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Picked up another e30, (325e) have a few questions

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    Picked up another e30, (325e) have a few questions

    Where to start...well I picked up an $800 1985 325e last Sunday. Drove it home and parked it (waiting for my timing belt kit and valve cover gasket to arrive).
    It has a few minor issues, some I think I know the answer to, atleast one I am completely lost on. This is my 3rd (4th if you count a running/driving parts car) e30 so I am no stranger to them, but its been a few years since I took on a basket case e30. So now for my questions/issues.
    1) When sitting for longer than 20-40 seconds with the ignition off, the stereo loses all settings (it is the stock head unit and everything, I checked all fuses and nothing has been popped) But if I start the car back up after shutting it off 10-15 seconds prior, it has its memory.
    2) I just started experiencing hard start after first initial start. Example, I started the car earlier today and it fired right up. I let it idle for about a minute them shut it off. I went to go start it again and it would not fire, I cranked on it for about 10 seconds, let off then tried again and it started to fire off had to give it throttle to start.
    3) In addiction to this hard start issue, I have noticed that when it is cold it seems to burn some oil, when warmed up it does not (or didn't on the test drive atleast, and that was a good 20-30 minute test drive through town and some highway).
    4) Vibration issue on acceleration, I thought it was a CV shaft at first, but there is no up/down play just some side to side. All bolts are on the drive shaft and torqued, how do I check to see if the CSB or Drive shaft is bad?

    I am hoping once I complete my valve adjustment that will mostly (if not completely) solve problems 2 & 3 (previous owner had the car since 2007, prior to his owner ship I have a phone book worth of records for the car, once he got it all he did was change the oil every so often and put a new battery in it in 2009).
    The stereo issue I am lost on, not sure where to go on trouble shooting that one...
    1990 325i 5spd
    09 135i 6spd m-sport package

    #2
    regarding question 1, i think power to the radio goes through the obc, so maybe something to do with that, otherwise im not sure.

    2. Almost definately the thermotime switch, or temperature SWITCH. I have the exact same issue on my e. its comical because I can come out in the morning and the thing litereally fires up with like 1/8 crank, i could bump start it, faster than brand new cars. leaving for lunch and its crankcrankcrankcrank and struggles to fire up. has to do with the outside temp, i did my valves and it seemed to become more pronounced. thought it was my fpr but that wouldnt explain how it fires right up in the morning.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Frankus12 View Post
      regarding question 1, i think power to the radio goes through the obc, so maybe something to do with that, otherwise im not sure.

      2. Almost definately the thermotime switch, or temperature SWITCH. I have the exact same issue on my e. its comical because I can come out in the morning and the thing litereally fires up with like 1/8 crank, i could bump start it, faster than brand new cars. leaving for lunch and its crankcrankcrankcrank and struggles to fire up. has to do with the outside temp, i did my valves and it seemed to become more pronounced. thought it was my fpr but that wouldnt explain how it fires right up in the morning.
      I figured out problem #1, I started looking at the Bentley manual closer, and fuse 21 controls the memory function for the radio, I thought I checked it but apparently not because that fuse is blown

      That starting issues describes mine, first start of the day it fires off damn near as soon as I hit the key. Seems weird that a temp switch could cause the restart issue though, I was thinking more along the lines of crank sensor or injector leaking and flooding the engine, but I will check into that though after I replace my timing belt and adjust the valves next weekend (I really don't want to start the car again until that is done, previous owner had the car since 2007 and never changed the timing belt, living on barrowed time like that makes me very nervous!)
      1990 325i 5spd
      09 135i 6spd m-sport package

      Comment


        #4
        You're probably okay, I was using a timing belt from 1995 all the way up to this past may unknowingly (bought the car in 2012). I had all my injectors checked and cleaned professionaly last year so that's not my problem, tho you're right it definitely seems along those lines. I'm glad you mentioned that tho because It just occurred to me I didn't check my cold start injector lol.

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