Bmw E30 316i 1989 Model - Maintainence And Care Tips

[Smiley]

Hi Guys,

I'm a proud owner of a classic BMW E30 316i. Would appreciate it if you guys could share your experience with this model and any maintainence and care tips that would be helpful in keeping this baby in good condition.

Thanks!

[VWvortex]

Congrats! Would it happen to be the recent one on AL classifieds?..Sorry no experience on this model.

[Smiley]

Congrats! Would it happen to be the recent one on AL classifieds?..Sorry no experience on this model.

Thanks Machan, and No.. its not the one advertised on AL!

[Devinda_Z]

MiniAce & GTAm might have some pointers...

[ucscsades]

Congratulations! Great choice. I myself have been the proud owner of a 1989 E30 325i for about a year now. Hung onto the (newer) old car for a while after I bought this out of fear of reliability..but honestly they are bulletproof!

Issues I've had..atleast with the I6 engine there is a constant valve tap. A light tap is considered somewhat "normal" according to my mechanic (who is a well-respected BMW mechanic around here), but just have it checked out to make sure it is not excessive and have it adjusted if needed.

My diff. also started whining shortly after I got it, but spares are pretty easy to come by (and cheap) out here so I got a LSD from an 'is' model put in for a pretty small price.

The biggest issue I had (and also a common one on these cars) was my car started choking right around 3500RPM..great otherwise, but suddenly on the freeway at 80MPH and it started shuddering like crazy. Wasn't an easy fix...changed everything from spark plugs and wires to the air flow meter..ended up being the distributor cap.

Best part is maintenance relating to these cars are very well documented on the internet on sites like http://www.bimmerdiy.com/dir/e30 and also pelicanparts.com has quite a few handy step-by-step instructions.

Also a great handy tool is being able to check fault codes on your own to see if the ECU has registered any issues with the engine. See the following link for codes and how to access them-

http://e30world.com/fuel/BMW-E30-DME-Motronic-fault-codes

Good choice and enjoy your car! Pictures?!

[ucscsades]

Just realized I called the car bulletproof and then listed a whole bunch of things that went wrong with it

I got the car very, very cheap so I knew there would be some initial repairs needed...all these things were done when I first got it, and haven't had any issues with it for the last few months. So I truly do believe they are very reliable cars. I love how they look and drive too. Only bad thing is the fuel economy...which I believe is a lot better on the 4 cylinder engines, so good for you!

[Smiley]

:lam:

Just realized I called the car bulletproof and then listed a whole bunch of things that went wrong with it

I got the car very, very cheap so I knew there would be some initial repairs needed...all these things were done when I first got it, and haven't had any issues with it for the last few months. So I truly do believe they are very reliable cars. I love how they look and drive too. Only bad thing is the fuel economy...which I believe is a lot better on the 4 cylinder engines, so good for you!

Hey Dude!!! Thanks a million for the info... The ride I picked up is in mint condition, and is an awesome drive! I've been a BMW fan all my life, and funnily the E30 is the first car that got me hooked up on BMW's... Never thought I'd end up buying one... at least not right now!

And its so great to hear from people who know the real truth about these magnificent cars, most Sri Lankan's dont see past their shabby Jap cars.

There are a few minor things that I do wanna replace in the car, for example the emblem on the vehicle boot is a bit faded and the the front shell has a teeny weeny crack on it... Is it possible for you point me towards a shop that I can buy these things or should I consult the ever famous BMW mechanic from Kelaniya?

I will post a couple of pics next week

[miniace]

MiniAce & GTAm might have some pointers...

Hi bro! First, congrats on your purchase and its good to take notice that you take pleasure in.

Guess we talked a lot about Euro cars and E30 earlier and could be found elsewhere in the forum.

My experience with E30 316i is great .I still love E30s. Theres nothing to point out as advance maintenance notices. Do open up a thread when there is problem (sure you wont have to-E30s are amazingly reliable)

Three big names I dealt, Ajith of Roadstar Seeduwa ,Milroy of Kelaniya and Beddewela of Cotta Road.

Enjoy mate!!

MINIACE

[ucscsades]

There are a few minor things that I do wanna replace in the car, for example the emblem on the vehicle boot is a bit faded and the the front shell has a teeny weeny crack on it... Is it possible for you point me towards a shop that I can buy these things or should I consult the ever famous BMW mechanic from Kelaniya?

I will post a couple of pics next week

Eh, sorry can't really help you there as I don't live in SL, so don't know where the best parts are to be found..but I hear the names of the folks Miniace mentioned quite a bit so they're probably very knowledgable about these cars.

As far as finding parts online goes, http://www.autohausaz.com/ is a very popular site amongst BMW drivers out here..not sure if they do international shipping though. They have very good discounts on a lot of parts.

Yes, I too have been an E30 fan since I was a kid, which is the main reason I bought mine.

Speaking of the one on the AL classifieds..anybody know much about it? It seems to be in beautiful condition...it's got the basketweave rims and rear spoiler that typically came on "IS" models too.

Out of curiosity, do the models that came to SL have the check light cluster by the rear view mirror and the on-board computer too? At least the latter came only on IS models I believe, but it is a simple swap even on a non-IS car (the previous owner put one in on mine)..pretty nifty with MPG meter, average speed, timer, etc...still amazes me that a car from the late 80s had so much cool technology that japanese cars even a decade later rarely had!

[Devinda_Z]

Out of curiosity, do the models that came to SL have the check light cluster by the rear view mirror and the on-board computer too?

yup

came across one 320i with the light cluster! was mighty impressed by all that , esp when considering the age of the vehicle..

[Smiley]

Hi bro! First, congrats on your purchase and its good to take notice that you take pleasure in.

Guess we talked a lot about Euro cars and E30 earlier and could be found elsewhere in the forum.

My experience with E30 316i is great .I still love E30s. Theres nothing to point out as advance maintenance notices. Do open up a thread when there is problem (sure you wont have to-E30s are amazingly reliable)

Three big names I dealt, Ajith of Roadstar Seeduwa ,Milroy of Kelaniya and Beddewela of Cotta Road.

Enjoy mate!!

MINIACE

Hey MiniAce,

Thanks for the quick pointers bro! The car has been maintained by Milroy right throughout, so I guess I'll be taking my baby to him.

I do need some advice regarding the following things though:

1. What type of Fuel do you pump for ur E30 316i? 95octane or 90octane?

2. How and when should I get the car serviced?

3. Is there any specific coolants, oils that I should use?

4. Any tips to improve fuel consumption on a E30?

Once again I'm grateful to all you guys who shared their experiences and knowledge on this topic... Please keep posting

[miniace]

Hey MiniAce,

Thanks for the quick pointers bro! The car has been maintained by Milroy right throughout, so I guess I'll be taking my baby to him.

I do need some advice regarding the following things though:

1. What type of Fuel do you pump for ur E30 316i? 95octane or 90octane?

2. How and when should I get the car serviced?

3. Is there any specific coolants, oils that I should use?

4. Any tips to improve fuel consumption on a E30?

Once again I'm grateful to all you guys who shared their experiences and knowledge on this topic... Please keep posting

1. What type of Fuel do you pump for ur E30 316i? 95octane or 90octane?

Just 90.I had the E30 when I was a govt servant so 95 was outa my budget then.. anyways had no issues with 90s.

2. How and when should I get the car serviced?

Average 4000 Km...Theres an oil servicing indicator...check that out...it indicates the oil change due (only if the sensor/indicator serviceble)

3. Is there any specific coolants, oils that I should use?

Use only Mineral lubricants.Do not use synthetic.Any brand of coolant but not water.

4. Any tips to improve fuel consumption on a E30?

Be very gentle on throttle applications.Do servicings,plug aircleaner/filter cleanings/changes on time.

MINIACE

[pathola 1]

Hi Guys,

I'm a proud owner of a classic BMW E30 316i. Would appreciate it if you guys could share your experience with this model and any maintainence and care tips that would be helpful in keeping this baby in good condition.

Thanks!

Great Buy !

I use a e36 318i and quite happy with it so far... when you get it right, it wont let you down, if you screw things up by openning the hood to every tom dick and harry its like a marriage gone sour

A friend of mine did so and finally sent to milroy. It even had Yamaha parts the cost of getting things back together was 200k (16-xxx e30)

Just be carefull.... i recomend milroy who has kept me out of lot of trouble so far !

have fun !!!!

[Smiley]

Great Buy !

I use a e36 318i and quite happy with it so far... when you get it right, it wont let you down, if you screw things up by openning the hood to every tom dick and harry its like a marriage gone sour

A friend of mine did so and finally sent to milroy. It even had Yamaha parts the cost of getting things back together was 200k (16-xxx e30)

Just be carefull.... i recomend milroy who has kept me out of lot of trouble so far !

have fun !!!!

Hey man... do you know the color and number of the vehicle your friend was using?

[Smiley]

http://e30world.com/

This is a brilliant site...

[GTAm]

Congrats Smiley.

Did your car come with any service history? If not please get a full check up done and avoid any bad surprises. Please note that the timing belt needs replacing every 30,000miles if I recall right. Pls check with the site. If it breaks things could look nasty.

If the car is sluggish check the air flow sensor and fuel pump.

You need to always bleed the radiator from the bleed screw when ever you fill coolant. Even the slightest bubble will make it boil.

Biggest costs will be radiators and ACs. Be sensitive about the dampers you use (if you have to). The ride quality varies tremendously on this. Sachs makes the best ones for them.

It's an age since I had an E30 so my list is by no means comprehensive.

[Smiley]

Hey GTAm... My ride has been maintained by Milroy since the day it was imported to SL. Im taking it for a check up next week, coz there are a few faults which I need to iron out... I think the silence has a small leak, plus I was hoping to get the engine tuned up, coz it revs a bit too much when the car is on idle.

Also do any of you guys have a Fuse Box diagram for the E30 316i model? If you do please share it with me... [email protected]

Tx!

One last thing... Please give me a heads up on the costing for a Tune up and service...

[pathola 1]

Hey man... do you know the color and number of the vehicle your friend was using?

Its dark blue 16-9101

[ucscsades]

Also do any of you guys have a Fuse Box diagram for the E30 316i model? If you do please share it with me... [email protected]

Tx!

One last thing... Please give me a heads up on the costing for a Tune up and service...

Regarding the fuse box diagram....I think the last owner gave me a CD with all the circuitry diagrams on it. Will try to dig it up and send your way. Also, I would recommend investing in a Bentley service manual. If you take it to Milroy I guess you won't need it much, but it's always good to keep to troubleshoot with.

Whatever happened to those pics of your car?

[Smiley]

Sorry Machan the cam cable was busted, found a replacement and uploaded some pics... Please post your comments/suggestions.

Im going to Milroy for a check up on Monday eve so I need a couple of clarifications from you EXPERTS out there before I meet up with him...

1. My Odometer and Trip Odometer isnt working I suspect its the fuses, but the guy who sold it to me insists its the cable. If so, would it be costly to repair it?

2. Seems to be a leak in the silencer pipe, i hear a slight humming noise coming from near the rear left wheel. Should I consult Milroy or a regular Silencer Repair shop?

3. Windscreen washer jets are not functioning, is it due to age? Is it costly to replace?

4. Rear BMW emblem is slightly faded? Any place I can buy one and what would be the rough cost for it?

I really appreciate your help on this issues... I'm a poor boy trying to maintain my dream car. It would be great if I know the costs involved so that I can prepare myself and prioritize accordingly...

Thanks in advance.

[Ruslan]

Rear BMW emblem is slightly faded? Any place I can buy one and what would be the rough cost for it?

Hmm.. Try eBay... !!

[Smiley]

Saw a couple on eBay machan, was wondering if it was reliable??? Any places in SL?

[ucscsades]

Saw a couple on eBay machan, was wondering if it was reliable??? Any places in SL?

Ha! I know this car! Not too many around, so I'm pretty sure it used to belong to a good friend of mine...he told me that he sold it recently, so probably the one. The guy babied that car so I'm pretty sure there aren't any bad secrets hiding under the skin! I believe the guy I'm speaking of lives around Mattakuliya and has a BMW E36 too? In my opinion he should've kept the E30 and sold the E36, but your gain from that I guess!

Hmm, as for the odometer I really hope it's the cable for your sake. How did it turn out? These things do have a tendency to get wiring issues around the instrument cluster...the light for my rev counter stopped working, and the brake lining light always comes on. I'm certain it is wiring..hope it's the same in your case.

[Devinda_Z]

Ha! I know this car! Not too many around, so I'm pretty sure it used to belong to a good friend of mine...he told me that he sold it recently, so probably the one. The guy babied that car so I'm pretty sure there aren't any bad secrets hiding under the skin! I believe the guy I'm speaking of lives around Mattakuliya and has a BMW E36 too? In my opinion he should've kept the E30 and sold the E36, but your gain from that I guess!

R.L

but this can't be his - that wasn't a 4 pot was it..

[Smiley]

Ha! I know this car! Not too many around, so I'm pretty sure it used to belong to a good friend of mine...he told me that he sold it recently, so probably the one. The guy babied that car so I'm pretty sure there aren't any bad secrets hiding under the skin! I believe the guy I'm speaking of lives around Mattakuliya and has a BMW E36 too? In my opinion he should've kept the E30 and sold the E36, but your gain from that I guess!

Hmm, as for the odometer I really hope it's the cable for your sake. How did it turn out? These things do have a tendency to get wiring issues around the instrument cluster...the light for my rev counter stopped working, and the brake lining light always comes on. I'm certain it is wiring..hope it's the same in your case.

Yup he does have a E36 318i, but I'm not sure if he resides in Mattakkuliya. Milroy checked it up last week... no repairs except the windscreen washer jet motor had to be replaced... The baby is in excellent condition!

Milroy claims the odometer is not working coz the wheels are probably cracked, and that the parts are not available anymore :(

Is it connected through a cable, coz Milroy said this model isnt... ??? Its a freaking headache and I want to get it sorted out as soon as possible.