E30 Zone

Just got a 1988 325, and below is the issues it currantly has.

1, Temp guage doesnt work, at all. Sensors?

2, Central locking doesnt work, you can hear the relay clicking sometimes but nothing happens.

3, No dash lights work at all, i mean the ones that come on with the lights. The dimmer is adjusted all the way up.

4, Lift off the accelerator, and the car violently jerks hard to the left... am I going to die soon?

5, Half a tanks lasted me just over 100 miles. Mix of heavy acceleration and gentle driving. Mostly being gentle with it tbh. Is this acccccceptable?

Anyway. I love this car, but please help me fix it

1) Unlikely to be the sensor. Pull the rubber cover off of the back of the 20 pin C101 engine loom plug and socket, on the bulkhead, next to the fusebox, and use a piece of wire to connect the brown/purple wire on pin 4 to earth. Gauge should go to full hot with the ignition on.
2) Use the search function to look for "red AND black" and my username.
3) Take out the rear ashtray, pull out the bulb holder, and use a piece of wire to short the brown/white wire to earth.
Does this make the dash lights work, if they are turned on?
4) Not good, could well result in death. Check the rear subframe bushes as a start.
5) Bit on the heavy side, but the sort of thing you find with a typically neglected E30!
Could be (and probably is) many things. A matter of checking through everything and replacing/adjusting as required.