lukeappleby

Hey Beemer fans, I'm after a quick indication of whether this is a simple fix, or a mechanic job - wasn't sure whether to devote a whole thread to it. The car is a 1989 BMW E30 320i coupe, more than 250k on the clock. I'm finding that after not driving the car for a fair time (1-2 weeks) while having it parked outside, when I do start it I'm getting a lot of hesitation, rough idling and even idling off. After persisting through the stuttering and frankly scary intersection close calls, it will eventually come right after warming up and will be fine as long as I start and give it a good run every few days. Am I wrong to be suspecting some kind of moisture leak, or similar problem within the fuel system? It gets pretty wet here in Welly, and the rainy days seem to choke it up when it gets left outside. I've noticed the boot surrounding the fuel tank inlet is perished and has small holes, could water be getting into the fuel through there? I initially thought it may have been the pod I put in sucking in moisture somehow, and so have gone back to factory with an aftermarket flat panel but the problem persists. Like I said, just looking for a rough indication on whether to take the old girl down to JK Southern for some care, or whether this is common in older E30s. I should also add it got an elite service from Pit Stop less than a month ago, so fluids etc should be sweet. Thanks in advance, sorry if this has been covered, if so please point me in the right direction. LA

Cheers guys, hopefully will see you around - I take it Jon's in Berhampore is the place to be - will have to pay a visit fairly soon. @E36V8 probably could - let's just hope we've got gas to run them in 30 years

Hey everyone how's it going? I'm Luke aka rpmE30, nice to meet you. I finally got around to getting myself an E30 - 89 320i auto coupe, charcoal grey. She's done 224, I'm the third owner in NZ. From the look of it, there haven't been any modifications at all, no leaks or spots, paint and panel is clean bar a small ding on top of the boot. Here are the mandatory first snaps, but I have to apologize, these snaps are from the former owner. I''ll get my hands on it in a couple of days and do some proper photos. About me? Well I'm a journalist by day, photography geek, lover of beer. I was a car detailer and a stevedore (that's a wharfie) before journalism, and did a bit of parts interpreting at a panel shop in Brissy. Anyway, looking forward to getting to know you all, maybe help out with some car photography in the Welly region, and definitely ask a few questions if I'm stuck. Cheers