Mike's Alpine White 1991 318is

[OSAH racing]

Beautiful photos

[mike.bmw]

When project threads collide...

I took a day off from work to unwind, which involved taking my M3 and 318is out for some photos. With a single driver (me) it involved driving to the location, walking home to get the other car, and so on. Let's just say it's just what I needed and I definitely got my steps in!

Inspired, I wrote something for BimmerLife about classic BMWs and classic BBS wheels https://bimmerlife.com/2025/02/11/classic-fitment/

20250207-DSC_5988 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20250207-DSC_5939 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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20250207-DSC_5871 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Round one of this week's E30 projects: replacing the thermostat. Again.

The entire cooling system was replaced in March 2017 after I determined the thermostat was stuck open. The same symptoms surfaced a few weeks ago---heat not hot, coolant temp gauge never hitting the mark. So, as everything else was in good shape, I opted to just replace the thermostat this time.

It took me about 3 hours, with most of that time spent carefully cleaning the mating surfaces, and then about 20 minutes to bleed the system.

Avery and I took it on a test drive to one of her after-school activities. No leaks! Yet.

PXL_20250304_181713106~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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PXL_20250304_201617184 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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PXL_20250304_224340970 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[iXBeater]

You're bringing your spawn up right!

[mike.bmw]

Celebrating 9 years with my 1991 318is this month! Time for another state inspection...

PXL_20250302_155913698~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250302_160937340~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

No rust, but I do need to do some cleaning underneath!

PXL_20250302_161140011~2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

The reverse lights stopped working. Oops! Good thing I passed inspection the other day. ;-)

After checking the bulbs and fuses, I narrowed it down to the reverse light switch. I also ordered the wiring, but didn't end up using it. The switch was a simple 10-minute replacement, with most of the time spent "hydrating" and getting the car in the air.

PXL_20250305_194159022 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

PXL_20250305_195039952 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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PXL_20250305_200506433 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

After having a shop replace the steering rack and hoses in my M3 (because I was lazy) and subsequently having to rebuild the pump (see my M3 thread), my E30 was feeling left out. I drove it for the first time in over a week today, and the power steering wasn't working whatsoever.

The fluid level is fine. The belt is new(ish) and tensioned properly. The pump spins silently. There are no visible leaks in the rack or the hoses.

The 318is power steering pump uses the same rebuild kit as my E36 M3's pump, so I am intimately familiar with the internals. If the pump was bad, I'd expect the rotor/vanes to be seized/destroyed, or the pump to be leaking, and either way making a ton of noise. But it's not making any noise.

Could this be an issue with the steering rack? Even if there are no visible leaks? Or perhaps a hose is clogged?

Any input/insight is appreciated! I'd rather not start replacing/rebuilding things until I've pinpointed the culprit.

[mike.bmw]

Well, I think there's actually nothing wrong with my E30's power steering. I've been so hyper-focused on my E36 M3, I just simply forgot that the E30's steering is a bit heavier in comparison, especially with my 350mm Momo steering wheel installed. I'll probably flush the system for good measure, but it's totally fine.

[Tzantushka]

Nice updates and good to see the E30 is getting some love. Now the weather is getting better = more E30 time!