First BMW, First Post

[NASAg03]

I posted this on "the other" BMW forum (new here, not sure what the sentiments are towards bimmerforums, or even if that's a blocked word here).

Anyway, they wouldn't let me link to pictures, or urls. We'll see how picky yall are. Looks like I can do attachments, so this might work better here.

Just picked up a 1995 BMW 325is, Alpine w/ tan leather interior. Well, last night actually.

http://b.im.craigslist.org/G2/gJ/Glk5yutIYV3lb7ySuCiFfn0EyFwt.jpg

http://a.im.craigslist.org/jI/sB/2PICiOPL8RvnG83Mgvogzh4N1VVu.jpg

I found it on craigslist here in the Houston area, and got it for $5000.

http://houston.craigslist.org/car/140671841.html

It has 140K miles, and the guy I bought it from has had it for the past 8 years, 100K miles. He has all records, and I spent an hour last night looking through them.

Here's what I found:

1 - Oil was changed every 3K - 5K miles, receipts included.
2 - 45K and 70K services both performed.
3 - Radiator, waterpump, thermostat all replaced at 100K.
4 - AC pulley and belt replaced 1 year ago
5 - Power steering hoses replaced last summer.
6 - 1 accident, involving running over big humps in the road and damaging all wheels. 2 wheels replaced, 2 repaired via insurance.

The car drives great, and the engine pulls strong, especially from 3000K to redline, and transmission shifts smoothly.

There is a loud growling / gear noise though, and I can't pinpoint where it's coming from. Could be a vibrating driveshaft (universal joints), or maybe wore CV joints for the 1/2 shafts. Hopefully it's not the diff, because it almost sounds like gears.

Maybe the diff fluid needs changing? Or maybe it just needs new tires?

Before this car, I had a 1987 Mazda RX-7 TurboII, and did a lot of work on it. People warned me with BMW's and the price they cost for maintenance, but I'm guessing an RX-7 is much more costly maintenance wise.

http://www.teamfc3s.org/forum/members_cars_images.php?img_id=3054

http://www.teamfc3s.org/forum/members_cars.php?action=view&car_id=445

I look forward to owning this car, and hope to get many more miles off of it. And once I sell my Nissan Titan, I'll have an extra $600 - $800 a month to pay off this car, and temp me with mods.

- Mike

[Edit: had to fix IMG tag]

[n pinson]

Very nice looking car..Im sure you will learn a lot from people here at the Fest'.


Good luck with it...

[Bimrpwr]

nice car and enjoy. Also might not hurt to pick up a bently manual if you are a diy'er

[glowworm]

Sweet. Welcome to the club.

[Paz4vida]

Hey, Nice Car. Yeah, I saw your attempt to post pics on the other forum. Good luck with the car.

[ImperialDuckM3]

Excellent more BMW's owner:thumbup: Welcome bro...

[NASAg03]

Okay, I drove the car yesterday to work and back, and drove it last night. It seems there is also a noise when shifting from 1st to 2nd, and also a rather loud "thud" when going over bumps.

The rear end also shirts around when going over bumps. I'm not really suprised, since my RX-7 did the same. Seems these RWD cars have similar issues with rear bushings. But the issues with my RX-7 trailing arm bushings weren't as important as with this car, or so it seems.

I did some searching and it seems my problems may be due to blown rear shock mounts (RSM), rear trailing arm bushings (RTAB), and either of those could have resulted in a sub-frame tear.

Scarey!

I should have talked this guy down and done my research before I bought the car! But, it's kind of hard to check for problems on a car you've never owned before.

So, I guess this weekend I will jack up the car and start playing around with the rear suspension and inspect for any damage.

What are the best jacking points & jackstand points on this car???

Thanks for the warm welcome, and I expect to spend a lot of time here. I am a car forum junky, and frequent them in the evening and at lunch at work.

And yes, I plan on getting a service manual soon, especially in light of the current issues.

[Dudesky_E36]

What are the best jacking points & jackstand points on this car???
Here's a good place to start, before you get your Bentley manual . .

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/tech_main.htm

Toward the bottom, under Miscellaneous, there is an article on how to properly jack up your E36.

Another site with good articles: www.understeer.com

They're not that hard to work on, and the parts aren't really that much more expensive. Besides, you sound like you know your way around a car pretty well . . good luck and have fun, post often!

[jer25]

um....are you trying to sell the rx-7???

[NASAg03]

Nah, sold the RX-7 about 1 1/2 years ago for $5000.

[PhilipWOT]

If you had an RX-7, the maintenance on your BMW should be cake.

[LuvThatSam]

Very nice:thumbup: So what are the big plans for it, any mods in mind?????????

[NASAg03]

Very nice:thumbup: So what are the big plans for it, any mods in mind?????????

Right now, I'm just working on getting it in optimal condition. The previous owner didn't take it to teh track or anything, just a basic DD while in college and after college, with oil changes and basic maintenance as needed.

As a result, lots of stuff needs replacing - which means it's time for aftermarket! Hey, I can't help it that the front & rear suspension both need work and there are lots of good parts out there for it :dunno:

So, I plan on ordering some RSM's, shocks & struts, RTABs, RSM support this weekend. I also want to jack up my car and check everything out underneath, looking for any cracks or other possible failures, and to get an idea what makes this car tick.

I need to look into the center diff support, since I've got speed-dependent road noise, and also check out the flex disc.

Also, the glove box is scewed, so that needs fixing, and I need a new shift knob since the stock one spins around.

And the paint is scratched up, so i'm going to try some rubbing compound and some wax to see if that helps.

And I think I'm going to debadge this weekend.

Lots of stuff, to keep me busy this year!

[NASAg03]

If you had an RX-7, the maintenance on your BMW should be cake.

Yeah, I'll trade suspension problems for engine / transmission problems any day!

I didnt' like the constant worry that was my Wankel. But, it's a German design, so I guess I can't knock it that bad! Those cars seemed to have constant engine hiccups, where every day was a new troubleshooting session.

Even with my rebuilt TII, I had cold start problems that my mechanic (only one in San Antonio) couldn't even diagnose.

The E36 is much more common, seems easier to work on, and has more aftermarket and online support. I look forward to working on it. :thumbup:

[Stantazzo]

On a car with this many miles be prepared to start replacing wheel bearings, shock mounts, engine mounts, transmission mounts, and all rubber bushings within the next 100k miles.

Replacing your fuel injectors in the next 50k miles will significantly boost your mileage, as well.

Other than that, your engine will probably be fine! Not trying to scare you, just preparing you. Most of what I mentioned above all fails with age on these cars.

[NASAg03]

Yeah, that's what I've been finding from searching this forum and bf.c and the DIY's. I'm going to lift up the car this weekend and start inspecting under it for any issues, and I plan on pulling out the trunk carpeting to get ready for RSM and rear shock replacement.

The constant grinding / roaring sound might be a wheel bearing.

Just gotta replace things one at a time over teh next few months to figure out what all is causing issues.