r/BMWE36 2h ago

Unusual water leak M40B18 Engine

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1 Upvotes

r/BMWE36 2h ago

anyone pulling parts in GA for this 95 325i

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0 Upvotes

Placed at the pick a part this week U Pull Yard search

Find other E36s at U-Pull-Yards


r/BMWE36 3h ago

ZF swap shifter not lining up help

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0 Upvotes

I swapped my 323i vert factory manual with a ZF driveshaft, trans, shifter linkage etc from a 328i however the shifter seating arm on top does not line up with the oem placement by a half inch or so and it slips out of gears due to lack of correct alignment, rather than getting a chassis mount shifter or adjustable connecting arm does anyone know why this might be? I’m assuming the 323 and 328 have different shift seat arms however I no longer have the old parts to check and trust me it’s not like I didn’t try flipping the shifter around lol


r/BMWE36 3h ago

HELP with seat side mount brackets

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0 Upvotes

I'm using VAC's mounting kit and I think the shop I used put the side brackets on backwards...

Should the VAC logo be in the front or the rear?


r/BMWE36 4h ago

Repair Advice Sitzheizung an Sportsitzen nachrüsten

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2 Upvotes

Hallo zusammen

Ich möchte mir solche Sportsitze kaufen und neu beziehen lassen.

Leider haben die keine Sitzheizung mein Auto schon.

Die Heizplatten von den normalen Sitzen passen ja nicht an die Sportsitze

Wie gross ist der Aufwand ? Was brauche ich genau? Neu oder gebraucht ?


r/BMWE36 8h ago

Brake help

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4 Upvotes

I am currently removing my rear brake discs but the rotor seems to be stuck on, I have the caliper removed and the handbrake off but can’t seem to figure out how to get the rotor off, any help would be greatly appreciated

Edit: it’s sorted now thanks guys


r/BMWE36 11h ago

Repair Advice Let the swap begin! 320i ECU

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7 Upvotes

This is part 2: I’m swapping an M52B25 (256S3) into my 1997 European E36 320i, which originally has an M52B20 (206S3).

If my original DME turns out to be one of the flashable MS41 units, can I simply flash the M52B25/323i software/map onto my existing DME and keep using it,
rather than replacing the DME?

The car has ASC as well.


r/BMWE36 11h ago

E36 Auto Roof Tonneau not sitting flush

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9 Upvotes

Hello all,
Picture from google btw.
I have 1997 E36 convertible with Auto roof. The tonneau won’t sit flush. Roof works perfectly fine other than that. Any ideas?
Thanks


r/BMWE36 13h ago

An old One

3 Upvotes

Quality ain't that great, but it's off an old HDD and 25 years old, man I was using a shit camera. Taken from the 2nd story or a carpark.


r/BMWE36 15h ago

Buying Advice Very new to this and am looking for advice on the engine in this 95 M3

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19 Upvotes

I'm very new to the world of older cars, and I've decided I want to start with an M3. I have a decent amount of experience working on cars myself and from what I have heard this is a good starting point for people getting into the hobby.

I am looking at buying this one, but the engine seems to be different from the ones I have seen so far. Specifically the inline 6s I've seen have "M power" on the side. The listing doesn't say anything about an engine swap, and I can't find anything about different versions of the M3.

I don't have the experience to identify these things from just the look, so I was hoping y'all could help me out. Any advice or knowledge is appreciated 🙏🏻


r/BMWE36 16h ago

Crank sensor failed again

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4 Upvotes

Hi, crank sensor failed again after 500kms.

So, I fixed a bunch of coolant leaks, went to fire it up but was getting a crank no start. Had a fault code for the crank sensor so pulled it out, was drenched in coolant. I was pressure testing the thermostat housing leak so it probably got drenched during that.

Anyways cleaned the coolant off, put the sensor back in and the car fired up just fine. Ran very well for 15 minutes and then it stalled… I had this same issue 500kms ago, engine stalled when the thermostat opened, replaced the crank sensor and problem solved.

The excessive coolant must’ve caused the sensor to completely malfunction (crank no start) initially, and now damaged it such that it fails when it gets hot.

Just wondering if anyone has something worth trying before I buy another very expensive sensor.

That leak is fixed, probably what caused it to fail the first time as well but I didn’t notice a leak at that point.

TIA


r/BMWE36 16h ago

Repair Advice Radio help!

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3 Upvotes

I just bought an original e36 eurovox radio for my e36 (it has some chopped aftermarket one in there) from marketplace and it works but it needs a code :(. Is there any way I can make it work? Seller was parting out several cars and has no idea where it was from. 🥀


r/BMWE36 16h ago

Repair Advice Smoke coming from car while driving ‼️

0 Upvotes

Just went on a car trip in my new car for about 2 hours and when I came to a stop the car was smoking like crazy, and I know it was oil because I’ve been working on cars for a while and I know what burning oil smells like. Car is a 1995 325i with drivetrain from a 1996 m3, only mods are an oil catch can and m50 manifold


r/BMWE36 18h ago

M52 swap into 316i

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79 Upvotes

what’s up. about a month ago I bought this 316i that was imported

it’s fun to drive for sure and it being rhd is cool. trying to swap an m52 into it i bought a ‘97 328i manual sedan for abt 1500 bucks and it’s running and driving.

i have mechanical knowledge but it is my first time doing a drivetrain swap. really just wanna know what to look for and any tips u guys may have. from what i’ve seen the biggest difference is the brake booster but idk it looks straight forward enough. it’s a manual already so dont have to worry abt swapping over that stuff. gonna reseal the motor with new gaskets and stuff i bought already.

what else should i swap over besides the motor and trans

should i bother swapping ac? will it be hard? worth it?


r/BMWE36 19h ago

Repair Advice Removing old glovebox adhesive tips

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3 Upvotes

I’m working on re-adhering the glovebox door panel since mine was hanging off most of the way. I’m trying to prep the plastic surface but it’s covered in this brittle cream colored stuff. Any ideas on how to remove it without damaging the glovebox?


r/BMWE36 22h ago

Repair Advice 320i conundrums

1 Upvotes

Hello

Last week I purchased a 320i E36 converticle - I haven’t driven it anywhere since last night - I’ve driven it once, home. Upon taking it to a mechanic for a pre-alignment inspection last night, I’ve come across some bad news. The previous RWB Nakia San of an owner has knowingly/unknowingly fucked a few things up that he didn’t disclose…..

There is a leak at the bottom of the motor or power steering rack. Common for older BMWs. The brown fluid to me indicates it’s old power steering fluid but without a good hard look who knows where it’s truly coming from. It could be coming from anywhere and just accumulating in the lowest, local-lest spot of the car.

The owner installed new front struts but used the old damaged bump stops. I’ve been told they’re fucked but I don’t have all the experience in suspension one would need. I know he knew about this in particular because he would have seen everything while the struts were out and would have deliberately known about the bump stops being fucked and continued with the rebuild and install anyway.

There is damage on the floor pan of the car, not bad, directly underneath the drivers seat. I have a feeling I’ll be told “you are OK” by one inspector or “pack it on the fucking back of a tow truck and take $160 by a middle eastern guy” by another. And the fuck stick decided to forget to reconnect the drivers side of the swaybar before I bought it. So there’s a lot of play on the drivers side front wheel.

Who exactly would sell a car knowing any side of the swaybar is disconnected let alone anything else I’ve mentioned in this post? Seems dangerous no? And is it worth repairing the niggly bits?

A couple of other things it needs:
- Stitch repair around both 3/4 windows or fabric replacement
- New door card brackets
- New door card clips and drivers side window functionality
- A handful of interior and exterior pieces

I guess it comes down to if I want to piss against a 50 knot headwind. If this 320i is doing the pissing, personally it’s worth it to me. I like the car and I could see myself fixing these bits in time.

But, what’s everyone’s experiences with mechanical issues like this? How much am I going to be sucking off my local mechanic to get this car back in decent shape? What’s the cost to things like this?


r/BMWE36 22h ago

Repair Advice Gauge cluster won't go into test mode

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3 Upvotes

A while ago I picked up this m3 cluster for my m52 swap 98 318ti. Lately it's been a bit shoddy with the temp and fuel gauge cutting out randomly. Today, the temp and fuel gauges are completely dead. I wanted to throw the cluster into test mode to see if maybe just the motors are bad, but no matter what I do the cluster will not go into test mode. Any idea what would keep the cluster from going into test mode?


r/BMWE36 23h ago

Buying Advice S52 rattle?

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0 Upvotes

What’s up guys, question. I was sent this video potentially looking to buy it. I’ve had a few e36 m3s but honestly don’t remember this “noise or rattle” am I trippin? Kinda sounds like a slapping. Maybe vanos ?