Update. Well, it wasn't the alternator. It's still doing the same thing. The instrument panel temp gauge jumps up a step whenever any additional electrical load is switched on. If everything is turned on, high beams, blower fan on full, rear defrost on, sometimes the temp gauge needle even goes all the way over full hot into the red! When that happens the engine starts to l
Forum: Technical Forum

Some-russians-built-a-mig-jet-fighter-powered-bmw-e30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcJCY8kXEkw
Forum: Community Forum

QuoteBob in EverettDo you have a similar page of circuit diagram for the tach indication? You can download the entire set of wiring diagrams for your car from this link. http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/
Forum: Car Talk

The brake wear sensors are fed 12v via Fuse-10 whenever the ignition switch is in the Run or Start position. The circuit flows in a loop first to the right-rear brake, then to the front-left, and then back to the indicator switch inside the instrument cluster. It is one continuous loop feeding 12v back to the instrument cluster. The wear sensors each contain a thin wire embedded in a pla
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteFerdinandI have the same issue, speedo cuts out intermittently. It's something I've been meaning to fix but just haven't gotten around to yet. It shouldn't be difficult to diagnose. Success! I fixed mine. Intermittent issues are often difficult to diagnose because it seems every time you try to track down the problem, of course everything is working perfectly that d
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteBob in EverettWhat I need to study is why the cruise control only works when the speedo is working. If it is not working the cruise control drops off too See the wiring diagram attached in my previous post. The speedometer takes a power input, and speed input (from the diff sensor), a ground lead, and generates a speed output signal via pin-1 of C6 (the green connector on the back of the i
Forum: Car Talk

It's Fuse-12. But that one also feeds the radio. If it's a bad contact at the fuse, your radio would be cutting in and out at the same time as the speedometer. I have the same issue, speedo cuts out intermittently. It's something I've been meaning to fix but just haven't gotten around to yet. It shouldn't be difficult to diagnose. See attached wiring diagram.
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteBob in EverettHave had "professionals" do the same once in a while too. Here's a classic example. As much as possible, I try to do all my BMW repairs on my own. But my wife's Hyundai Santa Fe gets regular servicing at the dealer. It's expensive, but I prefer to let the "professionals" look after that one. Last summer it needed some brake work done.
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteBob P 325is 88 So I guess you aren't going to try the old alternator to prove the dirty/corroded theory? Its the engineer in me - I gotta know! It's bugging me too. But I'm almost certain the corroded contacts were the cause of the original problem. The old alternator definitely was charging subsequent to cleaning the contacts. But also stupid of me, I never actually che
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteBob P 325is 88 I guess the dirty corrosion diagnostic was not the problem. I have a slightly embarrassing confession to make. Cleaning the corrosion may have actually fixed the problem. Previously the issue only ever cropped up when there was a large electrical load on the system, high beams, blower fan on high, when I put my foot down on the throttle the engine would stumble. Blower tu
Forum: Technical Forum

I put in a new (refurbished) alternator today. Went for a test spin and it seems like that fixed it. It's back to its usual snappy and peppy performance with no noticeable difference when high beams and blower fan are on full. Yippee!
Forum: Technical Forum

Well, dang. It's not fixed. I had to do a quick run to the local grocery store and thought I'd take the BMW for a run to see if it's cured. Nope. I didn't even make it out of the driveway. The moment I hit the high beams, the engine almost died. It's super cold here right now, -21°C, with windchill it feels like -34°C. Definitely not a good time to be going
Forum: Technical Forum

I did a quick little check today. Haven't taken it out for a run yet though, still entertaining Christmas guests. The car has been sitting for over a week. Before starting it up, the battery voltage was 11.4v. It cranked fine and started right up. At idle the voltage was 13.4v. I backed it out of the garage and revved it up a bit and the voltage climbed steadily 13.5, 13.6... I
Forum: Technical Forum

The alternator belt is tight. Definitely not the problem. Then I pulled the voltage regulator and carbon brushes pack from the back of the alternator. I'm disappointed to report the brushes, as well as the slip rings inside the alternator, all look fine and still have lots of life left in them. I was so sure it was going to be the brushes... But then a closer look reveals a bit of c
Forum: Technical Forum

Thanks Bob! That sounds like a very reasonable explanation. I think you're on to something there. It's definitely an electrical issue causing low voltage. When I turn the headlights on, or switch the blower fan to high speed, the needle on the engine temperature gauge jumps correspondingly higher. Fan off, and lights off, the temp gauge needle swings back down to normal. I hop
Forum: Technical Forum

Where to start looking for the cause of this one? After about half an hour of driving at night I'm getting a strange lack of power from my 1990 325i. When climbing uphill, whenever the engine needs to work a bit harder, it suddenly loses power. It's not quitting altogether, it just feels sluggish as though it's thinking of quitting. At first I suspected a fuel pickup proble
Forum: Technical Forum

Well, that was a fun project... My differential has had a lot of play in, backlash from throttle on/off, clack, clack. It sounded exactly like this guy's. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJu22zpAC34 Recently I've noticed a much more alarming grinding noise when turning tight corners, just like this guy's at 0:15 as he turns tight right. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QuYLp
Forum: Technical Forum

That belt adjustment cam is pretty clever. The hole for the motor is offset from the centre. Mounted with the cam turned this way, tightens the belt. Or with the cam turned this way, it loosens the belt. Seems simple enough. Except, nothing's ever simple... The new belt is just that little bit too tight. So I did as Bob suggested, and elongated the mounting holes for the
Forum: Technical Forum

Neato! I'm sending you my address info via PM.
Forum: Technical Forum

I could use one of those. How much would it cost to mail one to Ottawa, Canada?
Forum: Technical Forum

Is the belt to the power steering pump slipping?
Forum: Technical Forum

QuoteMark angel Hi can anybody tell me what the little devices that sits on a plastic pipe which goes to the heater matrix and what is it's purpose? My one is leaking It is on one of the two pipes leading to the heater core? #16 in this image? or #7 in this one? If so, it's a solenoid valve that opens or closes to allow/prevent hot coolant flowing through the heater core.
Forum: Technical Forum

Make sure it's not in backwards. Check this thread.
Forum: Car Talk

Nice!
Forum: Community Forum

Here's a video just posted by my brother about his old car. He loves his 911. I did the aerial drone shots for him, and even got to drive his car for the first time while he did the external shots. https://vimeo.com/152094245
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteJose Pinto... unlike manual transmission when in neutral. Manual transmission output shaft spins freely, when in neutral. Automatic transmissions are a mystery to me. I've never owned one and hopefully never will. But I do know why one should not tow a car in neutral with a manual transmission for any great distance. See image below. The green shaft and gear is the input from
Forum: Car Talk

Nice!
Forum: Car Talk

QuoteJose Pintoone would imagine you enjoyed your car for about 9000 hours of driving pleasure, and some more time caring and fixing the car. I'm not responsible for every one of those hours though. I'm at least the third owner of this car. The guy I bought it from said he bought it from someone whose online name was "Drift King". Who knows what kind of life this car led
Forum: Community Forum

I love my old car. It just turned over 555,555 kms.
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I put my snow tires on the car this week. Checking the summer tires as they came off I discovered one has a nail in it. No wait, it has a couple of nails in it. No, it has eighteen (18) little nail heads visible! What the heck? All just in the one tire, right-rear. I got my needle-nose pliers and pulled each one out. Luckily they were all just embedded in the treads, none long enough to
Forum: Community Forum