Does this sound normal? After getting car back from garage

Post Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:01 pm

Just got my 325i back from the garage for a few things including a valve adjustment as i thought it would probably be due, but after getting it back I think it sounds really bad? It still pulls through the revs but the noise is all the way through and maybe slightly less power. It just doesn’t sound right to me almost like the car is cold. Could this noise be electrical related? My trust has completely gone from this garage. The car also has a warm car starting issue when the car has been driven and left for 20-30 minutes also and they didn’t even try and rectify it just said it seemed fine when they tried it (it’s still doing it)

Post Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:56 am

Jeeez that sounds terrible - valve clearances sound all over the shop - is that running hot or cold?

Paul

Post Fri Sep 13, 2019 3:15 pm

paultv wrote: ↑
Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:56 am
Jeeez that sounds terrible - valve clearances sound all over the shop - is that running hot or cold?

Paul

That’s warm about 30 minutes after shutting off and restarting, just confirmed my thoughts

I need to find a proper mechanic!

Would it be possible after an oil change? It seems to have eased off a bit, they put fresh 20w50 in (I’m in south of Spain)

Post Fri Sep 13, 2019 3:28 pm

20w50 will certainly make the valve train less noisy - but they sound really loose to me - a couple of them super wide.

Buy a feeler guage and do it yourself - there's really no need to pay someone to mess this up -

Paul

Post Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:51 pm

Sounded like mine, when i did the valves first time. Used a 0.25mm feeler gauge, but i adjusted the eccentrics to "just slide in" and out.

Second time, i went "tighter" with the 0.25mm gauge, so that it "drags" on the valves, sounded much better but still noisy.

Did the valves again last week or so, made it so that the 0.25mm feeler gauge would just barely slide in and out of the valves, now it sounds like a proper M20 engine, like a sewing machine. Took me a few tries to get it right, exhaust side is practically silent, it is all from the intake side. Some tapping is completely normal, M20s are known for this.

Yours sounds like the exhaust valves are way loose.

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 12:38 am

Gotta agree with Paul on that one!Not sounding great....sounds like they are well wide and not a consistent gap so they sound dissonant/out of line creating a big clanging chorus more akin to a sweatshop than a single 'sowing machine'....

I find with things such as this that require a bit of attention to detail you're best off doing it yourself as your going to give way more of a shit about it than your average mechanic.Get stuck in!

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 11:04 am

Agreed with all above posts. Mechanic that adjusted your valves obviously couldn't be arsed to do it properly. Its really not that difficult to do, and half the fun of owning a car such as the e30 is getting stuck in and doing the routine maintenance yourself!

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 3:51 pm

Kane30 wrote: ↑
Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:01 pm
Just got my 325i back from the garage for a few things including a valve adjustment as i thought it would probably be due, but after getting it back I think it sounds really bad? It still pulls through the revs but the noise is all the way through and maybe slightly less power. It just doesn’t sound right to me almost like the car is cold. Could this noise be electrical related? My trust has completely gone from this garage. The car also has a warm car starting issue when the car has been driven and left for 20-30 minutes also and they didn’t even try and rectify it just said it seemed fine when they tried it (it’s still doing it)

Yet another case of a shit garage mate!!!!!
Have a look in the Wkki and see if you fancy doing it for yourself ?
It really is not that bad a job to do and you could NOT make it worse than now and is soooooo cool when it works and you know it`s right !

Mart.

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:57 pm

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated!! I actually did start doing all the work on the car myself but with not having much spare time at all and the MOT being due in 10 days I thought I could trust a mechanic to get everything sorted and ready... he also didn’t fix the difficult to start when warm issue either... just said he couldn’t find anything wrong... all the mechanics around here seem to be only happy with basic service work. Time to get my hands dirty I guess...

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:40 pm

You own an E30.Show it the love it deserves and it'll show it back 10 fold..... don't let some hillbilly spanner monkey at it and expect that same love and dedication.I've had guys who are VETERANS still misdiagnose things because quite simply you can't expect them to have the same level of passion as you do for your unique piece of motoring history as you do.

Expect pain, frustration and moments of pure flippin' misery but ultimately subsequently a whole heap of reward and knowledge together with a refined and intimate understanding of what truly makes your motor so special! Get on with it!

Post Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:44 pm

TheWolfman wrote: ↑
Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:40 pm
You own an E30.Show it the love it deserves and it'll show it back 10 fold..... don't let some hillbilly spanner monkey at it and expect that same love and dedication.I've had guys who are VETERANS still misdiagnose things because quite simply you can't expect them to have the same level of passion as you do for your unique piece of motoring history as you do.

Expect pain, frustration and moments of pure flippin' misery but ultimately subsequently a whole heap of reward and knowledge together with a refined and intimate understanding of what truly makes your motor so special! Get on with it!

Amen!! And so true!

Post Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:35 pm

Foe wrote: ↑
Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:44 pm

TheWolfman wrote: ↑
Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:40 pm
You own an E30.Show it the love it deserves and it'll show it back 10 fold..... don't let some hillbilly spanner monkey at it and expect that same love and dedication.I've had guys who are VETERANS still misdiagnose things because quite simply you can't expect them to have the same level of passion as you do for your unique piece of motoring history as you do.

Expect pain, frustration and moments of pure flippin' misery but ultimately subsequently a whole heap of reward and knowledge together with a refined and intimate understanding of what truly makes your motor so special! Get on with it!
Amen!! And so true!

WOW !!!!

I keep harping on about being a toolmaker but the same goes for mechanics, a lot go by that name because they can do a minor service and that is as far as they can go. They have not had the proper training and do not understand why procedures should be done in a certain way to achieve the correct results. !!!!
I have come across soooooo many "engineers" it is frightening

You have bought one of the best modern day classics around for the money so it stands to reason it should be looked after well, very well.
Take the time out to do most of for yourself and you will love most of it .lol
BUT IT WILL BE RIGHT !!!!!!!
The Wiki is a great place to be and so is the zone mate .

Mart.

Post Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:15 pm

Very few 'mechanics' left working on cars these days 'fitters' is what they are best describes as.

Read a code, replace part, reset fault. probably no idea what they have just done.
E30 is of a generation that can be taken apart and rebuilt with spanners and screwdrivers (not forgetting the hammer

)

Post Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:34 pm

.....forget to say that myself...if all else fails ....get the hammer out!

And right-on Mart & Fly-by-nite

It can all seem very intimidating, but at the end of the day it's all just 'nut's and bolts kinda stuff' innit...

Post Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:04 am

Just thought I’d update. Went for it myself, about half the gaps felt like there was no space between at all... I think it’s improved, took me all bloody night but was really careful and didn’t want to go wrong...

Not perfect, but improved... maybe it needs some other work?

Post Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:33 am

Kane30 wrote: ↑
Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:04 am
Just thought I’d update. Went for it myself, about half the gaps felt like there was no space between at all... I think it’s improved, took me all bloody night but was really careful and didn’t want to go wrong...

Not perfect, but improved... maybe it needs some other work?

A loose valve clearance is only marginally better than having no gap as both create premature valve wear, so glad you seem to have all in hand , Its well worth taking your time which you seem to have done ,

Post Fri Sep 20, 2019 9:01 pm

My tip for adjusting clearance is to loosen the nut,get your feeler gauge in there and tighten it down so that the gauge cant move then untighten the nut just enough to let the lobe move (but not loose) and then just nudge the lobe back just enough to let the gauge move with some friction then tighten nut up.I find this is a quick way to get a very consistent clearance without to much arsing around