new 325 with some problems can anyone help

[k10]

Hi
Just purchased a 325 today, but although she got me home she has a few problems.
1. The main headlights work when the ignition is off, but when you put the ignition on the passesnger side headlight goes off?? So I only have one light on the front when driving, until I turn the engine off and then the one comes back on??? Any ideas??

2. I have 4 electirc windows, but only the passenger side works? Drivers and rear windows do not, but the electric window switches for the rear light up, they just don't work? Any ideas? Fuses, relays, switches etc??? The electric mirrors and sunroof work??

3. Finally, the temperature gauge is a bit temperamental, but seems to suggest the car is running cold, just over the blue??

4. Oh and their's an oil leak at the front somewhere, apart from that lot she's mint, ha ha!!
Cheers
K

[kam-325i]

For the headlights, i would look at the relay in the fusebox.

Check the connections in the doors for the windows,

Could be a bad earth on the engine causing the dickie temp gauge or a faulty open thermostat.

[k10]

cheers any more ideas regarding the lights seems odd?
K

[kam-325i]

cheers any more ideas regarding the lights seems odd?
K

It is very odd, but i would start by looking at the relay in the fuse box, the simplist answers are always overlooked !!

It is relay K4 for low beam & K3 for high beam.

[Brianmoooore]

In reverse order :
4/ It's a M20. One without at least one oil leak would be exceptional!
There's loads of places an M20 can leak oil from - you'll have to narrow it down a bit.
3/Remove the instrument cluster and tighten the small nut on the back behind the temp gauge. If that doesn't cure the problem, then change the thermostat. BMW OE thermostats have a habit of breaking on one arm of the bridge piece.
Don't fully refit the cluster, as there are a couple more jobs you should attend to inside it.
2/ Unusual - E30 windows are very reliable if they are OE and not dealer retrofit. There are two different fuses involved. One for the windows with the doors open, and one for the doors closed and ignition on, but if one window works, then the fuses are OK.
Switches can give problems, as their upward facing fixing invites dirt to get into them. Try swapping your good switch with the other ones. Check the wires haven't fallen off the rear window isolator switch, but this wouldn't stop them working on the console switches.
Driver's door hinge pillar plug and socket is a possibility with the driver's window, but if the mirrors and central locking work, then this is less likely.
If all else fails, then you will have to take off the doorcards, disconnect the motor plugs, and power the motors from a 12V DC ower source directly to check them out.
1/ Headlamps shouldn't come on at all without ignition, so it looks like the wiring may have been "got at".
There are seperate relays for main and dipped beams, and a seperate fuse for each lamp.
Headlamp switch turns on the parking (side) lights in the first position, and nothing more should happen if you pull the switch right out without the ignitio being on.
If the ignition is turned on, then the dipped (outer) beams should come on, with the main (inner) beams being turned on and off by the dip switch.

[kam-325i]

^^^^^^^^^^

Listen to this man, he is GOD when it comes to E30 electrics......

[eun]

^^^^^^^^^^

Listen to this man, he is GOD when it comes to E30 electrics......

agreed.......

not just electrics though - everything

[k10]

Okay, I'm back.
Cheers for your suggestions brian.
I will put the car up on the ramps tomorrow and remove the plastic tray to see if I can find the oil leak.

I now realise that the electric windows are not factory fit. My car still has the holes where the window handle should be.

And when I removed one of the electric window switches it did not have a solid black plasitc back as they do in my touring, it had just 6 wires pushed in haphazardly. These wires looked a bit messy so I started to fiddle with them and my rear electric window on the driver side went down and a spark indicated I probably blew a fuse, hopefully?

Have to leave the window open tonight, hope it doesnt rain! I don't really do electrics so I was wondering whether if I got a door handle would I be able to wind up the window in a conventional manner?? I tried with a pair of mole grips but no luck??

Secondly and more importantly, my front side lights both work, (switch pulled out to position 1), if the engine is on or off. But as soon as I pull the light switch out to position 2, (main lights and side lights) the driver side light and main light goes off completley?? What's all that about??

If both lights technically work it can't be a fuse? Where to start? I really don't do electrics, hence the open window above!
Any clue's would be good.

I should say I am missing a fog light on the passenger side, would that affect anything?
K

[gcorky]

cam seal went on mine recently traced to dizzy cap then the sump gasket started.but were dry now!!!!!!what alarm has your car got -asking as maybe rlevant to headlamp problem?

[k10]

It's a gemini alarm but it does not work?


How do I now if the oil leak is from the cam seal?

Cheers
K

[eko]

k10 i have a couple of those electric window switches if you need them!

[gcorky]

put your finger below dizzy cap ,see if it is wet but make sure its not the cam cover above it which you can see.,or just remove dizzy cap and have a look.

if it is an old alarm it was favourite when these cars were newer to wire headlamps to alarm flasher wiring and burn out the relays.also the alarm will have an ignition on signal ,relevant to your ig on/off fault.
i would trace and undo the alarm wiring to eliminate first.i know it aint working but may still be wired through it.may have been total closure which could be tied to the window fault.so deffo check along these lines.

[Brianmoooore]

The dealer fitted electric windows aren't too clever I'm afraid - nothing like as reliable as the OE fitted ones.
Your lights problem sounds like it may be the main switch. ( third one today!!!)
I wouldn't totally discount what gcorky says, though. I've seen some weird alarm wiring, coupled with well butchered E30 wiring.

[gcorky]

The dealer fitted electric windows aren't too clever I'm afraid - nothing like as reliable as the OE fitted ones.
Your lights problem sounds like it may be the main switch. ( third one today!!!)
I wouldn't totally discount what gcorky says, though. I've seen some weird alarm wiring, coupled with well butchered E30 wiring.

is this down to poor quality connections used?i ve seen the retro fit with individual spades rather than the factory multiplug type.does complicate things l8er down the line .
i think were all gonna see lots of gremlins due to age,wateringress,dryjoints and a good bit of friday afternoon bodgery etc but its all part of classic motoring and it can make you go bald

[Brianmoooore]

The retrofit motors loose power, the switches are crap, and stray strands of wire from the crimped connectors cause shorts.

[k10]

Brian by 'main switch' do you mean the circular black stalk I pull out to position 1 for the side lights and 2 for the head lights?

If so is this easy to repalce?

Cheers

K

[Brianmoooore]

Brian by 'main switch' do you mean the circular black stalk I pull out to position 1 for the side lights and 2 for the head lights?

If so is this easy to repalce?

Cheers

K

Yes, that's the main switch, and it's easy to replace.
Just looked again at the OP, and see that you say the headlamps switch on without the ignition being on. This just shouldn't be possible, and suggests the wiring has been got at in some way, perhaps by gcorky's faulty alarm.

[k10]

Cheers both,

had a look at the oil leak tonight and it is coming from the gasket seal for the storage before the oil cooler. I have repalce one of these before with a new gasket kit for Ԛ£5 so at least something looks to be simple.

I will swap the relays over from my touring tommorrow and see if that has any effect on the lights, if not I'll have to remove the old alarm.

Will keep you posted on the next exciting episode.


K

[k10]

Hello all

I have removed the old alarm and I have tried the K3 and K4 replays from my touring in the saloon, and still I have only one light on headlights? Having said that my touring only lights up one side light with the ignition off, but both with the ignition on??

Secondly all of my electric windows have packed in since the rear passenger window went down unexpectadly? I have checked all the fuses and they are okay, is there a replay for the electric windows? If so which one is it?

Finally, the cigarette lighter and heater blower are not working either, any ideas?

Cheers


K

[Brianmoooore]

Hello all

I have removed the old alarm and I have tried the K3 and K4 replays from my touring in the saloon, and still I have only one light on headlights? Having said that my touring only lights up one side light with the ignition off, but both with the ignition on??

Secondly all of my electric windows have packed in since the rear passenger window went down unexpectadly? I have checked all the fuses and they are okay, is there a replay for the electric windows? If so which one is it?

Finally, the cigarette lighter and heater blower are not working either, any ideas?

Has removing the alarm made any difference to the problem? Lights not being on when they should be I can probably sort, but lights being on when they shouldn't be is a different thing all together!
Re: Sidelight one side only. You haven't got the parking light function on the indicator stalk on, have you?
Check fuses 17 and 28 for the windows. 28 also works the cig. lighter

[gcorky]

i only get one side for park ???thought this was normal
ign on all sidelights then headlamps

[Brianmoooore]

i only get one side for park ???thought this was normal
ign on all sidelights then headlamps

This is normal - just front and rear sidelight on selected side. No number plate lights or panel lights.

[k10]

Okay I checked my number 17 and 28 fuses and sure enough the 28 was blown so I replaced, but still no life in the electric windows or cig lighter??
Are their any relays for the eletcric windows? What else could I have blown? Why is there no more power going to the windows?

Also has anyone got a K4 replay for the headlights they want to sell, or does euro car parts do one? Think it's worth me trying a K4 replay to ensure the one I tried on my saloon from my touring is not knackered.

Cheers

K

[Andy325i]

What color is the k4 one? will have a look for you tommorow, sure to have some lying about

Andy

[Brianmoooore]

Okay I checked my number 17 and 28 fuses and sure enough the 28 was blown so I replaced, but still no life in the electric windows or cig lighter??
Are their any relays for the eletcric windows? What else could I have blown? Why is there no more power going to the windows?

Also has anyone got a K4 replay for the headlights they want to sell, or does euro car parts do one? Think it's worth me trying a K4 replay to ensure the one I tried on my saloon from my touring is not knackered.

Cheers

K

K4 is a perfectly ordinary relay. The same as the others , except for K8.
All of them can be easily checked by removing them and fitting a wire link between pins 30 and 87 of the socket.
If fuse 28 is intact, then there must be power at the cig lighter connector, or there's something very amiss with your loom!
Fuse 28 is for the windows when the doors are open, Fuse 17 is for the windows when the doors are closed and the ignition on. Well, at least they are for OE windows, but yours are retrofit.
Two relays involved with OE windows. One,under the glovebox, which should click when you open the doors, simply switches between the two fuses, and the other is unloader relay K5, which switches power to the windows when the ignition is on. Can be checked by linking 30 and 87
as mentioned above.

[k10]

Thanks again Brian, you truely are the electrics king.

I assume by checking the replay you mean just putting a bit of wire from point 30 and joining to point 87 in the electrics box.

Will this effectively just give me a constant 'on' and if my lights do work then I know the removed relay is faulty?

I think that's correct.

THanks again

K

[Brianmoooore]

Joining 30 and 87 will be the same as a relay that is on.
Found a couple of yellow "relays" in the front fusebox of a M50 E34 that I was breaking, that only had pins 30 and 87. Opened one up and found that the only thing inside was a thick copper link joining the two pins.
There's now one of these loose under the fusebox cover of the two E30s I use most on the road.

[k10]

thanks for all your help both.
I managed to get the electric window back up by direct feed from the battery. Have not looked much more into the lights yet, but will play about with the replays a bit more. The guy I purchased the car off thinks it may be a fuse near the back of the lights some where, he said he thinks it blew when he was changing a bulb. I have yet to look at this fuse. It's in a white plastic caseing which is hard to get too, being behind the light and in front of the ABS unit. May remove the unit and open this caseing up to see if the fuse is blown here or whether he was just blagging.
No doubt will keep you informed.
Presently I have an oil leak which I'm getting nagged about from the other half. Thought I'd fixed it yesterday by replacing the rubber washer gasket type thing that leads onto the oil cooler but a puddle of oil under it this moring, so it's either leaking through the new gasket (unlikely), or I have a leak somewhere else, it's not the sump, or the sump gasket, or the oil filter. But without getting it up on ramps again can't tell yet.

K

[k10]

thanks for all your help both.
I managed to get the electric window back up by direct feed from the battery. Have not looked much more into the lights yet, but will play about with the replays a bit more. The guy I purchased the car off thinks it may be a fuse near the back of the lights some where, he said he thinks it blew when he was changing a bulb. I have yet to look at this fuse. It's in a white plastic caseing which is hard to get too, being behind the light and in front of the ABS unit. May remove the unit and open this caseing up to see if the fuse is blown here or whether he was just blagging.
No doubt will keep you informed.
Presently I have an oil leak which I'm getting nagged about from the other half. Thought I'd fixed it yesterday by replacing the rubber washer gasket type thing that leads onto the oil cooler but a puddle of oil under it this moring, so it's either leaking through the new gasket (unlikely), or I have a leak somewhere else, it's not the sump, or the sump gasket, or the oil filter. But without getting it up on ramps again can't tell yet.

K

[k10]

thanks for all your help both.
I managed to get the electric window back up by direct feed from the battery. Have not looked much more into the lights yet, but will play about with the replays a bit more. The guy I purchased the car off thinks it may be a fuse near the back of the lights some where, he said he thinks it blew when he was changing a bulb. I have yet to look at this fuse. It's in a white plastic caseing which is hard to get too, being behind the light and in front of the ABS unit. May remove the unit and open this caseing up to see if the fuse is blown here or whether he was just blagging.
No doubt will keep you informed.
Presently I have an oil leak which I'm getting nagged about from the other half. Thought I'd fixed it yesterday by replacing the rubber washer gasket type thing that leads onto the oil cooler but a puddle of oil under it this moring, so it's either leaking through the new gasket (unlikely), or I have a leak somewhere else, it's not the sump, or the sump gasket, or the oil filter. But without getting it up on ramps again can't tell yet.

K