A few weeks back in 1st gear I noticed my car shaking-

[[center]center]Hello to Everyone!!!! The past year with my 88'bimmer was one of the less costly years for repairs. Thanks TO Alan's advice and the input of everyone else here I was able to fix my low coolant warning light issue for $45. Now something else is happening and I thought I would see if anyone has advice. Maybe two weeks ago I was shift from 1st to second gear and my car shook violently.The noise was the same as when you get a flat tire. I stopped the car-no flat. In the next few days the same thing happened. This past Sunday I was on a highway lots of traffic and when I tried to go from 60-65 the whole car really shook. Stuck in a traffic flow I had to keep it under 60 miles per hour. Of course everyone driving behind me started beeping their horns, (California Drivers are so considerate) Yeah Right. After I finally got to an exit I pulled off the road. The tires were not flat. I had two miles to drive still. I made it home.The car shook on and off at low speeds,in every gear. My fear it's transmission related. Does anyone have any ideas? Normally I head to the repair shop and wait for the call of doom-Well this happened and boy its not going to be cheap to fix. Well before I head to the repair shop I thought any knowledge I hope to get here may better prepare me for the repair shop.

Sounds like you have propshaft issues there, either the center bearing or the guibo.
Get under the car and remove the plates that protect the propshaft so you can get to it, give it a good tug, and bets are you will find it has a lot of play at the center bearing or the guibo which is letting it slap from side to side instead of turning true around its axis.
The propshaft on these things is two piece, and is supported by a center bearing at the join, if that has gone you will have serious vibration, the guibo is the rubber donut that attaches the propshaft to the gearbox output shaft, they do deteriorate over time and eventually tear, sound like yours has torn.
Good news is, it is not that expensive to fix.
But get it sen to ASAP, it will cause huge damage in short order, like cracked gearbox casings, if left unattended, and then it will cost a bomb.

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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.

Hey Flyboy, Is that your BIMMER in the icon in your message? You definitely sound like the kinda that would drive an M3 racer. Thankyou!!!! Do you think if your right I can risk driving it 3-4miles to the repair shop? I'm a city dweller in California so it's difficult for me to get under my car to check what you mentioned. I live in a condo building and the parking is on a slope so I'm not dumb enough to use the car jack. lol the last time I used it the car almost tipped over. You're in South Africa, Thats amazing!!! The internet has made the world so small. I bet you must really be able to drive your bimmer the way the Germans intended. I will definitely let you know if your diagnosis is on the money. Thx-Dave here

Hi Super and welcome back

Under the circumstances, it won't lilkely do any more damage with a 4 mile trip to the 'open your wallet' people.
I agree with the guys, it's most likely the flex disk(guibo) and/or the center support bearing. If it was the more expensive u-joint, the vibration would likely have started small and gotten worse and pretty much always there at low or high speeds.

This shouldn't give the shop an excuse to relieve of more than a couple of hundred; most of that for labour.

Hi Super, nah, I wish that was what I drive, but one day...one day, I have a humble little 318i daily driver, we never got the e30 M3 in this country, so BMW South Africa made up for it by producing our own fire breathers, the 333i which had the 3.2l motor from the 735i shoe horned under the bonnet and the 325i EVO II, which ran with the 2.7 litre Alpina B3 motor, both are highly collectable now, I have my sights set on the 333i.
I know all about no working space, it sucks, I live in a complex as well, with single garage, which serves as the bike workshop right now.
I agree, even though it is only a few miles, I would not risk it, rather get it on the back of a roll back, or get it towed on the FRONT wheels.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.