Congrats on getting your brake warning light sorted!! Hope it has restored your faith in E30s and improved your confidence to get your hands dirty. Start off with diagnosing and replacing a brake wear sensor, next thing you know you'll be blueprinting engines! Just a suggestion, long posts without paragraphs are hard to read. You will get more responses if you break them up into paragraphby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Cool, I'll add some cement. Better safe than sorry. B)by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Thanks Rick, Yeah only the 325e cars in Aus have the clips. The new insulation is self-adhesive, so that makes it easy.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Hi, my bonnet/hood insulation need replacing. Should I just brush off the old stuff (like recommended here). I was thinking of some kind of chemical cleaning, so that the new stuff is sticking directly to the hood, not the remaining layer of old insulation? Thanks.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Yep, amazing. I love how the tacho and speedo work. Also, the steering is spot-on for an E30 (eg heaps and heaps of lock even for gentle turns)!by nomis3613 - Community Forum
Thanks for sharing how it went. It is useful to know in case any of us have to do it.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Dave, I can't believe you took an E30 up there!! :surprised: Last year I was on a road trip in the area and my navigator suggested we follow a random line on the map to a summit where "there is sure to be a lookout". Then the road got rougher and narrower and we saw signs like "summer track only", "ATVs only past this point", but it was a rental car so we prby nomis3613 - Community Forum
Hi Kelly, Sorry to hear it's all hit at once, but at least your car will be transformed when it's all done. Personally I'm a disciple of the Church of Bilstein, but I'm sure whichever shocks you get you will be pleased with the improvement over the flogged out shocks you're replacing. Shocks are usually chosen to match the springs, so you could find out what springsby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Quoterkj I don't know if you can buy them any other way, new or used. I just paid 150 each for mine from Bav but what can you do.... if you need them, you need them- one of mine was really grumbling, when it came off she was cooked...overcooked! Rick Rick, was it a hard job to replace the hub? Any special tools required?by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Quoterkj QuoteBob in Everett I would recommend a used one for the best low cost option. Just get the whole strut and minimize the work of changing it. Bob in Everett I don't know how replacing the whole strut is a right move for a bad wheel bearing, not that I like using a used bearing in the first place!..... You will have to press the old hub/bearing off the axle though (more than lby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Thanks! I'm a bit skint on cash at the moment...so...what is better (I realise that either option is not ideal) Can I buy a used hub? (I have heard that they come apart when you remove them so they can't be re-used) Or what about the generic Ebay ones? Or are bearings known to fail catastrophically (eg seize the wheel), so I really need to wait until I can afford OE-spec new? Thby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Hi, 1 if your car was built after Sep 87 then you have the single pump 2 why do you think it's the fuel pump? If you have a fuel leak then maybe the pump is working overtime to maintain pressure, which is why it's dieing. In-tank pumps need to be submerged so that the fuel keeps them cool, hence why the guys told you to fill up for the rest of your trip. But the smell of fuel is worryby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
QuoteJose PintoWhile we write, e30 are becoming more and more rare and appreciated. Yeah, even in here on the other side of the world, I've noticed a much greater demand for E30s. To the point now that an E30 gets a higher price than an equivalent E36. Ok, so the remaining E30s are in better condition (cos most of the ratty ones are now dead whereas the ratty E36s are still limping aroby nomis3613 - Community Forum
QuoteArcheo-peteriX I never get tired of how beautifully smooth the M20 runs; it's like a sewing machine and if you plant your foot, it's like being in the pouch of a slingshot or crossbow just loosed B) Amen!by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Just thought I'd let you know what the problem turned out to be: clogged up Idle Control Valve. I'd discounted it early on, because I replaced it only 2 years ago. Mechanic diagnosed it, cleaned it out and now it's fine. Actually it's better than fine! The low throttle inputs are much less snatchy than before. Bonus!by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Thanks Peter. I checked the centre pin and it's 0v compared to the earthing point, so that's ok. The +2v on the outer pins with the ignition off is really strange. I think I need professional help with this one! So I'll take it to the mechanic tomorrow. Thanks, Simonby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Thanks everyone! Yeah, I wish I could do the Stomp Test. Very jealous of your NA spec cars!! Doing the Bentley tests, I found that the Throttle Position Switch is actually getting 11v (Bentley says it should be 5v) with the ignition on and, even more strangely, 2v with the ignition off. I think this is the problem. What could be causing this? Continuity across the TPS was fine, as was thby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Hi, I suspect this is gonna mean a trip to the mechanic on Monday, but if anyone can help me solve it myself, I'd be most grateful! The engine won't idle, without any throttle pressed it spikes to 1900rpm, drops to 1500, spikes again, etc etc. It's happened a couple of times in the past, but came good after a restart, this time it did it the whole way home (30 mins, including vaby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
@ Peter: thanks! Do you mean the plastic plate within the engine bay? I got it through that opening, just wondering that there's no hole in the grille etc where the combustion air comes in. @sdp: yeah, I found that site by accident recently. It's really handy to be able to click on individual parts.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Hi, I've finally got around to getting an intake tube (#10 here), only to discover that the 318i uses a slightly different tube to my 325i (1989 year). D'oh! But anyway, just wondering where the air actually comes from? The pipe would seem to end just below the left headlights, but I can't see a hole in the grill anywhere near there. Just wondering, where is the air meant to coby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Quoterkj Quotenomis3613 Sorry for hijacking, but what's the unloader relay? My car occasionally leaves the dash lights on, so I'd like test mine. Hope your problems get sorted, Alan. It's a relay to unload, or disconnect various systems when the starter is activated. I think sure, does it live with the other relays in the fusebox?by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Sorry for hijacking, but what's the unloader relay? My car occasionally leaves the dash lights on, so I'd like test mine. Hope your problems get sorted, Alan.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Hi, I'm getting a dragging/clunking noise and feeling. At first I thought it was something with the brakes (it felt similar to a loose caliper), but I checked when I replaced the rotors and everything is rock-solid. So the prime suspect is now a front wheel bearing. Is there a test to confirm it's the bearing? (there is no play on the wheel) This article says that the whole hub needby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
QuoteArcheo-peteriXHave you tried pulling the Motronic codes to see what the issue is? (off-topic) I am sooo jealous of your American-spec cars being able to do the "stomp test" to read the codes! It's not fair, wish I could do that!by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
You know there's 2 temp sensors- 1 for the dash and the other for the Motronic? Maybe the Motronic one is stuffed... Other possibilities are the Idle Control Valve and the engine earth (maybe there's moisture that goes away once the engine bay gets nice and warm). Hope this helps, Simonby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
Glad I could help! Yeah, I reckon the thrumming has always been there, whenever you fix a noise problem then you just hear the next noisiest thing. If it gets worse over time (or increases at high speed), definitely get it looked at. Otherwise you can just turn the stereo on and leave it until you're next poking around with driveshafts...by nomis3613 - Technical Forum
I love the celica river crossing! (3:00) All four wheels spinning away, throttle mashed against the firewall...by nomis3613 - Community Forum
Hi, Sorry I don't know much about driveshafts, hopefully someone more useful will come along soon to help! In the meantime, here's some things to look for... QuoteRosie158After fitting the new unit and checking for leakage, I was surprised when the car sounded very loud at highway speed.At first, I thought it was the exhaust system - what did a screw up now? But stepping on the clutcby nomis3613 - Technical Forum
QuoteDave_G No... +1 the initial softness you are feeling ("sidewall compliance" is the jargon) only affects the initial travel. You don't have to worry about it causing a rollover or the tyre falling off the rim. Maybe the old ones were really hard, or over-inflated.by nomis3613 - Technical Forum