I am new to the site. I have owned my 1992 BMW 525i since it was new. It still runs great and has 122,000 miles on it. The headliner is sagging, two front seats need refurbishing, I found out yesterday my coolent overflow is leaking so a new radiator is ahead. Glad I found the site.
^definition of clean and unmolested, is that orient blue?
O o
/Ż____________________________ ______________
| BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! !!!!
\_ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
Moderator and Owner of the Subreddit r/E34
Wow, original owner. I don't think we have too many of you guys around here. Any background on why you've kept it so long (other than they are great cars, as most of us here know)?
Glad you found the site too. Pretty much everything you could ever need has been covered here, so try the advanced search function to find what you need. I never wrenched on a car until buying my touring, but learned everything through this site, and eventually engine/tranny swapped it. It's all here. Welcome!
Last edited by Sir Montalbon; 12-20-2018 at 12:21 PM.
what'd I do? Well it has been rainy here in Hawaii, (yes, it rains here too) and the wipers make a horrid clunk every time they change direction. Up comes the hood, off the 13mm nuts holding wiper arms, off the plastic plugs and both cowls. Turns out the wiper shafts had a rubber grommet each where they penetrate the body metal. Said grommet no longer existed. I replaced it with several circles of tar paper, re-set the wipers so the hood doesn't gouge one arm any more, and snugged it all up. Took a late afternoon ride to see some friends (one a former dealer master tech and shop foreman). Alles gut! Saint Pauli Girl and some other German bier no longer among the living.
I so wish all repairs were this simple. Back door window non-op on passenger side. Slight shimmy at speed. Loose front end probably wants both lower control arms plus the others. No sunroof switch, and a leaking sunroof drain (methinks); will have to hotwire the sunroof motor connector to open/close. At least today is bright and sunny... and it's still a holiday... no better time to be kept off the street!
Charlie
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to add value to these threads, either by pictures or by descriptions, so the next person with the same or similar problem stands on your shoulders.
No plastidip for me. I detest the two tone lower parts, so I took the plunge and used single stage paint to get that done. Here is my tip to anyone looking to DIY this themselves:
1. Yes, tape/mask off all parts you don't want painted. This includes the windows/windshield. Overspray is very, very sucky. I used masking tape and a combination of plastic bags and newspapers. Don't forget your tires and wheels as well.
2. I used single stage paint from an auto paint store. Just bring in your color code, which can be found on your door panel and they'll be able to get you your cans with the correct color. I used single stage paint because it's easy to apply and it won't stand out too much from the weathered paint on my car. The paint shop also recommended a promoter which would allow the single stage paint to stick to the body.
3. Scotchbrite pads work wonders to prep the area for painting. I didn't use any sand paper, just scotchbrite pads. Clean the lower trim area well, then rub them until they are "ashy". Clean the area again then hit it with the promoter. I used about 3 cans of promoter and 5 cans of single stage paint.
4. Buy these spray can gun attachments: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. They work wonders, I am not kidding. Esp if you are doing this in a garage, or even outside, it will help with an even spray.
5. The side rocker panels suck to paint, and will look weird due to its surface texture. I ask another member, AFJm3, how he did his lowers, and he said it looks weird, but I doubted him and did it anyways. Trust, it looks really tacky and shitty. You are better off finding some side skirts, which I happened upon with a local seller. Get the side skirts if you can.
Installed my diy strut bar today! Makes a huge difference in ride quality and handling...would definitely recommend getting a bar if you have lowered e34.
20190621_132627.jpg
Also replaced the sway bar bushings and rear sway bar end links a couple days ago. Had already replaced 90% of the suspension/steering parts already but these made the biggest difference for the money by far. My highway vibration above 60 mph and during highway braking is finally gone!! Never thought it was the cheap and easy sway bushings...
My touring doesn't feel like a sloppy rattletrap anymore, feels solid instead of just heavy.
Last edited by W124; 06-21-2019 at 09:39 PM.
It's been a couple of months of ford falcon duty for me, but yesterday I replaced the air box and alt duct (PO smashed the intake tube of the air box and lost the alt duct). Cleaned and even made shiny with meguires trim detailer s/h parts from ross1, also put together a door solenoid and did an oil and filter change finally!
Today rear brake discs (local stock zimmerman zinc coated), ATE rubber hoses, ATE rear pads and a caliper clean and lube.
After bedding in then my next day off will be the fronts and maybe fitting the door lock solenoid E: or maybe heater valve rebuild - I swear the pass side doesn't get as hot as the drivers side
Last edited by fo3; 08-26-2019 at 10:20 AM.
So finished my rear brakes, new pads and hoses on the front, all new inlet manifold gaskets and o rings. Chinese injectors, heater valve rebuild/clean, air box t/stat hoses and expansion tank.
Believe it or not so far the analogue fuel economy gauge is consistently reading 2l/100km less than it used to and the OBC fuel economy readout is currently @ ~10.5L/100km. (heading home it was 10.8 when I left, pulling into my house it's reading 10.3 - so it's heading down, not up). I know it will go up the next time I start it cold, but hopefully don't go up back to the old 12.5L in hurry. E: This isn't a 1 day thing, I've been driving it for 3 days now.
I recommend replacing injectors to anyone.
All that's left to do on this car is interior recolour seats and console, drop rear suspension, and eventually pull of the timing cover for guides and tiny oil weeps - I'm putting that off because once you fix everything something else goes wrong and it's not dripping oil anyway.
Last edited by fo3; 09-13-2019 at 04:16 AM.
Fixed the cruise control on my 95 540i by removing the clutch switch, taking the switch apart and adjusting the contacts. All good again.
I could have, but I get impatient.
Changed out CSB. It wasnt that bad actually.
Herr, wirf Hirn vom Himmel! ... oder Steine, Hauptsache er trifft.
88 Alpineweiss / black E30 M3 -Project.
Brilliantrot / black US SPEC 3/90 prod e34 M30b35 535i 5spd - Modded.
98.5 Tiag Silber /black e36 m3 - Modded.
99.5 Estoril Blau /dove e36 m3 - Modded.
07 Crimsonrot /black E83 X3 6spd - Stock..
Finally finished up the m60b40 swap and got to drive her on the road. Went from a stock 530 to a DUDMD chipped B40 and its a huge difference. Also put on some brand new from BMW M5 nurburgring package sway bars. Next up is coilovers and an alignment, but I'm so happy to have this car back. I hit a curb way back in February and its been a long road to get her back on the road but Im so happy I went forward with the swap, totally transforms the car. I have a feeling my clutch may not last long, and I seem to have torn the drivers side engine mount so I ordered some revshift motor mounts and rogue engineering rubber trans mounts with the cyber monday sale.
All in all Im super happy to be driving an E34 daily again. The clownshoe can finally get some rest
got my driveshaft lines up and loctite the bolt in, idk how it got loose and hadnt fallen out yet
lubricated the flex jacketing at several sections of the cruise control cable where the plastic jacketing has fallen away. Corrosion had developed which hampered the functionality so while flexing the coiled surround and working in Lithium paste and moving the cable some it now functions properly and I am not looking at broken teeth on any of the gears inside the unit for why cruise control was dropping and grabbing and letting go and reengaging.. it was just a binding cable.
Replaced the throttle cable. easy but a pita.
Herr, wirf Hirn vom Himmel! ... oder Steine, Hauptsache er trifft.
88 Alpineweiss / black E30 M3 -Project.
Brilliantrot / black US SPEC 3/90 prod e34 M30b35 535i 5spd - Modded.
98.5 Tiag Silber /black e36 m3 - Modded.
99.5 Estoril Blau /dove e36 m3 - Modded.
07 Crimsonrot /black E83 X3 6spd - Stock..
not today but installed condor speed shop motor and trans mounts. holy f*** it vibrates now, gonna mess with combos
Backdoor vappur barrier broke up and flooded the carpet.. Some silicone later and its done but stinks for a while as it takes time to cure..
Replaced all the control arms, thrust arms, tie rods, idler arm, center link, and sway bar links up front.
Chris
1991 BMW 525i
M50 with auto trans
Build date 10/90
Alpine White II
Black/tan interior with leather
Bookmarks