The "BAD" List on my New to Me E30

[Bullhead]

I am going to make a list here of all the things I have found that need replacement or just technical know how. I am mechanically inclined and the only tool I don't own is a lift. I am a little scared of the cars though (this is my first) because they are quite different so instead of just spelunking in head deep I thought I should ask some of you to make it a hole lot easier on myself lol. List as follows, I have checked all fuses.
Windshield Wipers don't work at all
Window Switches don't work at all, I can't figure out the manual roll down thingy
Motor runs constantly under the driver's side wiper in the little black vent even with the car off.
Brake Lining light on
ABS Light on
Check engine light on, but it runs pretty good has a slight stutter off throttle like it's cam'd I have checked vacuum lines here.
The only rust or bad part of the body is in the trunk, the extra piece of sheet metal in the main part of the floor is rusting but not the one to the road, the space where the battery mounts is also rusting, I would like to replace those 2 with aluminum sheet metal.
The antenna is broke off and there is a hole ( I assume that's why the truck floor is rusting) I would like to just put a regular ant. in it's place I don't need no stinking motorized ant.
My gauges do not work, I am almost sure it is the SI board batteries but The Shack no longer carries them in store.
My driver seat is blow'd up, I would like to replace it with a recardo style racing seat on the aggressive side but not a full blown racing seat, I will replace both to match ( I am a disabled vet $ is super tight, I would like to use something in the $400 range for both seats like the seats from Ilovebodykits) please advise if any of those are decent. Later on I am going with a good set of sparco's or corbeau's
Please advise on anything you have experience with and thank you in advance for taking the time to read all that gibberish.

[ELVA164]

I'll help with what I can.

Wipers could be a bad motor, but I've heard that the linkages can get sticky and/or broken fairly frequently. You can access the assembly from the engine bay by removing the heat shield on the firewall I believe, but you can sneak a peak by popping the plastic grilles off the area under the windshield. They come off with the gentle use of a screwdriver, but you'll obviously have to remove the wiper from the one side first. Wiper removal is easy; remove the little plastic cover near the hinge, remove the nut, and remove the wiper. Before wiper removal, make sure the wipers are parked (you don't need to worry about this part, I guess...) and index the post and the wiper to make reattachment easy.

Window switches could be a number of things. First off, make sure the window circuit breaker switch isn't pressed. It's a long rectangular button that usually has a picture of a window with a lightning bolt on it, but most have faded off. It's the same shape as the hazard/defroster buttons, but made of a harder, usually grayer plastic. There is a red border around it, and if that border is prominently displayed the windows will not work. The button should be in the "in" position. Either way, try pressing it first. If that doesn't work, press each window button and see if the illumination inside the button itself dims. If so, my bet is the motor is stuck and/or the regulator is sticky. You can crank the motors manually with a metric hex key of some sort (6mm maybe? I dunno). There is a small, round plastic cover on each door above this hex; pop it out with a screwdriver and see what you can find out.

The brake lining light is most likely due to either a bad sensor at the front right or left rear corner (the car only has two sensors) or broken wiring at one of these corners. Check wiring first, then replace sensors (they're super cheap), then see if the light stays on.

The ABS light is most commonly on due to a broken fusible link in the relay located on top of the ABS brain. This will be the case if the light comes on BEFORE the car starts moving. IMPORTANT: Jump starting the car has a habit of blowing this fusible link, so keep that in mind! The ABS brain is located under the dash to the left of the steering column. The relay is fairly easy to replace, it's clipped onto the top so slide it towards you instead of trying to pry it off the top. If that doesn't fix it, one of the wheel sensors is bad. Diagnose by unplugging all but one and drive the car. If the light comes on, that sensor is good. If the light stays off, that sensor is bad. Be aware more than one may be bad.

If you install a regular antenna, buy a new grommet as well. They're cheap and important.

That's all I know off the top of my head, hope it helps!

[15Michaeljoseph]

Was this car free? That's going to be some pretty good work ahead of you. good luck


--Mike

[Navarone]

If those are the only problems then you've got it pretty easy. If you're used to working on american cars then you'll be pleasantly surprised that everything is metric, instead of a random mix of metric and inch. Just be careful taking apart anything plastic, every clip is going to break!

Also, look up instructions on how to take stuff apart. In my experience everything is designed pretty well to take apart easily, but it's not exactly just look at it and figure it out.

[Bullhead]

I'll help with what I can.

Wipers could be a bad motor, but I've heard that the linkages can get sticky and/or broken fairly frequently. You can access the assembly from the engine bay by removing the heat shield on the firewall I believe, but you can sneak a peak by popping the plastic grilles off the area under the windshield. They come off with the gentle use of a screwdriver, but you'll obviously have to remove the wiper from the one side first. Wiper removal is easy; remove the little plastic cover near the hinge, remove the nut, and remove the wiper. Before wiper removal, make sure the wipers are parked (you don't need to worry about this part, I guess...) and index the post and the wiper to make reattachment easy.

Window switches could be a number of things. First off, make sure the window circuit breaker switch isn't pressed. It's a long rectangular button that usually has a picture of a window with a lightning bolt on it, but most have faded off. It's the same shape as the hazard/defroster buttons, but made of a harder, usually grayer plastic. There is a red border around it, and if that border is prominently displayed the windows will not work. The button should be in the "in" position. Either way, try pressing it first. If that doesn't work, press each window button and see if the illumination inside the button itself dims. If so, my bet is the motor is stuck and/or the regulator is sticky. You can crank the motors manually with a metric hex key of some sort (6mm maybe? I dunno). There is a small, round plastic cover on each door above this hex; pop it out with a screwdriver and see what you can find out.

The brake lining light is most likely due to either a bad sensor at the front right or left rear corner (the car only has two sensors) or broken wiring at one of these corners. Check wiring first, then replace sensors (they're super cheap), then see if the light stays on.

The ABS light is most commonly on due to a broken fusible link in the relay located on top of the ABS brain. This will be the case if the light comes on BEFORE the car starts moving. IMPORTANT: Jump starting the car has a habit of blowing this fusible link, so keep that in mind! The ABS brain is located under the dash to the left of the steering column. The relay is fairly easy to replace, it's clipped onto the top so slide it towards you instead of trying to pry it off the top. If that doesn't fix it, one of the wheel sensors is bad. Diagnose by unplugging all but one and drive the car. If the light comes on, that sensor is good. If the light stays off, that sensor is bad. Be aware more than one may be bad.

If you install a regular antenna, buy a new grommet as well. They're cheap and important.

That's all I know off the top of my head, hope it helps!

Ty sire I appreciate that info I have saved it and put it in my clip board :) The wiper motor is the ghost motor I wrote about it seems to keep running even with the key off so idk what that is lol.

[Bullhead]

Was this car free? That's going to be some pretty good work ahead of you. good luck


--Mike

No it cost me an 89 F250, this car has a really good interior except the drivers seat and the body is dang near dent free but it does need paint. My truck had a nice interior but the body was dinged up and it needed paint. My truck ran good but it need a few mechanical things as well, it will not run good this winter unless those said things are bought and installed as I told the owner. So all in all I feel pretty good about it, instead of $125 a week in fuel going back and forth to work I should be in the $40 range, it will pay for these parts in a week, and in a year it will by itself all over again.

[ELVA164]

In my opinion, you'll be hard-pressed to find a car as easy to work on as your E30. Don't fear it, just learn as you go.

[Bullhead]

In my opinion, you'll be hard-pressed to find a car as easy to work on as your E30. Don't fear it, just learn as you go.

I have to say it took me longer to jack the car up then to replace the slave cylinder today. And so far it has been a pleasure to work on, everything is well thought out and the lay out of bolt locations is easily accessible if you have decent tools. It's going to be a driving project, I will prob fill and block the car this fall/winter then paint it in the spring.

[dnguyen1963]

A suggestion to save you a lot of headache down the road...Have a shop perform a smoke test and fix all vacuum leaks. For the window switches, take them apart and clean them well. There is nothing wrong with them except grimes and dirt prevent a good connection. Don't worry about brake lining light. I have replaced all components related to this thing and my light is still on. Good luck.

[ELVA164]

Don't worry about brake lining light. I have replaced all components related to this thing and my light is still on. Good luck.

Just means there's a break in the circuit somewhere. Maybe you're unlucky enough to have that break farther inside the car somewhere...

[dnguyen1963]

Just means there's a break in the circuit somewhere. Maybe you're unlucky enough to have that break farther inside the car somewhere...

Yep, and it is not worth my time to track that break down.

[ELVA164]

Yep, and it is not worth my time to track that break down.

Yeah, forget that. Just start hoping for the day where it's the only thing you have left to do on the car! ;D

[Liquidity]

Window Switches don't work at all, I can't figure out the manual roll down thingy

Stick a 4mm hex key in the hole and crank as if it was a manual window.

[Bullhead]

Stick a 4mm hex key in the hole and crank as if it was a manual window.

Thanks.

Cleaned the switches and now my windows work :) I would have thought they were bad if you all hadn't said anything because if a window switch quits working in an American car it's usually crap lol. Funny thing is the tops were very clean but the bottoms had like a sticky like fur ball appearance.

[Bullhead]

One more question, I am going to the pulla part this weekend and have a few cars to look at. 86, 90, 93 325's and there's a couple of 90 model Z3's. I was told I can use the shifter from the Z3 and it's a factory short throw. I am going for just a couple small items is there anything in particular I should nab for the future or just to have on hand if the car has it?
And are the factory air boxes on these cars good? They look well built with the snorkel facing the drivers side headlight housing, should I just throw a K&N in and be done with it?.