E30 reliability

[lukeADE335i]

My swapped M30 powered car has been fine after sorting initial bugs. Nearly 2.5 years driven daily now. Would have racked up around 40000km since the swap.


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[socalife]

I definitely have the motivation to keep the car after reading your guy's comments! Just the other day someone offered me 6,500 and im still thinking about it, but as of now im going to keep it. On the other hand, i actually did a really clean swap with a low mile like new m50b25tu,Zf trans, bigger radiator, electric fan, and have no problems what so ever with the engine, i love it! However, i have transmission problems, suspension problems, suspected rust issues, and just recently clicking from the vanos. I have hope in the car i guess i just gotta keep fixing it...

[gtdragon980]

I think part of them problem stems from not fixing everything at once. I know for me, I have fixed tons of things on my e30, but I still have more to go. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to spend all the money up front to obtain all the parts needed for full rebuild. Not enough time, space or resources either. So my solution is to fix issues that are most important and contribute to safety.

Still, my car starts up every time on the first crank! She is quite healthy!

[frolf]

I bought my car with 230xxx miles on it site unseen and drove it 17 hours back to Bozeman with no hiccups. The only time it has ever left me stranded was because of this



Original owner (not the person I bought it from) stripped this sensor and jb welded it back in. I properly fixed it with a helicoil.

The car has 248k on it now, just got a new suspension, and runs strong.

[pilotskillse30]

I have owned my convertible for 20 yrs. Outside of personal choice and a few bulbs. Only thing to ever break down was my slave cylinder..Twice. Let see what happens after my S54 swap.

[Sykohtic]

I've had my 87 325is for just 3 years. It has (approximately) 130K on it and the original M20B25 is still in it with the original automatic tranny.

Over the course of 3 years...

I've been in two wrecks. The car start and ran after both just fine. If not for a slice in the radiator hose on the first wreck, I'd have driven it home, and it was pretty badly mangled in the nose. The second wreck I drove it home after the car got airborne while going sideways, it landed on a rock pile and then came to a rest in a ditch. Other than the bent drivers fender (from the tire bouncing up into it when it landed) and a bit of minor seal damage on the steering rack, the only thing wrong with it afterwards was that the wheels were out of balance from the mud caked on them.

It has never since I've owned it had a working O2 sensor.

It eats through IVC's like a fat guy in a donut shop. Heck, I drove the thing to Auto Fair and displayed with BMW CCA with no working O2 and a half working ICV.

When I got the car, I took it to a mechanic to change out all the old vacuum and fuel lines (they were all factory original). He called me that night and asked me how I drove it to his shop, or how it was even running. The fuel filtered was clogged with rubber from the decaying fuel lines that were falling to pieces from the inside out.

It has never failed to start. It has never left me stranded. I have never walked away with even a bruise or a bit of soreness from either wreck. Its never failed me.

One of the best investments you can make on these cars is having a PROFESSIONAL electrician got through the WHOLE car and rewire it all to better than stock and give you new good 21st century electrical connections, terminals, grounds, etc. I'm saving up to do just this very thing before I start my build. It's expensive in most cases, and it probably should be with the electrical nightmare E30's can be (80's German electrics... nuff said), but it will save you sensors, hours of trouble shooting, and potentially HUNDREDS of dollars in the long run.

[nando]

lol. there's nothing wrong with the E30's electronics. you really are going to pay somebody to rewire the entire car? you realize they still make and use 99% of the connectors on an E30 today? (lots of AMP/Tyco connectors).

BMW doesn't stand for British Motor Works..

[2mAn]

BMW doesn't stand for British Motor Works..

[Sykohtic]

I have owned my convertible for 20 yrs. Outside of personal choice and a few bulbs. Only thing to ever break down was my slave cylinder..Twice. Let see what happens after my S54 swap.

Good luck on your swap, but go ahead and replace your alternator and all your sensors while you have it out of the car, you'll probably be thankful you did. I talked to a lot of E46 M3 guys through BMW CCA, and there seemed to be a consensus that the S54 was a wonderful motor that needed a ridiculous amount of maintenance. One of the guys there replaced his alternator 2 or 3 times over the course of about a year. I so much as mentioned a E30 S54 swap, and literally I got the response "No, just no. I don't get why you'd want the S54 maintenance." It's not that I'm trying to discourage you at all, go do it, because I LOVE S54 swapped E30's. Just be prepared for it.

[Sykohtic]

lol. there's nothing wrong with the E30's electronics. you really are going to pay somebody to rewire the entire car? you realize they still make and use 99% of the connectors on an E30 today? (lots of AMP/Tyco connectors).

BMW doesn't stand for British Motor Works..

Nope nothing wrong with electrics that short out an ICV constantly. Or the faulty odometers. Or the fact our speedometers are 3% off from the factory. Or the fact that when I turn on my left turn signal my brake light on that side flashes. Or the fact that the ECU apparently can't REALLY tell you whats wrong with your car. I've had a guy hook up to my ECU when I KNEW it had two blown sensors, and his professional code unit said my car was factory spec. Don't talk to me about fuses. I assure you, these forums are LITTERED with electrical problems. And I've had electricians, sound installers, and motor guys alike all tell me these cars are electrical nightmares. I should be less specific. It's not just 80's German electricals. Its 80's electrical in general. We're talking advent of the modern computer managed car here. If it doesn't have electrical problems, its likely been either been garage kept and OVER maintained all its life or its just a lucky egg, or its already had the electrical components replaced before they go out. The engine is bulletproof, I can promise you, electrics are not so great. Moral of story, its from the 80s and its approaching 30 years old.

[Sykohtic]

[QUOTE=nando;4254351]/QUOTE]

Plus, you're Nando. You KNOW what's on these forums.

[nando]

lol. I don't think you know how any of that stuff works.

the odometer breaks because the gears were coated with oil that makes the plastic soften and break. that's not electrical.

the speedometer is off on purpose. BMW always adds 3-5% to the reading. the digital speedometer signal (that goes to the DME and OBC) is correct. you can buy a brand new 2015 BMW and the speedometer will still read 5% high.

the DME is 30 years old. OBDII didn't exist until 1996.. I don't know what you're expecting? actually the amount of diagnostics it does do is pretty impressive considering it was developed in the mid 80's. If your buddy knew anything about Motronic, he wouldn't have even wasted his time plugging it into a modern diagnostics machine.

I've had an E30 for more than a decade.. if these cars are electrical nightmares, it's news to me. sounds like your car is a basket case.

if anything, electrically E30s are way more reliable than a newer car. there's not really that much there to go wrong. at least you can get good, accurate wiring diagrams.

[rcsoundn1]

^^ beat me to it edit--some of what you mention is mechanical, IE faulty odo, that is related to the gears

[Sykohtic]

lol. I don't think you know how any of that stuff works.

the odometer breaks because the gears were coated with oil that makes the plastic soften and break. that's not electrical.

the speedometer is off on purpose. BMW always adds 3-5% to the reading. the digital speedometer signal (that goes to the DME and OBC) is correct. you can buy a brand new 2015 BMW and the speedometer will still read 5% high.

the DME is 30 years old. OBDII didn't exist until 1996.. I don't know what you're expecting? actually the amount of diagnostics it does do is pretty impressive considering it was developed in the mid 80's. If your buddy knew anything about Motronic, he wouldn't have even wasted his time plugging it into a modern diagnostics machine.

I've had an E30 for more than a decade.. if these cars are electrical nightmares, it's news to me. sounds like your car is a basket case.

if anything, electrically E30s are way more reliable than a newer car. there's not really that much there to go wrong. at least you can get good, accurate wiring diagrams.

This one statement is why I even bothered to type out the fact the car is approaching 30 years old. Being as old as it is, I would expect electrical issues. Thanks for reading my post thoroughly :) Things wear out and get old. You're right, there's not much to go wrong. And thank you for the information on the speedometer %, You're right, I didn't know that. The odo problem I classified as a electrical problem because our clusters are electronically controlled as far as I know. Point is, its a problem.

I love my car, but I realize it does have flaws. But just so you know, I would be willing to bet my car has been through as much if not more than your E30's. It's always been fixed on the minimum budget possible in the past, and it's still here and still kicking. The reader the BMW mechanic plugged in had been used on other E30's before, and had read them fine. Why my car wouldn't read was a mystery to him. ANd he has used it on an 87 with 1.3 beforehand. Call it a basket-case if you want, but its a rolling testament to why E30's are so great. I may be wrong, but just what I get from a glance. Don't know you. Don't know your car. Don't care :)

I agree, it constantly impressed me with how much the system can do. Im always impressed with the engineering in the car. That being said, just because you haven't experienced it, doesn't mean it isn't possible. If you've been buying the best example possible every time you buy and E30, then you probably would have never experienced this. I didn't get a budget when I got my E30. I didn't have the opportunity to pick and choose my car; I simply got my car.

Hilarious actually that you're bashing me and my car, though that is the R3v way and why at Auto Fair here in NC I had to defend and promote the site myself whenever I was talking to other E30 guys who were checking out my car. My original post did make a large point of how despite all those issues, my car is still extremely reliable and has never failed me.

Lastly, if I get the entire electrical system refreshed and reinforced better-than-stock, and do all the motor work I plan on doing, my car will have a nearly totally fresh reset on its powertrain as a whole, reducing the likelyhood of system issues by a large margin. Just saying. :)

[dnguyen1963]

German cars have been known to carry electronic gremlins, period! What matters is how one deals with the problems. If you are experienced with electronics, then the problems do not seem bad. For many, it's troublesome. Many of the mechanics here do not work on German cars, let alone E30s.