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View Full Version : Help.. made a mistake and loaned my car to a family member



Redwolf1017
10-10-2021, 06:00 PM
Long story short, I had just bought a mint 2008 328i in December of 2019 with 100k miles. I had to move temporarily to go home and help my dad for approximately a year and a half. My sister was in a bad place and didn’t have any transportation, so my mom asked if I would consider loaning her my car since I would be gone for so long. I agreed. I’ve been back since March and finally just got the car back.

Apparently my sister started dating someone that was bad news and apparently they both have developed a substance abuse problem. The car is in terrible shape. Every time I asked what happened I get a different story.

When I started it, I think every light possible lit up on the dash. It sounded like there was no exhaust. On popping the hood it looks like some took a sawzall to cut the exhaust out at the manifold, presumably for the cats.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211010/f655e017490901802d10f92882118882.jpg


Radiator fan wiring was cut out hooked directly to the positive post under hood to make fan run constantly.

Top radiator hose was disconnected, along with a lot of other stuff under hood. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211010/67a3b7064869ed28a8f828f65e3e6986.jpg

When I went to put it in gear it would only move at random. Sometimes it would just roll forward a little, other times I’d have to rev it up to 3500 rpms to get it to move. Sometimes it wouldn’t move in forward, just reverse, and sometimes it was vice versa. I’m fully expecting to have to replace the tranny when I get everything else figured out. I loaded it on my trailer and took it home.


I have a good big of experience with working on vehicles, but never a BMW. There’s a few things I could use some help on.

My first issue I need to solve is the battery connections. From what I understand BLW has a “power distribution box (second pic) that multiple things get plugged into. Can someone take some detailed pics of how theirs is properly hooked up? I ordered the whole assembly from eBay just a bit ago, just want to get started on cleaning this up. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211010/e7bd15c2633f185450671b478487cff7.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211010/bf4e792d1474a8ed3af90dc4c6a583e7.jpg


The second thing I could use is if someone could take some detailed pics under the hood of all the hoses and wiring so I can see what exactly I’m missing.
I’d sincerely appreciate any help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

zellamay
10-10-2021, 09:37 PM
Sorry to hear about your sister. A car is just a car...........

Redwolf1017
10-11-2021, 08:35 AM
Sorry to hear about your sister. A car is just a car...........

Oh I completely agree. My sister is on the up and up, she’s doing much better. Part of the reason I was able to go over and get the car is she moved in with me to get away from that life. From what I gather it was more from her boyfriend pushing her into things. They’ve been broken up for a few months. From what she says it was him that messed the car up. She’s been clean for a little over 3 months and I’m not mad, I understand stuff happens. Just glad she’s doing better now.

zellamay
10-11-2021, 01:36 PM
I once loaned a recovering addict a really nice guitar of mine, that I had owned for decades. In relapse, it was "stolen" from him. I'm not mad at him. I am mad at myself. I should have bought a $25 guitar to loan to him.

92335i
10-20-2021, 05:30 PM
Lol dude went to work on your car.. Hate when that happens. Damn tweakers. Her you go hope this helps.697369697368697370

Sleepyhead97
10-20-2021, 09:24 PM
Dudes that second photo has a vacuum or emissions hose hooked to the coolant expansion tank. That's crazy.

zellamay
10-20-2021, 09:32 PM
Dudes that second photo has a vacuum or emissions hose hooked to the coolant expansion tank. That's crazy.

Damn tweakers !

Critter7r
10-25-2021, 01:48 PM
Dudes that second photo has a vacuum or emissions hose hooked to the coolant expansion tank. That's crazy.


That's the vent hose. But the tank is zip-tied to only one mount, and 2 inches off the other mount.