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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

30250 messages,  Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan

Messages Page 2994 of 3026

#29929 of 30250 abort, abort, abort by nyccarguy

Jun 05, 2008 (7:34 pm)

So I'm thinking of aborting project BMW. As I posted above, I drove my 1990 E30 325iA to a very reputable indie mechanic to deal with its alignment, electrical issues, and general well being. Well, I got a call this morning. They told me the power steering pump (leaking) and hoses (cracked & leaking) need to be replaced, the driveshaft is cracked, the radiator is leaking (new radiator plus flush & fill)... and this is before they even tell me what's wrong with the electrical system (alarm?). $2500 + tax. I knew that I was going to have to sink some money into this car, but not this much right away. If it was going to be more of a gradual thing, then it might be easier to swallow.
 
I was a little bummed at first, but I am proud of myself that I actually went out on a whim and bought this car (not my style at all) in the first place. I'm trying to sell my condo and buy a house, so every last dollar counts. There will be another car one day down the road.

#29930 of 30250 Re: abort, abort, abort [nyccarguy] by kyfdx HOST

Jun 05, 2008 (8:49 pm)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jun 05, 2008 7:34 pm)
Not a bad call... if the car was a stick, I'd say stick with it.. (ok..sorry about that).. But, given that you'll have to drop a couple of grand to convert it at some point.. just try to get $500-$1000 out of it, and be done with it..

#29931 of 30250 Re: abort, abort, abort [nyccarguy] by roadburner

Jun 05, 2008 (9:22 pm)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jun 05, 2008 7:34 pm)
Well that sure sucks. As for the PS pump, every BMW pump of that vintage seems to seep/leak a little bit. The radiator is no big surprise either. The cracked driveshaft has me a bit puzzled, however. I've seen them bent and with shot uniersals, but I've never seen a cracked one. Too bad you don't live close by; we could knock out that entire to-do list in a couple of weekends...

#29932 of 30250 Re: abort, abort, abort [nyccarguy] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 06, 2008 (8:01 am)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jun 05, 2008 7:34 pm)
How do you crack a driveshaft? A puzzling diagnosis, that one.
 
Well you could do most of this work yourself--the radiator for instance, and the power steering lines. The pump might be a bit tougher.
 
I don't remember whether you said this was a pristine car or not. At the 1990 level, a BMWs value is based primarily on how it looks, not how it runs. If you had a battered 325 sedan that you paid $1,500 for, with dents, ripped upholstery and dinged up trim, and you put a brand new factory engine and transmission in it, you'd get about $1,500 for it.
 
So I'd base your decision on the current cosmetics, if you don't mind my two cents.
 
visiting host

#29933 of 30250 Oh and one more thing by nyccarguy

Jun 06, 2008 (9:14 pm)

The transmission mount is broken and needs to be replaced. On top of that, the mechanic told me the car starts up every time they try
 
I only paid $950 for the car. It is a '90 325iA with 82,625 miles on it. The interior of the car is quite clean. The seats don't look anywhere near their 18 years of age. From 5-10 feet away the car actually looks decent. There are some scratches in the hood, and big dents in the 2 doors, and some dings on the lower rear bumper (looks from parallel parking).
 
Mr. Shiftright, I actually bought a Bentley Service manual with some aspirations of learning to work on the car myself. But my time is extremely limited by my 6 day a week job and my 20 month old son
 
roadburner, I know if you were even remotely closer you'd be over here. I appreciate that very much!
 
Like I said, with less than 100K miles on it, my E30 can last a lot longer. I really thought I'd have more time to devote to it. The money is a different issue, obviously we'd all like to have more
 
Thanks to everyone for your help & support!

#29934 of 30250 Re: Oh and one more thing [nyccarguy] by fedlawman

Jun 08, 2008 (8:23 am)

Replying to: nyccarguy (Jun 06, 2008 9:14 pm)
I'm sorry to hear things didn't work out for you.
 
Yes, $2500 is a lot to swallow, but consider that if you were able to do it yourself, it would cost a lot less. Of course, that would require time that you don't have.
 
I feel a little bad for encouraging you to give it a go - I hope you'll try it again sometime when you have more free time to tinker. Maybe you can throw a rug over it and save it for when you kid is a teenager

#29935 of 30250 Please Guys by nyccarguy

Jun 08, 2008 (5:55 pm)

Like I said, I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm & encouragement. There's nothing to feel bad about. I have so many things going do well for me in my life that bring me so much joy right now. We took my son to his 1st Yankees game on Thursday afternoon, Friday night I went to the game with my Dad, Saturday we took my son for his first haircut & first ice cream cone. This E30 of mine that I bought just wasn't meant to be. I will try again some other time, with a different car.
 
I had so many daydreams and fantasies of the car when I bought it. That I would restore it to glory, have the slushbox swapped out, have it completely repainted, and give it to my son as his first car.

#29936 of 30250 Failing alternator sounds by tnguyen74

Jun 10, 2008 (12:17 am)

I have an 03 325i that is making a slight buzzing electrical sounding noise under the hood. This happens a few seconds after start-up and at idle. It sometimes happens when the car is in motion. The reason I beleive I think it's the alternator is that my Accord had the same symptoms before the alternator went out. Anyone here have any signs or noises prior to the alternator going out? I really do not want to find out the hard way and be stranded on the road. Would an engine scan detect anything? How about autozone running any test without removing the alternator. Any help would be appreciated.

#29937 of 30250 Posting Pics by nyccarguy

Jun 11, 2008 (6:55 pm)

Does anybody know how to post pics? Can I upload directly from my computer or do the files have to be on a sharing site?

#29938 of 30250 Check out by nyccarguy

Jun 11, 2008 (8:03 pm)

the pics of my E30 on my carspace page: My E30 Pics

Messages Page 2994 of 3026

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