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Thread: Preparing for a Road Trip

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    California
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA

    Preparing for a Road Trip

    Hello everyone! I'm new to posting here. I am in the unique position to be inheriting a 1988 325 with the super eta engine. I am located in Socal and the car is at my Grandmother's house in Washington state. I am planning on road tripping it down with my father. I know my way around cars specifically 80's cars (Jaguars) but not too familiar with BMW's even thought my family has owned BMW's since I was a little kid. The car has been taken care of meticulously from new by the same garage and I have all of the records all the way back to the window sticker. Everything has been saved all the way down to each oil change. I am posting to see what spare parts I should carry that I may have forgotten or any gotcha's to look for. I have already purchased a (Spark Plugs, Rotor, Fuel Filter, Coil, Air filter, Oil and filter) all the things that I noticed had not been done in a little while. The car has 206,xxx miles and has had the timing belt and tensioner changed twice in its life already is there anything I am forgetting?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    New Zealand
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    95
    My Cars
    E30 325i
    Sounds like it is well maintained to begin with which is a bonus..
    Timing belts have an age limit aswell
    Manual or auto? trans fluid? clutch fluid?
    Fuel pumps are not too uncommon for letting go with age. Knowing a knock with a hammer usually brings it into life for a trip home & how to use a jumper wire on the fuel pump relay to manually turn the pump on would not hurt.
    Make sure snorkel drain in windscreen motor area & sunroof drains are not clogged. A general look at hose condition in engine bay. Thermostat? Can't think of anything else right now.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    Wake Forest
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    2004 525i, 1985 325E
    I hope you have time to inspect before you leave. But check:
    Cracks in the tires (age)
    Fuel hoses (bring some on the trip)
    Brake hoses
    Suspension parts

    Bottom line, climb over and under that car before you road trip it.

    I would also be concerned with the age of the timing belt. If that should break, you'll have a disaster on your hands.
    2004 525i Sport, Manual - 1985 325E Coupe Manual

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Ca
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    2001 525it
    If you have aaa get the extended towing option look in the engine compartment for any signs off coolant and oil leaks, check tire condition and age drive it around locally first does it feel ok?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    California
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Quote Originally Posted by tomstin View Post
    I hope you have time to inspect before you leave. But check:
    Cracks in the tires (age)
    Fuel hoses (bring some on the trip)
    Brake hoses
    Suspension parts

    Bottom line, climb over and under that car before you road trip it.

    I would also be concerned with the age of the timing belt. If that should break, you'll have a disaster on your hands.
    Thankfully I do have time to inspect it before I leave. I was planning on checking the timing belt to see if its showing signs of aging. I'll be sure to bring some fuel hoses and spar break lines. The tires are fairly new so that shouldn't be an issue but i'll check it when I get up there.

  6. #6
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Yea the car has been maintained very well. its an auto box. I plan on buying all the fluids for the car just in case when I get up there. The fuel pump according to the records has been replaced twice since new but the last time was 10-ish years ago i believe. yea the timing belt is the only thing that worries me a little. it was replaced back in 2013 at 160-ish miles. So its due for a new one soon, but it has always been stored in a garage so it hasn't been left out in the cold temps ever so I hope the belt is still ok enough for me to feel comfortable to drive down.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by jclausen View Post
    If you have aaa get the extended towing option look in the engine compartment for any signs off coolant and oil leaks, check tire condition and age drive it around locally first does it feel ok?
    I have AAA and I have a lot of towing miles but I figured if it all goes pear shaped that we would just rent a Uhaul truck and trailer an finish the trip that way.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    California
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Ok Just looked at the records again and the timing belt was actually replaced in 2005! at 155k miles. So it's way overdue, i guess i'll have to do that before I set off.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Alright I have decided its probably best to trailer it down on a U Haul and do the work where I live and have all of my tools. Thanks for the reminder to check how old the timing belt was.

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    2004 525i, 1985 325E
    Quote Originally Posted by '88SuprETA View Post
    Alright I have decided its probably best to trailer it down
    Excellent idea!
    2004 525i Sport, Manual - 1985 325E Coupe Manual

  10. #10
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    timing belts should be changed every 50k or 5 years. so if it has only been done twice in 200k miles and 30 years.....it has not had proper maint...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    No e30s, again :(
    true. I was going to say that but thought I would keep my mouth shut
    No e30s again.

  12. #12
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Quote Originally Posted by mlytle View Post
    timing belts should be changed every 50k or 5 years. so if it has only been done twice in 200k miles and 30 years.....it has not had proper maint...
    True the belts have been left on too long in time but the mileage is about right 66k per belt. from what I have heard its 60k and 4 years. Just goes to show that the belts last much longer than the service interval. It helps that the car always did medium to short highways drives back and forth to shops for fire wood and stuff all of its life so it wasnt subjected to any real stress compared to how an enthusiast would drive it. The Mechanic that has maintained it since new was an ex BMW technician so I trust that he took a peak at the belt from time to time and decided it was fine. This last time however I think he dropped the ball a tad. But who knows it might look like new when I go to replace it. I have always been a believer that most manufacturers severely under rate the durability of their timing belts, for liability reasons. But what do I know all the classic Jaguars I normally work on have timing chains.
    Last edited by '88SuprETA; 02-18-2020 at 01:54 PM.

  13. #13
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    1995 M3 - 2007 X5
    Quote Originally Posted by '88SuprETA View Post
    Ok Just looked at the records again and the timing belt was actually replaced in 2005! at 155k miles. So it's way overdue, i guess i'll have to do that before I set off.
    Yea, that's a ticking time bomb. Do the timing belt before you leave or trailer it one way and do it while you are down there. You mentioned that you are bringing spare oil, fuel filter, spark plugs and such. I'd also suggest a few spare fuses and relays.
    I drove from Seattle to San Francisco and then a week later drove all the way to New York. Luckily I had a Thule roof box for more storage. Glad I brought a gas can too, I had to top up near the Nebraska/Iowa border. I packed extra fluids and some filters, fuses, relays, fix-a-flat since I didn't have a full size spare. Gas can, distilled water for the radiator and a few bottles of oil and belts.


  14. #14
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    No e30s, again :(
    you are making the right choice by trailering it home. I have had a timing belt break once, two weeks after buying the car, and it looked brand new. it broke while idling and I was loading the kids up to go. I got a bunch of valves bent and a few broken rocker arms. I kept two of those broken rocker arms and its been 15 years. my kids have e30s now, that's how long its been but I change mine early because of that. you cannot go by looks on those and short trips are worse then open highway, I would think. getting cold, then hot, and back and forth.

    the first e30 I ever bought was before I even owned a computer and you could still get free internet on k-mart blue light dial up. 16megs was a ton of memory, that's how long ago we are talking.
    It was used so I didn't know about timing belts and all that, no manuals came with it. all I did was highway driving and I put 100k going back and forth to where I worked, in a just a bit over a year. that timing belt never broke and the guy I sold it to never changed it. I got lucky and the guy behind me got even luckier. yours could be like that, or it could be like the soccer belt. you don't want to find out the hard way because heads are getting scarce compared to when I could buy e30s for 150 bucks and drive them home
    No e30s again.

  15. #15
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    1988 BMW 325 SuperETA
    Thanks! Yea I actually changed my mind I am going to go up this summer and actually replace the timing belt, water pump, and all related seals. Then I am going to drive it down. Now that I have done more research I have realized it is a super easy job. I am used to timing chain stuff where you have to take half the motor apart just to get to some of the tensioners. Should only take me and my father a couple of hours to do. I also am going to wait and buy a crap ton of spare parts like fuel pump, CPS, Fan clutch, and return them at the end of the trip when/if we dont need them.

  16. #16
    Join Date
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    No e30s, again :(
    that's a good way to do it. changing that belt is super easy and then you will know its good to go.

    and then you get the joy of driving it home. since my wife has moved on from e30s and gets only brand new cars now, I never get to drive the e30 on long trips out of town. she won't ride in it and the only time we go out of town, both of us are going. its a bummer because they are such comfortable and enjoyable cars.
    No e30s again.

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