MLM 57 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 Hey all, I have jus test driven an E30 1989 318i as a potential car for the GF. On the test drive I noted a few things: 1) The rev counter, fuel usage and mileometer was not going and there was a bit of tape covering the service lights. Is this a major or could this be a fuse which runs this all blown somewhere. The owner was surprised as this was apparently working previously 2) The engine also had a ticking from the rocker cover. Is this an adjustment thing or wear and tear? The car had 188,000kays on the clock with a full service history and a rust free body. however i dont want to buy a bunch of problems electrically or mechanically. Also any other advice on what to look for on this model would be great. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1283 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 the ticking will most likly be a worn camshaft and rockers . very comon on these m40 engines , so be prepaired to spend some $$$$ on fixing that . might get away with adjustment , easy enough to remove the rocker cover and check for wear in the camshaft lobes , maybe you can see it though the oil filler cap with a strong torch , just turn the engine over untill the cam lobes are pointing up . the gauge problem shouldn't be to hard to sort , quite comon they have dry solder joints or a loose conection or earthing bolt inside the cluster , or just swap it out for another rev counter gauge etc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MLM 57 Report post Posted March 8, 2010 cheers Brent, I am having another look tomorrow so will try and check out the cam if possible. The owner mentioned he thought the sound went away once it was warm though i didnt notice this on the drive. Fingers crossed it will adjust away. we will see. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silver Fox 43 Report post Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) You can't adjust the noise away in the M40, most likely worn cam as Brent says, combined with faulty hydraulic lifters. The ticking sound will be the lifters, either not getting enough oil, or gummed up. Sometimes you can get away with cleaning them out, doing the oiler bar at the same time. If the noise doesn't go with a clean, they can be expensive to replace, so be careful. Apart from the head problems, and they are not uncommon in these, there aren't many other big problems they suffer from. Edited March 8, 2010 by Silver Fox Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
