New member with questions for issues with 325E 1984

[iceshark]

Love the site. As I stated on another post. I aquired a fairly nice good running 1984 325 2 door 5 speed. It runs very nice but has some issues. Wonder if I could get some insight.

Here are the issues, I am wondering about ease and cost of these as noted please

1. Windshield wipers. Motor is running but wipers are not. Must be a linkage>? problem? I can smell electrical burning while driving car coming from the area of winshield wipers and motor. NOT GOOD! I can not see a way to get to motor area and wiper linkage. Do you have to remove dash! Yikes!

2. Rear tailight is not coming on. Rear passenger side. Also front passenger side parking light not coming on. The turn and brake lights are working fine. I put new bulbs in and not fix. I used my volt meter and see not power to the grey tailight bulb. Wires look fine. Driver side works fine. I am perplexed and hope there is not a problem in the wiring harness somewhere?? Any help?

3.The last owner somehow pushed computor module out and its not next to radio. It is sitting just inside radio. He said he did that to change the 2 bulbs but decieded not to when he found them to be $40.00 at dealer. Is this true and how do I remove dash face to put back computor in place?

4.Passenger electric window not working. Is this an easy fix?

5. No lights in dash. Cant see at night. Do you think its bulbs? Easy to replace?

6.Last, The bar that holds shoulder belt on passenger side has bolt to floor missing. I can see there are threads. Is this bolt or alternative available?


I apprieciate your help.

Also looking for some front seats. Or at least drivers seat.

Tod in Marysville.

 

[echothreezero]

Tod in Marysville,

1. Winsheild wipers - I presume you have checked the fuse. The wipers on e30's are notorious. Access the motor by prying off the plastic trim below the windscreen on the drivers side (remove the wiper blade first - mark it's position or spend 10mins later geting it just right).

You need tiny hands (child labour?) and patience to work through that gap, but if you undo the couple of 8/10mm bolt/screws on the firewall that the wiring loom attaches to the foam rubber panel (metal backed) comes free and there is another access to the motor from there. Working through both holes makes relatively simple work of removing the motor.

2. Probably a bad connection somewhere in the wiring harness for that light - bad earth? Just clean all the terminals and check all wires - if the other lights in the cluster are OK just focus on the one that doesn't work - triple check the bulb first though.

3. Amazingly hard work to do that for such a little computer. You need to remove most of the centre part of the dash. my neighbour has prepared a write up on how to do this on my local forum but the server is down so you'll have to wait until its back up until I can post a link Yes the bulbs are very expensive - you can replace them with LED's instead but you need to wire in a resistor aswell and its very fiddly.

4. Depends on what is wrong with it. Switch? Motor? relay? mechanism?

5. Probably bulbs. Remove Instrument cluster (instructions around here somewhere - not hard, but there are tricks). Udo about 16 screws from back of cluster, remove bulbs, replace, put everything back - easy.

6. Replace with high tensile bolt of correct thread. Do not allow pasengers to ride withyou until you do.

Good Luck

Graham in New Zealand

 

[Doughnut]

3. Amazingly hard work to do that for such a little computer. You need to remove most of the centre part of the dash. my neighbour has prepared a write up on how to do this on my local forum but the server is down so you'll have to wait until its back up until I can post a link Yes the bulbs are very expensive - you can replace them with LED's instead but you need to wire in a resistor aswell and its very fiddly.

Tod,

2. I do not in no way mean to make you sound stupid, but did you check all your fuses? (Sometimes I forget the simple things when I find a new fault)... We all have done it.

4. could be a fualty switch if when you push the button nothing happens(no motor sounds or clicking sounds) try pulling out a known working switch from another door to test if it will work the window.

5. Also could be a problem with your light switch, try turning the knob around fully clockwise, then fully counterclockwise, contacts within' switch seldom get crunchy with corrosion

6. The bolt is metric too.

I have seen that write up you mentioned Graham, BimmerSports coulden't have been down at a more convenient time

Peace.

 

[echothreezero]

Viola!

 

[iceshark]

Thanks so much. Off to work so not time to chat much. Your help is much thanked! Yes I have checked fuses. However I dont have my ordered manual yet so I can not tell what fuse is what. Plus I did not check the relays.

The motor works on the wipers but they dont. So must be something else??

I did triple check new bulbs and clean contacts?

Will try more when I get back

Also a very high pitched whine from a belt??? Forgot to mention that. It does that even when car warm. 1000 rpms and up. Gets louder. Car sat for 3 years.

 

[echothreezero]

Replace the belt.

If the wiper motor is turning but the wipers are not either the spline the blade sits on is so worn it wont turn them (unlikely as the nut holding them on should provide some resistance) or the linkage has come free from the motor - you still have to remove the panels as described to access and assess this.

 

[iceshark]

I cant tell what belt is bad.

I will post on windshield wiper fun on new post. Need help!

 

[jrt67ss350]

I cant tell what belt is bad.

I will post on windshield wiper fun on new post. Need help!

If the car sat for 3 years, then replace all 3 of the belts, at the least for good preventative measure.

Any idea when was the last time the timing belt and tensioner was changed? Where does the noise seem to be coming from? Is it clearly an accessory belt or does it seem to be coming from behind the timing cover?

 

[iceshark]

If the car sat for 3 years, then replace all 3 of the belts, at the least for good preventative measure.

Any idea when was the last time the timing belt and tensioner was changed? Where does the noise seem to be coming from? Is it clearly an accessory belt or does it seem to be coming from behind the timing cover?

The owner claimed the timing belt replaced just before he stored it or like 3 years or so ago. Cant pinpoint the scream. It is from about 2500-up now. I can light peddle and keep it down at low revs. But it screams at high revs. I tried belt dressing but only worked alittle. could be under timing cover? Not sure.