The Most Infamously Common E30 Fault

[SeymourCake]

This is a thread dedicated to the most infamously common e30 fault/problem which so many people have. A problem which causes countless threads of the same thing popping up every week/few days.

But you guys can decide what it is. It can be concerned with anything, from engine, to body.

In my opinon... it has got to be the good ol' LUMPY IDLE (combined with rough running).

[Alex]

Central locking

[Nobby_N]

i agree! ICV surely! and coolant usage plus rust, basically all the things we love about E30's lol

[triggerhappy21]

Not sure if this would be a fault, or if it is just me and my heavy right foot, but I've always found wet weather traction to be a bit of an issue, albeit an exciting issue!

[sweep]

Cold start.

[E30Gheko]

zaust manifold bolts shearing?

[beemerbird]

Water in footwells / boot?

[Ziggy]

Brake pad wear indicator light. But that doesn't meet all of your criteria as most people just leave it!

[E30Gheko]

Water in footwells / boot?

yeah +1 gotta be really. Almost every E30 I've owned has suffered from that.

[Low_E30]

Fluctuating idle.

[Morat]

Rust.
Scuttle, Sunroof tray, Touring tailgate, MTech sills, Rear Arches, Fuel Tank.

Then on the mechanical side: Rear Subframe Bushes, Rear Shock Top Mounts. Although to be fair, they are both rubber and were always going to need replacement at some point.

[SeymourCake]

wow every post in this thread is different.

LOL why do we love these old turds soo much??

[beemerbird]

Issues with intermittent wiper setting has got to be a contender, too.

[Alex]

Oh whiney diffs & knackerd/wobbly fuel guages too

[TPS]

Another vote for Dodgy Idle

[beemerbird]

I also think that the electric windows provide headaches to lots of people. I sometimes feel like I'm offering advice in the Tech Help section about windows on a daily (if not more) basis

[basky]

water temp gauge

[ImysE30]

Electic hoods

[Alex]

Hydrolic Headlight adjusters never work

[spook]

Alpina sickness.

[SPADGE]

Central locking would be the winner as there is rarely a day when a new thread isn't started about it.

Followed closely by brake wear indicator and window wiper faults.

The classic one would have to be the 'Where has my handbrake release button gone'

[Low_E30]

Under dash (driver side) ecu cover is always hanging...!

[Nath325i]

not seen any for a while but id uess Speedo inop is pretty common, both of my e30s had that prob when i picked them up

[fuzzy]

speedo not workings got to be the most common.

[skipunda]

ABS light stuck on due to a relay

[beemerbird]

ABS light stuck on due to a relay

Good call.

[frogman]

Hydrolic Headlight adjusters never work

You got there before me Alex!

Has anyone here actually got a working system?

[SPADGE]

not seen any for a while but id uess Speedo inop is pretty common, both of my e30s had that prob when i picked them up

Ah yes i forgot about that!

I would put that on a par with the c/l as the most common problem.

[Cypriotgeeza]

Kind of a central locking one but it has worked everytime...well when the key turns! no matter how much i grease it up it still sticks..im sure im going to break a key in it one of these days

[jon552]

rear arch rust, sill rust, roof rust, scuttle rust, rear valence rust, boot corner tray rust rust rust and more f**king rust.

jon

[Jhonno]

Rust

[E30Gheko]

Is it fair to say that on cars that are 20+ years old there are a whole catalogue of common faults?

Still love em though. C'mon guys if you ain't into tinkering with motors u probably wouldn't be buying one that's 20 years old. It's part of the fun of owning one IMHO.

[Cypriotgeeza]

Perfect mechanics car..

so perfect for me lol

[djk]

Rust on/around the faux jacking points - nearly every newbie comes on and shows pics of the damage to theirs.

[TPS]

Yep know what you mean, I lifted the carpet the other day & discovered flaking rust by the loud pedal, need to get that plated