 877

Re: 318iS or 328 conversion

An e36 m42 loom will need adapting, similar to doing an m52 conversion. You will also need to change the sump but can use your m40 sump from the old e30 engine. You will also need to find e30 m42 exhaust manifold and exhaust system.
by 78gizmo
Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:42 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: 318iS or 328 conversion
Replies: 15
Views: 877

Re: 318iS or 328 conversion

You can keep your m40 gearbox and prop, the m42 box has just got a different 3rd gear ratio. I left my box/prop in place, pulled the m40 off it and put the m42 straight back in its place. Beware you may need to change the spigot bearing in the end of the crank if you do this.
by 78gizmo
Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:58 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: 318iS or 328 conversion
Replies: 15
Views: 877

Re: 318iS or 328 conversion

My tourings got the 318is lump, very easy to swap from M40 to M42. Its a much better engine than the clattery old M40, reliable, economical and nippy. A good upgrade but its not a 2.8 6 cylinder in terms of speed obviously. A well done 2.8 conversion will cost £££ as has been covered on here many ti...
by 78gizmo
Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:20 pm
Forum: Members' E30s
Topic: 335i touring now taxed and on the road [06-04-2014]
Replies: 34
Views: 1862

Re: Touring 320i auto soon to be m30

Did a double take on some of your pics \/ \/ \/ \/ mines only got an M42 though!
by 78gizmo
Wed Dec 04, 2013 11:17 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: More central locking problems!
Replies: 3
Views: 167

Re: More central locking problems!

Thanks Brian, I had better check out realoem for what's fitted to my car and strip the door down.
by 78gizmo
Wed Dec 04, 2013 8:31 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: More central locking problems!
Replies: 3
Views: 167

More central locking problems!

Had a few locking issues recently, carried out the red/black wire mod and its been fine since. About a week or so ago the drivers door lock felt like it was failing so I have used the passenger door to lock the car which worked every time. Just went to lock the car tonight and the locks just "bounce...
by 78gizmo
Tue Dec 03, 2013 10:52 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Perfectly straight wheels
Replies: 29
Views: 1492

Re: Perfectly straight wheels

I would have them balanced somewhere else first, as someone else mentioned their machine may be out of calibration. Worth eliminating this before going to buy new wheels etc
by 78gizmo
Sun Nov 24, 2013 2:02 am
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: matte paint jobs (NOT matte black)
Replies: 66
Views: 2969

Re: matte paint jobs (NOT matte black)

Why not try it on a test panel as you suggested, there will always be people who don't like it but the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same thing.
by 78gizmo
Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:53 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Are these wheels rare/worth much?
Replies: 7
Views: 342

Re: Are these wheels rare/worth much?

Wow wish that was the image of my wheels Rav. Paid £100 knowing 1 was damaged, didn't mind shelling out for 1 refurb. Turns out the 'damaged' wheel is significantly buckled, the other 3 have small dents/buckles to the inner rims and 1 has 2 cracks in it! its obviously ££££££ to get them looking that...
by 78gizmo
Wed Nov 20, 2013 8:22 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Are these wheels rare/worth much?
Replies: 7
Views: 342

Are these wheels rare/worth much?

Bought these wheels recently, they look similar to 15" BBS but with a bigger dish and smooth outer edge. However the seller wasn't very honest and they all need work before they can go on a car. Just trying to gauge if they are worth spending money on, any way the pics: http://i303.photobucket.com/a...
by 78gizmo
Sun Nov 10, 2013 4:06 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Diagnostic thingy's
Replies: 11
Views: 412

Re: Diagnostic thingy's

Whats your location Daimlerman? Here in sunny(!) devon I have a Snap On scanner with BMW adaptor and would be happy to do a quick plug in if you were local.
by 78gizmo
Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:24 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Central locking / red wire mod help please
Replies: 7
Views: 270

Re: Central locking / red wire mod help please

Thanks for all help pinpointing the right wires. Mod now carried out and central locking working perfectly, very pleased!
by 78gizmo
Wed Nov 06, 2013 1:35 am
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Central locking / red wire mod help please
Replies: 7
Views: 270

Re: Central locking / red wire mod help please

Many thanks Brian will have another look tomorrow.
by 78gizmo
Tue Nov 05, 2013 10:53 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Central locking / red wire mod help please
Replies: 7
Views: 270

Re: Central locking / red wire mod help please

Hi Brian, there is one red/black from the module plug and another two red/black, both going to the same pin on the spare socket. Using my logic(!) i thought joining wires that go to an unconnected plug would achieve nothing, am i wrong?
by 78gizmo
Tue Nov 05, 2013 10:27 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Central locking / red wire mod help please
Replies: 7
Views: 270

Central locking / red wire mod help please

Have tried to do the recommended mod on wiki to loop the red/black wire today, but my loom only has one red/black wire. The only other red wire has a brown trace on it, so what do i loop? (L reg touring). The fault by the way is central locking intermittent and now stopped working, locking module ma...
by 78gizmo
Mon Sep 09, 2013 11:42 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: 318is engine conversion
Replies: 33
Views: 1091

Re: 318is engine conversion

I converted my touring to an IS engine and would recommend it. Obviously its not as quick as a 2.5, but mines a daily drive so economy is important too, and its loads better than a tapping 8 valve 1.6/1.8. I used the original (318i) gearbox with E30 IS (M42) engine complete(loom/ecu/exhaust manifold...
by 78gizmo
Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:37 pm
Forum: Engine Swaps / Forced Induction General Chat
Topic: Alternative Engines?
Replies: 17
Views: 1550

Re:

I have always wanted to do a Volvo T5 (850 or V70 5 cyl turbo) engine swap. Big power for little cash, I love the 5 pot noise and I think some of the older rear wheel drive volvos(960 / 940??) uses the same bell housing pattern, so that's most of the drive train sorted out!
by 78gizmo
Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:05 pm
Forum: M40 / M42 Engines
Topic: M40 to M42
Replies: 15
Views: 861

Re: M40 to M42

I was under the impression that the AFMs were the same, I've got one with the M42 anyway. So I'll definitely need the top hose, if I'm going to use the M40 rad. I'm sure i did read somewhere, that the accelerator cables are different? I don't want to find myself screwing over one part to get finish...
by 78gizmo
Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:22 pm
Forum: Members' E30s
Topic: MugelloRot M52 Touring>Selling up!!
Replies: 474
Views: 25890

Re: Got a Touring to play with :D

Hi Tony, sorry to hear you've not been well mate. Love the car, cant afford it but would be good to catch up anyway. You know you will miss the E30 but not the maintenance!
by 78gizmo
Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:15 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Emissions mot fail
Replies: 9
Views: 376

Re: Emissions mot fail

Yes, this! \/ \/ \/ Could be lots of things, but M42's are prone to breather pipes splitting in and around the inlet manifold. This draws in air after the airflow meter, giving a lean mixture, which causes some of the fuel not to be burnt, a cause of high HC. HC (hydrocarbons) is unburnt fuel, not u...
by 78gizmo
Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:49 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: Emissions mot fail
Replies: 9
Views: 376

Re: Emissions mot fail

Could be lots of things, but M42's are prone to breather pipes splitting in and around the inlet manifold. This draws in air after the airflow meter, giving a lean mixture, which causes some of the fuel not to be burnt, a cause of high HC. HC (hydrocarbons) is unburnt fuel, not usually sympton of a ...
by 78gizmo
Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:33 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Failing emissions, high HC
Replies: 10
Views: 398

Re: Failing emissions, high HC

I know you said you've checked for vacuum leaks, but have you checked all the breather hoses very carefully? They are very prone to splitting in and around the inlet manifold, i have simplified mine and run it around the outside of the inlet manifold for easy maintenence. If one is split or perished...
by 78gizmo
Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:19 pm
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Low fuel Light playing up
Replies: 14
Views: 276

Re: Low fuel Light playing up

The low fuel light is triggered by the float contacting the bottom of the level sensor which grounds it. It is on a different circuit altogether to the gauge so the brass nut has nothing to do with it. It must be getting a gound from somewhere to switch on, so check the brown/grey wire is not damag...
by 78gizmo
Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:56 am
Forum: E30 Technical Help
Topic: Auto to manual
Replies: 10
Views: 310

Re: Auto to manual

Well i can get all thebig bits like prop gearbox new clutch flywheel etc for around 150 Nd then for all the other parts ie linkages i have a donar car which is a manual I just want to know if there are many issues changing from auto to manual And weather its worth doing the change ?? Dont forget a ...
by 78gizmo
Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:11 pm
Forum: E30 BMW Chat
Topic: MOT results are in....CO% question
Replies: 9
Views: 357

Re: MOT results are in....CO% question % PIC

Is the smell in the engine bay? If so there is a short rubber fuel pipe that is perishing. I cant remember exactly if its runs inside or under the inlet manifold, i changed mine when i removed the top part of the inlet manifold, when i did my throttle heater plate delete. You just need a short piece...