Gonna pick up my first e30 in a couple weeks. It's a 1990 325i with 95k miles on it. Since this is my first BMW I'm not sure what to look out for. Is there any common problems that I should watch for so I don't get blind sided? Any help is appreciated
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Rust rust and more rust, it's a 20+ years old car.
Check the timing belt, for weak or frail spots. Drive the car around, to see if temperature spikes up, major leaks around the motor/trans/diff, check for bad idle, old rotted fuel/brake lines, working blower fan (heatA/C), water leaks inside cab. Previous accident damage and....... I think that's all I can think of now.@IRON-E30 aka Edwin:D -
I checked most of those and they are ok. The car is really clean and well taken care of but I'm more so worried about things like overheating, gasket leaks or anything that is common to go out. I just put some pics of the car in my album. Sorry don't know how to put them on posts
Thanks though IRON-EComment
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All of the things I've learned from others here.....(these are all quotes from posts and DIY info)
Timing belt kit - belt, tensioner, cam seal, crank seal, intermediate shaft seal, etc. Water pump, thermostat, air filter, fuel filter, valve cover gasket, rocker plugs.
A valve adjustment & coolant flush.
O2 sensor, intake boot, rad hoses, fuel hoses, and a smoke test for vacuum leaks.
The hose by the fuel filter is bad or going. Also check driveshaft guibo and center support. Check fluids (level and correct ones - trans, diff, rad). We see the wrong coolant and wrong fluids in the diff and trans all the time.
The cooling lines coming into the throttle body - see if there is a leak, gasket always goes bad. Then there are small things like missing ground on the hood, antenna grommet, battery tie down, exhaust hangers, etc. etc.
Since it is likely to be original and over 20 years old, I'd include the radiator, expansion tank, fan clutch, and all coolant hoses in your parts list.
You might want to get a start on rust prevention too. Pull the taillights, check the pinch welds, the sunroof channels (for fallen rust) (clean the drains while you are there), the washer fluid tank bracket (under the tank). Do the lower inside of the doors, behind the RR wheel, and the subframe mount area. If you are missing undercoating or have rust on the underside, grind + POR15 + undercoating if desired.
Also, clean the engine and undercarriage, probably the very best thing you can do for starters as it makes it look good and makes work on the car much less messy.
Before doing any fun mods....the basic maintenance on 25 yo car must be done. If it is all original, you will need to replace every piece of rubber in the suspension and driveline.
front -
sway bar links
tie rod ends
sway bar bushings
upper strut mounts
control arms and bushings
engine mounts
tranny mounts
strut inserts
rear -
subframe mounts
trailing arm mounts
sway bar links and bushings
repack cv joints
upper shock mounts
shocks
brakes -
rebuild all 4 calipers
replace all 6 rubber brake lines
flush system
engine -
timing belt
have injectors cleaned
replace old fuel hoses
be ready to replace old fuel pumps (2)
replace any hose or gasket that is on intake side (vacuum leaks)
Not intended to scare anyone away...reality is these are nowhere near new cars. They are old. These items are age related, not mileage related. 25 years is about time for mechanical refresh.
Check high and low for rust before you buy. Trouble spots are rear fender wells, the battery compartment in the trunk, rocker panels. If you don't know when the t-belt was done, get it done. These engines are interference engines and if the belt snaps the pistons slam into the head and well you can just imagine.
The instrument cluster has brass grounding nuts on the back that get loose - these will affect the temp and fuel gauge accuracy.
Another common E30 problem is broken odometer gears. Make sure the odometer counts up the miles as you drive. (easy to change if you have the cluster out)
Here's a good list as well:
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