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Thread: New (to me) 1990 535i and a looming 1,100 mile roadtrip through the rocky mountains

  1. #1
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    New (to me) 1990 535i and a looming 1,100 mile roadtrip through the rocky mountains

    Good Evening,

    hello world, I am new to forums in general so i hope that i am not defying any online social constructs so bare with me, and let me know if i have. in advance i would like to thank you all for the great info you provide as it has allowed me to work on my E34 with relative ease, even as someone with slim to none experience with a wrench. But we are here to talk about cars, and i was hoping i could get some solid constructive criticism to ensure that i do not put my car under undue stress nor myself. i have long been a BMW enthusiast in the sense that i found them visually appealing. i was cruising craigslist about a month and a half back looking for an e30 and thats when i found the 535i (5 speed) i call my own, and thus far i could not be happier. i bought the car with 154,xxx miles, and a stack of maintenance papers around two inches thick, presumably sense new, hell i even have the window sticker from when it was on the lot, i think thats pretty cool if i dont say so myself. anyway, i have been living in Orange County, California for the past 9 months and i am moving back to Montana in two weeks. the 535 is my second car and a friend of mine from Montana is flying down to drive my 4runner while i take the old girl north. before you ask, towing is NOT and option, wayyyy to expensive to rent a uhaul trailer, and the highway from salt lake to bozeman involves 3 10k foot passes, and the 4runner just isnt built to tow like that. so now that you know what i am getting into, ill tell you what i have done to prepare for the trip, and i am here to ask you all what you think i have not done that i should. pelican parts is like 30 minutes away so its easy for me to get parts quickly.

    i have driven the car about a thousand miles sense i purchased it and it runs beautifully, only quark is that if you start it with the nose uphill it takes 4-9 seconds to gain oil pressure, i poked around here and apparently it isnt anything to worry about. breaks feel good, clutch is healthy, shifts smooth (but dear god is she low and long), very stable engine temp even after 15 mins hard driving, i do feel heat coming up the shifter though when driving in traffic/around town but it cools off on the highway. other than that it idles smooth, and sounds like every other healthy older BMW i have come across.

    Preventative maintenance i have undertaken:
    -replaced all belts
    -adjusted valves
    -changed trans fluid and dif fluid
    -new oil filter
    -oil change (15w-50)
    -flushed out radiator used BMW coolant 50/50 with distilled water
    -checked brake fluid levels all good
    -wiper blades and rain X
    -all new lightbulbs for headlights and tail lights

    past owner replaced fuel pump and brake booster within 5 years according to docs

    i know that these cars have a reputation of being reliable and well built, but the father in me is terrified of being sidelined in Utah or more likely in the middle of Idaho/Wyoming with my baby on the side of the road. so tell me what i havent thought of! i could not figure out how to include a photo so sorry guys and gals. she doesnt have a name yet, but in the eyes of the paint job only a father could love im playing with Gretchen. also, all name suggestions greatly appreciated, as long as they are German, i mean its a BMW right?
    Last edited by hankfnmoody; 11-18-2017 at 03:12 AM.

  2. #2
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    Welcome!

    Between the good maintenance history and what you've done personally, I don't see anything to worry about except the oil pressure issue. Never seen that one before; hopefully someone else can weigh in here. 15W50 is pretty heavy for winter oil in an M30, maybe too heavy. Wonder if that's related to the pressure issue?

    How old is the radiator?

    These cars have a few quirks but they don't much matter for a pre-trip inspection. Find a mechanic you trust and have them take about an hour to look over the usual.

    At 10k elevation, a 534i is SLOW.
    Last edited by moroza; 11-17-2017 at 05:07 PM.

  3. #3
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    If an oil pressure test reveals that the pressure after the light is good then suspect the oil filter canister. If the oil pressure is still low after the light then you have issues.
    demet

  4. #4
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    Oil viscosity does seem high for winter oil. Heat from shifter is normal, mine use to get pretty dang hot in the summer especially in traffic. Obviously check all the basic stuff, fluids, tires, brakes bushings. Checking for oil and coolant leaks is a good idea prior to a trip.

    Make sure you either have a spare and Jack or at minimum two bottles of fix a flat. A bottle of antifreeze and a quart of oil would be smart to bring.

    These cars are pretty solid from my experience so far. My 540 got similar treatment to yours, 1k miles quickly after purchase, but max distance traveled in one direction was probably only 120 miles. I have found that even when a large number of parts fail they usually allow you to limp even after failure.

  5. #5
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    1990 535/5
    Would agree the light could be from a faulty check valve in the oil canister allowing oil to drain out when the engine is off.

    My 535/5 has been extremely reliable and is quite nice to drive in the Rockies. While there is definitely a good reduction in power at 10k feet, I can drive in 5th gear all the way through the mountains so long as traffic permits. Plenty of torque to get up the hills and engine braking means you dont have to touch the brakes on the downhills.

    I even return about 24mpg through the mountain passes while cruising around 75.

    Earlier this year i took the e34 on a road trip of over 2500 miles without a hiccup and my m30 has well over 300k.

    These things are a treat on the open highways!

  6. #6
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    whats up guys, thanks for the input!

    i highly suspect the oil pressure has something to do with the oil canister draining because it only comes on if the car has been sitting for at least an hour, so the theory of it "draining" fits the symptoms, but again i am no expert, just a theorist. also i said earlier that its when the nose is downhill but it was late when i made the posting (as the timestamp attests to) and i got it mixed up its actually when the car sits with the nose uphill that it looses pressure on startup. interestingly enough, i let the car sit with the nose uphill today in a parking lot for like 30 minutes and it didn't have an oil pressure issue on start up. however i later let it sit nose up in a driveway for an hour or two and it took 10 seconds to gain pressure. i decided to use 15w-50 because i was concerned about facing heat driving through Nevada/southern Utah and figured that it'll be warm by the time i get to the mountains, and i plan on changing the oil again upon arrival in Montana just for my own mental masturbation. was my assumption of preferring high temperature stability in motor oil Vs low temperature viscosity an unsafe one? in regards to the radiator, i believe it is original radiator as i cant find any record of it being replaced but damn near every hose has been replaced so maybe it was along the way too? previous owner complained of overheating in 95' but this dude also was taking his car into the shop a couple times a year complaining of squeaks and clunks that people service people couldn't find, but were happy to charge labor for and document, to my advantage i suppose. due to these seemingly pointless complaints i think i am going to ignore this overheating event from 22 years ago as it hasn't shown symptom sense. also noted that it had a new water pump put in 3 years ago, so it should be able to keep cool (water pump pushes the coolant through the system right?).

    again thank you all for the input, making me feel much more confident in my great adventure to come through the great American West!

  7. #7
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    At operating temperature, oil weight doesn't matter much with regards to the weather. It matters for startup, mostly - you don't want to be pumping extra-thick oil on a cold morning. Either way, you'll get away with it just fine, but I would indeed change it once you get to Bozeman.

  8. #8
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    I don't see mention of cooling hoses in you list, The text of your post was painful to read without paragraphs so perhaps it was mentioned there. I gave up after a few "sentences".
    Cooling system issues are perhaps the biggest reason for breakdowns. If you can't document the hoses, all of them, having been replaced and are planning a long journey now's the time.
    Sounds like a great road trip in a great road car, have fun.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  9. #9
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    15W50 is good Orange County oil; not so much for the upcoming Bozeman winter. If you're doing preventative maintenance, consider replacing the water pump and the radiator. It has been my experience that water pumps are the Achilles' heel on the big sixes and I change them as maintenance items every 50,000 miles. Around this mileage, unless the upper and lower control arm bushings have been changed, you may start to get a shimmy in the front end between 55-60MPH. This, unfortunately is "normal" for these cars as they age (for as much as I love the E34s, I don't think much of the front suspension). It is cured most easily by replacing all four control arms. If you don't have the shimmy, you are (a) blessed and (b) getting ready to have it. The big six is pretty well indestructible if you keep clean oil and coolant in it - my daughter's E34 535i is going strong at 275,000 and uses virtually no oil. Coming from Wyoming originally, I worry about how Montana winter corrosion is going to affect a 27-year-old car. I have an E28 535i here in Southern California that was an original SoCal car that did one single winter in Iowa and it looks really nasty underneath - lots of surface rust on the components, but it doesn't look like the rust took hold of the bodywork yet. Cleaning, priming and undercoating would be a good idea to protect it. That road trip from OC to Bozeman sounds like fun - safe travels!

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