Cheap angel-eyes ...

Thought I'd post up my experience with the so called ready made angel eye add-ons for the BMW. As many of you probably have, I searched on Ebay to find a bargain angel eye kit to enhance the look of the E36. I was lured in by the ones on sale from Germany. They were only about £7 per side roughly. Hmmm bargain I thought! Until the day they arrived.... I opened up the package to find some tubes of plastic (circular - I'll give them that!) some resistors and some LED's....

No wire, no decent instructions, nothing!

Luckily I am a dab hand with a soldering iron, good job too!
After faffing around with the electrical side of things I finally have something that looks half decent. So the next job is to connect them into the headlight units on the Bimmer. Not the easiest job in the world... You have to totally remove the head light unit and take off the front lens.

Incidentally I found it to contain a fair amount of water, they are renowned for misting up so I am guessing this was just a build up of that. Still not ideal though...

So off come the light fronts and I set about adding the angel eyes to the existing headlights.

Due to the instructions being less than helpful, this was a little trial and error!

Finally I just about managed to clip the damn things on and re-fit the headlights.

Wiring wise it was a simple (oh a simple part, the joy!!) task of tapping in to the sidelight wiring loom. Easy enough. Lots of tape needed here to ensure water tight seal.

So after all the faffing around installing them, I guess you want to know how they look?

Bloody awful!

They shed hardly any light, and the light it does give out looks more purple than anything!

So the moral of the story is, if it looks to good to be true, you guessed it, it probably is!

My advise is stick to the more expensive kits that are available, or better still, invest in headlights with them already built in.

E36 BMW Common faults and fixes

This is a list of useful information which I have sourced either from the net or had experience of myself. Please refer back to the Haynes Manual before carrying anything out. Or take to your trusted garage. It is worth trying to get on side with a decent garage, this can mean better rates and sometimes free work on smaller issues. Always try to go to a garage based on a recommendation.
I will update with more information on a regular basis and link back to this thread.

Engine
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Engine Fan - These can shatter and cause major problems for the radiator, pulleys and the drive-belts. A common thing to do is to remove the engine fan and fit an after-market one in its place.
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Idler Pulley - Some of the M52 engines had the pulley installed incorrectly. This causes belt noise and excessive wear. If this occurs, remove and install correctly ASAP. Check the belt for wear as this may need to be replaced.
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Water Pump - Due to containing a plastic impeller, over time these become brittle and can fail. This can cause huge problems for the cooling system, i.e. plastic can get into the engine. Replacement ones are available with metal impellers. It's not a major task to replace and one worth doing! They can make a whining noise which can indicate it is on its way out.
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Idle Speed Control Valve - If you have a poor erratic idle this can be caused by the ISCV. Remove and clean using carb-cleaner. If the problem persists it could also be the oxygen sensor or maybe the VANOS unit. Apparently the erratic idle is common in the BMW Z3 as well.
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Brakes
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ABS Pump Relay - Prior to May 1996 the pump motor relay could become faulty which would switch on the ABS warning light on the dashboard.
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Rear Wheel Speed Sensors - These are known to have a bad connection where it is soldered. Check for a date code of "0801" or older. This will need replacing if it’s older.
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Steering
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Power Steering Hose - This can leak and cause total failure. If this happens you will notice a dramatic loss of power steering.
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Tie Rod Ends - If you experience a juddering under braking this could be the cause. Check the brake discs first, as this is a similar feeling. If the rod ends are worn, you will need to replace.
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Suspension
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Rear Shock Absorber Mount - Apparently this is a common fault. It can be identified by a clunking from the rear end when going over bumpy ground. If these are not replaced, the bolts can shear off from the mount. At worst they can seriously damage the area surrounding the mount on the turret. If you replace these items you can upgrade using the E46 mounts and Z3 reinforcement plates.
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Outer Ball Joints - A common solution when replacing these is to opt for the older E30 control arm. These are stronger than the E36 units which are known to be weaker.
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Inner Control Arm - The rear bushes are known to be weak spots. Replacing with a 1996 or newer item is a common fix.
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Electrics
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Coils - The older ones had Zundspule and Bemis units installed. When they fail they can cause major problems to the ECU. Check as to which ones you have installed. If they are the Zundspule or Bemis ones then replace straight away to a newer Bosh item.
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Connectors - A known problem is with the smaller sensor wires with 2 and 3 pin connectors. They have a seal which comes away allowing debris into the unit. This causes false reading and can give miss-leading error codes. Try to check these if you have any warning lights that come on. You can buy contact cleaner which will help to prevent this. It has been known for BMW dealers to replace them with gold plated units which help to give a true connection.
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Electric Windows - I have an issue when closing the window where it gets to the top and then opens again by about an inch. This is a result of the magnet coming out of position from the motor. It can be easily re-aligned. Other symptoms of this are for the windows to open and close in stages.
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Comfort Relay - If your windows or sunroof stop working check this first. There are a few guides online to replace this with ease.
Boot Wiring - For ages my boot light would not work. Upon inspection it was caused by bad wiring in the boot hinge area. The wires get flexed and over time can come in contact with each other. This can cause blown fuses and faulty operation of boot-end items such as my light.
I pulled back the covering and pulled out as much of the wire as possible. I cut off the bad sections and soldered in new wires. Then I covered with lots of heat-shrink tubing! Problem seems to be fixed now. So check yours too, it doesn't take long.
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Air Conditioning - A common problem is for a capacitor to fail in the control module. This stops the blower motor from working. This can be fixed without replacing the whole unit.
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Brake Light Switch - This is a common problem and is an easy fix.
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Alarm - Have you got a standard E36 alarm system? If the battery has run out in the remote, you will need to re-program the fob.
Follow these instructions to carry out the reprogramming.

1) Ensure all doors are closed as well as the bonnet and boot.
2) Sit in the drivers seat and close that door too.
3) Turn the ignition key to position 2, pause and return to the off position.
4) Carry this out 5 times in a row within 45 seconds
5) The alarm LED should light up to confirm the process has been successful
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Body / Interior
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Headlights - Dull headlight lenses are common over time. The lenses can be cleaned and improved using rubbing compound (similar to paint work)but you might just want to replace them, or why not upgrade to a paid with built in angel-eyes. Once restored or replaced they can be protected in a similar fashion to paint by using wax. On non EU models the lenses are glued on to the unit. If you are brave you can place in the oven to soften the glue. On EU models the lenses have clips that need to be released.
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Noises - The E36 over time starts to develop rattles and squeaks as do many cars. Get an assistant to pin point them when driving and then use foam padding or rubber grommets to eliminate unwanted noises.
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Trim - Due to the nature of plastic used in the car and being subject to varying temperatures, over time the trim clips become weak. This causes them to snap off when trying to remove them. There is no way to fix this, but be prepared to replace pieces if you remove them to fit entertainment / alarm units.
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Sagging Headliner- Over time, a common problem with the E36 is that the headlining material starts to sag and droop. This is due to the glue coming weak.
There are two options really. Replace the headliner with a new/second hand one, or repair/re-cover the old one. Guide can be found here

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I hope this is of use to you. If you have any common BMW E36 problems and solutions to add to the list please feel free to comment.

Fuel Leak..... Uh Oh!!

So after the fuel pump issue was solved I thought all was well with the BMW. Little did I know...

When the mechanic fitted the fuel pump, he said it wasn't easy to seat properly.. He wasn't joking either!

On the way back home the other night we stopped off at a drive through. As we sat there we could smell fuel, but I assumed it was the car in front running (very) rich!

Then a worried head looked out the window and said "oi mate there's petrol coming from the back!".
At this point I looked out the window to see my fuel running past my door on the floor... Bugger!

I pulled into the car park and took a look under the car. Sure enough the bottom of the fuel tank was wet with petrol.

I checked the petrol cap to see if it was lose or not fitted right. It seemed OK though which was weird. I started her up and checked underneath. The leak appeared to of stopped. So I took her home again (not a long trip) to investigate.

I pulled up the back seat and took off the hatch above the fuel tank.

Low and behold there was a pool of petrol sat around the top of the tank. I mopped it up and dried it off.

Then I checked the seating of the fuel pump securing ring. It was not secure at all!
So I loosened it and tightened it back on to the fuel tank. It was better than before, not 100%, but better.

There was only one thing to do, get a new ring and gasket. So off to trusty Sytner BMW to get the bits. Gave all the details to them, E36, 1992, 320. Got a call from sytner to say they were in. Picked them up.

Booked her into the garage and waited for the call to say it was done (or that they had found a problem... a mouse in the tank or something similar!).

However, all was fine. The only issue was that the ring supplied by BMW sytner was too small. Not sure which car it was meant for.... but it wasn't this one!!

Oh well the gasket was fine, and this was the issue anyway. So all is back to normal.

This really emphasises the fact you need to replace the sealing ring gasket when changing the pump!

Car heart-attack

Another day another dollar is the phrase people use. I use, another month another monkey!
This time round it's the heart of the car to go caput, the fuel pump.
Typically its one of those things that doesn't give out a warning to say it's having an attack!
So it is a cold night just about to go home, we load up the car and go to start it. It turns over but doesn't fire. I have a look under the bonnet at the fuse box and the pump fuse looks in good shape. As do all the other fuses....

Once again, it’s another call to the trusty RAC. After a quick inspection it turns out to be the pump. They tried the old trick of hitting it with a rubber mallet, still no joy. Off home we go being towed. Before getting it replaced I though I'd double check the connections at the pump end to make sure it was getting the relevant voltage.
Out comes the trusty multi-meter, low and behold there is about 11V across the pump end. So it looks to be the pump.
A visit to trusty GSF car parts in Sheffield and £98 lighter we have our shiny new pump.

Being petrol related and not wanting to make a mushroom cloud over South Yorkshire I opted to get a mobile mechanic out to fit the thing. All went to plan and an hour later she's up and running.

MOT Time....

When I bought the car it had passed the last 3 MOTs with minor faults like the fog light being out etc. So when the MOT came around this time, it was going to go one of two ways. Either a clear run with minimal problems, or everything will go wrong.
Judging by the run of luck so far it went the latter!

Now where do I start...?
- New front shock absorbers both sides
- Brake pipes front and rear
- New brake pads needed on the rear
- Headlights needed aligning
- Rear lights the bulbs had worn so needed replacing

Normally that would be a straight forward task... Oh no, not for my so called "ultimate" driving machine.

Booked her in, and dropped her off.
Got a call saying that the shocks had been sent, but were the wrong ones and that the right ones were £50 more a corner. Not the best of starts by a long way.
They then said they would struggle to get them that day due to it being a Saturday.
An hour later I get a call saying they are on their way to the garage.

What a relief!!

4 O'clock comes and the phone rings. The garage are sounding a little down.... the suppliers had sent the wrong shocks again, this time sending rear ones and not the front ones! GREAT! So it won't be ready after all. The garage were very apologetic to be fair to them, and it was the first time the suppliers had messed up.

So Sunday passes car-less, and Monday arrives. The day the car will be ready. . . .

I called the garage to make sure everything was "cushtie", all ok so far, they will let me know when the correct shocks arrive and can be fitted. At this point the garage has my car on the only wheel-less ramp and other work is piling up.

Later at 3pm the phone goes to say the socks are there, have been triple checked and are ok!

Hurray! I'm happy again, the car will be back that day and everything's back to normal complete with a new shiny MOT.

4pm. Phone rings. The garage is on the other end sounding rather cheesed. They have fitted the shocks; however upon re-fitting the brake pipes the flexi-hose has threaded itself due to age. This being at 4pm means there is slim to none chance of getting a new flexi-hose by the end of the day. At this point I'm writing the ad to put the damn thing on auto-trader! I'm promised it will be Tuesday now.

Tuesday comes and lunch time I get a call saying it's all ready!

What a fiasco!

The sand and the seize

Things took an unsightly turn for the worst car wise last week.
We'd set off to go down to Exmouth for a short holiday away. Quite a straight forward trip.... so you'd of thought!
Half way down the M5 the battery light comes on. Every thing seemed ok, so was unsure as to if it was a loose wire. I pulled over in the services to be on the safe side and parked up. Everything seemed ok wiring wise so thought it best to call the RAC. After ringing them I thought I'd move to a more accessible location, so started reversing out, only to be met by a cloud of smoke and a loud squealing noise!
Things were not looking good now...

When the RAC finally arrived they took one look at it and told me to start her up. They too got the cloud of smoke and noise. It was pretty obvious the alternator had seized. Fantastic start to the holiday hey.
The RAC chap asked where we wanted towing to, as we were half way there we decided to go the rest of the way on a tow truck.
He called the external tow company and went on his merry way.
Being a bank holiday things took longer than normal, and after much feeding of the rats in the car park, the truck turned up.

So on we go to Exmouth.
We arrive at about 9pm outside the hotel and park up.
The next day I set off walking to find the nearest garage asking if they could re-condition the alternator or fit a replacement one.
After two or three places saying yes, but it would take 5 days I hit lucky.
They said they could do it that day which was great. They went out to look for the car, so I broke it to them that it was about half a mile up the road outside the hotel.
They took the keys, said they'd sort it out and call me when done.
I must admit I was a little dubious after handing over the keys that they might just swipe it and deny all knowledge. Working in recruitment defiantly makes you sceptical.
Anyhow a few hours later I get a call saying it's ready, happy days!
So £90 later and a good few JDs we are back up and running. Apparently the alternator is a common fault (among many by the looks of it) on the BMW.

Clunking noise from the drive-train (Guibo / rubber cuppling)

After a good few trouble free months of motoring the first issue has arisen. The car gained a rather worrying knocking noise. This noise would happen upon acceleration and sharp deceleration. The car would thud, which could be felt through the drive-train. After a few Google searches I'd diagnosed the problem to the prop-shaft coupling (a small rubber doughnut or know as a Guibo) that links the transmission to the prop-shaft for dampening purposes. This tends to perish over time and cause a banging sensation. So off to the local garage to have it diagnosed for real and get a quote. I dropped the car off and then went to pick it up later. I had already bought a rubber coupling from GSF car parts for a small charge of £18 as to be prepared.

When I arrived back the coupling was still on the passenger seat. I got a sinking feeling to start with. I was told the prop-shaft needed a Universal Joint (UJ) on the end which meant it needed to go to a specialist to be done. At this point the quote was getting towards the £200 mark, not really ideal and made my £18 pale into insignificance. So I booked her in and took a solemn drive home to break the news to the wife.

So the big day came for her to have her new UJ fitted (the car, not the wife!).I went in early before work to drop her off. Due to living in Yorkshire, the weather was damp, to say the least. Add to this the fact my umbrella was sat in the boot of the car, and I'd just posted the keys through the garages letter box. Great.

So after arriving at work soaked the day went ahead as normal. Mid day I get a call to say the car is sorted. Puzzled at the rather fast response I am told it wasn't the UJ after all. The problem was the rear differential bolts had come loose which was causing the judder. What a relief (cost wise, not the fact my diff could of come off at any time!!).So £5 later we are back to normal. The coupling (Guibo) goes on EBay to get rid.