bwm 1995 325td help !

[davydunt]

hi ye all, Ive just bought a 1995 325td with 125k on the clock. it was a snip for the great condition of the body but there are a few wee things need sorting with your help.

no1. there is a small miss in the engine only some times when driving, never when idling (could do it twice in 5 mile, then not for the next 20)

no2. the inside heater is blowing out lukewarm air, good enough for a cold day but not good enough for a -5 frost. (the temp hand sits at half way all the time)

no3. when you put the key into the ignition and turn it, it will spin on around 360d unless you push it in firm and turn it, then the dash lights come on. is this normal ?


any info much appreciated.

 

[tryingnottobeafool]

1: small miss? lack of power? what do you mean? hook up to a computer ...... get a garage that specialises in BMW servicing, not a BMW dealer

2: faulty thermosat stuck open ? so car wont fully heat up. whats the temperature at? air conditioning needing topped up? vents for heater blocked with leaves? faulty sensor at heater matrix

3: new barrel required........................ replace quick as this will let you down

 

[LeeJC]

hi ye all, Ive just bought a 1995 325td with 125k on the clock. it was a snip for the great condition of the body but there are a few wee things need sorting with your help.

no1. there is a small miss in the engine only some times when driving, never when idling (could do it twice in 5 mile, then not for the next 20)

no2. the inside heater is blowing out lukewarm air, good enough for a cold day but not good enough for a -5 frost. (the temp hand sits at half way all the time)

no3. when you put the key into the ignition and turn it, it will spin on around 360d unless you push it in firm and turn it, then the dash lights come on. is this normal ?


any info much appreciated.

Number 1 Could be any number of things, could be a cam position sensor which is coming in and out of tolerance.

Number 2 sounds very very much like your heater valve. Have a look here for the bit i'm talking about.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CC12&mospid=47445&btnr=64_0126&hg=64&fg=18

And definitely get the barrel replaced mate, does it look like anyone has tried anything other than a key in there???

 

[davydunt]

hi,
no3:
no it doesnt look damaged in any way, but the key looks like its the original key from new and it looks very warn-away.

Ive tried other BMW keys in it (not for it) and they just spin on round, witch makes me think a new key with clean cut edges might do the trick ?

thanks very much for the info so far !!!

 

[gblades]

There is a very good forum for these cars at http://www.e36coupe.com.

1) Difficult to say. Maybe a failing glowplug?

2) Temp is ok so it could be stuck valves as mentioned previously but the most common cause is an air lock in the system.

3) Could be a combination of a worn key and worb barrel however I have seem a number of cases where a pin inside the barrel wears out causing this problem so my advise would be to get a new barrel.

 

[joe-90]

No 1 could be HT leads.

No2 Needs further testing. When you start from cold, does the radiator warm up slowly (but almost straight away)? If so then it is the thermostat.
If it doesn't warm up straight away then gets hot suddenly then the thermostat is OK and you'll have to look elsewhere.

 

[davydunt]

thanks again so far you've all been great !

Ive clocked up a good few more miles now, and i have a more detailed description of fault no1...

there is a slight miss when i ease off the throttle slightly and back on around 1800-2000rpm in 5th gear when cruising 50-60mph.

if you get into it and do 0-100+mph asap it runs sweet.

if i had this sorted i would be over the moon

 

[gblades]

Perhaps it is not an engine misfire but a worn propshaft coupling. You can get some slack when it gets old so when you ease off the throttle it moves as the car is pulling the engine and then when you accelerate again it shifts. Most of the time it is not noticeable but sometimes it can bounce which does make it feel like a misfire.

 

[joe-90]

Where can you do 100mph plus?

Could be many things. Injectors, engine management system or other expensive repairs. You won't sort it on a forum. You need diagnostics.

 

[gblades]

Where can you do 100mph plus?

Legally or illegally?

 

[tryingnottobeafool]

No 1 could be HT leads.

No2 Needs further testing. When you start from cold, does the radiator warm up slowly (but almost straight away)? If so then it is the thermostat.
If it doesn't warm up straight away then gets hot suddenly then the thermostat is OK and you'll have to look elsewhere.

its a diesel, ht leads?

 

[joe-90]

Sorry didn't notice that. Could be the injectors then.

 

[Heyho74]

1, The 325td/tds was prone to deisel pump faults - which often lead to intermittent misfires, which is why they often come up cheap.

2, There is a solenoid valve that controls the coolant flow to the heater - follow the pipes under the bonnet to locate it - try unplugging to start with (they fail open) or maybe a "tap" with a small implement may help. Don't rule out a blocked heater matrix. Air-con micro(pollen) filters are often neglected on older cars, and become blocked, but this leads to reduced air throughput.

3, You need a new lock barrel, if it fails completely, you'll be looking at a steering lock assembly too.

 

[Udhi]

Superb motors. Love em to bits!

For problem 1, you could try running the fuel near empty - and I mean less than a gallon. make sure engine is nice and warm, remove the fuel filter, replace with one filled to the brim with Millers diesel + or Forte cleaner. Then screw the car around for a few minutes.

The system will feed concentrated cleaner thru the injectors etc for the first few mins then a mix diluted with the tank contents (hence little diesel as poss). See if this helps. I have heard of shenanigans with ATF fluid or chain saw oil for the same purposes....but not sure if this is wise on a Beemer.


Problem 3:
Whe you guys say change the ign barrel, does this mean the actual key is going to replaced too? Would that leave two different keys on the keytag - one to open the doors and boot, another to start the car?

 

[tryingnottobeafool]

no no run near empty and drag every piece of rubbish out of the tank


then new filter required



hook up to a computer

so many faults dont bring up engine managemnt fault light