1988 320i Coupe - a newbies experience!

[wilma84]

Hi everyone - I picked up a 1988 320i coupe back in October and have spent the last few months getting to know my way around it. I'm totally new to this, although I build/design bicycles for a living so think I have a basic understanding of how things work and go together!

The car is a v good condition Japanese import, 2 door, auto, no sun roof with only 55k on the clock and a full service history from new... so I thought it was a pretty good find:

It was in pretty good working order - however have done the following to get it all running as it should:

Engine oil and filter change
Diff and gearbox oil
Full ignition overhaul - new sparks, wires, and distributor cap and rotor
Timing belt, water pump and all accessory belts replaced
Air filter

As well as the above I upgraded the ECU from a Motronic 1.1 to 1.3 and installed a mild chip which I got from Speedtouch here on the forum - this combined with all the above servicing completely transformed the car - so much more responsive and enjoyable to drive now.

Cosmetically I changed the old Japanese shape plates (same as USA) to some pressed Aluminium UK shaped plates with the UK number plate surround at the back which looks miles better. I've also replaced the 14" bottlecap alloys to some 15" Ronal LS which i think work great on the car. Although I'd always consider some basketweaves if I see a good set for sale at some point.

Next up is replacing the front and rear subframe bushes as mine have completely perished and I'm getting an unpleasant clunking sound from the rear when the car changes gear or I accelerate quickly etc. At that point I think I'll just enjoy the car for a bit as it is! Although I d have some interior jobs to work on like replacing some bulbs and getting the odometer working... nice jobs whilst it's cold and dark outside!

Here's a final shot of the car next to a stunning 355 I spotted on the weekend

Have already found so many useful posts on the forum so thank you everyone for you hard work over the years! I'm sure I'll be asking for help over the coming weeks, months and years.

[martauto]

Welcome to the zone mate, great looking car you have there
Dont be afraid to ask away about any subject even if you think it s nothing.

Mart.

[DanThe]

That is a very nice 2 door indeed
Hows the rustproofing situation? Much wax around it? Definitely a very important first job!

[wilma84]

That is a very nice 2 door indeed
Hows the rustproofing situation? Much wax around it? Definitely a very important first job!

@DanThe thanks for the kind words! And yes, rustproofing is next on my list however I've got to say I'm a bit stuck on that, so much information online I can't really work out what the best option is. Initially I was thinking of doing it myself with Lanoguard which seems to get great reviews, however I'm worried this won't be tough enough considering I'll be using the car throughout the winter, so perhaps getting a professional job done from someone like Rustbusters of Dinitrol? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[DanThe]

You can do a much better job than any professional outfit because you can spend time removing parts/trim, use clear wax, thinner the better as it will run further, I use an aerosol made by Kent for box sections/usually inaccessible areas where you have to go through a grommet hole or crevice etc, also nothing wrong with hammerite clear waxoil just dont use the black shutz version

[rix313]

The dish on the Ronals is really nice. Where did you take the pics looks like a cool place?

[wilma84]

The dish on the Ronals is really nice. Where did you take the pics looks like a cool place?

Thanks! I've just fitted some BMW emblems to the centre caps which I think finishes them off nicely. The pics where taken at Cliveden, it's a National Trust property near my in-laws in Berkshire.

Just had a look at your VRD Classic IG account (very nice stuff on there!) and seen a great looking E30 Baur which has had Eibach springs and B4 dampers fitted... the stance looks absolutely spot on. I'm looking to do the suspension on my E30 as well soon, would you recommend this setup? My concern is that I'll fit something similar and it'll drop the car too low, however that Baur on your account looks just right

[rix313]

Thank you The Baur is on some dodgy coilovers at the moment but it will be going onto the Eibach pro-line and B4 dampers when I get to that point. 'Poppy' is on this set up too, slightly lower profile tyres retain a bit of an arch gap without making it look low.

[wilma84]

Thank you The Baur is on some dodgy coilovers at the moment but it will be going onto the Eibach pro-line and B4 dampers when I get to that point. 'Poppy' is on this set up too, slightly lower profile tyres retain a bit of an arch gap without making it look low.

Very nice! Exactly the look I'm going for... and actually just found your post in the traders section of the forum regarding this setup as well... think that's my mind made up then on suspension! One last question, how long does it normally take to do a full suspension overhaul on an E30? Would love to bring mine up to you to do the work but it's a pretty long drive from Margate, wondering if it could be done in a day or if I'd need to stay somewhere local

[satvir]

The dish on the Ronals is really nice. Where did you take the pics looks like a cool place?

Thanks! I've just fitted some BMW emblems to the centre caps which I think finishes them off nicely. The pics where taken at Cliveden, it's a National Trust property near my in-laws in Berkshire.

Just had a look at your VRD Classic IG account (very nice stuff on there!) and seen a great looking E30 Baur which has had Eibach springs and B4 dampers fitted... the stance looks absolutely spot on. I'm looking to do the suspension on my E30 as well soon, would you recommend this setup? My concern is that I'll fit something similar and it'll drop the car too low, however that Baur on your account looks just right

Hi have you got a link or a part number for the centre caps embelms? i've got ronals too, but the badges that go on the 15" oem basket weaves i'm sure are too small in OD to fill the centre cap if you get me?

thanks

[wilma84]

The dish on the Ronals is really nice. Where did you take the pics looks like a cool place?

Thanks! I've just fitted some BMW emblems to the centre caps which I think finishes them off nicely. The pics where taken at Cliveden, it's a National Trust property near my in-laws in Berkshire.

Just had a look at your VRD Classic IG account (very nice stuff on there!) and seen a great looking E30 Baur which has had Eibach springs and B4 dampers fitted... the stance looks absolutely spot on. I'm looking to do the suspension on my E30 as well soon, would you recommend this setup? My concern is that I'll fit something similar and it'll drop the car too low, however that Baur on your account looks just right

Hi have you got a link or a part number for the centre caps embelms? i've got ronals too, but the badges that go on the 15" oem basket weaves i'm sure are too small in OD to fill the centre cap if you get me?

thanks

Yeah the part number is 36136758569 - it's the 70mm eblem which leave about a 2mm gap around the edge, so not a perfect fit but they look great if you get them central. THis seems to be what everyone uses... i'll upload some photos as soon as I can

[wilma84]

Just a small update - put the BMW emblems on my Ronal LS and I think they finish the wheels of perfectly...

[Tzantushka]

Very nice.
If you are not an aficionado - you'd think they are OE.

[wilma84]

Very nice.
If you are not an aficionado - you'd think they are OE.

Thanks... my thoughts exactly!

[martauto]

They dooooooooooo look good, loving the dish as well


Mart.

[wilma84]

Update on the car - I had it in a Crago's BMW & Mini Specialists in Dartford for subframe and control arm bushing replacement as I was getting an annoying clunking noise from the rear of the car when it changed gear. I can't tell you what a difference it has made! It feels so much more solid and stable now, and silent gear changes which is nice

The guys at Crago's are fantastic, can't recommend them enough if you're local... or if you're not... definitely worth the drive! Here are some photos they sent me of the car up on the ramp in the garage:

[wilma84]

Two small but VERY satisfying improvements made today... when I really should have been working

The first is replacing my accelerator pedal bushings... which weren't just old, they were totally non-existent which meant my pedal was loose and rattly. A very simple job, made even easier by the great write up on this thread (which is real treasure trove of useful info): viewtopic.php?f=25&t=278775

The pedal already feels way more secure and responsive, can't wait to try it out properly on the drive home.

[wilma84]

The second, and much harder, job of the day was replacing the bulbs in my HVAC / climate control panel. I found plenty of good advice online about how to remove the HVAC panel in order to replace the bulbs - some people claim to have done this without removing the panel however I've got no idea how that would be possible without very small hands... and very long fingers?!

Anyway, this youtube vid was the most useful source of info for anyone trying this:

So satisfying having everything lit up as it should be now!

One thing I couldn't find anywhere was a photo of where the bulbs actually sat behind the panel, so here are a couple for anyone having the same problem:

[wilma84]

A little update from today - I had planned on cleaning and refurbing my fuel injectors today, also seeing this as an opportunity to check my fuel lines for any leaks/perished hoses etc. However to be honest I was too hungover to face that big a job so decided to simply replace my fuel filter and hoses.

I'm pretty sure the old filter is the one that came with the car as it says made in West Germany on it! Also, the amount of crap that came out of the filter was amazing - thick brown sludge, looks like a lot of dirt and rust in there as you can see from the photo below.

Not sure if I'm just imagining it however the car felt much better on the drive home - can simply changing the fuel filter make such a difference? I guess if the old one is particularly clogged up with dirt it can?

[wilma84]

Cleaning My Fuel Injectors... yesterday was a learning curve!

So due to bad cold starts and a lumpy idle (although nothing terrible) I decided to replace my fuel hoses and refurb my fuel injectors based on this zone article - https://www.e30zone.net/e30wiki/index.p ... _injectors

I also bought an injector overhaul kit for the Bosch EV1 injectors from www.pristineinjectorclean.co.uk - which inclues new seals, tips and filters.I really recommend this company, Allan (the owner?) has been incredibly helpful...

My first mistake was trying to remove the fuel rail without removing the valve cover first - I decided to do this because I didn't have a replacement gasket and have no idea when that was last replaced. So, it's more than likely it would need replacing and I was impatient and wanted to get on with the job! This made the job incredibly fiddly, although it was eventually possible.

Once out the cleaning of the injectors was quite an enjoyable process - removing the old filter and seals and giving them a blast with brake cleaner and some compressed air. They certainly looked a hell of a lot better as you can see from the photos...

Injectors straight out of the car:

Old and dirty...

Comparison...

All done!

Getting them back into position was even more of a PITA then geeting them out with the valve cover in place - however I managed it eventually. Reconnected everything and was then ready to start the car up... with visions of driving home in the glorious weather we had yesterday, windows open and happy with a successful day working on the car. No such luck!

As soon as the car got some fuel back in the lines and started up I was hit by a terrible knocking noise from the engine. Like someone was tapping the valve cover with a hammer! I turned everything off as didn't want to damage anything, Checked over everything again, made sure all the injectors were seated properly etc etc but on starting the car again I got the same result.

So, after all that I had to get the train home.

I'm not 100% sure what the problem is yet - although I can at least be confident it's the injectors. I emailed Allan from Pristine Injector Clean and he immediately responded (v good service!) saying it sounds like a bit of dirt has got caught in an injector forcing it to stay open. Which, from doing some searhcing online, sounds like it could cause this noise.

So - my current plan is to get the fuel rail out again and buy one of these home injector cleaning kits which connects to a 12v battery and forces the cleaner through each injector. Which I should have done in the first place! I'm thinking this pressure should force any debris/dirt out of the way. Failing this I might have to send the injectors off to be professionally serviced with Allan. I will also get myself a valve cover gasket so I can remove the cover and get proper access to the fuel rail this time...

Has anyone had an similar problems in the past?

It's frustrating as at the moment I seem to have only made things worse - however, I'm hoping that in a week this will all be sorted and I'll have some nicely conditioned injectors as a result of all the hours I'm putting in.

[tha881]

Did you remove the valve cover to TB vent hose? If so double check its tightened up.

Also check that the fuel feed and return went back on the correctly.

A set of new Bosch injectors on autodoc is around 180 and might be worth investing so you know they are 100%

[wilma84]

Did you remove the valve cover to TB vent hose? If so double check its tightened up.

Also check that the fuel feed and return went back on the correctly.

A set of new Bosch injectors on autodoc is around 180 and might be worth investing so you know they are 100%

Thanks for the advice - yeah double, triple, quadruple checked everything was back in place and tightened but the tapping was still there,

Not a bad shout re the new injectors, will give the injector cleaning kit a go (only £15 ish off of amazon) and if no luck with that then yeah, maybe new ones are the best option

[BenHar]

Get the injectors to InjectorTune and have them serviced and sent back. It's only £12.50 an injector.

Ben

[DanThe]

Id also have them sericed by injectortune as above, its money well spent

[wilma84]

Id also have them sericed by injectortune as above, its money well spent

OK thanks everyone for the advice - got some time this Friday to see if I can sort them myself, if not then I'll hand it over to the professionals!

[wilma84]

OK - today is round two of my injector cleaning! I've got everything I need to give this another crack, a home injector cleaning kit (connects to a 12v battery), a replacement valve cover gasket and some new hex bolts for the fuel rail as mine are looking a little worse for wear. I removed the valve cover earlier this week and took the fuel rail out in preparation - so much easier doing this with the valve cover off...

[wilma84]

Damn. No luck.

I thought I'd done a really good job - all the fuel injectors worked well with the cleaning kit, spraying with a nice even spray when I put carb cleaner through them. And re-installing the fuel rail was much easier with the valve cover off. I triple checked all hoses, wires etc were properly attached however when I started her up I got the very loud knocking noise again.

For those that are interested, i've linked to a video of the noise below- perhaps someone might have heard something similar and know what it is?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zk0ZiyYhi7Q

I think I know what the advice will be, get the injectors professional refurbished. My concern is that I'll go through all the hassle and cost of taking them out and sending them off and still get the same noise? I just want to make sure there's nothing else to try before doing that.

Also - should I move this problem into the Technical section or is it ok here?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[aimlessrock]

your injectors sound like they need balanced, thats why you need to send them to a pro like injectortune.

[wilma84]

your injectors sound like they need balanced, thats why you need to send them to a pro like injectortune.

Yeah that's what I thought - I'll be sending them off to Injectortune next week!

[martauto]

Also - should I move this problem into the Technical section or is it ok here?

Should be fine here.

Mart.

[BenHar]

Might be a blowing exhaust manifold gasket.

Ben

[wilma84]

She's aliiiiive!

Very happy to say I finally fixed the worrying knocking noise from my engine after trying to refurb my injectors. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the drive home in the E30... grinning the whole way...

For those that are interested this is what happened - on everyone's advice I got in contact with Injectortune.co.uk and James kindly got back to me almost immediately. I sent him the video of the noise and he said that although he couldn't rule out the injectors it sounded more like a stuck valve due to something (probably part of a broken pintle cap) getting stuck in there!

So - I removed the injectors again and sent them off to James for a proper refurb and in the meantime bought a small vacuum hose extension off of Amazon. With a bit of adjusting and electrical tape I managed to make a section that could reach down into each combustion chamber and suck out any debris that might be caught in there.

Then, this morning, my perfectly refurned injectors arrived in the mail (v quick service!) so it was off the workshop to see if I could finally fix the problem. Here's the summary from Injector Tune - seems like an improvement however they were in pretty good condition already

I cleaned out the CCs again just to be sure and fitted the injectors.

Started the engine... and... that bloody noise came back. TAPTAPTAP

I left the engine running for a bit (felt like crying) and just as I was about to give up on it the idle changed, stuttered a little bit, the tapping faded a bit and then just like that disappeared!

I restarted the engine a few times throughout the day and it fired up straight away with no issues every time, so I felt it would be ok to drive home.

It seems as if James was a right, something was caught in there and perhaps the reconditioned injectors managed to force it out? Whatever the issue was, I'm happy to say the car's back up and running and by the feel of things, smoother than ever.

[wilma84]

So happy to have the car back on the road... thought I'd celebrate by fitting a nice condition 3 spoke sport steering wheel that I picked up on FB marketplace - also realised I've never posted an interior pic so here you go:

I also did a clean up of the ICV, throttle body and surrounding area which raised a few questions - will post these in the technical help thread a little later on today...

[Tzantushka]

Worked out well then?
Refurbed injectors and upgraded wheel...

[wilma84]

Worked out well then?
Refurbed injectors and upgraded wheel...

Yup, not too bad at all! Had a 200 mile run to pick up my wife from the airport yesterday and it ran smooth the whole way - got around 29mpg (mostly motorway) which is a definite improvement from before...

Still got cold start issues though, need to have a look at the cold start valve next...