What is this ?

Today i had some free time , so i decided to clean the car ...
while i was doing so , decided to spray the squeaky clutch pedal with some WD-40 ( the squeak was really annoying) ... when i removed the panel covering the bottom of the dashboard .. i found some plugs that were not connected to anything .. i wonder if somebody knows what they are ?

here are the pictures

also , an unrelated question .... i've been reading alot that the M20 engines built before 1989 had a problem with the engine head bolts... that they were Hex bolts that would come loose... and they were recalled .. and an update was made to the torx bolts ....
i opened up my oil cap .. and saw one bolt that looked like torx bolt .... is that indeed torx ? does that mean my engine is one of those with the torx bolts rather than the hex bolts even though its an 1988 engine ?
picture below

Originally Posted by David Arabiat

also , an unrelated question .... i've been reading alot that the M20 engines built before 1989 had a problem with the engine head bolts... that they were Hex bolts that would come loose... and they were recalled .. and an update was made to the torx bolts ....
i opened up my oil cap .. and saw one bolt that looked like torx bolt .... is that indeed torx ? does that mean my engine is one of those with the torx bolts rather than the hex bolts even though its an 1988 engine ?
picture below

Yes that's a torx bolt.

Probably?!? Don't know about the torx vs hex thing. But you can find out if you find the part no# or run the vin through realoem or a dealer. That's my best guess outside of maybe the head was rebuilt and the PO put those in. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Yes that's a torx , but I believe thats only the bolt to hold the rocker assembly ...

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Originally Posted by supertech777

Yes that's a torx , but I believe thats only the bolt to hold the rocker assembly ...

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yeah then i shouldnt get that common problem of the bolt coming loose inside the engine and doing alot of damage sice those are the torx bolts.... i should however take off the cover and make sure all of the bolts are torx ..

There are almost no 1988 M20 engines that have not been rebuilt since then. Mine has, its an 8/88 build date and new torx bolts were used.

So you should be set!

AS for the plugs, it is hard to say since the cars were equipped with the wiring harnesses for all options, but the options were never installed for some models depending on what the customer ordered.

My guess is it has to do with parked car ventilation or some other IHKR related system, but the option was never installed. You will notice later on that newer cars do not have these connectors because BMW wanted to save some money.


That second picture though!!! Very interesting!
That is the vacuum operated climate control temperature sensor. Only the very very early E34's had those. There should be a vacuum line coming from the engine that plugs into that the rubber outlet on top of the sensor. The sensor should also have its own plug that goes to the IHKR control module.

I see that they never opened the cutout for the OBC/check control gong next to the temp sensor in your panel.
Do you not have an OBC? What is the build date of your model? (check the drivers door jamb).

Originally Posted by paperplane94

There are almost no 1988 M20 engines that have not been rebuilt since then. Mine has, its an 8/88 build date and new torx bolts were used.

So you should be set!

AS for the plugs, it is hard to say since the cars were equipped with the wiring harnesses for all options, but the options were never installed for some models depending on what the customer ordered.

My guess is it has to do with parked car ventilation or some other IHKR related system, but the option was never installed. You will notice later on that newer cars do not have these connectors because BMW wanted to save some money.


That second picture though!!! Very interesting!
That is the vacuum operated climate control temperature sensor. Only the very very early E34's had those. There should be a vacuum line coming from the engine that plugs into that the rubber outlet on top of the sensor. The sensor should also have its own plug that goes to the IHKR control module.

I see that they never opened the cutout for the OBC/check control gong next to the temp sensor in your panel.
Do you not have an OBC? What is the build date of your model? (check the drivers door jamb).

no OBC on my car ... the built date .. ill will check .. but its a very very early model .. i think it was built in 1987 as the 1988 model .. ill have to check whats written on the door jamb as u mentioned

by the way ... the noise from the clutch pedal is gone ....
and .. the car isnt as dirty and ugly as the pictures seem to show :P ... i think the flash made things look dirty :P

on the E32, that is VERY similar to the door chime speaker. not sure what it is on E34 because my E34 runs an E32 loom, but its possibly the same. not having an OBC would also help explain this, though my 520i didn't have an OBC but had door chime, but that had a different gauge cluster as well.

hope that helps

when i first saw it ... it looked to me like a plug for the diagnostic tool ... i dont have OBC ... so the plug might be there .. but not connected to anything since there is no OBC ...
im not really an expert in those things ... just a guess :-P

a closer shot :

I am almost certain that it is a climate control temp sensor that uses engine vacuum to draw cabin air over the sensor.
It was used on the e28 5 series and discontinued for the e34. Only very few e34's have this sensor since BMW carried it over from the e28.

here

similar to #10 in this photo:


for the e28 5er:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...64&fg=15&hl=16

relevant thread:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=603774

but an 1988 car shouldnt have this climate control temp sensor .... or should it ? if its there , then why isnt it connected to anything ?
seems like the exact same thing as the one in paperplanes link ... only that one is in a 2001 car .... should i investigate some more ? maybe try to find someone who could plug it in somewhere ? or should i just forget it exists ?

a bit hard to tell in the photos, but there should be a 7 digit part number on it somewhere.

almost all genuine BMW parts have a part number on them somewhere, even something so small as a plug. the only part i have ever come across that done are pins/clips that hold door cards on and also the plastic headlight covers in the engine bay

Originally Posted by robertobaggio20

hi David,

Saw your engine's pictures online.

That's alot of gunk on your engine dude ! The previous owners did not take care of your engine.

Add 1-2 quarts of pump diesel to your crankcase and run at idle for 20 minutes at the next oil change. After that, add cheap mineral oil and do another 1-2 quarts of diesel right away, then change filter and add the right oil. Do not drive the car while doing this, do not rev the engine either. Leave it at idle throughout. Take another picture after that of the same location and post it up here. Also state if you notice any performance changes...might not be a great test because you'll be using new oil which always makes the engine feel better, but who knows.


cheers,
Roberto

u know what .. i was thinking the same thing .. the engine is not very clean ... but then i saw lots of videos online .. all of the engines seem to be yellowish/brownish from the inside ... i tried swiping it with my finger .. doesnt go away ...
do u think those things they sell in the stations really work ? ... i once did it to my brothers Skoda .. the oil changing dude told me to try one engine cleaning product because he noticed that the oil inside the engine is very dark ... so i agreed .. the engine seemed to become a little bit smoother ....

but on my BMW i didnt try those things ... the way he did it , is add 2 cans of that stuff into the engine with the old oil inside .. let the car idle for 10 minutes ... them make the oil change ....

it would be easier for me to try those products .. because i honestly dont know whats pump diesel and mineral water is .. or where to get them .... any suggestions concerning those engine cleaning products ?

cant send u a private message , thats why i replied here ... sorry

Oo diesel flush is back LOL watch out !

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Originally Posted by supertech777

Oo diesel flush is back LOL watch out !

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watch out ? does that mean its risky or what ?

LOLOL just dont put diesel in your car man. This has been quite the controversial topic in these parts for, no exaggeration, years.

It doesnt need to be discussed again.

Originally Posted by 95 E34

LOLOL just dont put diesel in your car man. This has been quite the controversial topic in these parts for, no exaggeration, years.

It doesnt need to be discussed again.

so how do i get the engines guts cleaned ?

Originally Posted by David Arabiat

so how do i get the engines guts cleaned ?

First off, if the junk doesn't interfere with oil flow to the rings, bearing journals, and cam followers, then it's just part of owning an older engine.

Secondly, doing that thoroughly would require inspecting the integrity of the lube system by disassembling things.

It might look like hell, but I can guarantee you that simply removing 15 years of surface deposit / varnish from a rocker arm or from the underside of a valve cover won't do anything of significance.

OTOH cleaning and lapping the valves (by taking apart the head) and blueprinting the injectors, for example, would make for a world of difference.

Originally Posted by David Arabiat

watch out ? does that mean its risky or what ?

Diesel fuel is a solvent. It will thin your motor oil. When your oil is broken down by the diesel you could have damage to the delicate bearing surfaces in the engine.

Pointeless, as mentioned, and yes, potentially damaging.

Originally Posted by Radian

OTOH cleaning and lapping the valves (by taking apart the head) and blueprinting the injectors, for example, would make for a world of difference.

I agree with this. New gaskets and plugs and cleaned injectors and filters and fluid make a world of difference

Originally Posted by paperplane94

I see that they never opened the cutout for the OBC/check control gong next to the temp sensor in your panel.
Do you not have an OBC? What is the build date of your model? (check the drivers door jamb).

my door jamb only has tire pressure info ... no build date label there