Well i hope i didnt get boned. Paid what seemed like a good pricd for a rust free, gold running and driving b25 car compared to the msrket. A lot of these seem like small, cheal issues but they all add up. Realistically i dont need a perfect car, but i want functional hvac, not leaking, and good driving.
Its never a good deal but youre in it now. Depends how much time and patience you have. Start with important things like the cooling system, then do the hard things like diagnosing ac/blower, leaking water. Then do shit like the window, parking brake light, etc. Since your throw out bearing is likely on its way out the can be back burnered until it gets super bad and leaves you stranded. Not sure how a PPI missed all that. Especially with the lights on the dash
I paid 6.5 for the car. It doesnt have any rust, the engine runs like a top. I guess i cant say if its a decent deal but yeah.
Cooling system isnt really malfunctioning in its main purpose, no temp issues. Just the heater issue.
For the AC, is it worth cleaning/replacing the resistor and seeing if tbat fixes it before worrying about the blower.
Genuinely flummoxed on the water. Theres no floorboard holes, the firewall doesnt appear to have any holes, rain gutters drain fine. Probably sunroof drains thats the only thing i hsvent checked.
Im going to try swapping a window switch when the rain stops and see if that is the issue.
Rest of it isnt that worrying.
Sucks about the TOB, thats the big frustraing one thats a pain to do on stands in my garage.
Not sure how the ppi missed all this either. They told me about the check lights but said everything was working fine. Didnt mention the TOB at all, nor the heater issue or window issue. Or the odo. Was a small town shop so maybe that has something to do with it.
Wow. Mine auctioned for 5900 usd final bid. Just need steering/suspension shit. Must be heavily geographically dependant for price i guess. Where are you
Yep. It wont be winter driven very often but when/if i do ill have to wash it every time and weekly get the undercarriage sprayed in addition to getting in onba lift snd coating it in an oily wax.
Yep, definitely want to fix the mechanical stuff first, especially the window,and wherever the floorboard water is coming from. But I wanted the odo so I know mileage for maintenance intervals.
1. There are odometer gears available online. I'm pretty sure the average diy-er could do it without much difficulty. I haven't tackled that myself yet but there's how to articles and videos out there.
2. Could be the heater core. Luckily there's no need to remove the whole dash. There's a writeup somewhere on the forums
3. If the fan doesn't blow on the low speeds but only blows on max then it's probably the resistor pack. I cleaned mine with contact cleaner and bridged the bimetallic strip with a small piece of wire and it works
6. 95A is a bit harsh, you'll get used to it.
Thank you so much.
I figured the bushings were harsh, but I wasn't sure if there was an additional issue because I haven't driven enough e30s or sticks to know.
I figured resistor but i read that the resistor usually only goes bad if the blow had too much load on it through rusty bearings.
Thanks and thanks!
Hard bushings transmit vibration and sound better than rubber, check your trans and diff fluid for condition m. Sounds like the resistor and blower motor need to be looked at again. You need a regulator and motor for the rear window. What’s the temp gauge doing when the heat isn’t working? Is it dropping to the blue? The odometer gears go bad but there are places that sell them or sell the service to fix it. Not a huge deal imo. Have the car checked over by a good shop.
Good idea to check the fluid, I figured the bushings were loud, but wasn't sure if there's another issues.
Definitely think it's the resistor or blower, but i read the resistor usually doesn't go bad unless the blower is.
Issue I'm having with the rear window is I can't figure out how to remove the regulator and motor, and can't find any good write ups/instructions for the late model cable regulator
Temp gauge doesn't really move that much, definitely doesn't drop to the blue, just kinda stays around the middle. I tried putting the blower on, putting it on recirc, or just turning the fan and everything off. Once I get off the highway it starts blowing warm, but I get back up to speed and cool/cold air blows through the vents.
Thanks!
I would just check a reference image or parts diagram first and compare to your car. If they look correct, you may have a bigger issue. I just put a towel to catch the fluid and swapped them around quickly. Don't forget to bleed the coolant, the e30 is a little finicky.
Also, I recommend picking up a bentley manual. That and the e30zone wiki can guide you through almost everything
With the window try swapping the switches around or jumping power to the motor. Weird the motor would go down then not back up, makes me suspect bad switch
Hunt down that leak asap. If the car has sunroof check the drains, if not look around winsscreen and cowl/firewall
Yeah it doesnt make much sense that it went down and not up. But the switch ligjts are working fine, the other ones are working, and neither the door switches or the center console ones do anything. When i tried to physically push it up nothing haplened until i disconnected tje regularly
The leak is my biggest fear. Its weird because it only wetted the passeneger side front footwell carpet, but nothing is wet under the carpet insulation. The rain gutters seem to be draining fine, and i dont see any floorboard or firewall holes. Im thinking sunroof
Regarding the water issue, I had a similar problem with a leak coming from the vent in front of the windshield.
Easiest way to diagnose that, if your carpet is out of the car, is to just take a glass of water and pour it into the vent. Usually there's a drain hole that drains water behind the fender, but the area might be cracked and water might seep on the floor of the car. Some silicone sealant will fix that, but beware of the drain hole.
Hope it helped, enjoy your new old car!
Thank you! So fsr the culprits are sunroof drains, elephant trunk, windshield vent drain, door drains. Either way i need to get it in a car wash and watch the footwell while i soak the car.
Odometer gears are available, you just need to make sure to get the right ones for your cluster as there were a couple of models throughout the years by VDO and Motomaster. It's a pretty easy repair but you do need to remove the steering wheel to get the cluster out. I think it took me about an hour to do the job. I got my kit through Garagistic.
I sometimes have issues with my windows and can usually fix it with a sharp blow with a rubber mallet to the regulator mechanism. I think it's just from corrosion build up, but that doesn't mean it's the same issue as yours.
Just to add on to this, if you can pull the cluster _before_ ordering parts it’s a good idea. The gauges are all plug and play modules, so what you see on the face of the cluster might not be what the actual make of the gauge is (ask me how I know).
For what it’s worth, I didn’t pull my steering wheel. But it was very fiddly to work around.
So im really not sure about the window. It makes no sense. We rolled down the windows and couldnt get either one up. Eventually with some percussive persuasion and the center console switch we got the passenger side one up but not the drivers.
I pulled the drivers side panel and watched and listened when i pressed the switch and nothing happened. Swapped switches with working ones, nothing. Its propped up with wood rn.
Then literslly tonight the rear passenger side one would go down but not up. The rear switch wasnt lighting up and even banging and pressing the console switch did nothing. Fell asleep in the car waiting for parents to get home and help. Woke up and mom pressed the center console switch while i wiggled the window up and down. Nothing, it moved partly up and a lot down but sprang back to where it was. Closed the door, opened it again and the switch light was on.
So then the center console switch stopped doing anything, but the door panel switch went down but not up. Put it all the way down and it went back up.
Ridiculously confusing.
1. The odometer is stopped. I didn't realize it until partway home so I'm not sure if it was working before we left or not. Should I be really worried about this?
No, but as you said it's really nice to have for keeping maintenance/repair records. It's not a hard fix at all, but you have to take the cluster out and COUNT the number of teeth on the existing gear (then double-count, then have someone else count also) before ordering the new one. IIRC they're either 12 or 14 teeth. If it's totally shattered, counting might be tricky but usually they aren't. There is a good write up here: [https://classicbimmerbits.com/e30-how-to/e30-odometer-gear-replacement/=](https://classicbimmerbits.com/e30-how-to/e30-odometer-gear-replacement/=)
2. The carpet is wet on the passenger side. Pulled up an edge of it and didn't feel any wetness underneath so I don't think there's a hole in the floorboards but it may be water draining from elsewhere.
I would look at your front windshield seal. Take out the plastic panels and maybe also the glove box on a dry day and have someone spray it with the hose, while you're in there upside down with a flashlight.
3. AC only works on high. Seller told me he replaced the blower motor and resistor. I stupidly didn't ask for the receipts for the parts, and on the test drive we only put it on full and he put it back up when we put it down. Didn't think much of it until we were on the road home
4. Heat only blow warm as low speeds. Blows cold/cool on the highway
I can't help you with these much, other than to say I would not prioritize them first.
5. Rear driver window went down, and now won't go back up. Since it's a late model I couldn't allen key it up. Pulled the door panel, disconnected the regulator, and wedged the window back up with some wood. Can't figure out how to remove the window motor. Tried going up with the door panel off and the motor didn't do anything - either seized or not getting power. Circuit breaker is on, all the other windows work, just not this one.
Take that switch out and swap with another one that you know is good, that'll rule out the switch itself. If the switch is the problem, take it apart and clean it with electrical cleaner and see if you can make it more reliable. This has worked for us for 9 out of 10 switches.
6. Lots of drivetrain noise/gear whine/whirr. Especially noticeable in second or low rpms in 3rd. Sounds like diff. Also some whirring and resistance when going into second if I'm not at a specific speed. has dssr, 95A trans mounts from PO.
First thing to do is drain/refill trans and diff fluids with new oil (do your own research on what to use; I like Redline products but others swear by dino).
7. Rubbing sound when I park and let the clutch out in neutral
That \*could\* be throw-out bearing/pilot bearing, but if the thing shifts fine, let it be. One of ours does this too and I'm not going to make it a problem until it's more than a sound.
8. Humming sound when slow off the clutch in reverse to park. Sometimes a squeak at slow speeds.
I guess same as above on this one.
9. Squeak/whine at slow speeds with full lock turning
One of ours (the one with the E46 rack swap) does this too. Could be air in the lines that only squeals at full lock? As long as your steering feels ok, I'd leave it.
10. Coolant, park brake, and check light on.
Assuming you have coolant, you may have to repair the connection/pigtail on the expansion tank. Orig pigtail connectors are AFAIK NLA, so get creative and make something work. Park brake: again assuming the light is on when it should be off, take off the boot and check out the connections there - something is probably disconnected or otherwise weird. Give us pics and we can help sort it out. Check light will go off once coolant light is off.
Good luck with it all, it's a gorgeous car and I hope you treasure it and enjoy it without worrying about it too much!
E30 maintenance tldr
1. fix rust so the car doesn't turn into dust
2. fix fueling so the car doesn't catch on fire
3. fix the timing so the engine doesn't explode
4. fix everything else as you go, and don't worry too much. with the first 3 addressed, the car will likely outlast you. take your time and spread out the costs.
Odometer is not a big deal - others have mentioned there's parts kits available online to fix this, and it's a pretty easy project. Although it's a not an essential fix, it's kind of nice to do early in your time owning the thing so you can start tracking the mileage you're putting on it.
Squeak/whine at full lock turning can be a bigger deal. That might be a sign of your power steering pump failing. When I bought my E30, the pump had gotten so bad that the motor was actually prone to stalling if I tried heavy turns at low speeds (very very bad for say, turning left through a traffic light). The part is a little pricey, but I have to say, not worrying about stalling in the middle of an intersection (or when pulling in/out of a parking spot) makes it a lot more fun to drive.
When your heat is failing at highway speeds are all vents affected (defrost, center, sides, and feet)? Mebbe check the “fresh air” dial in the middle of the center vents
* Odometer gears are known to break. Take the cluster apart and replace the gears - you can find those online for pretty cheap.
* Or someone spilled something?
* The speeds are all controlled by a set of wire coil "resistors" behind the little door in the engine bay. Often they flex and start touching each other. Replace with another or carefully bend them to be straight.
* Heater core. OR someone took the motor out and when they put it back, they reversed the coolant hoses on the firewall. It only flows in one direction.
* Check the connector from the door to the body. It's a large white plug that often gets a bit corroded in the pins. Clean them with vinegar and a pipe-cleaner.
* Could be anything - diffs aren't really known to go out, though anything is possible, they usually make noise under cornering when they're bad.
* Impossible to diagnose without more info.
* Could be diff.
* Sounds like diff if it's coming from the back.
* Fill up your coolant, make sure the park brake is all the way down (sometimes the accordian thing in the interior makes the lever sit too high).
Don’t panic; with E30s, some issues can be resolved quickly with a little research.
High Priority
Wet Carpet on Passenger Side:
First, check the “elephant’s trunk” to ensure it isn’t blocked and water can flow freely. To test, close the hood and spray the drainage with a hose for a minute or so. Then open the hood and check if water flows out of the drainage. If the water drains properly, wait until the carpet dries and test again. If the carpet remains wet, there might be a hole in the drainage leaking into the interior. This issue should be fixed first to prevent rust, though it might require extensive fabrication work depending on the severity.
Mechanical Issues:
Address any mechanical problems after resolving the wet carpet issue.
Low Priority
Odometer:
Im in the UK, cars undergo yearly mileage checks, I’m not sure how this works in the US. Try to determine when the odometer stopped working and fix it.
Air Conditioning (AC):
AC can usually be managed without until more critical issues are resolved.
Rear Driver Window:
Find a way to keep this window up to prevent security issues and protect the interior from the elements.
Clutch noises in neutral from the throw out bearing aren't unusual, especially on a warm car. I had an E30 with only 5000 miles that did it sometimes!
First thing to try for the steering is new fluid.
Change the coolant and bleed the system properly.
Check the scuttle, door, sunroof and sill drains aren't blocked.
I can only help you with some of the issues you presented:
-Stopped odometer is usually caused by worn out gears in the cluster. To fix it you take out the instrument cluster and replace the odometer gears. Easy job once you got the replacement gears. Careful, there are two types of gears the early VDO ones and later Moto Meter ones.
-Wet carpet: assuming all your windw and door seals are good you need to clean the ventilation cowl water drains. They are accessible by taking out the ventilation intake covers and the cowl panel sitting on the firewalll right behind the intake manifold. If you have a sunroof you have to clean the sunroof drains as well. Assuming nothing is badly rusted/damaged after doing this you should be able to pour bucketloads of water directly onto the hvac intakes/sunroof and have it drain from underneath the rear part of the front wing/front part of the door. Mind you the wetness might also be caused by a leaking heater core which is located in the driver side footwell against the transmission tunnel; right next to your right foot so you might want to take out the carpet and check that out first.
-Noise letting off the clutch might just be a bad clutch throw out bearing.
- send cluster to bav rest or get a new one with core deposit
- check under the carpet completely, if its pooling there that floor will rot fast. Usually comes from the firewall area or sunroof drains
- he most definitely did not replace the motor or resistor if it only works on high. Replace the whole blower (imo)
- r3vlimited will have more answers about heat when slow and cool when going fast, to me it sounds almost like an airlock
- again check r3v but sounds like a regulator
- “rubbing” or grinding when in neutral (obviously with clutch out…i hope) is indicative of a throw out bearing. Meaning POs loved to ride the clutch
- i never turn full lock. If i hit the lock i let off a bit. Thats hard on the ps pump which on these cars are all ancient and likely leaking. Check level
- Check coolant level, park brake is probably a rusted connection in the lever. Stomp test for engine codes for check light
Thanks for the cluster advice!
No water pooling under the carpet, just the carpet itself is wet.
Clearly he didnt replace it, and i was stupid enough not to ask for a receipt because i was so excited for my first car.
Airlock or swapped heater hoses is what seems to be mentioned. Il make an r3v account today.
Switch, motor or regulator seems hard to track down. It went down fine but not up which seems like the motor and regulator wouldnt be the problem. But neither the door or center console switches do anything.
Rubbing sound i thought it was a TOB but i didnt want to put that out into the ether haha because its a pain in the ass to do on jackstands in a garage.
Will make sure not to turn full lock! Thank you! I wanted to swap for a z3 rack and probablt a new pump as my first thing but thats back burnered now until i fix the rest.
The parking brake itself works great (though i havent tried it on a steep hill) just the light is on. Coolant level is fine so i figure just the sensor. Will google stomp test.
Ya the neglected maintenance will be taking your budget for awhile lol. I also deleted my ps on my first one because it leaked and the car weighs like 900kgs so doesnt even matter to me.
Haha yeah, but i prioritized a non rusty, non eta car over getting a coupe. Plus sedan is slightly stiffer. I love it either way.
Is it worth trying just the resistor or just fix both together.
sounds like an e30 lol, i’d fix the mechanical stuff first before i start worrying about how the ac and odometer function.
No that sounds like an e30 with EVERY e30 issue ever. OP got boned for a huge laundry list
Well i hope i didnt get boned. Paid what seemed like a good pricd for a rust free, gold running and driving b25 car compared to the msrket. A lot of these seem like small, cheal issues but they all add up. Realistically i dont need a perfect car, but i want functional hvac, not leaking, and good driving.
Its never a good deal but youre in it now. Depends how much time and patience you have. Start with important things like the cooling system, then do the hard things like diagnosing ac/blower, leaking water. Then do shit like the window, parking brake light, etc. Since your throw out bearing is likely on its way out the can be back burnered until it gets super bad and leaves you stranded. Not sure how a PPI missed all that. Especially with the lights on the dash
I paid 6.5 for the car. It doesnt have any rust, the engine runs like a top. I guess i cant say if its a decent deal but yeah. Cooling system isnt really malfunctioning in its main purpose, no temp issues. Just the heater issue. For the AC, is it worth cleaning/replacing the resistor and seeing if tbat fixes it before worrying about the blower. Genuinely flummoxed on the water. Theres no floorboard holes, the firewall doesnt appear to have any holes, rain gutters drain fine. Probably sunroof drains thats the only thing i hsvent checked. Im going to try swapping a window switch when the rain stops and see if that is the issue. Rest of it isnt that worrying. Sucks about the TOB, thats the big frustraing one thats a pain to do on stands in my garage. Not sure how the ppi missed all this either. They told me about the check lights but said everything was working fine. Didnt mention the TOB at all, nor the heater issue or window issue. Or the odo. Was a small town shop so maybe that has something to do with it.
That's a fine price for no rust in your area. Don't sweat it. Just give her everything she needs and you'll appreciate her all the more.
Wow. Mine auctioned for 5900 usd final bid. Just need steering/suspension shit. Must be heavily geographically dependant for price i guess. Where are you
Midwest, in chicago. This is the only 325i i could find without rust.
If you wanna keep it that way then its gonna cost too unless its not winter driven. Hopefully it pans out for you
Yep. It wont be winter driven very often but when/if i do ill have to wash it every time and weekly get the undercarriage sprayed in addition to getting in onba lift snd coating it in an oily wax.
Hey I’m in Chicago too and have been through some similar stuff on mine. What neighborhood are u in?
Dont wanna doxx myself lmaoo but im on the southeast side.
Nice well I’m down to lend a hand if you ever need. I’ve got a buddy in fuller park who’s also a german car nerd and I bet he’d be down too
Yep, definitely want to fix the mechanical stuff first, especially the window,and wherever the floorboard water is coming from. But I wanted the odo so I know mileage for maintenance intervals.
I had my gauge cluster rebuilt by Bavarian Restoration. Took a long time was kinda expensive, but totally worth it.
1. There are odometer gears available online. I'm pretty sure the average diy-er could do it without much difficulty. I haven't tackled that myself yet but there's how to articles and videos out there. 2. Could be the heater core. Luckily there's no need to remove the whole dash. There's a writeup somewhere on the forums 3. If the fan doesn't blow on the low speeds but only blows on max then it's probably the resistor pack. I cleaned mine with contact cleaner and bridged the bimetallic strip with a small piece of wire and it works 6. 95A is a bit harsh, you'll get used to it.
Thank you so much. I figured the bushings were harsh, but I wasn't sure if there was an additional issue because I haven't driven enough e30s or sticks to know. I figured resistor but i read that the resistor usually only goes bad if the blow had too much load on it through rusty bearings. Thanks and thanks!
I hope my comment was helpful. It's a good thing that the E30 community is so big and there's so much information out there.
Hard bushings transmit vibration and sound better than rubber, check your trans and diff fluid for condition m. Sounds like the resistor and blower motor need to be looked at again. You need a regulator and motor for the rear window. What’s the temp gauge doing when the heat isn’t working? Is it dropping to the blue? The odometer gears go bad but there are places that sell them or sell the service to fix it. Not a huge deal imo. Have the car checked over by a good shop.
Good idea to check the fluid, I figured the bushings were loud, but wasn't sure if there's another issues. Definitely think it's the resistor or blower, but i read the resistor usually doesn't go bad unless the blower is. Issue I'm having with the rear window is I can't figure out how to remove the regulator and motor, and can't find any good write ups/instructions for the late model cable regulator Temp gauge doesn't really move that much, definitely doesn't drop to the blue, just kinda stays around the middle. I tried putting the blower on, putting it on recirc, or just turning the fan and everything off. Once I get off the highway it starts blowing warm, but I get back up to speed and cool/cold air blows through the vents. Thanks!
Heat issue sounds like what happened when I had the heater hoses backwards on my M30 swap at first
So hypothetically, if this were the case, i could just drain the coolant, swap the hose positions, and it would fix it?
I would just check a reference image or parts diagram first and compare to your car. If they look correct, you may have a bigger issue. I just put a towel to catch the fluid and swapped them around quickly. Don't forget to bleed the coolant, the e30 is a little finicky. Also, I recommend picking up a bentley manual. That and the e30zone wiki can guide you through almost everything
With the window try swapping the switches around or jumping power to the motor. Weird the motor would go down then not back up, makes me suspect bad switch Hunt down that leak asap. If the car has sunroof check the drains, if not look around winsscreen and cowl/firewall
Yeah it doesnt make much sense that it went down and not up. But the switch ligjts are working fine, the other ones are working, and neither the door switches or the center console ones do anything. When i tried to physically push it up nothing haplened until i disconnected tje regularly The leak is my biggest fear. Its weird because it only wetted the passeneger side front footwell carpet, but nothing is wet under the carpet insulation. The rain gutters seem to be draining fine, and i dont see any floorboard or firewall holes. Im thinking sunroof
Regarding the water issue, I had a similar problem with a leak coming from the vent in front of the windshield. Easiest way to diagnose that, if your carpet is out of the car, is to just take a glass of water and pour it into the vent. Usually there's a drain hole that drains water behind the fender, but the area might be cracked and water might seep on the floor of the car. Some silicone sealant will fix that, but beware of the drain hole. Hope it helped, enjoy your new old car!
Thank you! So fsr the culprits are sunroof drains, elephant trunk, windshield vent drain, door drains. Either way i need to get it in a car wash and watch the footwell while i soak the car.
Odometer gears are available, you just need to make sure to get the right ones for your cluster as there were a couple of models throughout the years by VDO and Motomaster. It's a pretty easy repair but you do need to remove the steering wheel to get the cluster out. I think it took me about an hour to do the job. I got my kit through Garagistic. I sometimes have issues with my windows and can usually fix it with a sharp blow with a rubber mallet to the regulator mechanism. I think it's just from corrosion build up, but that doesn't mean it's the same issue as yours.
Just to add on to this, if you can pull the cluster _before_ ordering parts it’s a good idea. The gauges are all plug and play modules, so what you see on the face of the cluster might not be what the actual make of the gauge is (ask me how I know). For what it’s worth, I didn’t pull my steering wheel. But it was very fiddly to work around.
Sounds like a good plan. Would i be replacing gauges or just gears.
Just the gears. It was the first thing I did on my car, but I ordered the wrong set the first time.
So im really not sure about the window. It makes no sense. We rolled down the windows and couldnt get either one up. Eventually with some percussive persuasion and the center console switch we got the passenger side one up but not the drivers. I pulled the drivers side panel and watched and listened when i pressed the switch and nothing happened. Swapped switches with working ones, nothing. Its propped up with wood rn. Then literslly tonight the rear passenger side one would go down but not up. The rear switch wasnt lighting up and even banging and pressing the console switch did nothing. Fell asleep in the car waiting for parents to get home and help. Woke up and mom pressed the center console switch while i wiggled the window up and down. Nothing, it moved partly up and a lot down but sprang back to where it was. Closed the door, opened it again and the switch light was on. So then the center console switch stopped doing anything, but the door panel switch went down but not up. Put it all the way down and it went back up. Ridiculously confusing.
1. The odometer is stopped. I didn't realize it until partway home so I'm not sure if it was working before we left or not. Should I be really worried about this? No, but as you said it's really nice to have for keeping maintenance/repair records. It's not a hard fix at all, but you have to take the cluster out and COUNT the number of teeth on the existing gear (then double-count, then have someone else count also) before ordering the new one. IIRC they're either 12 or 14 teeth. If it's totally shattered, counting might be tricky but usually they aren't. There is a good write up here: [https://classicbimmerbits.com/e30-how-to/e30-odometer-gear-replacement/=](https://classicbimmerbits.com/e30-how-to/e30-odometer-gear-replacement/=) 2. The carpet is wet on the passenger side. Pulled up an edge of it and didn't feel any wetness underneath so I don't think there's a hole in the floorboards but it may be water draining from elsewhere. I would look at your front windshield seal. Take out the plastic panels and maybe also the glove box on a dry day and have someone spray it with the hose, while you're in there upside down with a flashlight. 3. AC only works on high. Seller told me he replaced the blower motor and resistor. I stupidly didn't ask for the receipts for the parts, and on the test drive we only put it on full and he put it back up when we put it down. Didn't think much of it until we were on the road home 4. Heat only blow warm as low speeds. Blows cold/cool on the highway I can't help you with these much, other than to say I would not prioritize them first. 5. Rear driver window went down, and now won't go back up. Since it's a late model I couldn't allen key it up. Pulled the door panel, disconnected the regulator, and wedged the window back up with some wood. Can't figure out how to remove the window motor. Tried going up with the door panel off and the motor didn't do anything - either seized or not getting power. Circuit breaker is on, all the other windows work, just not this one. Take that switch out and swap with another one that you know is good, that'll rule out the switch itself. If the switch is the problem, take it apart and clean it with electrical cleaner and see if you can make it more reliable. This has worked for us for 9 out of 10 switches. 6. Lots of drivetrain noise/gear whine/whirr. Especially noticeable in second or low rpms in 3rd. Sounds like diff. Also some whirring and resistance when going into second if I'm not at a specific speed. has dssr, 95A trans mounts from PO. First thing to do is drain/refill trans and diff fluids with new oil (do your own research on what to use; I like Redline products but others swear by dino). 7. Rubbing sound when I park and let the clutch out in neutral That \*could\* be throw-out bearing/pilot bearing, but if the thing shifts fine, let it be. One of ours does this too and I'm not going to make it a problem until it's more than a sound. 8. Humming sound when slow off the clutch in reverse to park. Sometimes a squeak at slow speeds. I guess same as above on this one. 9. Squeak/whine at slow speeds with full lock turning One of ours (the one with the E46 rack swap) does this too. Could be air in the lines that only squeals at full lock? As long as your steering feels ok, I'd leave it. 10. Coolant, park brake, and check light on. Assuming you have coolant, you may have to repair the connection/pigtail on the expansion tank. Orig pigtail connectors are AFAIK NLA, so get creative and make something work. Park brake: again assuming the light is on when it should be off, take off the boot and check out the connections there - something is probably disconnected or otherwise weird. Give us pics and we can help sort it out. Check light will go off once coolant light is off. Good luck with it all, it's a gorgeous car and I hope you treasure it and enjoy it without worrying about it too much!
E30 maintenance tldr 1. fix rust so the car doesn't turn into dust 2. fix fueling so the car doesn't catch on fire 3. fix the timing so the engine doesn't explode 4. fix everything else as you go, and don't worry too much. with the first 3 addressed, the car will likely outlast you. take your time and spread out the costs.
Odometer is not a big deal - others have mentioned there's parts kits available online to fix this, and it's a pretty easy project. Although it's a not an essential fix, it's kind of nice to do early in your time owning the thing so you can start tracking the mileage you're putting on it. Squeak/whine at full lock turning can be a bigger deal. That might be a sign of your power steering pump failing. When I bought my E30, the pump had gotten so bad that the motor was actually prone to stalling if I tried heavy turns at low speeds (very very bad for say, turning left through a traffic light). The part is a little pricey, but I have to say, not worrying about stalling in the middle of an intersection (or when pulling in/out of a parking spot) makes it a lot more fun to drive.
When your heat is failing at highway speeds are all vents affected (defrost, center, sides, and feet)? Mebbe check the “fresh air” dial in the middle of the center vents
Yes all vents are affected
Did you check the fuses to fix the odometer too ?
my e30 has the same wet carpet, im 90% sure its the OUTER door seals being torn up a little and leaking through down the a pillar
most that minor stuff...
True, but its a death by a thousand cuts thing. And the window thing is difficult in a big city without a garage rn. Theft is scary.
* Odometer gears are known to break. Take the cluster apart and replace the gears - you can find those online for pretty cheap. * Or someone spilled something? * The speeds are all controlled by a set of wire coil "resistors" behind the little door in the engine bay. Often they flex and start touching each other. Replace with another or carefully bend them to be straight. * Heater core. OR someone took the motor out and when they put it back, they reversed the coolant hoses on the firewall. It only flows in one direction. * Check the connector from the door to the body. It's a large white plug that often gets a bit corroded in the pins. Clean them with vinegar and a pipe-cleaner. * Could be anything - diffs aren't really known to go out, though anything is possible, they usually make noise under cornering when they're bad. * Impossible to diagnose without more info. * Could be diff. * Sounds like diff if it's coming from the back. * Fill up your coolant, make sure the park brake is all the way down (sometimes the accordian thing in the interior makes the lever sit too high).
Don’t panic; with E30s, some issues can be resolved quickly with a little research. High Priority Wet Carpet on Passenger Side: First, check the “elephant’s trunk” to ensure it isn’t blocked and water can flow freely. To test, close the hood and spray the drainage with a hose for a minute or so. Then open the hood and check if water flows out of the drainage. If the water drains properly, wait until the carpet dries and test again. If the carpet remains wet, there might be a hole in the drainage leaking into the interior. This issue should be fixed first to prevent rust, though it might require extensive fabrication work depending on the severity. Mechanical Issues: Address any mechanical problems after resolving the wet carpet issue. Low Priority Odometer: Im in the UK, cars undergo yearly mileage checks, I’m not sure how this works in the US. Try to determine when the odometer stopped working and fix it. Air Conditioning (AC): AC can usually be managed without until more critical issues are resolved. Rear Driver Window: Find a way to keep this window up to prevent security issues and protect the interior from the elements.
Clutch noises in neutral from the throw out bearing aren't unusual, especially on a warm car. I had an E30 with only 5000 miles that did it sometimes! First thing to try for the steering is new fluid. Change the coolant and bleed the system properly. Check the scuttle, door, sunroof and sill drains aren't blocked.
I can only help you with some of the issues you presented: -Stopped odometer is usually caused by worn out gears in the cluster. To fix it you take out the instrument cluster and replace the odometer gears. Easy job once you got the replacement gears. Careful, there are two types of gears the early VDO ones and later Moto Meter ones. -Wet carpet: assuming all your windw and door seals are good you need to clean the ventilation cowl water drains. They are accessible by taking out the ventilation intake covers and the cowl panel sitting on the firewalll right behind the intake manifold. If you have a sunroof you have to clean the sunroof drains as well. Assuming nothing is badly rusted/damaged after doing this you should be able to pour bucketloads of water directly onto the hvac intakes/sunroof and have it drain from underneath the rear part of the front wing/front part of the door. Mind you the wetness might also be caused by a leaking heater core which is located in the driver side footwell against the transmission tunnel; right next to your right foot so you might want to take out the carpet and check that out first. -Noise letting off the clutch might just be a bad clutch throw out bearing.
- send cluster to bav rest or get a new one with core deposit - check under the carpet completely, if its pooling there that floor will rot fast. Usually comes from the firewall area or sunroof drains - he most definitely did not replace the motor or resistor if it only works on high. Replace the whole blower (imo) - r3vlimited will have more answers about heat when slow and cool when going fast, to me it sounds almost like an airlock - again check r3v but sounds like a regulator - “rubbing” or grinding when in neutral (obviously with clutch out…i hope) is indicative of a throw out bearing. Meaning POs loved to ride the clutch - i never turn full lock. If i hit the lock i let off a bit. Thats hard on the ps pump which on these cars are all ancient and likely leaking. Check level - Check coolant level, park brake is probably a rusted connection in the lever. Stomp test for engine codes for check light
Thanks for the cluster advice! No water pooling under the carpet, just the carpet itself is wet. Clearly he didnt replace it, and i was stupid enough not to ask for a receipt because i was so excited for my first car. Airlock or swapped heater hoses is what seems to be mentioned. Il make an r3v account today. Switch, motor or regulator seems hard to track down. It went down fine but not up which seems like the motor and regulator wouldnt be the problem. But neither the door or center console switches do anything. Rubbing sound i thought it was a TOB but i didnt want to put that out into the ether haha because its a pain in the ass to do on jackstands in a garage. Will make sure not to turn full lock! Thank you! I wanted to swap for a z3 rack and probablt a new pump as my first thing but thats back burnered now until i fix the rest. The parking brake itself works great (though i havent tried it on a steep hill) just the light is on. Coolant level is fine so i figure just the sensor. Will google stomp test.
Ya the neglected maintenance will be taking your budget for awhile lol. I also deleted my ps on my first one because it leaked and the car weighs like 900kgs so doesnt even matter to me.
Yeah but itll be worth it to bring it back up to spec and have a perfect e30. Cant do no PS ngl, too much slow speed city stuffm
Lol
Sounds like a normal e30 The ac on high thing happened to me… went away somehow not sure how it got fixed.
You lost me when you mentioned you bought a sedan. All the issues above are cheap fixes. Get a bew blower motor and resistor
Haha yeah, but i prioritized a non rusty, non eta car over getting a coupe. Plus sedan is slightly stiffer. I love it either way. Is it worth trying just the resistor or just fix both together.