New owner... help me out!

[daf]

Hey guys,

Just registered here, glad to join this community. I bought an 87 325e a couple of days ago to use as a DD to and from work. Lots of maintenance was done by the previous two owners, but there still are some issues. I was hoping that the knowledgeable E30ers here could help me out with maintaining the car properly so that nothing goes wrong with it. While I love cars, I have a very limited technical knowledge of them, so it's going to take a lot of learning.

I have some questions:

1. The coolant light near the sunroof has been on since I picked up the car. I checked coolant levels earlier tonight, and they seemed to be very low, so I bought some coolant and added it. Am I supposed to fill it up to the arrow with the long German word on it?

2. What does a low coolant level mean? A leak? What's the best way to troubleshoot this and fix this?

3. Check engine light always flashes... but the engine seems fine. This is purely based the on performance of the car; it drives well and there aren't any weird noises or smells. I haven't really looked deep into the engine because I have no idea what to look for. :???: What should I do about this?

4. There are issues with the driveshaft CSB so the car vibrates when accelerating from 18-28ish mph. How long can I go driving like this? Previous owner said he thinks the ujoints down there are just going bad.

5. How hard is it to change oil on these things? Previous owner said it would need a change soon. What kind of oil should I use? The car has 200k miles, if that helps.

6. I was told that the brake lines are rusty and will need to be replaced eventually. How much would this cost? Can I do it by myself or with the help of a friend or two?

7. Can someone put together a list of things I should do/check on the car and how often I should do it? Again, I don't know too much about what really goes on under the hood of a car, so I need help in this area.


Anyway, this looks like a great community! Any advice is truly appreciated. Sorry for the long list of questions. I just don't want this thing to break down. If you see a red 325e in Chicago that jumps around due to bad shifting (I'm still learning), laugh at me and maybe wave.

8)

daf

[619E30]

Bring it to a qualified mechanic

[daf]

Don't have the time or money for that! I want to learn about my car so that I can fix and maintain it myself, understand it better, and save money.

[McGyver]

[xwill112x]

Hey guys,

Just registered here, glad to join this community. I bought an 87 325e a couple of days ago to use as a DD to and from work. Lots of maintenance was done by the previous two owners, but there still are some issues. I was hoping that the knowledgeable E30ers here could help me out with maintaining the car properly so that nothing goes wrong with it. While I love cars, I have a very limited technical knowledge of them, so it's going to take a lot of learning.

I have some questions:

1. The coolant light near the sunroof has been on since I picked up the car. I checked coolant levels earlier tonight, and they seemed to be very low, so I bought some coolant and added it. Am I supposed to fill it up to the arrow with the long German word on it?

2. What does a low coolant level mean? A leak? What's the best way to troubleshoot this and fix this?

3. Check engine light always flashes... but the engine seems fine. This is purely based the on performance of the car; it drives well and there aren't any weird noises or smells. I haven't really looked deep into the engine because I have no idea what to look for. :???: What should I do about this?

4. There are issues with the driveshaft CSB so the car vibrates when accelerating from 18-28ish mph. How long can I go driving like this? Previous owner said he thinks the ujoints down there are just going bad.

5. How hard is it to change oil on these things? Previous owner said it would need a change soon. What kind of oil should I use? The car has 200k miles, if that helps.

6. I was told that the brake lines are rusty and will need to be replaced eventually. How much would this cost? Can I do it by myself or with the help of a friend or two?

7. Can someone put together a list of things I should do/check on the car and how often I should do it? Again, I don't know too much about what really goes on under the hood of a car, so I need help in this area.


Anyway, this looks like a great community! Any advice is truly appreciated. Sorry for the long list of questions. I just don't want this thing to break down. If you see a red 325e in Chicago that jumps around due to bad shifting (I'm still learning), laugh at me and maybe wave.

8)

daf

1. top off your coolant


2. see above


3. probably a vaccum leak or a bad o2 sensor.


4. if your u joints are going bad, your going to need a new driveshaft. get a new csb as well.


5. easy. 25min job. castrol gtx 20-50.


6. around 200$. yes.


7. check your fluids often.

[bimmer206]

A couple of words of wisdom from a novice e30 enthusiast.
1. Use the search feature on this site it will become your best friend.
2. The check light will always flash once you start the car. It is reminding you to check the idiot panel (by the sunroof). Press the check button on the panel and the "check" light will stop flashing.
3. Make sure the timing belt has been changed recently they're good for 50k-60k (once again search feature) If the timing belt snaps your engine is toast.
4. Changing oil is one of the easiest things to do. If your wanting to learn how to work on your car this is a good jumping off point.

[Lunner]

1. The coolant light near the sunroof has been on since I picked up the car. I checked coolant levels earlier tonight, and they seemed to be very low, so I bought some coolant and added it. Am I supposed to fill it up to the arrow with the long German word on it?

Anywhere near an arrows fine, one means hot and the other cooler IIRC, either way just top it off till the light goes away (if it doesn't after a certain point then the sensor might be bad).

2. What does a low coolant level mean? A leak? What's the best way to troubleshoot this and fix this?

Low coolant can mean a lot of different things, first thing to do would be to top it off and see what happens. Use distilled water for starters if you think it might be leaking.

3. Check engine light always flashes... but the engine seems fine. This is purely based the on performance of the car; it drives well and there aren't any weird noises or smells. I haven't really looked deep into the engine because I have no idea what to look for. :???: What should I do about this?

I'm gonna assume you mean the 'check' light, as that's the one that flashes (orange letters). The check engine light says Check engine, and (typically) stays on, and it's red. This is due to something on the check panel (like your coolant level), press the check putton after start up and it will go away. Or, fix the problem.

4. There are issues with the driveshaft CSB so the car vibrates when accelerating from 18-28ish mph. How long can I go driving like this? Previous owner said he thinks the ujoints down there are just going bad.

Not too experienced with this problem, better search. Most vibrations that feel like they're coming from the driveshaft probably are, check CSB, Guibo, and U joints in that order. Not too difficult to fix these things (up to a full driveshaft replacement) with standard garage tools.

5. How hard is it to change oil on these things? Previous owner said it would need a change soon. What kind of oil should I use? The car has 200k miles, if that helps.

Oil change, like most cars, is a piece of cake, lift up the car and look around, you'll figure it out. IMO, if you don't know the history of a car, flush all the fluids and replace, and change the oil, run it for around 100 miles, then change the oil again. Use Castrol high mileage and a mann filter both (and all future) times. Buy a Bentley, and look for specified oil viscosity. Or search, but still buy Bentley manual. Most people should use 20-50, but Chicago's colder than CA, so, again, do your homework.

6. I was told that the brake lines are rusty and will need to be replaced eventually. How much would this cost? Can I do it by myself or with the help of a friend or two?

There are 6 brake lines on our cars, 2 fronts and 4 rears. Replacement of all but the inner most (above the subframe) rears is easy stuff. Do not strip the brake line fittings, or you'll be cursing yourself and asking us how to replace brake lines, which is not so easy usually. When dealing with old rubber lines, I like to cut them before the junction so I can fit a socket on the hose end. Again, take your time and do not strip the soft metal fittings. The rears above the subframe will take time and patience. SS lines cost about ~$100, they look shiny and probably help with braking, but a street car can do just fine with new rubber lines, ~$65. Plus, rubber can be cut later for easy removal. Autohausaz (or blunttech if you ask around these parts) is a good place for replacement parts.

7. Can someone put together a list of things I should do/check on the car and how often I should do it? Again, I don't know too much about what really goes on under the hood of a car, so I need help in this area.

1. Timing belt and water pump. If you don't have documentation as to when they were last done, do them now. It's not too difficult, but it's definitely not a first timer project either. Pay a qualified mechanic to do it, or take the extended time and patience to learn how to do it yourself. A Bentley and a friend/relative with automotive experience is invaluable here. It cannot be overlooked, unless you want to wind up re-selling your car as a non-running fixer in the next couple months. Wikipedia "interference engine" for more info.

2. See 1.

3. See 1.

4. All fluids should be treated as needed to be changed unless you have documentation as to when they were last changed. P/S, Transmission, Differential, Coolant, Brake Fluid flush. I recommend Redline fluids, BMW Coolant, and ATE brake fluid. Search if you want more opinions.

5. Coolant system refresh, which overlaps a bit with the above. Change the thermostat if it you don't know the age, they're cheap. If the engine overheats at idle, replace the fan clutch. These engines don't like being run hot. On that note, grab some Water Wetter too.

6. Ignition tune up. Again, no documentation = treat it like it's 20 years old. Spark plugs, wires, air filter, cap + rotor. O2 sensors should be considered dead at 100k.

7. Run some seafoam through the crankcase, fuel system and intake about 20-100 miles before an oil change. Search for more info.

8. Suspension, specifically the rear, which is often overlooked, this is more involved, but old subframe bushings and trailing arm bushings need replacing, ask me how I know. Front suspension refreshes (control arms, shocks, etc.) aren't a bad idea either. This goes into the area of things you should consider in the future, consider 1-6 mandatory within the couple few months of owning your e30.


Anyway, this looks like a great community! Any advice is truly appreciated. Sorry for the long list of questions. I just don't want this thing to break down. If you see a red 325e in Chicago that jumps around due to bad shifting (I'm still learning), laugh at me and maybe wave.

Welcome!, after you get the hang of driving a stick, a refresh of the loose bushings and washers of the shift mechanism would be in order. And maybe a short shift upgrade while you're there.

-Brett

[ethree]

Order the Robert Bentley service manual immediately and read it through, it has how-tos on everything from changing oil to rebuilding a transmission is a priceless tool for these vehicles. Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/BMW-E30-Servic...6&sr=1-1-spell

[ak-]

Bring it to a qualified mechanic

stfu

Don't have the time or money for that! I want to learn about my car so that I can fix and maintain it myself, understand it better, and save money.

Good answer.



It looks like Brett has covered all of your questions thoroughly which was nice of him. Good luck and welcome!

[accident]

welcome to hell. it's a love/hate thing.

[StereoInstaller1]

Coolant level sensor is a very common failure, as is washer fluid sensor.

Cross the 2 wires with a paperclip to test: you must shut the key off to test.

Expect to replace them sooner or later. Grab a copy of your ETM here: www.wedophones.com

Your vibration might be bad u joints: they are not replaceable with the stock setup*. Bad u joints eat Center Support Bearings (CSBs) and "guibos", AKA "Flex Disks".

You can buy a new driveshaft, or have yours rebuilt by some one like Portland Driveline.

It might also be bad drive axles, they are fairly cheap.

Post some pics, R3V loves the piktars, as most of the imbeciles in here are illiterate.

*Well, they are, but not by people who ask questions like that, y'know?

GL!

Welcome to R3V.

Luke

[Lunner]

It might also be bad drive axles, they are fairly cheap.

Not to threadjack, but where are these cheap drive axles?

Unless you mean A1 Cardones, which are eh, iffy. Not as terrible as everyone thinks, but I had to return my first set.

[imdashiz]

yo! im like less than 5 minutes from u. im in Little Italy.

[raafhimself]

Not to threadjack, but where are these cheap drive axles?

Unless you mean A1 Cardones, which are eh, iffy. Not as terrible as everyone thinks, but I had to return my first set.

i went with http://www.wholesaleimportparts.com/ about $280 shipped w/ core

[Lunner]

i went with http://www.wholesaleimportparts.com/ about $280 shipped w/ core

Ok, that's what I thought. I got my Cardones for ~$80 each, which despite their failings, I'd still say is worth it.

Maybe I'm just a cheapskate, but $280 each isn't 'cheap' IMO.