So heres my story. I just recently purchased an e36 in mid January this year. It's previous owner was a really sweet collegiate like lady, who is in school, listens to opera, and is just an all around gentle girl. The car was brand new in '98 when she bought it for around 40-50k. It's a fully loaded 323is coupe. When i first bought it there wasnt anything wrong with it from what i can tell, there weren't any sensor lights on, cept for the airbag icon on the dash which i took to my mechanic and said its because there was a piece missing or in need of a replace. He said it has something to do with the passenger belt buckle. I've been driving it for a good 2 months now. I use this car to go to work everyday, 35 miles to and 35 miles back, so about 70 everyday. It's all freeway miles. maybe a 1/2 to get to the freeway entrance, other than that its 70 miles and 75-80mph of cruising the california valley line. About 3 weeks ago, the 'check engine' light came on, and i was told that it was my gas cap being loose, so I went to an oline site and bought myself a brand new e36 cap. I waited for about a week's worth of ignition cycles hoping that the light would go off, but it didnt. I took it to the local mechanic and get a 'non in-depth' diagnosis for about 30 bucks. He tells me that the catalytic converter is bad from what the codes tell him, and thats about all he can tell me for that kind of diagnosis, he said that theres probably more wrong but that he cant tell me without paying the 150 for the in depth.... So my problem or worry is, is that my e36 shakes when i start it up now. It started out with light shakes when i started the car about a month ago. Two weeks ago the shakes started to get a little bit heavier when i start it up, like light trembles that feel like theyre coming from under the front of the car, maybe near the engine somewhere ? Since then up until now, the shakes haven't increased dramatically, but theyre starting to get a little bigger now, so now im worried. Now, this happens only when i start up my car after it's either sat there overnight or just hasn't been started up for a while. Enough so that the engine goes cold again. the shaking last about 1 to 5 minutes, it depends on how long its been off for and how cold it is. Now, the funny thing about this, is that once, its done shaking a bit, it runs perfectly fine with no problems while in motion/on the freeway, driving, etc. So now im worried that the more i drive it the more i'm hurting it. Can the catalytic converter be the culprit of all this shaking? Will spending the 150 - 300 dollars fix the cat, but the check engine light stays on ? Is it or could it be something else completely different? Does this sound like an experience you've had before? Can you offer me any kind of advice?
Any help is appreciated, and i ll answer any questions you have.
Here is a link to the diagram of the '98 chassis, i was told it was near or under the headers or someting to do with the headers that it would cost more. I don't know what the headers are so, can you tell me from this diagram?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BF83&mospid=47482&btnr=18_0189&hg=18&fg=10
Any help is appreciated, and i ll answer any questions you have.
Here is a link to the diagram of the '98 chassis, i was told it was near or under the headers or someting to do with the headers that it would cost more. I don't know what the headers are so, can you tell me from this diagram?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BF83&mospid=47482&btnr=18_0189&hg=18&fg=10
Don't ask! :irate:
