I am surprised that shock absorbers can be repaired. Seems to me that so much of it would have to be replace and with the labor involved, new would be less expense I would have thought.
Forum: Car Talk

You are so right! Every day on my way to work and back I enjoy the E-30 even though it is only 6 miles (10 km) each way. I look for excuses to take the long way home.
Forum: Car Talk

Have you seen the BMW E30 documentary film “Respect Your Elders” on Vimeo? It’s 30 minutes long, produced by some local BMW enthusiasts. PRO3 racing is featured in the middle section. Pretty cool.
Forum: Car Talk

A spray can of contact cleaner might help and it will do no harm. The dielectric grease comes in a small tube and will require some effort to find the contacts that need protection and smear some of it on each one. A spray can of WD-40 might do almost as much good temporarily but it will collect more dust eventually and has to be renewed. might make matters worse in the long run.
Forum: Technical Forum

Safe mode may allow it to run well enough to get the files moved. If it boot at all it should work. Sounds like what I had to deal with at one point and I wound up just giving up and buying a new computer with Windows 7. I was frustrated with it for a while but now I have learned how to make it do most of what I want and gotten used to it.
Forum: Community Forum

Most corrosion products are not very soluable so a solvent based cleaner can only help a little. Some barrier fluid or paste like a dielectric grease will help if contact can be established and the grease will keep corrosion from getting in the joint. Water is the enemy, it can corrode almost anything that gets any dirt on it.
Forum: Technical Forum

Since the oil pump is likely somewhat worn, it will have less ability to pump the oil as the thinner oil can leak back to inlet past the gears of the pump. On the good side, the thinner oil can flow through the passages easier but then it can pass through the bearings easier as well. Also the load carrying capacity of the light oil is less. On an older engine I would prefer the heavier oil e
Forum: Car Talk

You might have to convet to Linix. I think the later versions have windows emulation that will run programs like it is windows.
Forum: Community Forum

The Bentley manual fuse list indicates it could be fuse 20 or 23, the fuel gage is on a separate curcuit and it might be fuse 12. What you might do is clean each one and put some dielectric grease on the fuse blade connectors to keep the corrosion from getting worse. There are two relays that unload the electrical circuit when starting the car K5 and K7. The terminals on these might be bad o
Forum: Technical Forum

Maybe all you need is the Guibo?
Forum: Community Forum

It’s about the e30
Forum: Community Forum

Yes, that is true. Right now I just put the top down instead. I had a "perfect" opportunity to do all that stuff when I had the radiator out last summer but was a bit discouraged at the time so was trying to get it back together just to see if I had found the right answer to the coolant getting into the oil. Glad to say that coolant is staying in the reservoir and the oil is stayi
Forum: Technical Forum

Thanks John, you must be the only person that has ever taken one apart. The o-ring you mentioned, did you have trouble finding one compatible with R-134? Don't know what might be clogging my valve but suspect the conversion to R-134 was not done very well. It was part of a reconstruction after an accicent. The dryer sight glass has had some kind of mud on the inside since I got the c
Forum: Technical Forum

I had a pressure gage on the low side and while the compressor was running the lowside was too low. When it stops, the pressure rises a bit but the high side decreases only enough to let the compressor restart for a few seconds. If I leave it for a long time the low side increases to about 100 psi. I am sure something between the condensor and evaporator has shut off the flow for sure. Air co
Forum: Technical Forum

Car show season is almost over. Glad because my fingers are still sore from cleaning the two cars. Have one more on Labor Day weekend in southern BC. Going with a friend in his MG TC.
Forum: Car Talk

I like this fourm too. I have been helped greatly with problems I had when I first got my cabrio 10 years ago and many times since. Hopefully, I have been able to pass along some help to others as well.
Forum: Community Forum

We wound up with both cars in the judged class. The X5 won third over all agains a couple of garage queens and one that just came off the showroom a couple of days ago. But...it also won "Peoples Choice" award. The E-30 cabrio was up against some really stiff competition so did not win anything. I thought I might have a chance since I am supposed to get 9 points extra for the mil
Forum: Car Talk

It am sure the pressure is hitting the high pressure limit because I can hear the belt start to squeak just before it shuts off. I measured the low side pressure and it was 100 psi on an 80 degree ambient day. As soon as I started the compressor the low side decreased quickly to near zero. The temp of air coming through the vents was 90F. So the low side is too low and the high side is too h
Forum: Technical Forum

I am planning to have two cars at the Puget Sound BMW CCA event on Sunday. One will be in the judged class and my E-30 daily driver will be in the featured car display class. Lots of cleaning on both of them. It is good to do this once in a while to get the car really clean. Makes my fingers hurt though.
Forum: Car Talk

Yes, it holds vacuum. It holds the freon inside too. Just when the compressor runs, the low side is too low and the high side is too high. The compressor shuts off on high pressure and the air coming out of the vents is warmer than ambient.
Forum: Technical Forum

somehow my AC leaked all the freon out. I put a vacuum pump on it and let the air out of the system then added freon but it appears there is a valve between the high pressure side and the evaporator that is not working to let any fluid through. I wonder if this is something that can be disassembled and cleaned or repaired. It appears to be under the dash somewhere. Anyone ever take one apart?
Forum: Technical Forum

I bought a second hand shift knob and boot that says M3 on it and put it in my E-30 for my fantacy M3 driving experience.
Forum: Car Talk

A rare treat for sure. I do not remember you mentioning an M3 before. Enjoy.
Forum: Car Talk

A new odometer? or a new E-39?
Forum: Community Forum

At the event there was a prize offered for the youngest owner of an E-30. There was a three way tie that had to be broken by getting to the exact birthday date for the youngest. He turned 16 on June 10th. There was also a prize for the most miles on one but the car had to be present. The winner was 358,000 miles.
Forum: Community Forum

Hey Peter, I am going to be there. You would be amazed at how the younger set has taken to the E-30. They have realized what fantastic handling cars these are and not so expensive to maintain. There are likely to be over 200 of them at the event. One of the paint shops is raffeling off a paint job for an E-30.
Forum: Community Forum

The world famous gathering of E-30s is on again on Sunday. It is quite an event and will have about 200 cars in attendance. Lots of prizes to raffle off for charity.
Forum: Community Forum

Not sure I understand what you are attempting. The nut that on the fan clutch is left hand threads so the 32 mm wrench needs to move clockwise with respect to the water pump looking rearward. . No need to be whacking the fan clutch at all. If the fan belt is in place to hold the pully getting the nut loose is usually not much trouble. On can use a screwdrive or some suitable steel bar to hold
Forum: Technical Forum

Well, if the plug leads are arcing, that could explain the trouble with stalling on acceleration. But to answer your question, yes if the propane were to be ignited by the arcing wires, it would quickly indicate what to fix next. Might singe some eyebrows. I think the risk is low because the vacuum leak detection is on the opposite side of the engine compartment.
Forum: Technical Forum

Checking for vacuum leaks might be easier to do with a propane torch. Just turn on the gas and do not light it. direct the gas to areas of interest that might have a leak. The engine should be running of course. a marked change to the idle speed would indicate leaking air was also drawing in propane fuel with the air.
Forum: Technical Forum