some questions about my new 318is

[nickmp0wer]

the car doesnt even go past the 1/4 engine temp line, thermostat?

t looks like it needs and oil change. What oil should I use? It doesn’t get below 32 degrees very often and it will be stored in a garage at night. Would synthetic be ok to try with 130000 miles? Also should I change the diff and tranny fluid? What should I put in those? the oil is above the top line, is it ok to drive it like this?

one side of the seatback is broken, will i have to take the seat out and inspect it to find out what part it is or is there a common part?

teh steering rack has been replaced, is there anything else i should replace when i upgrade suspension?

[RH318is]

I got my 318is with about 110,000 miles on it. It now has 190,000 miles on it. Living in the very mild climate of the Bay Area, I've run mostly Castrol 20w-50 year around, although for the first time I just put 10w-40 in it for the winter. I tried Red Line 15w-50 once and it ran like everyone said it would; started and ran easier, ran a little cooler, etc., but I have a slight oil pan leak and since decided it was too expensive to add in extra synthetic. Now I add a little less than a qt. every 5,000.

Mine also ran cool for a while, running under/around the 1/4 mark. Had the themo changed and then it ran more normally, just under the 1/2 mark. It seemed to use a little extra gas when it was running colder and some say it runs richer at colder temps.

My steering rack has been leaking for about 5 years. Wish I could take care of it...

RH

[nickmp0wer]

bump

what oil?

any suspension bushings or anything?

[arnoldgtr]

In mild TN (rarely below 25* F.), I use Castrol 20-50 year round in the 318i. I use Mobil 1 15-50 in the M3. It's never leaked, but I have changed the oil pan gasket when I installed a baffle.
My favorite transmission oil is Redline MTL. I also use Redline differential oil in the diff.
Suspension bushings:
I would change the front control arm bushings to the offset M3 type. That will require resetting the toe in....not a bad idea at that mileage anyway.
Change the sway bar bushings...stock rubber is fine.
Change the sway bar links.
Change the rear shock mounts.
The seat recliner mechanism or the seat frame could be broken. Also, it could be as simple as the two phillips screws that hold the seat back to the recliner mechanism. They seem to come loose frequently. You'll just have to pull the seat and disassemble it to see.

[nickmp0wer]

and how do i get every ounce of the previous coolant out?

[ise30]

i just aquired a 91 318iS as well with about 120,000kms.
i've changed last week -
gearbox mount
rear diff mount
flex disc
fan belt
all filters
front lower control arm - M3 Poly U
disc rotors

and using castrol magnatec 10w40. been great so far!!

there's definately a better steering feel with the m3 bushing! it just felt so much more responsive than the original.
next would be a SSK & some redline MTL.

[Matt86es]

Re: some questions about my new 318is

[quote="nickmp0wer"Would synthetic be ok to try with 130000 miles? Also should I change the diff and tranny fluid? What should I put in those? the oil is above the top line, is it ok to drive it like this?
[/quote]

Yes, synthetic is perfectly okay at that mileage. I use Mobil 1. Have you checked for oil leaks? The fact that it is above the line makes me wonder if the PO added oild quickly to cover up leakage and overfilled it slightly. That alone doesn't make a difference, but they could be hiding a bigger problem.