Hi all! Yesterday I acquired this beautiful 92 735iL in Quebec Canada. This is the same car I posted about, when I asked which headlights it has (turns out it has free forms).
The car has the M30B35 engine with 4 speed auto and 144,000 km on the odometer (~90k miles). It's completely unmolested and original. It has not seen a single Quebec winter, which is why it doesn't have any rust (just a tiny spot near the edge of the sun roof). The paint is lazerblau metallic with a light silver grey non-extended leather interior.
35464475_10160918287780001_5361698200069603328_n.jpg35489546_10160918287690001_7531606812919857152_n.jpg35480813_10160918287875001_4566145621194440704_n.jpg
I'd give the car a 6/10 in terms of mechanical condition:
- It hasn't been driven much in the past two years and has received no service in that time (original owner passed away sadly, the family just kept it running)
- The idle is wavering slightly
- The front end vibrates when braking to a stop
- The exhaust has a leak somewhere
- One headlight is cracked
- There is a strange suction sound when the AC is on, normal? otherwise the AC blows ice cold air
- The steering wheel is stuck and won't adjust fore and aft
- I'm sure the front and rear ends are garbage and all bushings etc require a refresh, the car doesn't feel as composed as it should be
- Oil stains on the valve cover?
- For sure inspections I & II are in order
Anyway this is a great project car and the price was very reasonable considering it has no rust (3700 CAD or 2800 USD). I will post updates here when I work on the car
Thanks for those who helped me identify the headlights in the other thread! I'm glad to be part of the E32 gang
Here is a video of the car, sorry for my English...
First order of business is to scrap the Bridgestone Potenzas as soon as possible. I have the original receipt for them, they were purchased when the car had 95,000 km... in 2001!! Yikes. I'm thankful I made the 2h trip back home in one piece (I had checked for dry rot before buying the car and all 4 tires looked ok).
I will most likely go with Khumo Ecsta LX Platinum in OEM size (225/60R15) or a similar tire.
Bonjour, Hi.
Congratulations to your acquisition and welcome to the E32 gang! Your car looks really good and you did a great video introduction. No need to apologize four your English, it sounds very nice.
Where exactly are you located? If you're not too far from Montreal, we should probably meet and go for a drive.
Thanks for the kind words. I am near Acton Vale. Maybe we will have the opportunity to meet one day
Since you are local in Quebec, maybe you have some tips? I'm trying to source quality 225/60R15 tires but so far the choice is quite limited. Locally I find mostly Chinese brand tires, with others like Toyo Extensa and Khumo Solus. I'd like something more suitable for comfort and quietness, have you got a store to suggest?
Had a quick look at the engine bay tonight, definitely some oil/coolant leaking. Can someone help me identify what I'm looking at in the video? Thanks!
Let's create that opportunity. PM will follow.
Unfortunately not. When I bought my car three years ago it had 10+ years old tires and I had no time to research this. I just bought what my mechanic could source and ended up with Fuzion. I have no comparison in terms of comfort and quietness, but I definitely don't like them because they are always brown. Apparently, this is called blooming. Tire dressing helps, but I don't like glossy tires either...
I don't want to sound superficial but I'd like to avoid brown tires if possible
The local tire place can order 15" Toyo's but the wait time is three weeks and they are expensive. Instead I'll search for classic 16" BBS wheels on Kijiji/LesPac and get quality tires for them, I will have more luck in 16" size I think.
The age of these cars is starting to show when the OEM tires aren't widely available anymore! I hope the same won't happen with 16" tires in a few years time.
The black goo is dripping from your two Air Bag sensors. Those are the little orange boxes. Instead of explaining let me give you the thread I started a few months ago when I noticed it in my car. I've owned my 1990 since new. When you click on this thread make sure to scroll down to around the 10th post. In bold letters I posted what I was told from a BMW tech at BMW North America in Rahway in an email. It made me find two new ones and replace them. They're about $210.00 each but I believe worth the expense. Knowing that my Air Bag will not go off on its own. Read a little here. By the way, you really found a beautiful 92. Congrats.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...Black-Goo-Drip
Last edited by CroughtonE32; 06-19-2018 at 01:47 PM.
1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT
I bought 4 of these and they've been phenomenal! Not hard to find (at least in MA, USA) and fairly cheap too. https://www.townfairtire.com/brand/t...60r15h/008637/
Also, I'm no expert, but I've read contrasting opinions on changing the stock wheel/tire size on these cars... might not be a good idea.
Last edited by CamE32; 06-19-2018 at 01:53 PM.
1983 4-spd Mercedes 240d w/403k - Sold!
11/87 E32 735iA w/45k - Daily Driver (finally!)
04/88 E32 735iL - Parts Car
1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT
Thanks Croughton, that thread is a goldmine of information. After doing research I found out that these are sensors related to airbags but had no idea they could leak. I'll definitely replace them. I ordered a Bentley manual yesterday, do you know if the installation procedure is documented in it?
Btw my favorite quote from that thread was this "Glad I have this forum to share, as my wife can only listen to so much about my E32." lol, I can relate...
@CamE32 how is the ride quality and noise levels with the Fuzions? I had never heard of the brand so disqualified them when the tire shop mentioned them...
I doubt that the installation procedure for air bag sensor is in the Bentley Manual, but it's simple. Just make sure the engine is off. Unscrew the two hex nut screws holding them in place, lift them out and unplug the connector. Then scrape away the old goo if you want to just to clean it up. Replace with new ones in reverse. I didn't even have to reset the Air Bag light. It never came on. I would order four new crews with the two sensors as they cost next to nothing and you'll find the old ones all gooed up. If that's even a word.
1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT
Thanks for the tip. Those sensors will eat up my budget for upgrades rather quickly! I could order used ones from eBay (20$ each) but they might have already spilled goo and be worthless for all I know. OEM it shall be.
Ride quality is excellent and it handles great. So far I have no complaints. I felt the same away about a no-name tire before I bought them, so I did research on Fuzions and found them to be well-reviewed. I can't give an accurate estimate for road noise because my rear carpet (with lots of sound deadening material) hasn't been reinstalled yet. To me it still seems very quiet and smooth on the highway, no noticeable noise from the tires. Also haven't had any slipping in the rain, and they fared well during the winter even though they're definitely not snow tires.
Overall from my research, I concluded these would be the best bet for keeping the stock tire size and not paying over $100 a tire. I'm happy with my choice. Maybe others can chime in though.
FYI I run 31psi up front and 35psi in the rear.
Last edited by CamE32; 06-19-2018 at 03:38 PM.
1983 4-spd Mercedes 240d w/403k - Sold!
11/87 E32 735iA w/45k - Daily Driver (finally!)
04/88 E32 735iL - Parts Car
1983 4-spd Mercedes 240d w/403k - Sold!
11/87 E32 735iA w/45k - Daily Driver (finally!)
04/88 E32 735iL - Parts Car
PM sent
Cleaned the engine bay tonight, no more dirt and dust! Btw, what a blessing it is to have a garage to do this work! We used to be renters but we now own a house since a few months, what a revelation.
engine_clean.jpg
Checked the engine oil also, not terrible. Still needs a change.
engine_oil.jpg
Checked the trans oil too, also not bad. I was expecting black oil but there is still a hint of pink in there. Should I still do 2-3 drains or would one drain be sufficient?
trans_oil.jpg
ATF: as a first step make a change now the usual way by draining, then replace ATF filter and ATF pan gasket. The drive some time and check some months later again.
Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!
Thanks shogun, will do.
The first gear exhibits a sort of whine, is it safe to assume this would go away when I change the 25 year old ATF?
I've got the same year, model and colour as yours (146k kms) and it also whines exactly like that in first gear. Also jerks between first and second and ky ATF is a healthy red.
Maybe it's a feature not a bug.
Yes it could simply be the age of the vehicle at this point. I'll still change the ATF though.
Today as I was doing a low speed parking maneuver in Drive I turned the steering wheel fully to the left, then fully to the right. At the mid-point when I turned to the right, there was resistance in the steering wheel and I had to turn harder to overcome the resistance. It felt notchy, is probably the best way to describe it. After the notchy resistance the steering wheel turned freely.
Would this be caused by bad tie rod ends? Btw the steering U joint is covered in black dirt and dust, cleaning it then greasing it would probably help.
Last edited by Cactuar; 06-21-2018 at 05:56 PM.
Check your power steering fluid level. Might be down a little and that would do it.
1990 735I (Auto) E32 Feb 1990 to Present
1996 Z3 Roadster (5 Speed) E36/7 Jan 1999 to Dec 1999
1983 733I (5 Speed) E23 April 1983 to Feb 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4tHoHGaJo
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av20xCMMocSsyEpl...h_oOk?e=ekIcAT
Looks like I'll be ordering some Pentosin!
pentosin_reservoir.jpg
Instead of Pentosin you can use the hydraulic fluid from Febi Bilstein, can be mixed with the same type Pentosin. And the Febi fluid is cheaper.
Pentosin CHF11S = Febi Bilstein 06161 synthetic = BMW 81229407758, 82110148132, 83290429576, 82111468041
Pentosin CHF7.1 (NLA) = Febi Bilstein 06162 = BMW 81229407549
Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!
I had no problems buying Pentosin CHF7.1 from a car parts dealer in Montreal (Dorval Auto Parts).
@cactuar, what color is the liquid in your car? In the picture it looks reddish. Both Pentosin varieties are green. You should not mix the two Pentosin types, and you should not mix either Pentosin with ATF. Please check what you car actually needs.
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