Quick Questions

[gjm 3258]

I'm not sure if he is still on holidays, but he'll certainly be back next week.

[Scrambler 7]

Does anyone know just really quickly what the inside diameter of the clutch master supply line is for the e30? Is it 3/8 or something? Also does anyone know the inside diameter of the braided vacuum piping for the brake booster hose?

[LemonHunter 583]

1998 E36 318iS question

what is this thing, should it be making an audible buzzing sound (that can be felt as a vibration when it's touched) when key is in position 2 and car is not started?

once started too many other sounds and vibrations to determine if it's still doing it.

unrelated perhaps but when I switch the engine off there is a weird hissing sound followed by a spitting sound... (see attached video)

50966520174__C3954004-E02C-447D-A14E-B4BE12BD3EED.MOV

[M3AN 4016]

Flux capacitor?

[BM WORLD 1283]

On ‎25‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 10:49 AM, EURO V8 said:

1998 E36 318iS question

what is this thing, should it be making an audible buzzing sound (that can be felt as a vibration when it's touched) when key is in position 2 and car is not started?

once started too many other sounds and vibrations to determine if it's still doing it.

unrelated perhaps but when I switch the engine off there is a weird hissing sound followed by a spitting sound... (see attached video)

50966520174__C3954004-E02C-447D-A14E-B4BE12BD3EED.MOV

that's the idle control valve (ICV)  , its suppose to hum

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Any competent mechanics in Hamilton (besides the dealer and Kerry at Mosen) anyone can recommend to check a car over? Cheers.

[Kepes 231]

Hey guys, how much does a clutch kit weigh? Pressure plate and clutch disc... I'm visiting Australia and need a clutch from overseas. If it doesn't weigh too much I can have it sent to Australia and put it in my suitcase which would save me paying GST. Thanks

[Gabe79 410]

35 minutes ago, Kepes said:

Hey guys, how much does a clutch kit weigh? Pressure plate and clutch disc... I'm visiting Australia and need a clutch from overseas. If it doesn't weigh too much I can have it sent to Australia and put it in my suitcase which would save me paying GST. Thanks

If you know exactly what parts you want, realoem has weights for part numbers.

[Kepes 231]

28 minutes ago, Gabe79 said:

If you know exactly what parts you want, realoem has weights for part numbers.

I didn't know they had this feature! Awesome, thanks mate. Look like the OEM clutch come close to 7kg. This an aftermarket 6puk so I imagine it'll weigh a little less. Perfect, Thanks again.

[gjm 3258]

E36 drivers door... I've had some problems with the lock for a week or two (the key might unlock the door, but often wouldn't; no remote locking), but unlocking from the passenger side, leaning across and unlocking the drivers door hasn't been enough of a chore to make it an urgent fix.

Until yesterday when leaning across and lifting the knob didn't work. It doesn't unlock. Can't open the door from the outside, or the inside. Grip the lock knob and lift, and you can feel it lift against something; release it and feel it pulled down. Almost like there's a small elastic band on the bottom of it. So the door is locked, and cannot be opened.

I have managed to get the door card off without destroying it (and the foam-type liner). The window works. However, it's impossible to see anything that might be useful - it's all hidden inside the door, behind sheet metal.

I think the actuator has decided to call it a day, but I've not had quite this sort of experience. There's always been a mechanical way to unlock the door, but not this time. Lifting the locking pin knob achieves nothing - there is absolutely no sense of anything happening.

So... Tips, tricks and ways to sort this? Right now I'll settle for just being able to get the door open and closed! 

[BM WORLD 1283]

50 minutes ago, gjm said:

E36 drivers door... I've had some problems with the lock for a week or two (the key might unlock the door, but often wouldn't; no remote locking), but unlocking from the passenger side, leaning across and unlocking the drivers door hasn't been enough of a chore to make it an urgent fix.

Until yesterday when leaning across and lifting the knob didn't work. It doesn't unlock. Can't open the door from the outside, or the inside. Grip the lock knob and lift, and you can feel it lift against something; release it and feel it pulled down. Almost like there's a small elastic band on the bottom of it. So the door is locked, and cannot be opened.

I have managed to get the door card off without destroying it (and the foam-type liner). The window works. However, it's impossible to see anything that might be useful - it's all hidden inside the door, behind sheet metal.

I think the actuator has decided to call it a day, but I've not had quite this sort of experience. There's always been a mechanical way to unlock the door, but not this time. Lifting the locking pin knob achieves nothing - there is absolutely no sense of anything happening.

So... Tips, tricks and ways to sort this? Right now I'll settle for just being able to get the door open and closed! 

sounds like the dead lock is on and the locking actuator has failed , or the latch itself , try and clip the locking actutator off the latch and operate levers or the key lever to see if it unlocks

[gjm 3258]

2 minutes ago, BM WORLD said:

sounds like the dead lock is on and the locking actuator has failed , or the latch itself , try and clip the locking actutator off the latch and operate levers or the key lever to see if it unlocks

I'll give it a go.
Thanks.

 

[gjm 3258]

On 10/04/2017 at 8:44 PM, BM WORLD said:

sounds like the dead lock is on and the locking actuator has failed , or the latch itself , try and clip the locking actutator off the latch and operate levers or the key lever to see if it unlocks

 

On 10/04/2017 at 8:46 PM, gjm said:

I'll give it a go.
Thanks.

Popped in to see Brent earlier in the week and got some pointers on what to do. Release the window guide, let it drop down, manipulate the glass out of the way, and I should have easier access to the actuator.

It's a fiddle and a faff, but at least theoretically possible to manipulate things to release the deadlock.

And it's not raining which means I actually have an opportunity to give this a go. Wish me luck!

And - Thanks Brent.   Regardless of my level of success, your advice is very gratefully received.

[M3AN 4016]

The indicator in my 328 (e36) has started to go on the blink (lol).

When indicating right the indicator works fine sometimes, not at all other times and somewhere in between occasionally. When it's not working it doesn't make any clicking noise. Occasionally it will start fine then randomly start and stop.

Indicating left seems fine for the time being.

Aside from simply driving around town anticlockwise, where's the best place to start looking? Is this a common problem? Stalk, relay, elsewhere?

Cheers.

[gjm 3258]

1991 E30 M20B20 vs M20B25 - is there any difference in the parts used for the timing belt and water pump? (And associated bits and pieces?)

[BM WORLD 1283]

21 minutes ago, gjm said:

1991 E30 M20B20 vs M20B25 - is there any difference in the parts used for the timing belt and water pump? (And associated bits and pieces?)

no

[LemonHunter 583]

 

4 minutes ago, BM WORLD said:

no

What he said, also, if in doubt use real OEM for all sorts of useful comparisons, or in my case, working out what my frankenbeamers need (Late model E30 320i with an Early E21 M20B23 was always a bastard)

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=1548-ZA-03-1991-E30-BMW-325i&diagId=11_4365

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=1448-ZA-05-1991-E30-BMW-320i&diagId=11_4365

[gjm 3258]

Sweet. Thanks.

 

[nick496 268]

On 4/14/2017 at 0:54 PM, M3AN said:

The indicator in my 328 (e36) has started to go on the blink (lol).

When indicating right the indicator works fine sometimes, not at all other times and somewhere in between occasionally. When it's not working it doesn't make any clicking noise. Occasionally it will start fine then randomly start and stop.

Indicating left seems fine for the time being.

Aside from simply driving around town anticlockwise, where's the best place to start looking? Is this a common problem? Stalk, relay, elsewhere?

Cheers.

I had something similar in the e30, though it was both indicators that stopped working. It was a faulty relay.

Looks like in e36s it's in the fuse box. 

A few things to test would be when it happens, so use your hazards and see what happens. And also remove the relay, and then pop it back in while the car is running. If it works perfectly after doing so, it's most likely your relay. 

[pmet007 0]

HI - this is my first post

Our 2002 318TI  (120kms and in good shape)  has a broken exhaust valve spring and the local garage is quoting between

$2000 and $3000 for the replacement job. Does this seem about right?

 

 

[LemonHunter 583]

10 minutes ago, pm007 said:

HI - this is my first post

Our 2002 318TI  (120kms and in good shape)  has a broken exhaust valve spring and the local garage is quoting between

$2000 and $3000 for the replacement job. Does this seem about right?

 

 

I'm not familiar with the N42 engines, but that sounds like a lot, you could swap an entire second hand engine for that kind of money.  I'd suggest calling a BMW specialist repairer, for general servicing and such local garages are usually cheaper than a BMW garage, but when it comes to specialist work like this, often the BMW garage is cheaper as they are more likely to be familiar with the task.

[gjm 3258]

1 hour ago, EURO V8 said:

I'm not familiar with the N42 engines, but that sounds like a lot, you could swap an entire second hand engine for that kind of money.  I'd suggest calling a BMW specialist repairer, for general servicing and such local garages are usually cheaper than a BMW garage, but when it comes to specialist work like this, often the BMW garage is cheaper as they are more likely to be familiar with the task.

@zero is familiar with the N42. I suspect he'll suggest using something different.

[pmet007 0]

Thanks - can anybody suggest BMW specialist repairers in Auckland?

[Gabe79 410]

12 minutes ago, pm007 said:

Thanks - can anybody suggest BMW specialist repairers in Auckland?

Got me started.

[zero 1162]

4 hours ago, pm007 said:

HI - this is my first post

Our 2002 318TI  (120kms and in good shape)  has a broken exhaust valve spring and the local garage is quoting between

$2000 and $3000 for the replacement job. Does this seem about right?

 

 

Is it a n42 motor? If you give us the last 7 digits of your vin, or your license plate number I can look it up.

If it is a n42 they have many well documented problems -some terminal.

If an exhaust valve spring is broken then chances are the head is badly damaged. When a valve spring broke on mine the valve fell into the cylinder and you can guess what happened next. 

If you are fixing the n42 there are several things that should be done at the same time;

# valve stem seals: the material bmw used fails and will start giving you problems at this many kms which will require an upper engine rebuild.

# timing chain and guides: the plastic guides break and once you jump a tooth or three its bye bye motor.

# timing chain tensioner: not strong enough and sometimes causes the chain to jump teeth.

And all that aside the pcv system should be done as you will have the head off.

As you can see its not cheap, and not worth it.

You could buy a second hand motor but it will just have the same problems.

 

If it were me I'd swap in the cheapest n42 engine I could find and sell the car straight away, then use the money to buy an e46 with either the earlier 4 cylinder motor or the 6 cylinder. 

In my case my e46 is getting a m62b44, after going through the heartache of rebuilding the engine and have it fail just 150 km later.

My engine woes can be found here;