E30 Zone

Hey Guys,

I picked up my first E30 318i S last night, and it's been good so far! It's a bit more old skool than i'm used to but is still cool!

I've not put my stereo in yet, and last night's trip up the M3 let me hear all the different noises different stuff made and just generally let me know if it was alright or not.

Everything was cool but there's a weird whining which increaes in pitch the faster you go, i have a feeling it could either be the diff or the gear box but i'm not sure which. Or even if it is one of them! The noise seems to be more evident if the passenger's window is down but not so much if the driver's is.

Does anyone have a clue what this could be and if it's summat i need to get looked at right away?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Marcus

Which area of the car is the noise coming from? If it's coming from the rear of the car, it MIGHT be the fuel pump. When I had my old and crud - filled petrol tank on, my fuel pump would make a noise like a very small monkey playing an even smaller kazoo at times.

I would hazard a guess that if you take the car out of gear whilst driving along and the whining is still there that its the diff thats at fault.

How many miles are on it ?

You should be able to pickup a decent secondhand diff or gearbox relatively cheaply off here if it needs either.

If it drives alright, doesn't jump out of gear and the gearbox operation is smooth I'd just live with it until it gets worse. If its really noisy ( like an old Ford Transit ) you could try checking/changing the gearbox and diff oils.

Get some pics up

I think it's the rear, it's kinda hard to tell when driving, i need someone to have a listen for me at some point.

lol the monkey scenario sounds pretty bang on!

I think if i stick the clutch down when driving, the noise remains but i'll have to double check that. It's a 1990 with about 116k on the clock.

Yeah it drives fine, and when i get the stereo back in you wouldn't even notice it i wouldn't think. I'll wait til it gets a bit silly, then have it looked at.

I know someone who works for BMW as a mechanic and he said he'd give it the once over, he might be able to tell what it is.

Yeah need to get the damn thing clean and pop one of the fogs back in, then i'll get pics!

Cheers for the help thus far lads!

Take out the rear seat lower cushion (it just pulls up at the front edge and pulls out) take it for a drive and have another listen. You should be able to hear if its the diff or the pump.

Cool, i'll give it a bash! Cheers for that one!

Also beemerbird, i didn't mean to call you a lad! lol Just noticed your name!

mines had the same problem since i bought it in august, it doesnt seem to have got any worse, but not sure if its the diff, or it could also be a wheel bearing.

McDisco wrote:Cool, i'll give it a bash! Cheers for that one!

Also beemerbird, i didn't mean to call you a lad! lol Just noticed your name!

Lol, no worries. There are a few of us wrong 'uns on the site

Ah yeah, wheel bearing was my 3rd guess! lol

I'll get all options checked out when i can. Cheers for reminding me of that one!

Lol wrong 'uns, like it

McDisco wrote:Ah yeah, wheel bearing was my 3rd guess! lol

I'll get all options checked out when i can. Cheers for reminding me of that one!

Lol wrong 'uns, like it

suppose it would be better to let someone who knows about the cars have a drive of it, im sure they will know straight away what it is, I just cant be arsed though to do it lol

lol fair enough, i know a bit about cars, but normally big turbo'd jap cars!

Tis my first time in a BMW so i wasn't sure if it was summat that was a common problem and easily diagnosed, i'll find out soon tho, either when the diff blows it's self to bits, the wheel bearing falls apart, or the fuel pump stops working! lol

Or i could just take it to Mr BMW and let them find it and fix it!

McDisco wrote:lol fair enough, i know a bit about cars, but normally big turbo'd jap cars!

Tis my first time in a BMW so i wasn't sure if it was summat that was a common problem and easily diagnosed, i'll find out soon tho, either when the diff blows it's self to bits, the wheel bearing falls apart, or the fuel pump stops working! lol

Or i could just take it to Mr BMW and let them find it and fix it!

haha im thinking the same thing, but there always seems to be other jobs to do, might get it looked at soon though, ive risked it for too long now and its only a matter of time before if fucks up

McDisco wrote:Or i could just take it to Mr BMW and let them find it and fix it!

feeling flush are ya? lol

Yeah that's my thinking, best to get it sorted before it ruins your life!

lol it's ok i should get it done for next to nowt, as hopefully it'll just be use of facilities and tools not time! Hoping tho! lol

You say it's a noise that gets louder the faster you go


I have that too - I finally diagnosed it as "wife"

ivqii wrote:
I have that too - I finally diagnosed it as "wife"

Er, i thought you were a woman....

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... highlight=

lol, nah i was alone on this drive! Think i might have 2 problems over the weekend then! Joy...

McDisco, does the noise get any worse when cornering?

If it does, especially in one direction, then it'll probably be a wheel bearing...

Nah don't think so dude, but to be honest it was mostly motorway driving lastnight so i'll double check that after work! Cheers for that bud!

well on the motorway mine makes the noise then between 65 and 70 it goes, then above 70 it returns, its like a whiring noise, is yours the same disco?

Yeah that's pretty much it mate, i've a feeling it could be quite loud outside of the car aswell but since i'm in the car doing the driving, it's hard to tell. I might have to hop out and run along side a bit to see what it's like! lol

Or after all this i could just get my stereo in, put a nice cherry bomb backbox on it with 2" tubing from the manifold back and i wouldn't even know anything's wrong

I had a whining when I picked mine up... It was coming from the external fuel pump on the passenger side just in fron tof the passenger side rear wheel... I took off the fuel return and ran her until it was drained of fuel... Obviously sending the fuel down a hose into a jerry can...

After that I had a look at the fuel and it had shit all in it, water, bits etc etc... Changed the fuel filter which was was full of brown and orange fuel which was thought to be rust, although couldn't locate anything... Got some fresh fuel in her with some fuel cleaner and it seemed to have sorted the problem... I do get it back sometimes but not to sure why... The car had only covered 3000 miles in the past 3 years before I got it so i'm assuming it was something to do with it sitting... Do you know if the car had been used daily before you?

Ah right, that's good to know!

That sounds pretty bang on with my problem. It was used daily until November i think, then it was SORN'd and has been sat until lastnight as far as i'm aware.

How easy is the fuel return to get at? I've never done anything to do with a the fueling system on a car before so i wouldn't know what i'm looking for, i guess it's pretty easy to recognise?

My brother has this in his 316 auto. Its speed and not rev related as when in neutral the noise is still there.
I think its either the diff or a bearing. I know what the fuel pump sounds like so pretty sure its not that. If I remember its at ~35mph + then goes at higher speeds.

Only pre '88 E30s have a fuel pump in front of the LH rear wheel, but any noise it makes shouldn't vary with speed. Later cars have the fuel pump in the RH side of the tank.
A whining diff, varying with speed, is very common on E30's, but they normally go on quite happily for tens of thousands of miles in this state. A second hand diff for a 318i should cost little more than the scrap value of the old one.
The whine could be a wheel bearing, but the noise should change on hard cornering.

Right cool, as mine is a 1990 it shouldn't be the fuel pump as it's definately coming from the left hand side of the car. Could possibly be a bearing as it makes a deeper louder sound when cornering, but that could be the powersteering!

Damn cool old cars! lol

Sounds like a wheel bearing! At least you now know why it was for sale!

Brianmoooore wrote:Sounds like a wheel bearing! At least you now know why it was for sale!

not hard to fix a wheel bearing problem is it?

jaymos wrote:not hard to fix a wheel bearing problem is it?

Depends if it wants to cooperate or not!

jaymos wrote:

Brianmoooore wrote:Sounds like a wheel bearing! At least you now know why it was for sale!

not hard to fix a wheel bearing problem is it?

Have you read some of the minor horror stories involving changing these buggers?? The trick is to take the swing arm off and get a garage to sort the bearing out for you...if you do this it's an easy job

Hmmmmm, joy!

Well my mate was selling it as he's signed off work for 6 months and has just had another kid... also the wheel baring might be shot lol

I'll probs just stump up the cash to get it sorted, can't be that bad......... can it?

McDisco wrote:Hmmmmm, joy!

Well my mate was selling it as he's signed off work for 6 months and has just had another kid... also the wheel baring might be shot lol

I'll probs just stump up the cash to get it sorted, can't be that bad......... can it?

na i think the horror stories are from people who have tried to change it themselves, get it booked in they will sort it no probs

That's alright then

Well, might not even be that, could still be the diff! I need to go get the headunit to take my mind off it! lol