[dstone20]

Hi. I've just bought my first BMW. It's a manual 1998 520i. It's got 198.000Km on the clock and needs a bit of love. The engine is is good shape but I would like to smooth out the ride. I am interested in a solid, quiet sound from the road and chassis, I only want to hear the sound of the engine while driving.

So my question is what would you recommend replacing or fixing/ torque-ing to the right specs or whatever!

I am 20 years old and trying to teach myself car maintenance.

I've put in new stabilizer links, brake lines, brake pads, and rubbers for the stabilizer bars.

I will be buying new tires and have a garage balance out the car. But they told me I should replace everything I want to replace before they optimize the balance of the car.

One last question. I hear a small bumping sound when I press down on the clutch and change gears. The gearbox is in great shape and feels good. Any ideas what I should have a look at?

Cheers from Iceland.

 

[energizedmortal]

Hello congrats on the sweet ride. Here is a "do it yourself" for the front and rear end suspension:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=399580

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=545345

 

[seemyad]

Hi. I've just bought my first BMW. It's a manual 1998 520i. It's got 198.000Km on the clock and needs a bit of love. The engine is is good shape but I would like to smooth out the ride. I am interested in a solid, quiet sound from the road and chassis, I only want to hear the sound of the engine while driving.

So my question is what would you recommend replacing or fixing/ torque-ing to the right specs or whatever!

I am 20 years old and trying to teach myself car maintenance.

I've put in new stabilizer links, brake lines, brake pads, and rubbers for the stabilizer bars.

I will be buying new tires and have a garage balance out the car. But they told me I should replace everything I want to replace before they optimize the balance of the car.

One last question. I hear a small bumping sound when I press down on the clutch and change gears. The gearbox is in great shape and feels good. Any ideas what I should have a look at?

Cheers from Iceland.

30 years ago I purchased a Pontiac Sunbird. The thing was rusted out along the bottom of the doors but she never left me stranded.

Anyway, I had a "bumping sound" when I hit the accelerator while in drive. It turned out to be a bad motor-mount. When I popped the hood you could see one side of the engine jump an inch or so especially when in gear, applying the breaks so she couldn't move, and then giving her some gas. I stood to the side of the car while a mechanic showed me how the engine was jumping when torque was applied. I had the motor-mount changed and that fixed it.

Other areas to look at are the
Differential (may also feel the thump)
A loose brake caliper (may not feel the thump)
Either end or the middle of the drive shaft (may also feel the thump)

In the states we pay for a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI). I just paid for another PPI after five years of ownership just to see if anything needed to be addressed that I may not have been aware of. They gave me a printout of everything they checked along with a printout of recommended services.

Hope this helps.