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I am not kidding here...
Smack dash on on the right side of the cluster where it rises up at like 30 degrees. Not too hard, but firm. On almost every E30 I have ever been in, that little maneuver is needed to make the backlighting for those gauges work.
Just did this on my wife's '89 325i and found that the steering coupling assembly is different than the one on my '91 318i. The one on the 325i is much larger then the one on our cars. I had to drop the rack in order to remove it. I'm not sure if that would be necessary on ours. I sawed off the rivets with a hacksaw and then pushed out the remainder of the rivets with a 2-jaw puller (worked really nice for the job). Here are some photos for comparison followed by something I posted on another forum earlier today.
'91 318i (topside)
'89 325i (topside)
'91 318i (underside)
'89 325i (underside)
Here's what I posted on R3V earlier today...
Actually, I finally did this job on my wife's stock '89 325i this past weekend using the IE coupler above. Prior to the replacement, the original coupler appeared to be in decent shape with no obvious signs of cracking or deterioration. Even after I removed it from the car it looked ok. However, when looking down on the coupler from the engine bay, you could see the coupler flex when the steering wheel was turned . This explained why the steering wheel would turn a few degrees before the tires would respond. After the replacement, there is zero flex in the coupler so the tires turn in unison with the steering wheel . There was no noticeable increase in vibration in the steering wheel either (keep in mind this was done on a stock suspension). Overall, I'm very happy with the product and the positive difference in steering feel and would recommend this upgrade to anyone needing to change their stock coupler.
Replacement tips (sorry no photos):
1)Although I did the job without removing the steering rack completely, in hind sight, it most likely is easier to just remove it. Either way, rack bolts have to be removed in order to move the rack down and towards the front of the car.
2)You'll need a big ass flat head screwdriver to wedge into the coupling slots. These couplings were a pain in the ass to pull them off while under the car.
3)I used a pair of dikes to cut away the old rubber coupler. This separates the whole assembly into 2 pieces.
4)I sawed off the rivets that held the coupler in place as close to the universal joint as possible. Once sawed off I used a 2 jaw puller to push what remained of the rivet out.
5)When putting the assembly back on the car, I found it easier to slide the couplings on the splined shafts one end at a time. Once each end was on, I then attached the new coupler between the 2 ends and tightened the nuts and bolts using a little lock-tite.
Hope this helps.
rivets? the rubber part is held in with 4 nuts n bolts...i'm not seein the rivets..
G
It's a 91 318i...
Use an OHM meter to check resistance on the plug wires. I honestly don't know what the spec is, but if one is far off from any others, that could be your problem.
My #2 went bad and I couldn't tell until I had swapped it out with one I got from the yard and the car ran better (not great, but better). These can be tested regardless of valve cover installation.
Hell I figured it out which one was the problem when I unplugged it while the engine was running and noticed #2 removed didn't cause the car to run any worse!
I doubt you have a coil issue, possible, but unlikely. I have no idea how to test it wouth having an extra pack. I now have 2 laying around the garage.
Perhaps the fuel filter is clogged, that could cause lean conditions and lead to misfiring. If you happen to fill up just after the truck that refilled the tanks pulled out you can get a lot of the dirt and junk that was stirred up.
Since you still have the valve cover off, I'd get the motor to TDC. IIRC there is a way to stick a bolt through an access hole at the back of the block and lock the motor at TDC. From there you can check the cams are timed correctly. I honestly don't recall what the marks look like. It's been 6 years since I've tore open one of these.
Have you checked things like the plug wires and spark plugs? possible you got a bad tank of gas, or put low octane in and urns getting mad?
Aah yeah just leave that disconnected. It hooks up a sensor to the ECU that is used on cars with no O2 sensor. A lot of people mistakenly connect it and it makes the ECU angry.
I was referring to the 4 bolts holding each sprocket/gear to the cams. You'll notice that they are slotted. Typically, the bolts sit in the middle of the slot, as opposed to all the way to one side.
Both cams look like they are off. Are the bolts holding the sprockets to the cams tight? Generally, the bolts are centered in the sprockets' slots. You will need to set the motor to TDC and check the alignment of everything before messing with that though as the PO may have done something sloppily.
Other than that, I would guess that the problem is the little gray connector on the wiring harness up on the firewall. Pull the black plastic cover and look for a single wire connector. If it is connected, unplug it and that should fix your issues. This only applies if you have a car with an O2 sensor & catalytic converter though (assuming you are in the US, where all cars do).
