E30 Zone

Moderators, make this sticky for like ever!!! please

the e30 nigglies to look out for or to fix when u get a e30 are one or more of the following:

1) check control light

2) door lock can get stiff and temporarily seize..lube required

3) windows can start moving slower in cold conditions(electric) once again
lube required

4) stuttering wipers - remove old rock hard grease from motor and regrease and clean.. fixes it

5) lil globes on electric window buttons

5) corroded door switch terminals can cause havoc with alarms!!!
oxidised more than corroded..

6) almost flat door rubbers

7) almost flat boot rubber

tailight gasket flat from age

9) rubbers from 6,7,8 are shot from age. needs replacing

10) little fan behind OBC gets noisy..i replace mine.

CALLING ALL E30 fans to add your NIGGLIES to this list.

lets make a list of all these things for first time buyers..

im finding my (ive had it for 8months) e30 325i is a lovely car but there are all sorts of nigglies that need attending too..i suppose its the age.. but the foundations of the car are good. just the small things.. that keep popping up..

what about,

erratic temp guage (tighten the brass nut behind it)

headlamp wash/wipes do not work

non working sunroof

How long do you want this thread to be?

Central locking stops working - search for red / black wire
M20 heads crack
M42 Profile gaskets leak
Batteries die in the service indicator pcb
Bulbs go in the OBC

We could go on all night...

Great idea though...

I'd add blowing dashboard bulbs, gearchange bushes wearing, spongy brake actuation, low-geared steering, sticking headlamp wash/wipers, driver's seat wear and bootlid toolkits missing their tools/gloveboxes missing their torches

Great cars though (have owned 3).

Headlight adjusters always seize

Rust in the rear arches, sills etc...

seriously... lets make a list... but lets define.. this is not a list of e30 weaknesses...
but simply things that need attending because of the cars age!!

for instance... the m20 heads cracking... please correct me if im wrong.. but as far as i know..
when changing the water/radiator water..there is actually a bleeder valve that has to be used to get rid of air.

as far as i know the heads cracking is caused by air bubbles in the system. and the standard bmw procedure is to follow the strict bleeding procedure.. lots of people dont... i presume... that perhaps the air bubbles causes inefficient cooling...and when the bubble pops there is a suddent change in temperature.. i.e hot head..and suddently cold water goes onto it..just a though.........????

im probably plucking at straws.... please people..dont ask me what ive been smoking..simple correct above if needed..

ciao
Anton

[quote10) little fan behind OBC gets noisy..i replace mine.[/quote]
I didnt realise there was such a thing.

Ritchie wrote:

10 wrote: little fan behind OBC gets noisy..i replace mine.

I didnt realise there was such a thing.

I'm a little confused by this one as well!

Brianmoooore wrote:

Ritchie wrote:

10 wrote: little fan behind OBC gets noisy..i replace mine.

I didnt realise there was such a thing.

I'm a little confused by this one as well!

I suspect he means the heater fan guys

anton wrote: CALLING ALL E30 fans to add your NIGGLIES to this list.
.

I can see this turning into a 64 page thread

DanThe wrote:

anton wrote: CALLING ALL E30 fans to add your NIGGLIES to this list.
.

I can see this turning into a 64 page thread

Make that 128

SPADGE wrote:

Brianmoooore wrote:

Ritchie wrote: I didnt realise there was such a thing.

I'm a little confused by this one as well!

I suspect he means the heater fan guys

I see! yeah, mine just stopped working on the first setting.

I think there's already a list of things that commonly go wrong with e30's...

It has 15000 odd entries and is called 'Technical help'

Ritchie wrote:I see! yeah, mine just stopped working on the first setting.

Well get it lubricated and up and working again, ASAP, while it's still salvageable!

munky30 wrote:I think there's already a list of things that commonly go wrong with e30's...

It has 15000 odd entries and is called 'Technical help'

lol. true

1] 20 year old rubber.
2] lack of copper grease.
3] lack of silicon grease.
4] previous muppetry.

The above covers most things.

Brianmoooore wrote:4] previous muppetry.

^ the most common e30 problem in my experience.

Brianmoooore wrote:

Ritchie wrote:I see! yeah, mine just stopped working on the first setting.

Well get it lubricated and up and working again, ASAP, while it's still salvageable!

Will do Brian.

My heater stopped working on settings 1 and 2 the other day.... What do I need to lubricate??!

munky30 wrote: My heater stopped working on settings 1 and 2 the other day.... What do I need to lubricate??!

The motor bearings. Need to take it out to do it properly with thin 3 in 1 type oil.
Could also just be a failing resistor section of course, but when speed 1 fails, followed later by speed 2, it's usually the bearings tightening up.

I never tried 1 or 2... it's always on 4 to stop my car overheating (which it now looks like it wasnt actually doing )

SOrry for the brief hijack... but (bearing in mind my other worries at the moment and its summer so heaters aren't high on my list) would you advise I do it, or just let it die and replace it?

Hmmmm, where do i start!

Scratches that i have no idea where they have appeared form.
Dents i notice
Has a tiny bubble on the drivers wing and sunroof
Standard ride height is pissing me off, need to get it lowered,
M42 sowing machine noise is a bit annoying
Stone chips


Getting quite annoyed with it at the mo but i still love it!lol

Idle valve

Central locking

Hoses

Rust

Noise from the prop

Lack of rust inhibitor (antifreeze) in the cooling system.
Knakerd bushes.

noisy injectors.

i think we should put a poll up with all of the common problems on it and aeverone can click the ones they have. give a good idea of how many people have each of the usual ones.

rusted sunroof

Seatbelts not retracting properly,
Blocked washers

The stupid piece of over engineer white plastic to regulate flow to your washers.

sunroof panel rusting and tourer hatch under rubber

M20 Throttle position switch and blue temp sensor

Touring rear washers - Either blocked, not working or p*ssing water into the boot)

...though mine seem OK at the moment...

(famous last words...)

cant believe no-ones mentioned the brake light switch at the pedal....bain of my life

Albatross nesting in the backbox. Really annoying one.

to all those that were confused by:

little fan behind OBC gets noisy..i replace mine. i wasnt smoking something.

just infront of the OBC there is a little "vent" like thingy..

behind this.. i.e part of the OBC(onboard computer) there is a small 30mmx30mm fan. this fan gets noisy and buzzes. i think the fan is used by the obc to draw air for temperature display.
emphasis on "i think".

btw... has anyone here ever overhauled/repair their heater valves? my heater works intermittantly... sticky valve..

what are the steps in doing the repair? where physically are the valves? is it a job for me old favourite 600grit sandpaper?

ciao
Anton

My temp needle has a bad do flicking about now and then but then sorting itself after a few seconds will take a look at that when i strip the dash out to fit my 6 button OBC kit(which has been sitting in the garage for months)