E30 problems

[foot8sativa 0]

Hey all, just picked up my first E30, drove it all the way down from Auckland to Masterton.

Any way as i was driving down noticed a few thing wrong that the previous owner didn't tell me,

firstly the odometer doesn't work, fuel gauge doesn't read right (half way is Empty), brake lining light is on, cluster lights very dull/not working, head light beams are a mess.

i had a mate have a quick look at it before i fly up, but he didn't notice it, I think i may have brought a lemon.

can anyone help?

Edited November 21, 2010 by foot8sativa

[Jacko 2157]

Hey all, just picked up my first E30, drove it all the way down from Auckland to Masterton.

Any way as i was driving down noticed a few thing wrong that the previous owner didn't tell me,

firstly the odometer doesn't work, fuel gauge doesn't read right (half way is Empty), brake lining light is on, cluster lights very dull/not working, head light beams are a mess.

i had a mate have a quick look at it before i fly up, but he didn't notice it, I think i may have brought a lemon.

can anyone help?

No such thing as a lemon E30, or BMW for that matter, just one that needs some TLC

Fuel Gauge/ Odometer doesnt work -

Pull the gauge cluster out and check everythings plugged in to start with.

Brake lining light -

Check the pads arent worn for a start, theyre not expensive from repco etc

Cluster lights -

Turn the head light knob (pull it out turns lights on, turning it is a dimmer for dash lights)

If youve got blown bulbs, theyre easy to change once the gauge cluster is out.

Headlight beams -

By a mess you mean out of a alignment?

Edited November 21, 2010 by Jacko

[b mike w 0]

Ive got problems with my fuel gauge also (no empty light and goes up and down randomly) and I think its something to do with the float in the fuel tank so the unit in there might need replacing. I haven't had a chance to do mine yet. And if your odometer and speedo aren't working then you may have picked up a dodgy one that has done more kms than it says. My one when I bought it had a wire running under the back seat that had been tampered with so you could unplug it and the kms wouldn't clock up. DODGY!

[BM WORLD 1283]

Hey all, just picked up my first E30, drove it all the way down from Auckland to Masterton.

Any way as i was driving down noticed a few thing wrong that the previous owner didn't tell me,

firstly the odometer doesn't work,

common failure plastic gears break

fuel gauge doesn't read right (half way is Empty), sender in tank needs replacing or bad earth conection in the cluster

brake lining light is on, will need new brake pad wear sensors

cluster lights very dull/not working, replace cluster bulbs (they are more than 20 years old now)

head light beams are a mess. adjust them

i had a mate have a quick look at it before i fly up, but he didn't notice it, I think i may have brought a lemon.

can anyone help?

[foot8sativa 0]

cheers guys, just noticed that the right hand light assembly is fecked, they seem to just flop around, going to look at the cluster on the weekend to see whats wrong.

took the cover under the steering wheel and there are a bunch of connectors that are just hanging there, god knows where they go.

Anyone know if the A/c button should hold in?

also the central locking is poo'd too, so got to work that out too

[bumpstop325 0]

Check you fuses first!

Also use a multimeter to check them as well. Sometimes these can look fine but may have a hairline frackure, that can be unseen.

Next check the ground wires have good earth.

[foot8sativa 0]

had a bit of a look at a few things today,

a/c switch is stuffed,

cleaned the connectors on the cluster odometer still doesn't work, so i think i will get another one.

on the back of the cluster there is a large green connector block, with multiple ports, does anyone know what all these ports do and which plugs go where on it, I want to much sure they in the right place, supposedly the previous owner changed it.

Edited December 5, 2010 by foot8sativa

[antil33t 90]

My green thing only has one thing in it, that I don't even know what it does.

Meh @ AC Switch, AC won't work anyway. I'll trade you a working AC switch for a blank? lol.

I have a VDO Speedometer (NZ New Car) with about 148k's on it, gears look OK. Was going to work out how to wind it up but the Motometer speedo's work in the VDO cluster housing.