E30 Zone

Hi guys,

I'm new here, let me introduce myself.
My name is Dexter and I live in The Netherlands (Europe).

I soon want to buy a BMW E30.

But of course I want to know a lot about this car before I will buy one.

So can anyone tell me how it is with the maintenance, where do I have to pay attention to when I'm buying one, are there any complaint at a certain mileage, with a 316, how much fuel does it need?

If you can inform me I would really appreciate it

Thanks in advance

hi mate welcome to the zone. Your main enemy with the E30 is rust look everywhere but the normal hotspots are the scuttle panel (under the windscreen) the wheel arches and the sunroof on tourings the tail gate normally goes too.
with the 316 the M40 (later) engine most of them will have a bit of a knock< its a bit technical some one else will know more than me. The interiors ar fairly hard wearing but the drivers seats most of the time have rips in them or somthing like this.
anything ive missed guys?

rubber_duck89 wrote: anything ive missed guys?

The fuel! Should be around 30-45 MPG depending on how you're driving

you looking for 325i or 318i? i spent some months deciding/test driving both and went for the 325i. the sound is incredible. as for things to look out for, rubber_duck89 has covered most of it. personally i would avoid those with the questionable mods - bigger wheels, skirts, lowered etc. you never know what their hiding

No E30 has ever achieved 45 mpg!

Welcome.

The best advice is, spend as much time on here as you can. Read all the threads on the chat, Photos, Technical section etc. You will learn what to look for and watch out for. Ask as many questions as you can, as and when ythey come to you. We will help you as much as we can.

Good luck but take your time.

Dexter:

While this forum is an excellent resource, if you definitely want an E30, I would consider getting a copy of this:



It's been recommended by people on this forum and if you read what it says on the cover, it is pretty much aimed at you!

Xter wrote:Hi guys,

I'm new here, let me introduce myself.
My name is Dexter and I live in The Netherlands (Europe).

I soon want to buy a BMW E30.

But of course I want to know a lot about this car before I will buy one.

So can anyone tell me how it is with the maintenance, where do I have to pay attention to when I'm buying one, are there any complaint at a certain mileage, with a 316, how much fuel does it need?

If you can inform me I would really appreciate it

Thanks in advance

Not only recommended by people on the forum, but written by one!

Hey guys,

I see a lot of reactions, thanks a lot!

@rubber_duck89
I won't go for a touring hehe (no offence)

@Joketown
I don't believe you can make 45 MPG, not even 40. That 1 liter for 16km (sorry we use km here )

@Neil_uk7
Well a 325 is not really a fuel saver. I 100% agree on pimped ones, I prefer a standard one, well, good rims are okay

@B7
Thanks for your advice but as you say, it takes time

@Saga
thank you for the link, I will defenitely take in consideration to buy one of those


So what if I buy one with 180.000 km, what do have you experienced what will have to be replaced first if it hasn't been done already?

JokeTown wrote:

rubber_duck89 wrote: anything ive missed guys?

The fuel! Should be around 30-45 MPG depending on how you're driving

if you are getting 45mpg i want to know your secret

Brianmoooore wrote:Not only recommended by people on the forum, but written by one!

Who wrote it?

WeBuyAnyCar wrote:

Brianmoooore wrote:Not only recommended by people on the forum, but written by one!

Who wrote it?

Everett; known on here as andyboy

At a constant 90km/hour, any four pot E30 should be capable of making 45MPG, especially in the Netherlands, considering the lack of gradients!

I don't drive my E30 too hard, and it averages 27 mpg! Thats a 316.

ive averaged 31 in mine and that driving like a biddy

Ollie_bwoii wrote:No E30 has ever achieved 45 mpg!

i've got close. i managed 38mpg with my M30 through france

That's for four pots in full working order, and I doubt if either of you two ever drive at a constant 90kph!

Brianmoooore wrote:That's for four pots in full working order, and I doubt if either of you two ever drive at a constant 90kph!

to be fair, it was on the loooong road to the ring, no traffic, sat at a totally steady 75mph pace.
all genuine and accurately monotored too. i zeroed the trip counter and brimmed the tank when i left home, then recorded all fill-ups on the way and worked it out upon arrival in germany after i'd brimmed it again. i got 37mpg on the return trip too.
i was very shocked indeed and can't get anywhere near that economy in the uk sadly

i managed 35/36mpg on LPG the other time we went to the ring but this was before i set it all up and it was prone to blowbacks so i assume it was running plenty lean. that said, the LPG on the continent seemed a lot better than the rubbish BP sell me.

around town though, i get 14mpg if that makes anyone feel better!

Brianmoooore wrote:At a constant 90km/hour, any four pot E30 should be capable of making 45MPG, especially in the Netherlands, considering the lack of gradients!

Hahaha true, no mountains here, only a bit in the south, but I don't live there so.
But still i don't think you're able to make 45mpg, maybe 33 mpg with a 316?

Brianmoooore wrote:That's for four pots in full working order, and I doubt if either of you two ever drive at a constant 90kph!

Here in The Netherlands normal roads... I don't know the proper word for it in English but I don't mean the highway, you can drive 80km/h and on some 100. On the highway the limit is 120.

gareth wrote:to be fair, it was on the loooong road to the ring, no traffic, sat at a totally steady 75mph pace.
all genuine and accurately monotored too. i zeroed the trip counter and brimmed the tank when i left home, then recorded all fill-ups on the way and worked it out upon arrival in germany after i'd brimmed it again. i got 37mpg on the return trip too.
i was very shocked indeed and can't get anywhere near that economy in the uk sadly

i managed 35/36mpg on LPG the other time we went to the ring but this was before i set it all up and it was prone to blowbacks so i assume it was running plenty lean. that said, the LPG on the continent seemed a lot better than the rubbish BP sell me.

around town though, i get 14mpg if that makes anyone feel better!

yes LPG but that's more economical than petrol.

By the way, sorry for my bad english sometimes

I don't think there's anything in particular that you have to do at 180,000km - it will depend on how much routine and preventative maintenance has been done and the particular condition of your car.

IMO, E30s are simple, robust and "modular" compared to the later cars, but they are an 80s design - there are a bunch of wear and replacement items and failure points which could be an issue at that sort of mileage.

Find a car you like owned by someone who can give an account of its maintenance and has owned it for a while, and then you will be in a better position to ask "what should I do to it". If you buy a 316 that's been used as a "beater" for years, you will potentially have a very long list of things to inspect/fix/replace!

For want of anything better, if you buy a 180k 316, definitely timing belt and valve clearances,(if not done according to the service schedule), engine oil and filter replacement, and replace the differential and gearbox oil immediately. Then drive it and see if any issues appear.

Xter wrote:Hey guys,

I see a lot of reactions, thanks a lot!

@rubber_duck89
I won't go for a touring hehe (no offence)

@Joketown
I don't believe you can make 45 MPG, not even 40. That 1 liter for 16km (sorry we use km here )

@Neil_uk7
Well a 325 is not really a fuel saver. I 100% agree on pimped ones, I prefer a standard one, well, good rims are okay

@B7
Thanks for your advice but as you say, it takes time

@Saga
thank you for the link, I will defenitely take in consideration to buy one of those


So what if I buy one with 180.000 km, what do have you experienced what will have to be replaced first if it hasn't been done already?

Xter wrote:yes LPG but that's more economical than petrol.

Anything but! LPG has contains 20% less energy per litre than petrol, although it increase engine efficiency slightly. You will get 15% - 20% less mileage from a litre of LPG compared to petrol.

gareth wrote:that said, the LPG on the continent seemed a lot better than the rubbish BP sell me.

It's a different mix, with added butane to return some of the power and economy losses by running on LPG.

Here in the UK we get commercial grade propane.

Or so says Mr Moore.

Only the French stuff has enough butane in it to make a significant difference to MPG, according to a list I saw somewhere on the net, of the different mixes used in various European countries.
Borne out by my own experience. I get far better MPG on my French forays, than i do to Germany or the Netherlands.

Xter wrote:yes LPG but that's more economical than petrol.

By the way, sorry for my bad english sometimes

your english is fine
as brian said, you get less MPG on LPG than you would on petrol. it's more economical simply as it's a lot cheaper to buy.

e301988325i wrote:Or so says Mr Moore.

uh oh... not questioning the oracle are you? shame on you!

gareth wrote:

e301988325i wrote:Or so says Mr Moore.

uh oh... not questioning the oracle are you? shame on you!

god no! quoting from a bad memory

gareth wrote:

Xter wrote:yes LPG but that's more economical than petrol.

By the way, sorry for my bad english sometimes

your english is fine
as brian said, you get less MPG on LPG than you would on petrol. it's more economical simply as it's a lot cheaper to buy.

Haha thanks, I might have an advantage because I'm studying International business and management which is fully given in english

Hmm yea I see.

Well at the moment I have an Opel Corsa from 1994

You guys have nice pictures from the Nurburgring

Friends of me have been on the ring aswell but with their motorbikes and they told me it's a very dangerous circuit

It is, narrow, no run offs, armco close everywhere, a high speed circuit, it's very long, difficult to learn, lots of blind crests/corners, often dry on one half of the track and raining on the other, coaches, slow people learning (me), fast people with 500bhp (ring taxis).

Best time of my life!

e301988325i wrote:It is, narrow, no run offs, armco close everywhere, a high speed circuit, it's very long, difficult to learn, lots of blind crests/corners, often dry on one half of the track and raining on the other, coaches, slow people learning (me), fast people with 500bhp (ring taxis).

Best time of my life!

^^^^ what he said
a lot more scary on a bike, they come off badly in an accident

e301988325i wrote:It is, narrow, no run offs, armco close everywhere, a high speed circuit, it's very long, difficult to learn, lots of blind crests/corners, often dry on one half of the track and raining on the other, coaches, slow people learning (me), fast people with 500bhp (ring taxis).

Best time of my life!

I would like to get in a ring taxi, seems to be awsome

book 3 months ahead and pay circa £150 per lap and it's all yours. next time we will get a ride.

I saw the ring taxis coming in my rear view mirror, I was going down towards the Fuchsrohre (foxhole) doing around 105mph (speedo 115mph).

The next thing I knew they went past me like I was standing still, the speed differential being so extreme, on the right hand side (illegally, overtaking only on the left at the 'ring and in Germany as a whole), without lifting, they (2 of them) literally nearly took my wing mirror off and they were two wheels on the grass throwing up crap at me.

I then humbly watched them drift in tandem a cars length between them around the tight left/right of Adenauer Forst (Adenau Forest).

I assume that must be awsome