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325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:36 pm
by povertyspec
hi , new on here but ive had plenty of e30's over the years as daily smokers. just picked up a solid pampered 91 325i convertable in very high spec, specced up to 33 grands worth of m-tech / electric goodies/ lsd bits in 91. 80,000 miles and dry stored. good solid car but the storage has left problems other than the usual rust issues i spent 1000's chasing. the black leather sports interior is as dry as an AA meeting and hard as rock. the heated seats dont seem to work, should the switches be illuminated?? the airconditioning is a bit lame, do you need to upgrade the seals to the new type gas from a 91 build car?? the horse shoe rises but the electric roof is awol, can i convert to maual??( already own a 318 vert with manual roof and it works fine) the little red flashing LED next to the 4 way flasher switch has disappeared into the dash, is this a factory fit ?? the rear window blower doesnt work?? rear petrol flap doesnt lock with remote "wow factory fit" central locking??. checked all fuses and theyre ok, should i start with relays?? oh and front foglights dont work, no green light on dash, fuses ok?? any advice before i start disassembly of a mint untouched old lady car.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:11 pm
by Sanchez
povertyspec wrote:hi ,
new on here but ive had plenty of e30's over the years as daily smokers.
just picked up a solid pampered 91 325i convertable in very high spec, specced up to 33 grands worth of m-tech / electric goodies/ lsd bits in 91. 80,000 miles and dry stored.
good solid car but the storage has left problems other than the usual rust issues i spent 1000's chasing.
the black leather sports interior is as dry as an AA meeting and hard as rock.
the heated seats dont seem to work, should the switches be illuminated?? the airconditioning is a bit lame, do you need to upgrade the seals to the new type gas from a 91 build car??
the horse shoe rises but the electric roof is awol, can i convert to maual??( already own a 318 vert with manual roof and it works fine) the little red flashing LED next to the 4 way flasher switch has disappeared into the dash, is this a factory fit ??
the rear window blower doesnt work?? rear petrol flap doesnt lock with remote "wow factory fit" central locking??.
checked all fuses and theyre ok, should i start with relays?? oh and front foglights dont work, no green light on dash, fuses ok?? any advice before i start disassembly of a mint untouched old lady car.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:16 pm
by povertyspec
Hi , thanks. dirty switches i hope. always depressing when things dont work but all the fuses are ok and the prospect of an easy fix disappears!. i will post a few pics when i get my photobucket account working. its just as bad sometimes to lay a car up dry for years as to use it. the whole car is dry as a bone and will need lubricating top to bottom before it stops squeaking. think i'll need both rear M-tech option shockers as well as theyre shot, bilstein B4's were factory fit??
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:46 pm
by Gert_8
we need pics!! Welcome to the zone.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:24 am
by povertyspec
build sheet in glove box.
base price BB22 -325ic £25,307.68
extras
308 - brilliant red
0203 - full leather
209 - limited slip diff
288 - cross spoke alloys 7j x 15
375 - electric hood black
494 - front seats heating
530 - Air conditioning
535 - electronic heating control
551 - onboard computer
570 - increased power supply
704 - m-technic sports suspension
708 - m-technic sports steering wheel 2
total cost for extras £4081.71
car cost £30,331.69 in 1991!! wow thats serious corn!. cant be many e30's that cost much above that!im recomissioning it now, amazing how much stuff has stopped working after being stood. changed the relay on the fog lights and the fuses and they still dont work, the green light in the instrument cluster doesnt illuminate but the rear fogs work perfectly so it looks like it could be the switch??.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 9:53 am
by Gert_8
yeah, post up some pics now...
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:39 am
by appletree
If the fuses are all good it might be time to get the multi meter out and start tracing back were you have haven't power then you can find out which bit is the issue.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:54 am
by povertyspec
[quote="appletree"]
If the fuses are all good it might be time to get the multi meter out and start tracing back were you have haven't power then you can find out which bit is the issue.
[/quote
the live starts in the fuse box and goes to the relay and on to the switch??
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:55 am
by povertyspec
im going to get some pics taken tonight!!
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 11:11 am
by swindler
What's "570 increased power supply" all about? A bigger alternator?
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:51 pm
by E30Worx
My fogs didnt work either... until I pressed the switch in and out a hundred times which obviously cleaned the connection and now they are fine.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:49 pm
by Brianmoooore
Heated seat looms plugs into the accessories socket behind the glove box. Start your checks by checking for ignition switched power here.
Fog light switches (and others) are extremely easy to dismantle and clean. A touch of silicon grease from an aerosol before you snap them back together, and they'll outlast the car.
570 will be the optional larger alternator, to go with the electrical load from the generous spec.
Yes, £30,000 +. That's an indication of the quality of the car we deal with on this forum - the price of a small house at the time.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:53 pm
by povertyspec
i'll try and clean the switch first with switch cleaner before i chase further. got the autobox selector bulb to replace , obc buttons need another bulb to illuminate. ive done this before by tunneling into the dash from the right hand side of the glove box, remove the radio, balance a small mirror on the wiring inside the dash so you can see the back of the computer, pop a little torch in dash for illumination then unscrew the bulb holder with longnose pliers using the mirror to coordinate, fit new bulb and reinsert . all these small improvements are successful in putting off the electric hood investigation.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:03 pm
by Brianmoooore
Autobox bulb fault is often a break in the wire from the bulb holder to its nearby socket.
Be a pity to convert the electric hood back to manual - it was quite a rare option and its deletion would detract from the car. There's a couple of members on here who know these systems inside out, and will be able to help you get it working. Best if you post specific threads in 'E30 tech help" for each separate problem. Threads covering more than one unrelated fault get confusing.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:04 pm
by povertyspec
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 2:06 pm
by povertyspec
this is my daily smoker , 140,000 miles and tight as a drum. 1992 calypso 318ic. now i know how to upload i'll put some pics on tomorrow of my 325.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:21 am
by povertyspec
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:22 am
by povertyspec
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:22 am
by povertyspec
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:24 am
by Gert_8
very nice indeed!
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:28 am
by povertyspec
swindler wrote:What's "570 increased power supply" all about? A bigger alternator?
wondering that myself??especially since so many of the little illumination bulbs have blown.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:34 am
by Brianmoooore
An alternator with a (very unusual) fault might possibly shorten bulb life, but a bigger alternator will have no effect on their life whatsoever.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:45 am
by Grrrmachine
A cab with aircon??
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:09 am
by Speedtouch
Brianmoooore wrote:An alternator with a (very unusual) fault might possibly shorten bulb life, but a bigger alternator will have no effect on their life whatsoever.
Indeed. Use a multimeter to check that there is no more than around 14V across the battery with the engine running.
535 - electronic heating control ; wonder what this option is?
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:42 am
by povertyspec
Brianmoooore wrote:Autobox bulb fault is often a break in the wire from the bulb holder to its nearby socket.
Be a pity to convert the electric hood back to manual - it was quite a rare option and its deletion would detract from the car. There's a couple of members on here who know these systems inside out, and will be able to help you get it working. Best if you post specific threads in 'E30 tech help" for each separate problem. Threads covering more than one unrelated fault get confusing.
thamks for advice. tackling all the simple fixes first. then cam belt, water pump, fluids etc
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:51 pm
by Brianmoooore
Speedtouch wrote:
535 - electronic heating control ; wonder what this option is?
Probably the much more sophisticated thermostatically controlled heating system available as an option, which uses the little grill near the heater knob to sample the air. Should be actual numbers around the heat control knob, rather than just the blue changing to red normal thing.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:18 pm
by Speedtouch
Oh yes, I can just see those in one of the interior pics above.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:57 pm
by povertyspec
this is massively helpfull to understand the progression of electrical wiring with all the spurs.
http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/e30co_92.pdf
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:17 pm
by Brianmoooore
That pdf. is useful for things like the location of joints, etc., but for actual wiring diagrams, the ones here are much better:
http://www.autolib.diakom.ru/CAR/BMW/ No knowledge of Russian required; just click on the drop down boxes.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:23 pm
by joeadams1979
if only it was a M and not a lazy boring auto brilliant car other wise really jealous
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 9:31 pm
by Blitz
joeadams1979 wrote:if only it was a M and not a lazy boring auto brilliant car other wise really jealous
325i auto especially in a convertible is great.
Re: 325i convertable dry stored for years.
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 10:24 am
by povertyspec
YES!!! it was the dual foglight switch!! second hand one as bingo!! the foglights work. the switch was replaced and the bulb reinserted in the trip computer to illuminate the buttons. new bulb, long nose pliers through the glove box.
heated seat switchs next. going to take them appart and rebuild them after cleaning. fuse looks good, is there a relay or a timer anywhere in the transmission tunnel or dash?? should i connect the elements directly to a twelve volt battery to see if they are good??
