First time E30 owner

[NorthridgeE30]

Hi all I recently purchased an E30 sedan. It's my second car and in all honesty, I know nothing about it. I do, however, know what I want from it; reliability. I'll be starting school in the fall and I'm hoping it will provide adequate and spirited transportation.
I purchased the vehicle for 1k. Soon after I did the usual maintenance one does,oil change, spark plugs, filter. I also added a bottle of Lucas Injector cleaner. I also adjusted the valves, which I'm sure is a job I botched on the count of that I know the very basics of cars, much less BMW's.

A few days later I took to get smogged. After having done the previously mentioned work to the car I figured I would pass. NO.
I failed twice in a months time with the smog tech saying "it's hopeless!"his co-worker concurring, " it'll never pass."
I've tried looking up a few DIY's and HOW TO's, but the amount of acronyms found in the Write ups are just mind boggling.

My current issues with the car is a loud ticking, it was almost unnoticeable before I started tinkering with it. The car lurches forward when it changes gears while I drive. When I make tight turns to the car will make a screeching noise. Recently the car has started having idling issues. (I cleaned the idling valve, the ICV? These Acronyms!

Here are some pictures of the engine bay and the car in general.
In closing I would like to say that the BMW E30 community seems very welcoming. I've yet to meet another E30 owner here in The San Fernando Valley, but I have seen other E30's drive around.

[dnguyen1963]

Don't despair. The first thing you need to do is to get a competent shop to perform a smoke test for you. Fixing all vacuum leaks would help your car greatly. Do not do anything else until this is done.

[efficient]

vacuum leaks or new cat will probably do it.
o2 sensors are maintenance items.
ln my opinion lucas injector cleaner doesn't work

[russc]

First of all, redo the valve adjustment. Make sure you're using metric feeler gauges. There are videos and plenty of tutorials, so make sure you get this right. Your car will run like shit with improperly adjusted valves. It doesn't take that long, so if you have any doubt about what you did, redo it. Also, I agree that you should buy a new oxygen sensor.

As for the testing...

You're failing on NOX, and only NOX.

I don't know how much it costs you down there to do the testing, but when I failed on similar readings, I went for 15 minutes of (very) spirited driving, retook the test and passed.

What you want to do is heat your catalytic converter as much as possible. That means doing some high load, high RPM runs before going to the test. When you're sitting in line, keep your RPMs above 2k. Your car is actually very close to passing, so if the test is cheap, I say try the easy fix before replacing parts.

The screeching is probably your power steering belt. They're like 8 bucks. 10x825mm. You just need a 13mm and 17mm wrench to loosen the adjuster and change it.

The lurching shouldn't be anything to do with your engine. Try checking your auto tranny fluid.

[slayback]

in case you have not done it and do not know last time it was done . make sure you get waterpump and timing belt done

[ndfspd67]

Techron brand injector cleaner is the best in my opinion, also +1 for the timing belt change, I broke one its not fun at all. All the responses you have gotten so far are exactly what I would have told you too so get to work ;) haha congrats on the car and have fun!

[HennaE30]

What acronyms are you having trouble with? The ICV is the idle control valve.

They pretty much said everything I would've.. The most major things they said. New timing belt, and check for vac leaks. My car kept dying at idle, and drove like shit. Turned out to be a vac leak in the line from the ICV to the intake boot.

[NorthridgeE30]

Update:
The sun has been unbearable in Los Angeles. I think it's having a terrible effect on my hoses. One of them seems to leak gasoline when I move it around.

http://youtu.be/Y6B4MpqvGxo

Here's a video of the noise. It actually got worse. Over the weekend I filled up with gas, cheapest one, and it created havoc inside the motor! In Park the car would idle at 2k without fluctuations! While driving the car it,the car, would steadily accelerate by itself at a constant rate of 1,100 RPM( getting the hang of these acronyms haha!)

Strangely enough, it's back to its normal low RPM with fluctuations.
I readjusted the Valves for a third time this month. I took my time and adjusted each hammer? Well let me tell you, those hammers could kick Thor's ass because thy were adjusted perfectly. However, the noise persists. I think it's worsened.

Here's a picture of the feeler Gauge I'm using. I hope to god it's the right one I've been using this whole time.

P.S.
Are newer BMW owner just random dicks? On a lonely two street a newer BMW rushes up my rear at an amazing speed, I was doing 40MPH. I thought it was going to rear end me! The car zoomz past me, but in a such a dangerous and arrogant way. On an empty two lane road the car waits till it's about five feet away from me to merge to the right lane closest, to the sidewalk..wtf.
We bothstopped at the same red light and I told him " You drive like a dick!" He proceeded to flip me the bird and speed off. He must have been doing 80-90. It was a 40MPH zone.

[HennaE30]

Have you put injector cleaner in it yet? If not, wait till the next time you fill up, when you do, put 93 in (I guess 91 in Cali?). Run some cleaner gas through it for a tank or 2. When it's cold it'll idle very rough, but once it warms up it'll run fine.


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[Cabriolet]

your only issue is an air leak. that's why you are failing the 15mph and almost failing the 25mph. for NO only.

check your air boot, just but a new one, they are only like $15. that and check to make sure your oil return tube has not slipped down. this tube is on the driver's side of the block, under the intake mainfold and is 1" in diameter. grab it and twist upwards and make sure it's firmly seated. lastly replace your valve cover gasket and the 4 rocker shaft plugs. lastly if this doesnt work, you might have a break booster leak, seen it rarely but has happened. you will pass if you follow these steps.

Are newer BMW owner just random dicks?

all people are dicks.

[dnguyen1963]

You are wasting time and money until you fix your vacuum leaks with a smoke test.