E30 Resource Thread

The most important and relevant questions and helpful information pertaining to the maintenance, restoration, or modification of the beloved E30 BMW 3 Series gets posted here.

Please chime in.

Edit:

This thread consists of:

The official Bimmerfest E30 FAQ thread
E30 DIY Links
Sources of Vacuum Leaks

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E30 Owners Manual

http://jon.bimmerfest.com/bulletins/e30_manual.pdf
(to download, right click then "Save As")

Please note: Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

Please also allow ample time for this 8MB file to download...

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Originally Posted by Jon

The most important and relevant questions and helpful information pertaining to the maintenance, restoration, or modification of the beloved E30 BMW 3 Series gets posted here.

Please chime in.

Thanks Jon I've noticed we have added a few new members and we seem to be answering ALOT of the same questions over and over again so I asked Jon to give us a sticky for our MOST commonly asked questions (Timing belt DIY,SI batteries). This is long overdue and hopefully will help tone down the amount of threads being posted that are cluttering our board. In the next few days I will be digging up some of the DIY's I have written and posting links here. If you know of a DIY or tip feel free to post them here.


For ABS Light info: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=148911
Cluster issues unrelated to SI's:http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=123222 http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=123934

Someone needs to add something to this thread. Its been a Year!!

What common procedures/parts need addressing?

Originally Posted by stategorgeous

What common procedures/parts need addressing?

For you, Timing belt would be a major priority.

Fuel filter

rear shock mounts

Looking for e30 HP #'s by model and year.....

you should add wheel and tire info!

Perhaps some info on sensors and symptoms:
- crank angle sensor
- mass flow intake sensor

i think it might be helpful to throw in a sticky for possible vac leaks... maybe it will alleviate some questions

2 good ones i found were


1. o rings on the oil dipstick

2. clutch master cylinder hose off brake master cylinder leaking



has anyone figured out how to make the elbow that goes into the intake from IACV not leak? im thinkn rtv or possibly tappn it and threading it for a brass elbow!

another good one is the valve cover gasket. had that on my midget, took me about a week to figure that one out.

Originally Posted by turdlecharge

i think it might be helpful to throw in a sticky for possible vac leaks... maybe it will alleviate some questions

2 good ones i found were


1. o rings on the oil dipstick

2. clutch master cylinder hose off brake master cylinder leaking



has anyone figured out how to make the elbow that goes into the intake from IACV not leak? im thinkn rtv or possibly tappn it and threading it for a brass elbow!

JB weld those elbows back into the intake.
Other notorious ones are the oil drain back tube seal, hose fittings on the throttle body, injectors not seated, valve cover.

What indication did you guys experience that prompted you to check for leak. Better yet: if the valve cover seal is leaking what indication one can experience. Here's my situation. I replace the TPS and clean the ICV. the engine light still comes on off and on and a steady light. The idles when I come to stop light or sign then it will flactuate. I can tell the ICV is working and is clean because when you first start the car the rpm will be high for a second or two then it drops to proper rpm. Also, when the car is idling and flactuates then pull the tube from the valve cover. the front tube idle will be smooth but high. Can someone tell me what that indicates aside from idling high.

if the valve cover seal is leaking what indication one can experience

i found mine by mistake, sort of. i had a leaking valve cover gasket, and when i pulled the cover there was a small gap to where the crankcase pressure was released. and after i replaced that, it ran decent until the head gasket went. after i replaced that i have the same syptoms. but as SWISS stated "the oil drain back tube" might be leaking on mine. i kinda found the o-ring on the ground after i put everything back on. and i didnt want to takle that one for a bit.

Another spot is the oil cap. Pretty much you need to rev your engine and listen for the hiss. My indication that I had a leak came in the form of poor idle and the infamous 1222 CEL code. Idle I discovered was part vacuum leak but more Bosch plat +4 plugs, M20's don't like them. the other was a O ring I forgot on the oil drain back tube when I did the head. And boy is that fun to do without removing the intake....

+ 2 on Swiss and Downhiller but come on Swiss. JB weld... I thought you were better than that... Replace, reduce, recycle. Sell your old parts on E-bay and buy new to make up the difference.

The last time the valve cover was off the engine was when I painted it but that was a year ago. It was idling normal my idle problem did not start until just recently. I plan on taking the intake off in the near future to combat those vacuum line. I am going to replace them with steal line with as little rubber tube coupling them together to eliminate the worry of any vacuum leak coming from there and of course the hassel of removing the intake just to get the line.

I will investigate the oil filler cap idea.

well here is one i found today...got me a can of carb cleaner and sprayed around like everyone else has done before...i was getting the same symtoms idle fluctuates when in neutral...like i said started spraying around the engine looking for that vacuum leak and just could not find anything at all the vacuum lines that i could see....then just for the sake of it...i sprayed at the bottom of the fuel injectors and lo and behold i had a reaction...found out that the o rings on my fuel injectors were deterioted and was leaking there...changed the o rings and finally got to adjust and time the engine so that it did on rev up and down...hope this help some one out too...

I thought this was a sticky...not a q/a forum...

Originally Posted by Mike_Check

I thought this was a sticky...not a q/a forum...

Shouldnt you be chasing genetic throwbacks? Or something?

Originally Posted by Lanc3r

Shouldnt you be chasing genetic throwbacks? Or something?

Good thread. I hate to admit that a few years ago when I was sorta green on vacuum leaks, I was looking all over for one with no luck. Later a fellow came by to buy something I had on Craigslist, he was there before me and he heard my engine on the way up. Turns out he and his dad are E-30 o'philes, we got to talking and he said "why-oncha pop that hood and start it up again." I got out the carb cleaner and it was the biggest possible source of vacuum leak -- the intake manifold gasket!

Oopsie.

Idles just fine now.

California Smog Check Assistance Program

If you meet certain requirements you can get up to $500 from the State of California to repair your emission control equipment:

http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARR...sist_FAQs.html

http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARR...ms/CAP_App.pdf

So my cars got some miles on her around about 500k but hey shes still stock and ran great til i hopped in and she didnt want to idle and after i revved her up to 3 grand she cleared up now its a constant miss Anyways heres a few things going on.......in 5th gear at 2500 rpms i can let out of it and see the economy gage go near 40mpg and it sounds like shes cuttin out I dunno the only thing i can figure is a vacuum leak to happen in one night

Originally Posted by Lars_5687

So my cars got some miles on her around about 500k but hey shes still stock and ran great til i hopped in and she didnt want to idle and after i revved her up to 3 grand she cleared up now its a constant miss Anyways heres a few things going on.......in 5th gear at 2500 rpms i can let out of it and see the economy gage go near 40mpg and it sounds like shes cuttin out I dunno the only thing i can figure is a vacuum leak to happen in one night

Could be a few things. Id start by checking the O2 sensor and AFM.

Originally Posted by Lanc3r

Could be a few things. Id start by checking the O2 sensor and AFM.

Well i played with the distibutor and i got a lil better timing now its not a "sputtery" but now I lose HP at 3 grand and it wont Idol..ive replaced half the vacumm lines i could see im prolly missing the key one