E30 design faults...
Moderator: martauto
- BEERBOY123
- E30 Zone Squatter
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Let's be honest, it's such a well designed machine all round, but there were a few petty mistakes I reckon, such as:
On two doors: the seat belt always snags the seat lever when you are buckling up;
The steering is too low geared (yes I know we know);
The driver's seat doesn't slide back enough for anyone over 6 feet.
Any others?
On two doors: the seat belt always snags the seat lever when you are buckling up;
The steering is too low geared (yes I know we know);
The driver's seat doesn't slide back enough for anyone over 6 feet.
Any others?
Two headblenders, couple of bags of MC Hammer, 5 litres of FFF, a 48ft bastard, a box of jumped-up custard and some soggy chimps
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Boot entry to high, rear lights should of been part of the boot lid.....
Pete don't care about colour, He would shag a rainbow if he could find the end of it....


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- E30 Zone Team Member
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such as what ?BEERBOY123 wrote:Let's be honest, it's such a well designed machine all round, but there were a few petty mistakes I reckon, such as...
Buy another turd Designed in the late 80's from another manufacturer and I'm sure you will find a lot more wrongness than you will on an E30 !
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- Old Skooler
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I've just had a vauxhall Insignia for 5 days. Very little visibility due to huge pillars and small windows and electric steering which has no feedback at all when doing more than 10mph.
Point being, they're still making cars full of major design flaws.
Point being, they're still making cars full of major design flaws.
1990 325i Cab auto in Alpine White II
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
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- E30 Zone Team Member
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I had one, the handbrake is stupidTopblag wrote:I've just had a vauxhall Insignia

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- Old Skooler
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Makes handbrake turns impossible, fecking thing won't go on at 35mphe30topless wrote:I had one, the handbrake is stupidTopblag wrote:I've just had a vauxhall Insignia

1990 325i Cab auto in Alpine White II
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
1988 Alpina C2.5 moredoor in Black, 71k
1990 325ix, moredoor auto in Laser Blue. 51k
1984 Hartge H35 in Black
2004 996 C4S in Silver 43k manual
2006 Audi S6 V10 in Black 58k
A lash up of a rhd conversion
Lack of galvanising
Appalling headlight level adjustment system
Non-folding rear seats
Lack of rear legroom but a massive boot
Aux fuel tank on the m3 is virtually impossible to fill completely
Bbs centre caps too complicated / expensive / easy to steal.
Two valves per cylinder short on all but a pair of crappy 4pots
Lack of galvanising
Appalling headlight level adjustment system
Non-folding rear seats
Lack of rear legroom but a massive boot
Aux fuel tank on the m3 is virtually impossible to fill completely
Bbs centre caps too complicated / expensive / easy to steal.
Two valves per cylinder short on all but a pair of crappy 4pots
cheers,
harry
harry
- madmax1410
- E30 Zone Newbie
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- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 11:00 pm
none adjustable steering wheel! and if you didnt have an electric arial and a tech 2 spoiler it catches the ariel and breakes it if the boot close's! 

Im 6ft 3 and never had a problem tbf.BEERBOY123 wrote:Let's be honest, it's such a well designed machine all round, but there were a few petty mistakes I reckon, such as:
On two doors: the seat belt always snags the seat lever when you are buckling up;
The steering is too low geared (yes I know we know);
The driver's seat doesn't slide back enough for anyone over 6 feet.
Any others?
only problems for me were no rear parking sensors, inbuilt sat nav, massage seats, infa red display and maybe a head up display and g meter.


vier Türen sind für Menschen mit Freunden.
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- Old Skooler
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- Location: Canterbury
SI board batteries fail and tricky to replace.
Glovebox torch tends to somehow end up behind the centre console, or its rather crudely charged battery goes manky.
Dashboard cracks.
Door locks seize up in very cold weather.
Headlamp wash/wipe system tends to fail, valves to windscreen washers also clog up.
Kangarooing/driveline shunt.
Tail-happy in the wet.
Glovebox torch tends to somehow end up behind the centre console, or its rather crudely charged battery goes manky.
Dashboard cracks.
Door locks seize up in very cold weather.
Headlamp wash/wipe system tends to fail, valves to windscreen washers also clog up.
Kangarooing/driveline shunt.
Tail-happy in the wet.
///M aurice
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
ECU Upgrade EPROM Chips, £40 posted within the UK. Note these are not Zone chips.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279421
Rust rust rust and oh er RUST!
Crappy bonded sun roof cassette with poor rust proofing
Not so much poor design but rear arch liners would have been a good idea
A jack that doesn't dint your door when you lower the car down again
Not so much poor design but rear arch liners would have been a good idea
A jack that doesn't dint your door when you lower the car down again

You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity
M42 Supercharged 285bhp + M3 6speed box
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- Married to the E30 Zone
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Same here - on my 5th E30 and the driving position/headroom has never been an issue.jaymos wrote:Im 6ft 3 and never had a problem tbf.BEERBOY123 wrote:Let's be honest, it's such a well designed machine all round, but there were a few petty mistakes I reckon, such as:
On two doors: the seat belt always snags the seat lever when you are buckling up;
The steering is too low geared (yes I know we know);
The driver's seat doesn't slide back enough for anyone over 6 feet.
Any others?

e30topless said : Proper BMW's have 4 headlights, last of the run was the E30 and E34/E32 anything after that is just complete shite
- brettE30cab
- E30 Zone Regular
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Weak soft top motors!
And the fold in the plastic window when roof is down.
I also think the bonnet should open the other way.
And the fold in the plastic window when roof is down.
I also think the bonnet should open the other way.
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- E30 Zone News / COTM Team
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The bonnet openning the other way round wouldnt look right though!brettE30cab wrote:Weak soft top motors!
And the fold in the plastic window when roof is down.
I also think the bonnet should open the other way.
It can be a git to work on though if your arching yourself over and into it... Best thing is to just remove the bonnet all together, but then its a git lining it back up, which is why mine is fitted back on side ways

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- E30 Zone Addict
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Central locking wiring that unnecessarily loops through a door connector which is prone to corrosion.
C101 socket is a problem area that needn't have been.
Heated seat switches in the wrong place.
Blue temp sensor, why do they fail so often when the brown one never does!!!???
C101 socket is a problem area that needn't have been.
Heated seat switches in the wrong place.
Blue temp sensor, why do they fail so often when the brown one never does!!!???
I said:
Can anyone suggest how to test if the boot lights are staying on with the boot shut?
e30topless said:
lock the wife in there
Can anyone suggest how to test if the boot lights are staying on with the boot shut?
e30topless said:
lock the wife in there
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Mostly,saloon's/cabbie's are pretty good,very little that should not have made it into production,but tourings....
1 The rail the rear seat cushions hinge on blocks the fuel pump hatch.
2 Poor access to rear top mounts
3 Uneven load floor
4 Still a cill to lift over
1 The rail the rear seat cushions hinge on blocks the fuel pump hatch.
2 Poor access to rear top mounts
3 Uneven load floor
4 Still a cill to lift over
Youth is wasted on the young.
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- E30 Zone Newbie
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Only experience with touring's so:
1: The height between the floor and the roof is too small. trying to fit something relativity tall is nigh on impossible
2: Rusty tailgate slapped on a well rust protected car.
3: Back doors are tiny making people look awkward getting out. getting children out is worse.
4: I just bloody hate the way you have to get to the rear lights to change a bulb, that cardboard thing is a bugger to get back in
5: poor glue what stuck the headlining up (for £17,000 in 1990 you'd expect some decent glue)
6: Crash protection pretty naff but what can you expect for the 80's.
Apart from that it is a mean lean grill... er driving machine.
1: The height between the floor and the roof is too small. trying to fit something relativity tall is nigh on impossible
2: Rusty tailgate slapped on a well rust protected car.
3: Back doors are tiny making people look awkward getting out. getting children out is worse.
4: I just bloody hate the way you have to get to the rear lights to change a bulb, that cardboard thing is a bugger to get back in
5: poor glue what stuck the headlining up (for £17,000 in 1990 you'd expect some decent glue)
6: Crash protection pretty naff but what can you expect for the 80's.
Apart from that it is a mean lean grill... er driving machine.

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- E30 Zone Addict
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This!!!!Ranchero wrote:Dumb cardboard panel under the steering wheel.
Oh and im 6foot 3inch abd have no issues driving any e30. Although only some about 5 foot can sit behind me (lol tried this last night)
E30 Crazy!
- BEERBOY123
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Not this time, just interested in little foibles to be aware of. Wonder what was wrong with the RHD conversion as mentioned on here? Seems a good job to me?Jim320i wrote:I love do love the fact that BEERBOYS usual attempt to cause friction on the zone hasnt worked
Two headblenders, couple of bags of MC Hammer, 5 litres of FFF, a 48ft bastard, a box of jumped-up custard and some soggy chimps
Offset pedals and the stupid crank arm mechanism for the brakes, and a separate resevoir for the clutch fluid, handbrake on te wrong side of the centre console.BEERBOY123 wrote:Not this time, just interested in little foibles to be aware of. Wonder what was wrong with the RHD conversion as mentioned on here? Seems a good job to me?Jim320i wrote:I love do love the fact that BEERBOYS usual attempt to cause friction on the zone hasnt worked
A rhd one isn't horrible or anything, but try a lhd car and everything feels much more natural, including having a footrest on the wheel well which means the pedals don't all have to be shoved over.
cheers,
harry
harry