318i tach redline question

[gs_subsea]

I am looking to purchase a 1993 318i touring with what appears to be the M40 engine. The sellers pictures show the tachometer with a redline starting at 5000rpm and the end of the range is at 6000 rpm.

the tach is exactly like this one here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-6K-RPM-Instrument-Cluster-Tachometer-OEM-VDO-Super-ETA-1988-325/132540759358?hash=item1edc0b7d3e:g:PxYAAOSwRMtZYr~m

All the research I have done and pictures I have seen for e30 318i shows tachometers ending at 7000 rpm. I know that the 325e tach ends at 5000 rpm

Does anyone have any ideas on whether this tach is possible in a 1993 318i touring with the 4 cylinder m40?

could it be that the dash panel has been changed and hence the mileage shown is suspect?

Any help would be much appreciated

[gs_subsea]

corrected the post, the tach ends at 6000 rpm

appreciate any insight

thanks in advance

[roguetoaster]

Both of my M40 318i tourings had tachs that went to 7K, with red starting at 6K. My M42 powered cars have a 7K tach with red starting at 6500.

So, no, that tachometer should probably not be in that car. Might be from a super eta car, either E30 or E28.

[Das Delfin]

as far as I know the 1988 seta with the 2.7l 6 cylinder was the only car with a tach how you describe

then again, it's a 25 year old bmw that's gonna need suspension work and oil seals anyway.. as long as there's no rust you're okay. I would ask for many more pictures showing the underside of the car if you're suspect of the seller

[TobyB]

The e30 touring went to 93?

Learned something new...

t

[earthwormjim]

The e30 touring went to 93?

Learned something new...

t

They went to 1994.

M40 tachometer should be 7,000 RPM.

The only models with less than 7,000 RPM tachometers were the diesel engined cars, and the ETA/SETA cars. ETA/SETA engines were never offered on any touring models.

What does the rest of the cluster look like? Does it have KM, L/100 for consumption and liters for the fuel capacity indicator?

as far as I know the 1988 seta with the 2.7l 6 cylinder was the only car with a tach how you describe

324TD has an almost identical tach. Redline starts at like 4900 RPM instead.

[roguetoaster]

Good catch, I came back here to say the same thing about TD tachos. It steps up to "full red" at 5300 and stays full red to 6K.

[gs_subsea]

Thank you all very much for the help and responses. I looked at pictures of the dash for the 324TD and it does look identical. The dash can be seen in this picture: https://static2.car.gr/12309754_q_b.jpg

that said the engine appears to be an M40, see this picture:

https://static2.car.gr/12309754_w_b.jpg

curious as to why the instruments were changed, that said the rest of the car does look good and I am looking to do an engine swap so it should not be a big deal

[earthwormjim]

Perhaps troubleshooting issues that turned out to be the SI board?

A failing SI board can produce all kinds of odd issues, such as a lagging or unresponsive tachometer.

Also is that mileage correct? 55,000 KM? I bet they swapped the cluster to lower the apparent mileage.

You need to inspect the wiring in that car very closely. Quite honestly, that tach swap is pretty ghetto, so make sure no other half-assed repairs have been done on the car.

Pull the driver's side under dash panel off, and inspect the wiring harness. Also inspect the fuse box thoroughly. Check each fuse location for damage.

The engine bay looks undesirable too. The cover for the spark plug wires is missing, they shouldn't just be hanging. Also looks like the block was steam cleaned, was it leaking? What is the history on this vehicle? Just because you plan on an engine swap, doesn't mean you also want to be forced to swap everything else in the car too.

[gs_subsea]

Thank you Earthwormjim!! ( and all other forum members that responded)

this is the input and feedback I was looking for, I will look into the details you recommended and if I see anything else suspicious will walk away...

here are a few more shots of the engine with some views of the firewall harness and the fuse box, let me know if you spot anything that confirms the theory

https://static2.car.gr/12309754_y_b.jpg

https://static1.car.gr/12309754_l_b.jpg

[roguetoaster]

Unrelated, but how about that respray with so much overspray/lazy masking?

Wiring looks the same as my M40 cars as far as I can tell.

[earthwormjim]

Did you pull the wiring harness cover off, or it doesn't have one?

Looks like a car to walk away from, that over-spray (look at the shock towers), the swapped cluster, it's too much in my view. Car probably has landmines all over the place.

Keep in mind, a BMW overseas does not have quite the same brand image as it does in the US. BMW sold entry level cars, such as this one, not just exclusively luxury/sporty cars. M40 equipped tourings were built to compete with other station wagon econoboxes. They're not viewed as special cars elsewhere, so neglect over their entire life from new is a real possibility.

[roguetoaster]

Keep in mind, a BMW overseas does not have quite the same brand image as it does in the US. BMW sold entry level cars, such as this one, not just exclusively luxury/sporty cars. M40 equipped tourings were built to compete with other station wagon econoboxes. They're not viewed as special cars elsewhere, so neglect over their entire life from new is a real possibility.

That is an excellent point. However, most cars in countries that have annual inspections are generally well kept. Be wary of ex-German cars is other countries, as that normally means that those cars cannot pass TUV.

[gs_subsea]

Does'nt have a wiring cover for what I can see, these are the seller's pictures. I am travelling to europe and was planning to see it in person and buy it. I will be calling the seller to at least see if he has a story for what you brought up to satisfy my curiosity.

as much as I want a touring, I agree, this one , unfortunately does not seem to be the one...:(