Montreal Blue 1996 BMW 328is

[*insertusernamehere*]

Dammit, you bought a Montreal Blue E36 and haven't posted a project thead yet? WHY MAN WHY.

Hehe, alright alright. Well this would be my second prompting to create a thread, so here we go! I recently sold my Accord mostly because it was automatic, leaking oil from EVERYWHERE and I had no real passion for it. So I went on search for an e34 since that's one of my favorite BMWs. However! I came across this e36 and the asking price was good, the miles were decent (156k) and the body/interior was on point for me. I went to test drive it in Ashburn and loved it more than I thought I would have. I went home and made my parents talk me out of it, they couldn't. Got some friends to talk me out of it, they couldn't. So I went back up there the following week and bought it!









Lol dash is kind of a Christmas tree right now.
Check control: The left brake light isn't working and I think it's something with the wiring because i've changed the bulb and socket but still nothing.

Check Engine: Catalytic Converter, not that I care. This actually turned itself off for a couple weeks and it just came back on when i brought it to Harrisonburg.

ABS Light: Rear left wheel speed sensor. I tried to take this off but its stuck so I'll have to see about that sometime in the future. If I drive over bumps/speedhumps/potholes fast enough park it for five minutes and turn it back on that gets the light off til i park again. :dunno:

Airbag: Seat belt switch.

I also need to do the cooling system stuffs. I already have my radiator hoses, waterpump, thermostat and electric fan I just need to actually do it now. Its overheated...or well got hotter than normal twice (never made it to red) but then it brought itself back down to normal temperature. Then I drove it to harrisonburg with fingers crossed and it stayed cool the whole time but only overheated when I got off 81 and onto Port Repub, again brought itself to normal temp. I've been driving it for the last two weeks all about town and its been fine. Idk. I just need to change everything now. When MM has its first club meeting I'll ask the officers about getting into one of those garages its said is open to members.

I'm sure I could pick on a few more things that are not perfect but then this post would never end. Basically anything else thats "wrong" with it, isn't enough to interfere with my driving experience or the life of the car. So thats it for now. Expected updates will be cooling system, taillight, abs sensor and tying up this heat shield underneath the car thats rubbing on the flex disc. And then it can finally get its inspection done in September/October.... inspection is over this month

Thanks for reading!

[BFisch06]

Congrats on the purchase! Seems like you got something you wanted!

I just want to point out (and question) that air bag light. I'm not sure it would deploy in a crash. Not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but something to be aware of. Seems like you know what the problem is (seat belt switch), so all that's left is to replace the part. I'm not trying to nag - guess I'm just worried about safety.

Enjoy the new ride! Hopefully you'll have it at the college invitational autocross in October.

[Jake]

You bought my friend Chris' car. Small freakin world! We were friends in high school and I took that car for a joyride or two when I was 16. He has cared for it, for sure.

The airbag light for the seatbelt buckle is working the opposite way that Brad thinks it might. With it on, and that passenger buckle not sending a signal, it will fire both front airbags in a crash. The sensor exists so that if you get in a frontal crash with no passenger, the passenger airbag will not blow, the cover will not shatter the windshield, and you'll save money on repairs.

If you need help with repairs, plan a weekend and bring her up to Fairfax. Or pick a JMU football weekend and I'll come down there. Always happy to help turn a wrench.

Great car, you'll have fun with it!

[BFisch06]

The airbag light for the seatbelt buckle is working the opposite way that Brad thinks it might. With it on, and that passenger buckle not sending a signal, it will fire both front airbags in a crash. The sensor exists so that if you get in a frontal crash with no passenger, the passenger airbag will not blow, the cover will not shatter the windshield, and you'll save money on repairs.

Passenger side switch makes all the difference!

[*insertusernamehere*]

I'm not trying to nag - guess I'm just worried about safety.

Oh no, not nagging at all! I really didn't think about the consequences of the airbag light on. :?

It is the driver side switch that is bad. So basically if the accident is bad enough I'll smash my face into the steering wheel? It doesn't bother me, just as long its not gonna deploy on its own while i'm driving hock:

[BLINGMW]

seems like a normal # of dash lights to me :thumbup:
I would not be shocked to hear you end up needing a head gasket
Well I like the color, have fun!

[Beej]

Gotta be one of the best looking 156k mile e36 interiors I've seen - same goes for the paint. Nice pickup!

[D_Eclipse9916]

Lol dash is kind of a Christmas tree right now.
Check control: The left brake light isn't working and I think it's something with the wiring because i've changed the bulb and socket but still nothing.

Check Engine: Catalytic Converter, not that I care. This actually turned itself off for a couple weeks and it just came back on when i brought it to Harrisonburg.

ABS Light: Rear left wheel speed sensor. I tried to take this off but its stuck so I'll have to see about that sometime in the future. If I drive over bumps/speedhumps/potholes fast enough park it for five minutes and turn it back on that gets the light off til i park again. :dunno:

Airbag: Seat belt switch.

Great pickup!

The Catalytic converter is an obd2, so make sure to replace with "as-like" obd2.

ABS light, the speed sensor. These typically don't go bad, they typically just get crap all over them. Get some brakleen, pull off the wheel, and try spraying clean the sensor where it is located next to the axle. If that doesn't work, I got some extras.

Check the wiring that goes to the trunk, a lot of times this will cause funky stuff going on with the rear brake lights. Not really common, but I have heard of it. Could also be a broken "bridge" in the taillight. I have a spare arouind here somewhere.

[Jake]

It is the driver side switch that is bad. So basically if the accident is bad enough I'll smash my face into the steering wheel? It doesn't bother me, just as long its not gonna deploy on its own while i'm driving hock:

Nothing will deploy without reason. I'm pretty sure (aka, don't sue me if you crash and bonk your head on the wheel) that the "fail safe" method when one of the seatbelt switches is bad, is to Fire All Ze Missiles :thumbup:

[SlimKlim]

I'm not trying to nag - guess I'm just worried about safety.

Oh no, not nagging at all! I really didn't think about the consequences of the airbag light on. :?

It is the driver side switch that is bad. So basically if the accident is bad enough I'll smash my face into the steering wheel? It doesn't bother me, just as long its not gonna deploy on its own while i'm driving hock:

I've ridden the airbag light merry-go-round on these things plenty of times, and there's a ton of misinformation out there on how the system actually works. From what I've gathered, certain faults will make the system compensate differently. Like Jake said, if there is an issue with the occupancy sensor or seat belt switch, it will default to fire all the airbags if there is a crash because it doesn't know who is sitting where. If there is an issue with a crash sensor or the airbag wiring, it will deactivate the airbags so it doesn't blow up in your face while driving.

You can do this fix instead of replacing the part, http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35103 What it will do is replicate the resistance of the switch when the buckle is fastened, and make the system think that you're always in the seat, getting rid of the light and making sure it operates normally. Just never, ever, ever drive the car without your seat belt, cause then if you wreck the airbag will fire right into your chest as you land on the steering wheel. That couldn't be good...

You will need an SRS scanner to turn the light off once you've done the fix. I have one that I can give to someone headed from NoVa to Hburg, provided it finds its way back into my garage eventually.

I would not be shocked to hear you end up needing a head gasket

Me either unfortunately... I popped an idler pulley like 4 years ago and the car hit the red but it was no worse for wear once it cooled down. Then last year I didn't bleed it down properly after replacing the radiator, the needle got to maybe 2/3rds heat, didn't cause the light to come on, and the goddamn HG started leaking right under cylinder 6. I would get that cooling project done ASAP, unfortunately the stock gauges are dummy gauges and only move when there's really a problem. A real water temp gauge has been on my wish list for years.

You can inspect the HG while you have the car up in the air, mine is seeping right under the rear most exhaust header at the back corner of the motor, its easy to see from the bottom.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Don't jump to conclusions, but yeah dont get it hot again. Drive it till it actually blows the headgasket.

If you ened up in hot water and need it done quickly for less, I have all the tools you need, as well as every single part you need to do a headgasket. Ill pass on my pricing to you.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Gotta be one of the best looking 156k mile e36 interiors I've seen - same goes for the paint. Nice pickup!

Thanks sir! It grows on me more everyday

Great pickup!

The Catalytic converter is an obd2, so make sure to replace with "as-like" obd2.

ABS light, the speed sensor. These typically don't go bad, they typically just get crap all over them. Get some brakleen, pull off the wheel, and try spraying clean the sensor where it is located next to the axle. If that doesn't work, I got some extras.

Check the wiring that goes to the trunk, a lot of times this will cause funky stuff going on with the rear brake lights. Not really common, but I have heard of it. Could also be a broken "bridge" in the taillight. I have a spare arouind here somewhere.

Heh, I never really had any intentions of touching the Cat. I've already done the bake cleaner but nothing. I have no idea what I'll be looking at when it comes to the taillight. Other mechanical stuff I can usually finangle my way through, trial and error etc. but electricals will forever be the death of me. Not doing it....at least not for now.

You can do this fix instead of replacing the part, http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35103 What it will do is replicate the resistance of the switch when the buckle is fastened, and make the system think that you're always in the seat, getting rid of the light and making sure it operates normally. Just never, ever, ever drive the car without your seat belt, cause then if you wreck the airbag will fire right into your chest as you land on the steering wheel. That couldn't be good...

You will need an SRS scanner to turn the light off once you've done the fix. I have one that I can give to someone headed from NoVa to Hburg, provided it finds its way back into my garage eventually.

Sounds good :thumbup: Thanks, I'll see if I can run over to the store and pick up some and attempt this. Doesn't look complicated. I received a Fault code reader/reset tool from bavarian auto when i bought the car, will that do the trick or is the SRS one specific?

I would not be shocked to hear you end up needing a head gasket

Me either unfortunately...

Ugh. The temp only went up for like 30 seconds max and came back down :dunno: I was under there two weeks ago it appeared dry. I wasn't really paying any specific attention to that section though. Better safe than sorry, as soon as the rain stops I'll get my ass under there and check!

Don't jump to conclusions, but yeah dont get it hot again. Drive it till it actually blows the headgasket.

If you ened up in hot water and need it done quickly for less, I have all the tools you need, as well as every single part you need to do a headgasket. Ill pass on my pricing to you.

Well i hope i won't have to take you up on that offer but definitely keeping that in mind! Thanks!

Everyone is so helpful, thank you!

[BLINGMW]

I'm basing my guess more on the behavior. It's probably ok that the temp did that... but why did it do that? Typically if it's a water pump or thermostat it doesn't fail for a little while and then get better. But hey if you're not seeing coolant in the oil or the other way 'round, then maybe it's just a big air bubble or partial radiator blockage.
Heck, the E46 we bought DID show obvious signs of water in the oil from looking at the oil cap, and was low on coolant, so I figured head gasket for sure. Hasn't used a drop of water since and oil is always clean. Go figure. :dunno:

[Jake]

I'd bet your fan clutch is gone or starting to go. Do that cooling system work ASAP. It stayed cold on 81 because you were going 75 mph and forcing a ton of air through the radiator. As soon as you got off on Port, the constant air supply went away. The fan should help mitigate that (motor was just spinning at 3k for a few hours, it's hot) but if the clutch is not engaging, the fan won't spin. There is a test you can do so try that, but just plan on replacing everything since you already have the parts.

[BLINGMW]

oh! Yeah, well if it's only getting warm when moving slow, that's totally different. I missed that. Minor issue. Drive faster!

[SlimKlim]

Sounds good :thumbup: Thanks, I'll see if I can run over to the store and pick up some and attempt this. Doesn't look complicated. I received a Fault code reader/reset tool from bavarian auto when i bought the car, will that do the trick or is the SRS one specific?

The SRS scanner is its own contraption, I think mine was $40 on ebay and it works fine.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Haha well either way it doesn't get driven at all right now, i have no parking pass for campus so i walk and take the bus most places so there's no added stress to these old parts. They're just waiting to be relieved of their duties. Hopefully weekend after next can work on it.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Alrighty well i got the resistors inthe seatbelt switch!

I also figured out what was up with the brake light! What happened was the metal part that the socket connects to was corroded, so for now i just bent the metal part out a bit so that the socket connected with a non corroded section and wazzam! It works!

So next is just the abs sensor, then she can pass inspection!

Also, how do i get the check control light and check control on the obc to shut up? Will a reset tool do it?

[Jake]

Alrighty well i got the resistors inthe seatbelt switch!

I also figured out what was up with the brake light! What happened was the metal part that the socket connects to was corroded, so for now i just bent the metal part out a bit so that the socket connected with a non corroded section and wazzam! It works!

So next is just the abs sensor, then she can pass inspection!

Also, how do i get the check control light and check control on the obc to shut up? Will a reset tool do it?

Hooray! Check Control should shut up when you hit the Check button on the OBC. Or, hit Check and it'll yap at you for something else it thinks is wrong. What is the message you are getting?

Remember, Check Control works (basically) by open and closed circuits. Think back to high school science class. If the circuit is closed, everything is copacetic. If the circuit opens, there's no continuity and Check Control trips and knows what message to throw at you. Some of the circuits are flipped, too.

You do need a tool to reset your Check Engine light - since you are OBD II, you can get a Bluetooth code reader and pair it with your Android phone and the Torque app. If you are Team iPhone, then you're SOL and have to get a regular code reader/clear tool. Both options are cheapish.

[JPolen01]

If none of those options work that jake mentioned, pm me. You can probably come by mid Atlantic and I can have it reset for free. Just gotta be when I'm working.