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Hi Guys

So the latest figures are in after my last work on the 1988 325is Eubie. Eubie got this time a few up-grades; a lightly used set of ignition wires and cap with the trigger wire for the injectors (still not clear on all that wire does outside of the injector timing but...), cleaned a two year old rotor and installed the trigger wire and cleaned both wiring plugs there and took the connector under the intake manifold apart and cleaned that as well. Any plugs/connectors that were within striking distance were cleaned too.

After years of damp weather starting problems the car seems to light without a hitch no matter what the weather (so far anyway!) and today I did the around town gas mileage which is 24 mpg. That's better than I was getting on the highway and soon I'll do that test.

So, as things stand now I can smile because with the new front end parts and the first alignment the car ever had Eubie is running strong and tracking perfectly what a pleasure it was out there today...



perseverance furthers

Congrats on hopefully getting that damp start issue sorted

Now I'm jealous and in awe

As soon as I start to question the merits of the e30, I give it some TLC and am blown away time and time again. You'd think I'd be used to what a good running E30 feels like, but I rarely expect what this car gives. I'm always happy to see another E30 owner experience the same thing

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1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles
2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles

Hi Rick
It is good to hear that the car is now a pleasure to drive, I know the feeling, every time I start thinking of getting something newer, I do some work on the 318, and bingo, I don't want to drive anything else, despite what anyone thinks, the little e30 was one of BMW's finest offerings, way ahead of its time and the competition, when it was launched.
And even now, 30 years later, can still stand up to be counted with the best of them.

It would seem that the fitting of a trigger wire (CID sensor) would be largely responsible for your much improved fuel consumption.

Quote
From the Motronic notes.......
The injectors are arranged in two banks with injectors 1 and 3 (4 cylinder) or 1, 3 and 5 (6 cylinder comprising one bank, and
injectors 2 and 4 (4 cylinder) or 2, 4 and 6 (6 cylinder) making up the other bank. Each bank is connected to the ECU via an
independent ECU pin.
The Motronic 1.1 & 1.3 multi-point injection system pulses the injectors semi-sequentially and once every two engine revolutions.
During engine start-up below 600 rpm the ECU pulses all injectors simultaneously. Once 600 rpm has been attained and if the
ECU has received a signal from the CID sensor, each injector bank will be pulsed alternatively according to which pair of
cylinders are approaching TDC. If a signal is not received from the CID sensor the injectors will remain on simultaneous
operation. However, if the CID sensor subsequently sends a signal to the ECU after the engine has commenced running, the
ECU will pulse the injectors semi-sequentially after the next deceleration phase - even if the CID sensor then ceases to send a
signal.

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E30'S AREN'T BUILT, THEY'RE CAUGHT IN THE WILD!!!



When in doubt, use full throttle,
it may not improve the situation, but it will end the suspence.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2011 07:00PM by Flyboy.

Quote
Earendil
As soon as I start to question the merits of the e30, I give it some TLC and am blown away time and time again. You'd think I'd be used to what a good running E30 feels like, but I rarely expect what this car gives. I'm always happy to see another E30 owner experience the same thing

Same here.

My car developed a clunking noise in the front left suspension. At first I just pretended I didn't hear it and hoped it would go away by itself. Ya, right. Then it got to be annoying, and eventually downright alarming, and ultimately it started sounding really expensive and then even my wife noticed it. So I finally decided something had to be done about it.

Is it something I can fix myself? Maybe, if I'd done something about it back when the weather was warm. But now that it's deep winter and icy cold, the thought of working on the car out in the driveway is a whole lot less appealing. And worse, I can't figure out where the clunk is coming from.

It clunks when I bounce up and down on that corner. Wheel lugs are all tight. Wheel bearings are tight with no play. The ball joints and control arm bushing are all tight. The swaybar bushings and end-links are all fine. Anyway it sounds like the clunk is coming from higher up than that. Is it the upper strut mount? Nope, that's nice and tight too.

The clunk seems to be coming from inside the strut tube, maybe the shock absorber piston. Nuts. That means taking the entire strut out. And, if it means replacing the shock absorber, then I really should replace the shock on the other side at the same time, meaning that strut has to come out too. That's depressing.

Enough. It's time for professional help. At least let's get a proper diagnosis to find out how much this is all going to cost...

So I took it by Rudi's shop. He says bring it into the shop, we'll put it up on the hoist to have a quick look.

Turns out, the collar nut holding the shock absorber insert into the strut tube is loose, allowing the shock absorber to move loose up and down a few millimetres inside the strut. They snugged it down, charged me nothing, and presto, the car's perfect again!! Hallelujiah.

I had no idea that it was even possible for that collar nut to work itself loose. On my previous rusty black 86 325 car those collar nuts were so firmly rusted into place there's no way they would ever come off again. My "new" red 1990 325is, so far, is so entirely rust-free that fasteners simply unscrew themselves. Go figure.

Anyway, I love my car again!

Except, since the front left corner is no longer loudly clunking, now I can hear a slight clunk coming from the right rear. It sounds suspiciously like an upper shock mount...

These cars are easy to love for sure

Quote
Ferdinand

Quote
Earendil
As soon as I start to question the merits of the e30, I give it some TLC and am blown away time and time again. You'd think I'd be used to what a good running E30 feels like, but I rarely expect what this car gives. I'm always happy to see another E30 owner experience the same thing

Same here.

My car developed a clunking noise in the front left suspension. At first I just pretended I didn't hear it and hoped it would go away by itself. Ya, right. Then it got to be annoying, and eventually downright alarming, and ultimately it started sounding really expensive and then even my wife noticed it. So I finally decided something had to be done about it.

Is it something I can fix myself? Maybe, if I'd done something about it back when the weather was warm. But now that it's deep winter and icy cold, the thought of working on the car out in the driveway is a whole lot less appealing. And worse, I can't figure out where the clunk is coming from.

It clunks when I bounce up and down on that corner. Wheel lugs are all tight. Wheel bearings are tight with no play. The ball joints and control arm bushing are all tight. The swaybar bushings and end-links are all fine. Anyway it sounds like the clunk is coming from higher up than that. Is it the upper strut mount? Nope, that's nice and tight too.

The clunk seems to be coming from inside the strut tube, maybe the shock absorber piston. Nuts. That means taking the entire strut out. And, if it means replacing the shock absorber, then I really should replace the shock on the other side at the same time, meaning that strut has to come out too. That's depressing.

Enough. It's time for professional help. At least let's get a proper diagnosis to find out how much this is all going to cost...

So I took it by Rudi's shop. He says bring it into the shop, we'll put it up on the hoist to have a quick look.

Turns out, the collar nut holding the shock absorber insert into the strut tube is loose, allowing the shock absorber to move loose up and down a few millimetres inside the strut. They snugged it down, charged me nothing, and presto, the car's perfect again!! Hallelujiah.

I had no idea that it was even possible for that collar nut to work itself loose. On my previous rusty black 86 325 car those collar nuts were so firmly rusted into place there's no way they would ever come off again. My "new" red 1990 325is, so far, is so entirely rust-free that fasteners simply unscrew themselves. Go figure.

Anyway, I love my car again!

Except, since the front left corner is no longer loudly clunking, now I can hear a slight clunk coming from the right rear. It sounds suspiciously like an upper shock mount...

What a gift Ferdy, you can tighten that collar with everything in place I'm pretty sure! You deserved that one or earned it!

I got in mine today after a night and almost the whole day raining and Eubie started right up, just like it was sunshining!!!

Miracles do happen thanks Bmw Gods

Quote
Ferdinand
I had no idea that it was even possible for that collar nut to work itself loose. On my previous rusty black 86 325 car those collar nuts were so firmly rusted into place there's no way they would ever come off again.

That's amazing. The one time I tried to remove those collar nuts on mine, it was one of the hardest things I've ever tried to loosen. It took several days of applying PB Blaster, heat from a torch, a vise, a two-foot long pipe wrench, and a 4-foot length of heavy iron pipe on top of that, to loosen the darn things. I can't imagine one working loose by itself!

Hmm, maybe I should have tightened the new ones down harder than I did...

__________
Dave
'91 325iX

Quote
Ferdinand
My car developed a clunking noise in the front left suspension. At first I just pretended I didn't hear it and hoped it would go away by itself. Ya, right. Then it got to be annoying, and eventually downright alarming, and ultimately it started sounding really expensive and then even my wife noticed it.

I almost blew my coffee out in a fit of laughter when I read that. Oh how often I complain of tiny little things that no one else notices. And just as often, know to ignore loud sounds that scare the bageebas out of my passengers

Quote

Turns out, the collar nut holding the shock absorber insert into the strut tube is loose, allowing the shock absorber to move loose up and down a few millimetres inside the strut. They snugged it down, charged me nothing, and presto, the car's perfect again!! Hallelujiah.

I had no idea that it was even possible for that collar nut to work itself loose. On my previous rusty black 86 325 car those collar nuts were so firmly rusted into place there's no way they would ever come off again. My "new" red 1990 325is, so far, is so entirely rust-free that fasteners simply unscrew themselves. Go figure.

Oh dear me. I have a similar clunk, though hadn't figured out an exact location. I just replaced the front shocks and springs, along with all rubber pieces. I can't figure out what might be causing the occasional clunk up front. I had decided that since I couldn't find it, it couldn't be that dangerous (great logic, aye?), and was going to wait for former weather. However I know that those collar nuts took two giant pipe wrenches to get loose this summer, and I didn't apply the same force when putting them back on. I never would have guessed one would come loose, but hey, it's worth checking! Thanks for the unintended tip

Quote

Except, since the front left corner is no longer loudly clunking, now I can hear a slight clunk coming from the right rear. It sounds suspiciously like an upper shock mount...

Install an amp and bass in the trunk. Adjust output accordingly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles
2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles

The trick I've always used for those collar nuts is; leave the strut assembly in the car pretty much and use (like Dave sez) a big, with sharp teeth, pipe wrench and an old fork tube (yes, from a motorcycle) cheater. Works everytime, no heat needed, most of the time you toss those collars anyway, right?

On reassemble you use a pipe wrench with dull teeth or non at all and tight away with the fork tube- never had one loosen up