new and in need of a bit of help :) edited first part

[e30cheeseman]

right i wanna do a full oil change on my bmw e30 its a 318i lux with a 325i engine and gearbox,

edited with new problems lol

ONE NEW ADDED PROBLEM HERE ,when cold something rattles from the front where all the gt leads go into. It feels like something inside




what is the best oil for each ?

at work we use total diff oil it says 85w/140 is that cool to put in a e30 diff?

also the sunroof doesnt work but it slightly moves up and down and the motor works so has anyone got any ideas??


when turning the steering wheel at a stand still sometimes theres a grinding/creaking noise coming from the colum area what could it be?

also theres a clunking coming from the back could that just be a subframe bush gone?

last thing modding wise what can be done to them nicely im assuming obviously panel filter, exhaust, ht lead plugs, anything else werth while? just want a little bit more grunt really

anything else people could add would be nice i.e. specific links and stuff

before anyone just writes click the wiki link i WILL but i wanted to add this out as well as extra help

thanks in advance for the nice helpful comments back

[Grrrmachine]

I WILL say "check the Wiki" since every single question you've asked has been answered there already. But to be nice, I'll give you individual links. Saves me typing out an essay.

Since your car now has a 325i engine, it is an M20 so all servicing info and upgrades relates to that. Should all be covered here:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/M20

As for oil, there are three sticky threads in this forum, as well as this:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Oil

Changing the Oil is covered as part of an M20 service:

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

and the tappets are not hydraulic. Learn how to adjust them here:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... M20_engine

Finally, the digital clock screen (is it a clock, a 6-button or a 13-button OBC?) can't be replaced, unfortunately.

Overall, a well-maintained M20B25 is a fine engine. But BMW made it pretty much as well as they could, and without throwing hundreds at a cam and six-branch manifold, you won't get any serious performance gains out of it.

Importantly, if your car started life as a 318i, has it had the suspension and brakes upgraded, plus the proper diff? If not, those are much higher priorities than engine upgrades.

[e30cheeseman]

cheers for all the help, so the clock will have to have the whole thing replaced

i have no idea if its had all the diff changed, brakes wise its getting changed as im used to 312mm discs with red stuff front brakes and 256mm discs with green stuff pads lol so brakes on bmw feel rather SHIt compared lol

its had lowering springs but not sure if the dampers have been changed so they will soon be changed to newer stuff

thanks for all the help your a star

[Grrrmachine]

Main difference is that proper 325i's had front vented discs, rear discs and 51mm suspension. A 318i will have solid front discs, rear drums and 45mm suspension struts.

The rear diffs are also different. A basic check is to count the bolts on the back plate. Six bolts would suggest you still have the 318i diff, while eight bolts means you've got a 325i unit on.

If someone hasn't put on the right front springs, your car will look lowered because of the much heavier engine. You need to work out what brake and suspension you have at the moment, for safety's sake.

[TPS]

My 318 Touring has Vented Front Discs.

[Grrrmachine]

Tourings all had better brakes. But he doesn't mention it being a Touring, just a LUX.

[TPS]

I always thought even the Lux models had Vented discs, you learn something everyday!

[Grrrmachine]

Good thing some sad coont took the time to write this, innit:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/LUX

[TPS]

The Wiki you've written is amazing, the M40 Sump Issue, I love, I'm going to check mine checked in the near future.

[e30cheeseman]

cheers for all the help

the diff has 6 bolts would a 318i diff be ok for the mean time?

the brakes are all going to be changed and they are vented grooved on the front btw

the car is on lowering springs anyway so i will be saving for a whole new setup

also i have a slight rattle of something when it starts up its coming from the front of the engine (i think) it sounds like a bracket or something like that, that is loose anyone got any ideas? and pulleys that brake or wear ?

[e30cheeseman]

also the 325i engine what does it rev upto??

[Grrrmachine]

I linked you to the M20 engine already. All engine info (including redline) is in there, under "Versions".

As for the diff, it's the ratio that matters most. A high ratio will give you good acceleration but will kill your fuel economy when cruising, and the M20 engine is thirsty enough as it is. It won't kill your diff, but you might find first gear a bit useless; it all depends on what ratio it is.

325i diffs have 8 bolts on the back and come in 3.64, 3.73 and 3.91 ratios. The common 6-bolt diffs are 4.10, 4.27 and 4.45. All that info is covered here:

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

You really need to find out what struts you've got on the front and whether you've got rear drums. Making sure you have 51mm struts and rear discs should be your immediate priorities.

[e30cheeseman]

yeah first gear slowly taking off is rubbish but bit of faster take offs its not bad

right how can i check the engine for which version it is? i bet it says in the link lol ill look

[e30cheeseman]

quicky i see the diff oil should be 74w-90 so would 85w-140 be to thick?

[e30cheeseman]

lastly my car still has 318i clocks that redline max at 7,000 but my engine easily goes off the rev counter but the engine doesnt even sound at all like its struggling but that link says max redline at 6800 :/

[BenHar]

You have 4'pot clocks with a six pot engine. I.5 times as many sparks per rev. That's what the rev counter counts.

There is a coding plug in the clocks that you need to change.

All the details are in the wiki.

Ben

[e30cheeseman]

oh yeah course didnt even think of that have you got a link ?

what about the diff oil ??

[BenHar]

oh yeah course didnt even think of that have you got a link ?

what about the diff oil ??

All the details are in the wiki.

Ben

[BATTS91]

To check the actual ratio of your diff get underneath and the will be a small tag generally hel on by one of the back plate bolts . If its rusty take it off and get a wire brush on it gently and hopefully you will be able to read it ..

[Grrrmachine]

yes, 85W140 will be too thick for your diff. And if your diff still has its ID tag, I'd be very surprised.

The coding plug can only be accessed by removing the instrument cluster.

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

[Brianmoooore]

The coding plug can only be accessed by removing the instrument cluster.

Only need to remove the trim to get to the plug. It's on the front face; bottom RH corner.

[Grrrmachine]

I'll get that amended then. Cheers Brian.

[e30cheeseman]

And this coding plug where do I get one?

I'll check my diff tomorrow

[e30cheeseman]

I read that guide but where and what does this plug look like?

[Grrrmachine]

[e30cheeseman]

cheers where do i get a new plug from?

right something new when sitting still if i turn the steering sometimes theres a massive grinding/creaking noise coming from somewhere where the steering colum goes down (as im usually in the car driving its hard to pin point)

its got fluid btw lol

[Grrrmachine]

You've confused me with that edit now. I don't know what you've changed. And I'm not reading the whole thread through three times to work out what problems I've addressed and what I haven't.

You can get coding plugs from any of the traders on here. The steering grinding could be anything; you'll have to get your head down there and check while an assistant turns the wheel.

[e30cheeseman]

Thats all I've added so don't panic, do you know how the coding plugs will be?

[Grrrmachine]

do you know how the coding plugs will be?

[e30cheeseman]

sorry do you know how much roughly theyd be?

also has anyone got any suggestions for a nice exhaust system? i was thinking going to powerflow and getting a stainless steel manifold

[e30cheeseman]

New issue there's a rattle when cold coming from where all the ht leads plug into at the front of the engine any ideas it feels like it's coming from inside that area . Sounds like metal

[Brianmoooore]

New problem. Start a new thread!! I can't even see what engine you're referring to without going back to a previous page!
Timing belt is in that area, and there is a known issue with one particular type of tensioner. These faulty ones should all have been replaced years ago, but there are plenty of 325s out there that have seen minimal servicing in recent years.
I'd advise you not to drive the car until you can get some idea of what condition the belt and associated parts are in.

[e30cheeseman]

Great so the car I need to use to get to work I probably shouldn't drive brilliant

If I started a new thread I'm sure more people will just moan about that so what's the point

[Grrrmachine]

It's just a matter of keeping track of things, that's all. One thread on one problem on cars of this age can run into a dozen pages, so one thread with a dozen problems just gets uncontrollable. If you call your thread "HELP" then no-one helps (like life, I suppose), whereas a thread called "funny engine noise" or "rev counter not working" gets attention from people who have been there, done that. That's all.

E30 ownership can be a steep learning curve, but you'll get there. Stick a Wanted add in the Wanted forum for your coding plug, and try and record some video of the steering and engine noises so that people can hear what you're talking about. It's very hard to describe a noise with words on a forum.

Since your engine noise could be as serious as a failing belt or as silly as a twig caught in the fan, it's best to be cautious so that you don't end up with engine death. Take your time, and it'll all work out.

One thing you might want to do is post some photos of your car in the Photo Gallery. There's a chance someone else knows the car, depending on where you are.

[e30cheeseman]

Well I'm betting it's the belt issue and I have no way of getting a new belt done tomorrow