E34 525TDS Touring

[Dn540 67]

Howdy folks, picked up a '95 525TDS Touring yesterday. Spotted it on FB marketplace a few weeks ago and was obsessed ever since. I'm meant to be finishing my '95 S124 E320 but couldn't pass up a diesel E34!

Overall it's pretty tidy inside, Anthracite cloth seats and Oxford Green exterior. Paint has seen better days in places but that's something that will be addressed in the future.

I started the deep clean today, gave it a quick wash and blew all the leaves and cobwebs out, cleaned the interior. Next step will be returning the engine back to stock for the moment. I'm assuming the lift pump failed as the PO fitted an inline pump, I'm going to need to take the HP pump off and reset it as he's turned the pump a little to change the timing. Sounds like it's cammed on idle but seems to run pretty well off idle.

Replace some gaskets and fix all the common stuff like cluster LCD, bonnet gas stays etc etc. 

Have a pair of control arms to do before anything else.

 

Future plans include H&R's, Style 32's and a manual swap. But I better give the S124 it's time first.....

[lord_jagganath 421]

Oh man, you scored some unobtanium there! 

[Cammsport 390]

Yea I'm pretty jealous... 

[Eagle 1662]

Nice. Its like the my fathers range rover, same engine and colour

[Olaf 3318]

that is a fascinating thing.  looking forward to reading of your progress!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

i have some experience with the TDS engine if needed. also Lance @melowpuf has even more.

When his 325tds got run up the back of, i reshelled the whole lot into a 328i cabby, i did the swap. the car now lives in Tauranga, and can be seen at Hampton skid pan/drift days from time to time.

when you say lumpy on idle, is this only when cold or at all times ? if just when cold it will be the glow plug relay, aparently a common failure item.

[kiwi535 538]

hmmm an e 34 and a diesel.Can life be any better.?How about an e34 and a common rail diesel.....Hmmm squared

[C-130 Hercules 571]

Used to have the limousine version. It is the sweetest sound, second only to the M21. 

[Dn540 67]

On 4/13/2019 at 11:29 AM, _ethrty-Andy_ said:

i have some experience with the TDS engine if needed. also Lance @melowpuf has even more.

When his 325tds got run up the back of, i reshelled the whole lot into a 328i cabby, i did the swap. the car now lives in Tauranga, and can be seen at Hampton skid pan/drift days from time to time.

when you say lumpy on idle, is this only when cold or at all times ? if just when cold it will be the glow plug relay, aparently a common failure item.

Fantastic, M51 guys are hard to find...

I had it in at work (diesel mech) but don't see a lot of electronic VE pumps etc. Bought the pump timing/lift tool so I'll reset it back to stock lift. Replace the intank pump and try to find a home for a plug that's missing... thought it was the dynamic advance control but that's plugged in and can't find where this random plug goes!

 

P/steer bracket snapped on me the other night, PO didn't bolt the rear bracket on the pump and it snapped the alloy mount, took it off so will hopefully get another ASAP. Negative post inside the alternator also broke off on removal so I'm hoping I can find a Valeo replacement piece rather than a whole alternator.

 

The lumpy idle is hot or cold, PO did say he turned the pump so that could be part of it. I also have no idea what kind of chip he fitted. Glow plugs do need done though, have to glow it three times when cold.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

probably fixing the glow plugs will be the end of all your woes when cold.
lumpy when hot is a fuelling issue of some sort most likely.

Have you scanned it using an OBD1 scan tool ?

[Dn540 67]

On 5/8/2019 at 2:58 PM, _ethrty-Andy_ said:

probably fixing the glow plugs will be the end of all your woes when cold.
lumpy when hot is a fuelling issue of some sort most likely.

Have you scanned it using an OBD1 scan tool ?

I haven't scanned it. Really need to get onto an ADS setup.... I do have INPA but I've never been able to get it to work using USB->serial adaptors, I believe you need a true serial port? 

 

So far I've replaced the glow plugs with new Bosch plugs, new intake gaskets, new Bosch filter, New in-tank lift pump, reset the pump timing and also reset the quantity adjuster as good as I can (top part of the pump). Engine idles and runs so much better now but is still hard to start and quite rough for the first couple of minutes. #4 injector with the needle sensor is leaking out of the plastic part of it so probably need a new one and renew some fuel hoses, could be sucking air for all I know.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

On 8/4/2019 at 1:24 AM, Dn540 said:

I haven't scanned it. Really need to get onto an ADS setup.... I do have INPA but I've never been able to get it to work using USB->serial adaptors, I believe you need a true serial port? 

 

So far I've replaced the glow plugs with new Bosch plugs, new intake gaskets, new Bosch filter, New in-tank lift pump, reset the pump timing and also reset the quantity adjuster as good as I can (top part of the pump). Engine idles and runs so much better now but is still hard to start and quite rough for the first couple of minutes. #4 injector with the needle sensor is leaking out of the plastic part of it so probably need a new one and renew some fuel hoses, could be sucking air for all I know.

yes you are right about usb to serial adaptors not working. they dont. your car was built way before usb was a thing, and the software for your car cannot support it. 

Glow plugs will make a cold start hard, but are never needed on a warm start, so sounds like your issues are else where. My engine was owned by @melowpuf before be, and he replaced the intake manifold gaskets with a cut out profile of a Lion Red box (Lion Brown would have been better but too top shelf for him i suspect), so i assume a sound seal here is also not the end of the world.

I revert back to my previous post. its a fuelling issue you have. you might need to look at getting your injection pump rebuilt. while you are at it, you might like to look at porting and upgrading it so you can up the boost as well, if you are that way inclined.

once it is a sewing machine when warm, then look at your hard start, if it is still present. you say you replaced the glow plugs already, so the only other component is the glow plug relay.