TheBeast's 1993 750il Thread

[theBMWbeast]

A short introduction, this is the car Balidawg was giving away for free, hopefully to an enthusiast (I like to consider myself one ). I have an e34 that I’ve spent a sickening amount of money on, and being a glutton for punishment, here I am with an even more expensive to maintain car!
The car was sitting for years, battery dead and an EML issue being the final straw that lined everything up for the big sleep. Scott was a super nice guy, very knowledgeable, and I hope to take car of this car as well as he was taking care of it before me (a plethora of service records, manuals, online documents, and just general all around great history kept on this car).

The interior is pretty close to immaculate, the exterior paint has seen better days, but it cleaned up pretty well for what it is. Has tinted lights front and rear, and all around cosmetically I would call it a “driver”.
The plan for this car is to get it as cleaned up as possible, that means no more squeaks, creaks, clunks or rattles (of which there are few), getting all the interior components back in functioning order (sunshade gear on order, looking for an affordable cd43, shoguns dimmer kit, etc). Hoping to find some cheap style 32s and grab a pair of newer tires. Going to need to sort the LAD system (sagging in the rear), and possible a few bushing replacements.

As as it stands today, I got the car running on a spare battery, albeit too small for the car I think. I get an intermittent, dim, check engine light, and a general lack of power. For a moment everything clicked and it felt pretty good, then I decided it could be even better, and tried to sync the throttles. Upon disconnecting the battery again, it now feels to be stuck in limp mode. At idle, volts are low, in the 12s and dipping into the 11s, so I’m hoping with a new, proper battery, things will go back to normal. Also do an alternator test, make sure everything is up to snuff. I know these cars do not like low voltages.

Here as some pictures of how the car looked when I got it, and how it looked after probably 6 hours of washing, clay baring, polishing, black restorer, and waxing. The wheels are clean, and the black is black, so from about 15 feet, it looks the business! There is paint cracking on the passenger fender, and little specs of what I think is clear coat failure, but honestly on the road or from a distance, it’s really not noticeable.

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[dannyzabolotny]

Awesome! I love seeing an E32 be rescued from the junkyard. Too many of them get parted out or junked... I see nice 750il's in junkyards way too often and it's heartbreaking, honestly.

Your pics aren't working, btw. I'd love to see them, though. I've had good luck with using Flickr for embedding images on the forum, and the forum uploader isn't too shabby either if you don't want to deal with an external service.

[theBMWbeast]

I went through your thread, looking good as well. Whenever I try to use the embedded service, it won’t do anything when I hit upload. I’ve don’t the quick img thing as well, always gives me a little blank square. I’ll try Flickr, idk what I’ve been doing wrong. Pretty sure I’m above the necessary post count...

[shogun]

Well, you are not a newbie here, you know your E34 well, the main difference is the EML system on the M70. First try to install a better battery and test. If that does not help throttle valves cleaning, CPS testing, cylinder identification sensor testing, are both distributors and rotors o.k., check the ignition coils, ignition wires, in case you need new ignition wires for the M70, I have stock, see E32 classifieds.
Is the EML light in the cluster coming on when you switch ignition on? If not at all, then see under DIY how to fix the EML light, otherwise it always runs in limpmode. Normal is that it should come on with ignition on and the disappear after 2-3 seconds.

LAD: maybe you check the regulating valve and adjust it, see my website.

[theBMWbeast]

Got the images to work, finally!

Yes Shogun, m30 maintence and m70 maintence are pretty alike, besides the physical space and electronics. So nothing too scary here for me. But your wisdom on the matter is invaluable.
So far, the EML light illuminates in key position 2, and then goes out after 2-3 seconds, so all seems normal. No light while running, although a faint check engine light does come in and out. The code I got when I originally checked was lambda or something. I will be installing the new battery this weekend, and going from there. I will make note however, that my battery was pretty flat today, after two days of sitting. I know the battery is a little small, and may not be in top notch condition, but I wonder if the car might also have a parasitic drain somewhere. I will be pulling fuses after I get the new battery installed.

Got the website book marked . Oh and funnily enough Danny, there is a Brokatrot over Parchment 735i in a junkyard down here in LA as we speak, shame to see these cars end up like that. Especially considering the one I saw looked just like yours, cosmetically; I can’t imagine the m30 breaking the bank to keep it running.

[dannyzabolotny]

Oh and funnily enough Danny, there is a Brokatrot over Parchment 735i in a junkyard down here in LA as we speak, shame to see these cars end up like that. Especially considering the one I saw looked just like yours, cosmetically; I can’t imagine the m30 breaking the bank to keep it running.

Man, that's a bummer! I imagine it's a case of the M30 just nickel-and-diming somebody that isn't mechanically savvy— it's getting harder and harder to find people to work on M30's, and it's not exactly cheap when you're paying somebody for all the maintenance. Either that or they blew a head gasket/the transmission crapped out, both of which are rather expensive repairs when going to a shop.

I had a customer with an E34 535i that said he went through quite a few shops before finding me, and he said nobody wanted to touch his M30.

[gregeast]

Congrats and well done sir!

May we see pics of the immaculate interior?

[theBMWbeast]

Thank you! Maybe immaculate was a strong word, but atleast compared to what I’ve been used to from this vintage of cars, I’m impressed.

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[gregeast]

Looks pretty immaculate to me for a 26 year old car, look at all the rear seat legroom. Mine's a shorty so it's merely adequate not expansive like yours.

I've had very good luck with Leatherique dye products, I suspect you could make the driver's seat look like new. Or, even better, dye the driver's seat and then swap the swabs between it and the passenger side to even out the wear.

Good stuff!

[theBMWbeast]

Yeah I’ve heard of the leatherique stuff, and seen good results. Tbh, I’ve always wanted a tobacco brown interior in a black seven. But I doubt I’ll go that crazy. Probably just repair/clean it up like you recommended.

Got the new battery installed. Car runs better, but better as in, on all 6 cylinders, rather than maybe 4. So it’s still stuck in limp mode. I disconnected the battery for the night, and am going to try and resync the throttles later today. I just never have enough road . Check engine light still keeps coming on, for lambda. If an o2 sensor was bad, I’m sure it would just reset to the default values, rather than put the car in limp mode. So I’ll look elsewhere. I’m going to take Shoguns suggestion, and verify the ignition system is operating in good health. Then sensors. The throttles have been rebuilt if I remember correctly, so I will check those last. Also, voltage at idle, with things like headlights or radio/ac on, is precariously low. Running and driving, stays in the mid 13s. Might just go ahead and order a voltage regulator, they are pretty cheap.

[dannyzabolotny]

Check that both MAF's are functioning correctly? I had a 1995 750il that ran like absolute crap until I figured out that one of the MAF's was bad and replaced it.

[shogun]

as for MAF probs read also this thread https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...5510-Limp-Mode
quote
Final Verdict on Limp Mode/Check Engine for my 850
Replaced O2 Sensors Just Because
Replaced Spark Plugs Old and Bad
Replaced Spark Plug Wires Tested Two Bad
Replaced Distributor Caps and Rotors Worn
Replaced Coils Tested Bad, No Difference
Cleaned Throttle Bodies Commutators were nasty
Replaced MAF Sensors, both tested good but made no difference if you disconnected them. Replaced both and Check Engine light is out.

[theBMWbeast]

Success!
Car is running on all 12 cylinders again. Verdict was two aftermarket MAFs, doing much of nothing. So replaced them with the original Bosch in the trunk. Car is running like a champ, that torque is amazing! However, hit a bit of a snag on the test drive, car started overheating and I didn’t notice till it had creeped to the first mark past center. Killed it and coasted to my house. Immediately could smell the coolant, all coming from the drivers headlight well. Here is what I found:
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I hate plastic on radiators, why why why. Whatever, new Nissens on order, along with drive belts, just because. As long as that little overheat didn’t do anything, only thing holding back this car is smog and registration. Very excited, nothing like a v12!

[dannyzabolotny]

Glad to hear it was just a simple MAF issue. It's amazing how poorly these engines run with bad MAF's, whereas most engines of this era run fine without a MAF. Probably because this was the first real drive-by-wire throttle setup with no ICV's so it relies heavily on MAF data to idle properly.

Even though it sucks that the radiator popped, I'm glad it wasn't something more insidious like a heater core, those suck to replace. Consider replacing the radiator hoses as well if they're old. You shouldn't have any lasting damage, sounds like it barely even got hot. With my 1995 750il I got it to almost the red zone a few times while stuck in traffic (nowhere to pull over, couldn't shut the engine off because traffic was still moving but very slowly) and it was fine after I fixed the cooling system. These V12's are pretty robust.

[gregeast]

Congrats on the MAF fix, my 740 had similar issues that ended up being the MAF.

As for finding the coolant leak, I would suggest borrowing a pressure tester from one of the auto parts places. Most of them have tools that they loan out for free. Connect the pressure tester to the coolant tank, pump it up to pressurize the system and your leaking hose will become very obvious very quickly (and, let's be honest, probably a few other spots on a 25+ year old car).

[theBMWbeast]

Got the new radiator in, no trouble. Self bleeding makes the whole job that much easier. Might need to fill up a little atf in the tranny tube though, lost some on the replacment of the radiator. No leaks to speak of, is running a tick over with ac on, which is fine by me.
Speaking of AC, replaced the cabin air filter, and what a difference! Ac actually blows now, and cool air is a welcome feeling as summer is finally upon us. However, I noticed that the drivers side vents are much more warm air, where the passenger is ice cold. I think one of those 10 blend door motors is acting up, which I really don’t want to deal with...

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Got my sunshade repair gear as well, took out the parcel shelf and tried to replace that. Got all the way inside the motor only to find I have what I think is the updated e38 style gear, with all the holes cut out in it. It would seem the problem with this, is that the smaller composite gear likes to jump away from the main gear. So will have to solve that, so I can get my interior back together.

Another thing, and one I would appreciate some insight on. The car came with the three button remote, the one separate from the key. I couldn’t find a unit to resync the key too, so I installed my own spare I had, and plugged it into a connector under the back seat. I can now get the horn to beep twice on lock, and the panic button works, but neither locking or unlocking actually works from the remote. Don’t really understand why.

Also, if anyone has style 4 wheels in California, I am in the market! Really like the look (and price) of these wheels, and would prefer to get some new wheels for the new tires the car desperately needs.

[gregeast]

I get to do the radiator on my 740i in the next day or two, any tips or tricks you want to share?

[dannyzabolotny]

If you’re getting cool air on one side and warmer air on the other side, I’d check the level of refrigerant in the system. Might be worth paying for a professional recharge, just to make sure it’s accurate. That’s the top cause of that in my experience.

If that doesn’t fix it, or if the refrigerant level is already perfect, then I’d look into the heater valve, as that controls the dual zone climate control and can cause the warm air issue on one side if one of the two valves get stuck. That’s a super common issue too.

[theBMWbeast]

If that doesn’t fix it, or if the refrigerant level is already perfect, then I’d look into the heater valve, as that controls the dual zone climate control and can cause the warm air issue on one side if one of the two valves get stuck. That’s a super common issue too.

Considering I didn’t get any hot air when I was bleeding the system, I’ll look into the valve. Much easier to get to that as well

edit: would this kit work with my 93 MY car? I want a kit with the plungers, and read there is a distinction between the earlier, rebuildable style?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Heater-...sAAOSw3RZaL-c5

[theBMWbeast]

When my heater core blew in my 535i, I bypassed the system, and there after the car had an overheating condition. Couldn’t figure it out, as everything in the cooling system was brand new. Eventually discovered that my new Wahler thermostat had gone bad after the overheat. Now the 750il started overheating after the new radiator install, I knew what to suspect.
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New behr thermostat on order. Hoping to get this car running reliably. Hopefully this experience can help someone out.

[dannyzabolotny]

Oh yeah, I've had customers that have come into the shop with brand new thermostats that were malfunctioning. These days when I get an overheating car in the shop, I check to make sure there's good flow in the cooling system, and I use an IR thermometer gun to check temps to see what's happening. There was an E34 535i that kept overheating despite all new cooling system components, and surprise surprise, it was a bad thermostat.

[shogun]

The older rebuildable style heater valves and also still used for the optional parked heating have the connector on top, the normal ones on the side, http://bmwe32.masscom.net/johan/wate...tervalves.html
yours should be the newer version, officially not rebuildable, but the offered kits are for the newer versions

[theBMWbeast]

New thermostat installed, running nice and cool now. Also got the rear sunshade fixed, had to shim my motor with a strip of metal, the motor gear was popping out of the worm gear. Going to grab that heater valve kit and fix that sometime now.

Next big items on the list is going to be maintence oriented stuff. Going to have to get this car up on jackstands, and see what needs to be done with the suspension. Going to check out the LAD regulator as suggested above, car does not ride in the back like it should.

Also, there is a lot of crud buildup in the oil fill area, inside the motor. I can only assume that the rest of the motor is equally gunked up. Any suggestions on additives to put in, gonna do a few changes with cheap oil to flush it out. I’ve heard of ATF and I think diesel as well, any personal experience? Thanks!

[theBMWbeast]

Researched into this, I’m either looking at vacuum leaks, or the VCV system it would seem. Have a smoke tester, going to try and diagnose. Intake gaskets were said to be resealed, really don’t feel like getting that involved. Car runs great, but a problem like this makes me anxious considering getting it smogged.

Problems are mounting up, going to need to start knocking them out. I know the car will be worth it at the end though!

[balidawg]

Previous owner here.

Congrats on solving the MAF issue and getting it running on all 12 again. Sounds sooooo good. Damn aftermarket MAFs!!! Glad I saved the original MAFs.

You have the folder full of parts and service receipts, but I can answer any maintenance questions on the car. Here are some after reading the whole thread.
- Both throttle bodies were rebuilt/cleaned several years ago.
- Intake manifold gaskets sealed up with Hylomar as PM. Valve cover gaskets, fuel pressure regulators, fuel hoses replaced at the same time.
- Both electric fuel pumps replaced with aftermarket models (shogun knows about this part)
- 12 new spark plugs
- Belts and both radiator hoses replaced.
- Electric fan switch in radiator replaced with lower temperature rated model.
- All three coolant hoses in engine compartment going into heater core replaced.
- All hydraulic hoses connecting to the Pentosin reservoir were replaced.
- Power steering servotronic valve replaced.
- Front struts replaced.
- All front control arms and bushings replaced
- Rear “dog bones” replaced
- Both factory xenon headlight assemblies replaced with aftermarket kits.
- Both rear tail light lens replaced with (much better looking) aftermarket ones.
- All four window regulator slides were cleaned and lubricated.
- All four door handle black rubber gaskets replaced