1 month into E36 cab ownership - minor issues
Discussion
Hi
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Open the hood so the stow away cover lifts up and the rear hood tension bar is up-if you look in this compartment where the hood goes into,towards where the hindges are for the hood frame you will see a drain-one either side-these always block up.
blackspider said:
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Open the hood so the stow away cover lifts up and the rear hood tension bar is up-if you look in this compartment where the hood goes into,towards where the hindges are for the hood frame you will see a drain-one either side-these always block up.
Thanks....
Yes the water is coming from that compartment.
Re your top end ticks/rattle, I had this on my 1994 325 and mentioned it to the dealer. I was slightly perturbed as it had only done around 25k miles at the time. I was told it was nothing to worry about, I just didn't have enough oil in the engine. Note that it wasn't below minimum level, just that it wasn't at its maximum.
Topping up cured it, and today, at 133k miles, it's as smooth and strong as ever.
Of course, yours could be completely different, but it's a possibility.
Topping up cured it, and today, at 133k miles, it's as smooth and strong as ever.
Of course, yours could be completely different, but it's a possibility.
jamesson said:
Re your top end ticks/rattle, I had this on my 1994 325 and mentioned it to the dealer. I was slightly perturbed as it had only done around 25k miles at the time. I was told it was nothing to worry about, I just didn't have enough oil in the engine. Note that it wasn't below minimum level, just that it wasn't at its maximum.
Topping up cured it, and today, at 133k miles, it's as smooth and strong as ever.
Of course, yours could be completely different, but it's a possibility.
Topping up cured it, and today, at 133k miles, it's as smooth and strong as ever.
Of course, yours could be completely different, but it's a possibility.
Thanks will check tomorrow
sjp63 said:
Hi
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
The hand brake shoes in the rear discs may require replacement or adjustment-the first thing to check though is the cable adjustment under the handbrake lever gaiter.both cables are adjustable and what tends to happen is the lock nuts are left undone and eventually the cables slacken off.
The fog light on the n/s tends to be a dummy-on most models the n/s wont work-saves a few pence in bulbs.The o/s is the only one that leagally needs to work.
The rattle from the exhaust,there is a good chance its the exhaust to gearbox stabiliser being corroded and snapped-the bracket just needs rplaceing-also it could be the cat covers-if its those then just modify to stop them rattleing(dont replace the cats because of this)
Top end rattle is likely to be lazy HVA's(hydraulic valve adjusters)I personally would leave them if the rattle goes quickly-all thats happening is they are letting the oil drain away when the engine is off.when you restart they then refill with oil.
water ingress as above
Another tip for the water ingress, if the vehicle is parked on a steep drive nose up and boot down, even if the drain holes are clear water can drain into the boot through the hood compartment hinge recesses.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
blackspider said:
sjp63 said:
Hi
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
I bought my wife a 98 323 auto cab about a month ago. So far I'm impressed with how the exterior/interior has stood up to almost 10 years/80k miles of use.
inevitably there are a few things I need to get straightened out.
Handbrake goes all the way up without doing much. Brakes work fine but pedal goes down an inch before working, I'm wondering if the discs are thin although I would have thought the callipers were self adjusting
nearside rear fog light doesn't work despite changing the 21/4 bulb...any ideas?
There is a tinny rattle from cold start under the engine, goes when warm - exhaust related??
The top end ticks/light rattle when revved lightly cold, but warm the engine is a smooth as any I've had before.
Just now I found about an inch of water in the right hand side of the boot floor.....very strange as the boot seal looks good....??????????? any ideas - its been raining for a week so there's a leak somewhere!
Luckily I've got a BMW specialist down the road, but would be nice to hear your thoughts first.
Thanks
The hand brake shoes in the rear discs may require replacement or adjustment-the first thing to check though is the cable adjustment under the handbrake lever gaiter.both cables are adjustable and what tends to happen is the lock nuts are left undone and eventually the cables slacken off.
The fog light on the n/s tends to be a dummy-on most models the n/s wont work-saves a few pence in bulbs.The o/s is the only one that leagally needs to work.
The rattle from the exhaust,there is a good chance its the exhaust to gearbox stabiliser being corroded and snapped-the bracket just needs rplaceing-also it could be the cat covers-if its those then just modify to stop them rattleing(dont replace the cats because of this)
Top end rattle is likely to be lazy HVA's(hydraulic valve adjusters)I personally would leave them if the rattle goes quickly-all thats happening is they are letting the oil drain away when the engine is off.when you restart they then refill with oil.
water ingress as above
Great - thanks
Fixedwheelnut said:
Another tip for the water ingress, if the vehicle is parked on a steep drive nose up and boot down, even if the drain holes are clear water can drain into the boot through the hood compartment hinge recesses.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
Yes it is parked on a fairly steep slope on my drive, nose up. The rear corners of the hood compartment were full and overflowing via a cut out straight into the boot floor. Seems i need these drain tubes you refer to. How do I get them and instructions to route them or is it best left to a specialist.
thanks
Edited by sjp63 on Sunday 13th May 08:41
sjp63 said:
Fixedwheelnut said:
Another tip for the water ingress, if the vehicle is parked on a steep drive nose up and boot down, even if the drain holes are clear water can drain into the boot through the hood compartment hinge recesses.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
Yes it is parked on a fairly steep slope on my drive, nose up. The rear corners of the hood compartment were full and overflowing via a cut out straight into the boot floor. Seems i need these drain tubes you refer to. How do I get them and instructions to route them or is it best left to a specialist.
thanks
Edited by sjp63 on Sunday 13th May 08:41
They are available from Main Dealers, I will try and get the part number tomorrow.
Fitting is not to bad just a bit fiddly, the off side is straight forward remove the boot trim and the grommet and put it in place.
The nearside is similar but you have to remove the Sat Nav unit if it is fitted and also change the position of the clip at the end of the tube.
In the mean time just park your car nose down and you should be ok.
Fixedwheelnut said:
sjp63 said:
Fixedwheelnut said:
Another tip for the water ingress, if the vehicle is parked on a steep drive nose up and boot down, even if the drain holes are clear water can drain into the boot through the hood compartment hinge recesses.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
There are rubber drain tubes available that can be retro fitted to the rear of the compartment to overcome this, no drilling required to grommets to remove and the pipe hooks into the air vents in the boot so water can drain out behind the bumper.
Yes it is parked on a fairly steep slope on my drive, nose up. The rear corners of the hood compartment were full and overflowing via a cut out straight into the boot floor. Seems i need these drain tubes you refer to. How do I get them and instructions to route them or is it best left to a specialist.
thanks
Edited by sjp63 on Sunday 13th May 08:41
They are available from Main Dealers, I will try and get the part number tomorrow.
Fitting is not to bad just a bit fiddly, the off side is straight forward remove the boot trim and the grommet and put it in place.
The nearside is similar but you have to remove the Sat Nav unit if it is fitted and also change the position of the clip at the end of the tube.
In the mean time just park your car nose down and you should be ok.
Thanks - what I've done for now is remove the rear offside little rubber bung from the hood stowage bay so that the water drains into the boot floor. At least now the hood stowage should not hold water. I will get the drain pipes you recommended but im tempted to drill a small drain hole in the boot as well.
How come I never get to purchase the expertise and time saving tips of people like blackspider and fixedwheelnut when I take my car to a dealer, it always feels like "Frank" puts the 17 year component replacement specialist on my car when it goes to the local dealer!!! or is there a work "hours billed" mode and and a pistonhead mode!?
ian_cab28 said:
How come I never get to purchase the expertise and time saving tips of people like blackspider and fixedwheelnut when I take my car to a dealer, it always feels like "Frank" puts the 17 year component replacement specialist on my car when it goes to the local dealer!!! or is there a work "hours billed" mode and and a pistonhead mode!?
Good old Frank
Good news and bad news.
We couldn't find the part number for the E36 retro fit one.
The normal front E36 one is 51 7 38 182000 £1.41 that sits at the front of the compartment you may be able to drill similar sized holes at the rear of the compartment and modify one of these to fit.
The later E46 type one for the rear of the compartment retro fit is 54 3 17 043622 at £11.58 each the only problem you might have trying to use that on an E36 is that the motors sit on the left where it would normally fit.
Probably best to just park it nose down.
We couldn't find the part number for the E36 retro fit one.
The normal front E36 one is 51 7 38 182000 £1.41 that sits at the front of the compartment you may be able to drill similar sized holes at the rear of the compartment and modify one of these to fit.
The later E46 type one for the rear of the compartment retro fit is 54 3 17 043622 at £11.58 each the only problem you might have trying to use that on an E36 is that the motors sit on the left where it would normally fit.
Probably best to just park it nose down.
Fixedwheelnut said:
Good news and bad news.
We couldn't find the part number for the E36 retro fit one.
The normal front E36 one is 51 7 38 182000 £1.41 that sits at the front of the compartment you may be able to drill similar sized holes at the rear of the compartment and modify one of these to fit.
The later E46 type one for the rear of the compartment retro fit is 54 3 17 043622 at £11.58 each the only problem you might have trying to use that on an E36 is that the motors sit on the left where it would normally fit.
Probably best to just park it nose down.
We couldn't find the part number for the E36 retro fit one.
The normal front E36 one is 51 7 38 182000 £1.41 that sits at the front of the compartment you may be able to drill similar sized holes at the rear of the compartment and modify one of these to fit.
The later E46 type one for the rear of the compartment retro fit is 54 3 17 043622 at £11.58 each the only problem you might have trying to use that on an E36 is that the motors sit on the left where it would normally fit.
Probably best to just park it nose down.
Thanks for trying.
I've removed the blank plug from the rear drivers side of the hood bay and ............drilled a 5mm hole in the boot floor. Job done.
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