Messages

1

Electrical / Tach only works when ambient temp is warm, looking for ts

« on: April 12, 2011, 11:12:42 AM »

Hey All, had my 318is for a year and a half now and unfortunately i have only experienced the tach/MPG gauge for about 7 months due to cold weather :-)

basically on spring days like today, when it's cool in the AM (less than 70 deg F), the tach/MPG will be inoperable. in the afternoon when it gets up to the 80's both are just fine. rinse, repeat. during the height of the summer, it will always work, and even in the wintertime when we get the occasional Southern Warm Snap, it's just fine.

All other gauges/lights work fine.

here's what I have change/done:

SI batteries were changed a day before i picked her up
new (stock) ECU with stock chip (my current ECU has an ebay chip installed)
put stock chip from new ECU in my existing ECU
bought a newly refreshed cluster with new SI batteries and bulbs, no difference.

at this point, I am thinking it is harness related, or connector related. Any opinions?

2

For Sale / kit installed

« on: November 14, 2010, 02:30:29 PM »

for now the wiring i will leave as is, until i figure out a better way of routing.

the kit is real nice. in general my M42 is smoother all around, a worthwhile upgrade.

3

For Sale / Coil on Plug Kit

« on: November 10, 2010, 09:56:33 AM »

only two kits left.. get them before they are gone.

got my kit the other day, installed flawlessly (aside from me not being able to find my 10mm deep socket) and works great. Once i get my wiring cleaned up i'll post an after shot. good kit, good seller :-)

4

Off-topic discussion / What was your first car?

« on: June 22, 2010, 11:57:44 AM »

84 delphin 325e 5-speed. loved it. since then i've gone through quite a few E30s before settling on my current 2.

5

General Topics / does your harness in the engine bay look like this?

« on: December 17, 2009, 01:11:45 PM »

I'm sorry, that picture is too big. Can you find a smaller pic please.

i reread my post, not only is the picture WAY too big...but the engrish in it is  awesome. I mean who needs punctuation...or a coherent sentence structure for that matter, to communicate?

thanks for the replies everyone, i was just wondering if they all had that harness bundle that crosses over the battery tray. my questions have been answered. now back to reading that manual on how to post crap on the internets

6

General Topics / does your harness in the engine bay look like this?

« on: December 15, 2009, 11:07:56 PM »

just wondering what your harness that is coming off of the firewall onto the pass side of the engine bay where the battery could possibly be in other non-is applications. does this look right?

7

Engine + Driveline / M42 cold start ticking

« on: December 04, 2009, 11:21:48 AM »

It's not critical.  They do that to annoy you.   I've had cars with soft lifters rattle like that for years.  Beats adjusting the valves every 12k miles (like on my 525iM), that's for sure.

I'd definitely change over to 15w40 synthetic on your next change, a 5 quart jug of Mobil1 is only ~$30 at Wally World.  You can usually find some coupons for free filters at Pep Boys or Advance Auto with five quarts.  The engine might leak a little more but it'll definitely run better.

New to the e30 or BMWs in general?

thanks for the info Dave, i'll try the oil next change. Not new to E30s or BMWs, i've had a whole slew of E30's but they were all variants of the M20, right now this 318is joins my E30 M3.

Nick, i found this: http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Article/48377/toubleshooting_bmw_hydraulic_bucket_tappet_problems.aspx

i might try that when i do my oil change next.

8

Engine + Driveline / M42 cold start ticking

« on: December 03, 2009, 10:39:44 AM »

i put in 20w50 conventional oil. on this last change. should i try something thinner like 15w40?

i guess the real question is, can i continue to drive it this way, or should that be something that gets looked at asap. (there are other things i need to spend a bit of money on mechanically, trying to tackle the most important things first)

9

Engine + Driveline / M42 cold start ticking

« on: December 03, 2009, 10:06:46 AM »

I just replaced my chain tensioner, didn't fix the problem. When the engine is cold, it sounds like a sewing machine M20 for just a few minutes. i usually let it idle for a minute or two then drive off slowly. By the time i'm two minutes in to the drive, the engine is quiet, no ticking. it is quiet after a warm start, doesn't have any problems starting, or idling. the e30 is new to me, i know the head was rebuilt by the PO though. any ideas?

10

Engine + Driveline / cold start....wierd noise(please help)

« on: November 23, 2009, 04:15:01 PM »

so ive noticed a wierd sort of ticking noise but it only does it for about 2-5 minutes then it goes away....:confused:

any ideas on how to fix this?
thanks!

hmmm this post was from a while ago...but did this fix your ticking? i have a new M44 tensioner on the way because mine does the same thing. when it's quiet...it's real quiet. but cold starts sound like the children of lucifer are having a party in my engine bay.

11

General Topics / got a 318is to add to the stable

« on: November 19, 2009, 02:33:39 PM »

Just wanted to say hi! 5 days ago i picked up a 318is from NY (thanks O!) and drove it 900 miles home in one shot. She will join the stable next to my 89 M3, yay 4cyl BMWs. since i've had her, i've removed the airbag wheel and put on a Personål wheel/shift knob. i've got some window weather stripping on the way, and i'll be hitting up the pick n pull this weekend for some door frame gaskets.

Cosmetically there is work to be done (door dings and what appears to be the result of a slight collision with...something low and...soft...) outside, the interior is really damn beautiful. mechanically she's in pretty good shape.

in the not too distant future i will be
- putting in my leftover M3's 4.10LSD into it
- doing some slight rust abatement.
- rebuilding the drivers side door lock tumbler
- fixing power locks/power mirrors/rear window defroster

She will be my semi-daily driver when i don't have to use the truck for work. if the weather cooperates this weekend i'll take some pics. we'll see how that works out. Anyway, look forward to getting some tips from the community here.