Got them E30 problems

I bought a 1985 BMW 325e Friday evening. It breaks down in traffic in Columbia maybe 10 minutes after I bought it. I test drove it twice before buying it and everything seemed fine. No weird idle and no breaking down. So a lady in a Volvo gives me a jump and I drive it to a parking lot and it stays there for a few days and my uncle and I go pick it up with his trailer. So we get it home and buy a new battery and it starts right up and drives. Hooray.




But then this morning it died and wouldn't start. Then the key wouldn't turn in the ignition. It also idles weird. The RPMs keep fluctuating at idle and it dies if they dip too low. Grant said that it might be caused by a dirty mass air sensor and idle air control. I have no idea what I'm doing and would probably only make matters worse, so I asked my mechanic uncle to give a shot for me. That would hopefully fix the idle problem. Now how about the dying problem? Any of you guys know anything about that? I made a video of the weird idle to see if that would give anybody any clues. Also, I made an E30Tech account but it won't let me post or do anything.

Also, the MPG gauge started going crazy right after I stopped filming.
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10200766009222886"; width="480" height="640" frameborder="0"></iframe>




So far, I'm really liking the idea of trading it for something that works. But I guess I'll try to get it fixed. If not, then I'm screwed. Because right now I'm supposed to be at work.


This must be what it's like to have an Alfa Romeo. My 2nd gear syncrho is completely shot, too. And it has a little rust.

Oh yeah, on the low beams only one headlight works. but when I switch on the high beams all 4 work.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2013 05:54AM by TylerEstes.

Go get your .380 back and shoot the car.

Vacuum leaks, maybe a torn intake boot, bunch of oil in the air flow box, you should be able to up the minimum idle stop to keep it from dipping too low. Travel computers on old BMWs are pretty iffy.

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heymagic
Go get your .380 back and shoot the car.

Vacuum leaks, maybe a torn intake boot, bunch of oil in the air flow box, you should be able to up the minimum idle stop to keep it from dipping too low. Travel computers on old BMWs are pretty iffy.

I thought about it at least 3 times. I'll check that out. Hopefully I'll be able to turn the key.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?

A HURRRRRRRRR DURRRRRRRRRRRRR. It'sa no wonder why-a she no run good.

I had it running, then my uncle and I ran a test on the starter after it died and wouldn't start back up. And by test, I of course mean grabbing the nearest fence post and hitting the starter with it.




So then he ordered a new starter and it should get here tomorrow. And then hopefully my car will work.


My uncle told the story to his boss and he said "A hurrrrrr it's lak tryin' ter fix a Bee Emm Dubbya with a fence post." And then I got very disappoint with just everything.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?

perfect....you owe me 5 cents.

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TylerEstes


A HURRRRRRRRR DURRRRRRRRRRRRR. It'sa no wonder why-a she no run good.

I had it running, then my uncle and I ran a test on the starter after it died and wouldn't start back up. And by test, I of course mean grabbing the nearest fence post and hitting the starter with it.




So then he ordered a new starter and it should get here tomorrow. And then hopefully my car will work.


My uncle told the story to his boss and he said "A hurrrrrr it's lak tryin' ter fix a Bee Emm Dubbya with a fence post." And then I got very disappoint with just everything.

Gawddammit Tyler! Howz you gonna build a Sooooooper bitchin Xratty if you throw away money for a new starter wifout pulling the gawddamn thing and testing first?
Not engaging? SOLENOID, you noid!



Whip it out, pull the two screws you see and then at like 11 and 4 in the pretty piccie is a solder connection.
You unsolder those 2 connectionis:get it roasty toasty and then sling it --the solder ---out. Remove top , shake out the 2 large fat copper discs which are all charred from making and breaking contact a bazzillion times.
Or maybe like in the piccie:



Spiff 'em up with 80grit paper of a vicious wire wheel till they all minty fresh, reassemble.
Now compare work---2 columns NEW and Rebuilt
R&R started is the same so it cancels...
Rebuilt: 2 solder connections, 2 scrrews, and nuts..
Savings 45-200 bucks.

You gonna be a rallyista, you gotta watch the dollares, pendejo!

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
heymagic
perfect....you owe me 5 cents.

You think I'm Bill Gates? I don't have that kind of cash just laying around.

And JVL, the new starter was ordered before you posted that.
And as of now, I'm putting rallying on hold. Not that I've actually taken any actions other than "Hey bro, sell me your Merkur?" I've only had my license since September. That's like 6 months. I have almost no driving experience. I should have thought of that while I had a raging rally boner for two years. But I just bought a Ford Fuck Us an hour ago so I don't have to choose between seat time and going to work.


The new plan is get seat time, and then do the basic Xratty plan. I'd just use my E30, but 2nd gear is completely gone and it's a 325e, which is the economy verson of the 325i. It has a 2.7 with 120 HP. But I think the torque is somewhere around 170 ft/lbs or so. However, it has a ZF rack and pinion steering rack and a 5 speed either a Getrag or ZF. The ratios are pretty much the same so whatever.
1st: 3.84
2nd:2.20*
3rd:1.39
4th:1.00
5th:0.81

And I forgot what ratio the LSD has.

*CRRRRRRUNCH WAAAA CRUNCH CRUNCH and then 3rd.

I don't know if it was because I haven't driven it since I fixed the vacuum leak and/or because I had to skip 2nd, but it was slow as hell when I drove it.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2013 06:25PM by TylerEstes.

You need to drive that E30 through the front window of whatever Buy Here Pay Here stealership you got it from, and have Saul Goodman on your speed dial.

You may want to poke at the front and rear subframes and front control arms of that Fuckus. Those bits rot like Ziebarted Fiats.

Hope you can get a kidney or two that work right. If somebody gave Dick Cheney a new heart, the least you could have is the ability to have a couple beers once in a while....

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

So what I'm thinking might happen is I'll gut my 325e, put on gravel tires and have it caged, and then throw money at somebody until a fully a working transmission finds its way into the car. That way I don't have to get the Xratty, re-wire it, and un-jurbo. Probably just a less restrictive head and a few other things to give it moar powarz since I don't think 120 HP would be all that fun in a RWD car. Probably less since it's 30 years old. Let's call it 95. It's slow as hell.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?

Quote
TylerEstes
So what I'm thinking might happen is I'll gut my 325e, put on gravel tires and have it caged, and then throw money at somebody until a fully a working transmission finds its way into the car. That way I don't have to get the Xratty, re-wire it, and un-jurbo. Probably just a less restrictive head and a few other things to give it moar powarz since I don't think 120 HP would be all that fun in a RWD car. Probably less since it's 30 years old. Let's call it 95. It's slow as hell.

Bad idea.... very expensive parts in those Fetrags, and need a bunch of tools. VERY spendy..
Cheaper to just buy a n.a. head and mill the fuck out of it..

Or wait bit because Rally America is already dead, just waiting for the rotten corpse to wither up and blow away, then organisers will likely go with NASA and NASA is not stupid so problem solved.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
TylerEstes
So what I'm thinking might happen is I'll gut my 325e, put on gravel tires and have it caged, and then throw money at somebody until a fully a working transmission finds its way into the car. That way I don't have to get the Xratty, re-wire it, and un-jurbo. Probably just a less restrictive head and a few other things to give it moar powarz since I don't think 120 HP would be all that fun in a RWD car. Probably less since it's 30 years old. Let's call it 95. It's slow as hell.

Pretty sure that eta motor is about 120 hp (googles it...yep).

Sell that thing to a LeMons or Chumpcar racer.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Quote
fiasco


Pretty sure that eta motor is about 120 hp (googles it...yep).

Sell that thing to a LeMons or Chumpcar racer.

Right. I just found a lot nicer E30 on CL for $3k. But I bought the E30 because I was broke and wanted an E30....because....E30. I signed up to E30tech before I even bought the car and I still can't post or do anything. Sounds pretty queer already.

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Why do you even need brakes? Are you some sort of pansy or something?

All cars are just dumb fawking cars Tyler..they're just dumb in different ways.

E30 actually are nothing special. Only one did anything remarkable (and look at that word re-mark able? or remark-able--either way it both means mark another time--mark as in notice..)
and that was the only one they bothered to but a GOOD engine in..E30 M3.

the rest are flimsy chassis and flimsy chassi parts, lousy ratios for anything but city or autobahn, and are expensive.

Don't fall for mystique and fawking brand lore.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Do you work in a paint factory or something?

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Grant Hughes

Quote
NoCoast
Do you work in a paint factory or something?

who? why?

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.