First E30 - 316i Touring Rescue - (Update: Now MOT'd!)

[iDemonix]

Have sent Injector Tune an email, hopefully get a response - they're still on eBay so must be still going?

Also it says on their contact form "We are away" in April, maybe you contacted them whilst they were away and they haven't caught up or something?

[Speedtouch]

Oh well, at least it proves the engine's a runner.

Like you say, could be clogged injectors...

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... _injectors

[Brianmoooore]

Every E30 owner should also own a £10 fuel pressure gauge with a tee piece off of Ebay, and a short piece of 8 x 13 high pressure fuel hose to connect it up with.
Many things can be checked by monitoring the fuel pressure with the engine running and after it' switched off.

[iDemonix]

Yeah it's definitely something I need to get hold of, I also realise after todays work that I need a bag of about 100 hose clips, as every single one on this car is rounded and I need to start replacing as I go!

Anyway, was too sunny not to work on the car today, so decided I'd have a go at cleaning the injectors DIY for now, with the aim of getting them done properly later down the line. I've got no manuals and only a rough idea of what I'm doing and what certain parts are called, so bear with me...

Started with battery removal, working with fuel...



Finally figured out which pipes were the fuel lines and disconnected them - both need new clips.



Undid the manifold bolts and spent about an hour wiggling it about, seeing why it wasn't free, then removing the offending item and starting again. I eventually realised due to the pipework, I had to un-attach the piece on the right of this picture (is it the FPR?)

Bit of a note to self: I really struggled to get the rubber bit of this (right on the pic) back up inside the manifold, tried WD40, even a smear of grease, but the rubber is quite worn. Managed to ram it in as best I could with bleeding hands, but it might need reseating.



After figuring out how the fiddly bloody cable connectors work, freed the injector circuitry:



More disconnecting of things, but I didn't want to take all the pipes off. I presumed most were coolant and didn't want to empty it everywhere. Did a bit of a makeshift stand out of some pliers



I then got the fuel rail + injectors off and decided to blast what little carb cleaner I had through them. This was a ball ache as I didn't have the right pipes, and electrical tape does not hold pressure. Here is the first attempt:



This didn't last long and wasn't a good seal.

After a lot of angry faffing about and refusal to give up, I managed to rig this together with pipe I found lying around on shelves:



I then used some 8 Amp cable and my spare motorcycle battery to put power through the injectors (pulsing it, so as not to overheat the solenoid inside the injector). I kind of guessed this bit as I know nothing about voltage etc, so I'm glad nothing exploded. I held the carb cleaner nozzle open until the pressure in the fuel rail + can balanced, then tapped the wires to the injectors and got them to spray.

1-2 did seem a little ropey at first and seemed to clean up, but part of that was me not holding the carb cleaner upside down (nearly ran out) and having the fuel rail tipped the wrong way.

Here's a terrible little video to give you an idea if you've not done it before:

[youtube][/youtube]

Sorry it's short, I had the fuel rail tipped the wrong way so I redid it but the camera fell over, couldn't be bothered to redo it for the camera again!

Anyway after running all my remaining cleaner through, it seemed to be jetting out quite nicely, and then the pipe from the can to the fuel rail burst (and made me jump) so I decided that'd do.

Quickly did the reverse to get them re-fitted, although a few rounded hose clips are still loose - must replace. I then bridged the fuel pump to build pressure (and I still didn't know if the relay worked) and attempted to crank it over:

[youtube][/youtube]

She lives!

Even if the car now goes to the scrapyard, I'm pleased I at least fixed something and I learnt a fair bit in the process.

Now my one concern (ignore the high idle, I held the clutch pedal in which made the revs go higher, when I released it at they dropped and it idled at 1k pretty consistently) is that it sounds 'whooshy'. Sorry if I'm being an idiot, but it just sounds quite airy and loud. I'm used to bikes which don't have fans, or have fans that only come on at 100c, and my T5 fans are quiet.

Does it sound 'ok' from the video? Hoping so, it seemed to idle well, but I only ran it for about 2 minutes as coolant is ancient and quite low, and the oil is also ancient and will be replaced this week.

Thanks for reading and replying, forum has been a great help so far. I did take enough videos/pics to do a small how-to, but I probably didn't do it the right way and not sure if it'd be any help as not many people seem to have the small 4-pot 316i!

[iDemonix]

Oh also, I think a bit of plastic has snapped off the black bit in this pic:



As it looks like there should be a clip on the right and it comes off way too easy! Is it missing a bit? And if so where can I source such a small fiddly item? Just nip down a breakers yard and give them a quid?

[Speedtouch]

Congratulations! Sounds pretty healthy to me.

[iDemonix]

Thanks

Tonight I'll finish the service - oil, oil filter, air filter, etc. Going to buy a box of 100 hose clips from screwfix and go through and replace a few.

Think the next phase is to jack it up at the front and get the front wheels off, to have a good look at the suspension, and check in the inner arches.

[Speedtouch]

Good idea. Might be an idea to soak the wheel nuts with penetrating oil a day or two beforehand...

[iDemonix]

Service done, fresh oil, fresh filter, fresh air filter.

Is this what BMW meant by 'naturally aspirated'?



Wanted to take the wheels off to get a good look at the arches/suspension, but it turns out they're on locking wheel nuts and the key is nowhere to be found Any idea where I could order one?

Also, it turns out an NC30 suspension dogbone is perfect for removing stuck centre caps



After cleaning out the 'nature' from the air box (I was overjoyed there wasn't a dead animal at the bottom of the pile), I noticed the main air pipe wasn't connected to the inlet manifold properly so reseated that. The car still seems to struggle a bit, what should it be idling at?

Here's a video of the fans not running and something clicking instead, and some general idling before the oil/filter change

[youtube][/youtube]

And here's a quick video of idling/revving after a service and fixing some slight air leaks

[youtube][/youtube]

Need to reset the oil reminder light now!

Whilst the car was jacked in the air on the drivers side to fit the oil pan underneath, decided to reach under and take some pics to see what it's like underneath. Here's some pics, thoughts etc welcome:









Does anyone know why the bottom bit of this looks different to on the drivers side?

[Brianmoooore]

It appears to have had an E36 control arm down grade on the LH side! Never seen that before, but I have evicted the odd tenant from the bottom of the air filter box, like yours.
Those locking wheel nuts look similar, but not quite, to the later genuine BMW item. If the outside is deep enough, a locking wheel nut removal socket from ebay will shift it (basically a socket with a tapered, coarse, reverse thread inside of it). If it's too shallow for that, it can be drilled out, or a hex. nut or bolt welded to it.

[iDemonix]

How strange, cheers for the info!

Both control arms will be swapped out with new Lemforder items soon, with the new ball joint already in place. Not sure whether to swap out the lollipops and their bushes at the same time, seem difficult to find for a good price. I'm also going to need some new springs, and probably dampers - although I was hoping to get away with just doing the arms + ball joint for an MOT, not sure yet.

One thing I did notice tonight is the brakes are absolute crap. I only drove about 10mph through the car park, but they're extremely spongey and don't hold you well on a slight incline, have to really push down hard, so they'll want a full refresh, never touched brakes on a car before so could be a learning curve!

I'll see if the previous owner has it (doubt he will), and if not I'll have to look at one of those wheel nut removal things on eBay, thanks again.

[Speedtouch]

Check the ashtray(s) as locking wheel nut bolts are often left there, also in the glovebox, door pockets and all boot recesses - you may need to remove various bits of trim to get a proper look!

Underside doesn't look too bad, and the idle seems spot on, at around 700 rpm.

Try bleeding the brakes with fresh DOT4 fluid first, before taking anything apart.

[Brianmoooore]

If you fit new control arms, then you will need to fit new bushes - they don't readily come off.
You don't need new lollipops, though. The bushes are easily changed with a press, but can also be done by cutting through the outer steel reinforcing ring of the bush with a hacksaw to remove the old, and fitting the new with a decent vice or a block of wood and a large hammer.
Consider fitting the much more durable E30 M3 bushes as an upgrade.
Ball joints can be replaced individually on an E30 control arm, but if both need replacing, the economics become marginal.
Do a brake fluid change first of all, and go from there.

[iDemonix]

Alright, sounds like a plan. Sadly this thread will now stall for a bit as I realistically need to wait for my next pay cheque as I've already bought this car this month and had to renew van insurance.

Will try focus on cheaper jobs for now like scratching some rust away, cleaning the BBS alloys up, brake fluid change etc. Will also look at E30 M3 bushes, where do you tend to buy stuff like that? Anywhere that sells it? Or somewhere in particular.

Speedtouch - checked bloody everywhere, no sight, I'll drop an email to the last owner, maybe he has it somewhere! Also, thanks for confirming idle speed. Again I'm used to bikes that idle at a couple thou, 700rpm seemed to low to me and a bit boggy - although that's probably as the injectors still need a proper clean.

Will swap the coolant out soon too for some 50:50 of diluted water vs. anti-freeze.

[Brianmoooore]

BEST place to buy parts is BMW - don't assume everything is grossly expensive - I regularly see things on ebay advertised at higher prices.
Next best source is parts made by whoever makes the parts for BMW, such as Lemforder, for example, but sold under their own name, not BMW. You will find that ofren these parts will have bur marks on them, where the BMW logo has been ground off.
Whatever you do, don't buy ebay tat of dubious origin - see this thread: http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=269009

[Jesus325iTouring]

It appears to have had an E36 control arm down grade on the LH side! Never seen that before, but I have evicted the odd tenant from the bottom of the air filter box, like yours.
Those locking wheel nuts look similar, but not quite, to the later genuine BMW item. If the outside is deep enough, a locking wheel nut removal socket from ebay will shift it (basically a socket with a tapered, coarse, reverse thread inside of it). If it's too shallow for that, it can be drilled out, or a hex. nut or bolt welded to it.

Or in the case of my wife's Audi, with the same type locking nuts, an extension bar from a 1/2 inch socket set, hammered in undoes them.

[BenHar]

Before you spend any more on parts you need to decide whether you are prepared to spend the £500ish required to get the welding done.

Ben

[iDemonix]

Do you reckon £500 is a reasonable estimate for the stuff you've seen? Need to find someone at some point to get some quotes...

[B7]

Before you spend any more on parts you need to decide whether you are prepared to spend the £500ish required to get the welding done.

Ben

THIS. The next thing I'd do is to get it as far in the air as you can, get the wheels off and attack it with a large screwdriver. Looking at your pics so far? I think you may be shocked at what you'll find!

Have you taken the glovebox out yet?

[iDemonix]

Haven't taken the glovebox out! I do know of someone through a friend that has a 2 post lift but I can't get the car there.

Was hoping to get the wheels off to do just that, have a poke around, but alas no wheel nut tool. Previous owner says he doesn't have it and never had one (meaning the tyres are at least 7-8 years old) so I think tonight I might just have to give the whole "hammer a square thing in to the round thing" approach with an extension bar. Going to need to buy some replacement ones...

One question - I've had a few people say get parts from BMW, but how? Obviously you can't just go on their website and click "E30 parts". Is it a case of ringing local BMW dealerships until one says they sell the parts? Do they actually make E30 parts still, or is it just old stock?

[Brianmoooore]

Totally agree that a comprehensive rust hunt should be the next stage, but putting a price on the inevitable repairs depends on just how hands on you intend to be. Even if you can't actually weld, that's just a small part of the job. Cutting out the old metal and fabricating the repair sections is where the work is.

[Brianmoooore]

Many E30 parts are still being made, and there's also new old stock.
Look in our traders' forum for Cotswold BMW.

[iDemonix]

Yeah once I get the wheels off, I'll have a proper look around. The sills are clearly shot on the outside, guessing the inner side is going to be in the same state, they're my main worry for now. Once they're sorted, seatbelt mounts need doing, probably the rear inner arches (outer lips can wait if needed) etc.

I've contacted a welder in Oxford with pics asking for some rough quotes. See what he comes back with to do the work, if it's high then I'll start thinking about cutting out etc. myself. I need to find some tutorials on making up panel pieces, I know how to cut metal out, I can't weld but know the theory, no idea how people turn sheets of metal in to nicely shaped bits ready to weld on!

Thanks for all the patience and help all. I'll contact Cotswold soon for suspension arm and bushing prices.

[Brianmoooore]

I'll contact Cotswold soon for suspension arm and bushing prices.

These more common service parts are the kinds of parts that you should be looking at buying from the likes of ECP, CP4L or GSF, as long as they are by one of BMW's OEM suppliers.

[iDemonix]

Fair enough, can find arms but finding all the specific bushes from ECP can be a pain. Also I never trust their recommendations 100%, I went in and they had no fuel filter for a 316i, only for a 318i, even though they're exactly the same - if they can't get a fuel filter right, always worries me that the bushings are right.

Going to pop in screwfix later and see if they have any cordless drills on offer, mine just about died last week, so I need a new one and some more wire wheels so I can start scratching away. Never done it before, so I might do the battery box first as you can't see it.

[B7]

Forget the wire wheels for now as they will only help you ONCE you know the full extent. Get under there with a good strong screwdriver and go at the areas hard.

You need to get that glovebox out as behind there is where the bulkhead rots out. And looking at those front floorpans, battery tray and rear arches? Chances are, bulkheads going to have some issues as well.

As for BMW parts, just go to your local dealers parts department. Or Cotswold on here. For the bigger items like arms etc. LEMFORDER ONLY from ECP or GSF etc.

[Brianmoooore]

It's a 230V 4.5" grinder you need, fitted with a twist knot, cup type, rotary wire brush.

[iDemonix]

As much as I'd love one, my garage has no power and it's not next to my house, so can't really get any. Hand tools are all I have for now, hence cordless.

Might be able to find a super long power extension lead if I need to do a load of work for the day but will have to lay anti-trip strips all over the place as it crosses a footpath and car park.

Will get the glovebox out for a peak soon.

[B7]

It's a 230V 4.5" grinder you need, fitted with a twist knot, cup type, rotary wire brush.

Followed by a big f*** off dustpan and brush?

[BenHar]

It's a 230V 4.5" grinder you need, fitted with a twist knot, cup type, rotary wire brush.

Followed by a big skip?

EFA

Ben

[Speedtouch]

Was hoping to get the wheels off to do just that, have a poke around, but alas no wheel nut tool.

I assume you've looked in the bootlid tool kit? I found one similar looking to yours for my just-bought E39 523i today, in the tool kit.

Also try looking under the spare wheel.

[iDemonix]

Looked under the spare wheel, in the boot storage compartments, glove box, all door pockets and stuff.

Bootlid tool kit, what's that?

[Brianmoooore]

Bootlid tool kit, what's that?

Not something you'll find in a touring!
Your tool kit should be a tool roll in the LH side luggage space side compartment.

[andysheep]

Your falling i love arnt ya i think your going to go all the way too,good for you,but try not to break the bank too bad,she not to far gone,and keep up the thread im loving it,
And good luck

[iDemonix]

Got an email from ECP, there's a 25% sale off everything until midnight. Was going to wait until pay day but I think it's probably worth bagging these now:



Whilst I don't yet know how to cut/weld, nor have I found someone that's replied yet, there's a few spots of rust I've tried to stop from spreading for now. I wire brushed the rear seatbelt mounts and applied ACF-50. I was going to apply kurust but I'm guessing there's no point as it'll still need cutting out...




Same for drivers door hinge, applied some kurust too:



Also the car looks pretty depressing, it's heavily ditched. Takes ages to get the dirt off, lots of elbow grease required. Decided to just wipe down an area at a time with some cleaner and a clay bar to get the crap out the paint as much as possible. Tonight I did the roof:



Sadly discovered some damaged paintwork, but it doesn't bother me for now.




Only other news is that I tried to hammer a short extension bar in to the locking wheel nut, wouldn't fit. Tried a allen-key socket, it kind of went in about 3-5mm, but wouldn't go any further. Tried to turn it but it just mullered a few of the splines.

Think getting them off might be one for a mobile tyre fitter, need new tyres anyway - but that'll definitely have to wait until payday.

Some random questions:

1. Under the tailgate, there's a little round hole with a sieve like filter in it, what's that for?
2. Nearside in the boot storage compartment, there's a plastic tank with tubing, guessing that's related to the fuel tank?
3. The sunroofs on these, do they just open upwards a bit at the back of the sunroof? For some reason I thought they slid backwards or something, mine just goes up at the back and stops.