Now, when it's running, do this. Take either two different color electrical tapes, or different color touch up paint and mark the reference and speed sensors and the corresponding plug in the engine compartment. Like give it a couple of wraps of red, and the other a couple of wraps of blue, on both the sensor wire and what it plugs into. Or two different colors of touch up paint on the wire sheath. That way when you do have a problem and are changing this and that, you won't get them interchanged. I know it sounds dumb, but mistakes are not intentional, they're mistakes. And this just prevents one. Also always test or change them one at a time.
I say all this because things often get tested randomly with a no start condition, and shortcuts taken and things forgotten about. And mostly because I spent an extra hour troubleshooting a no start car today even after I figured out the original problem. And yes I did do this on my E28 just after I bought it, or rather just after I got it running, but I played the game of switching things back and forth since it took me a while to get it running and it's hard to know where to start.
I don't know if I can really make this a tip of the week, but it's my tip for this week. Others are of course welcome to chime in too.
Last edited by Mike W. on Oct 06, 2011 10:59 PM, edited 5 times in total.
The original are marked. Since the new ones do not have a determined use (reference or speed) they are not marked and are a generic replacement. Marking makes sense.
but to be sure, the Bentley shows which goes where, the plug at the top, gray or black and the B and D locations on the tranny case.
I wrapped my speed sensor and the corresponding plug in masking tape many years ago while adjusting the valves. I always figured I'd do a better job of marking them later, but the masking tape is still holding on (even now that I don't actually need the sensors).
This is a very good recommendation, it can save hours of frustration and whole cases of beer.
rodpaine wrote:Excellent reminder, Mike, thanks! I use a small colored cable-wrap (yellow one in the pic) at both ends. Goes on easy and lasts well.
-Rod
That's a great idea. I love my Costco assortment of 1500 colored zip ties, I use them for everything.
BTW-has that car ever been on the road? that thing si CLEAN underneath...lol
I have labled the main and FP relays so I could talk Marina through swapping them over the phone . I also have the sockets 11 and 14 marked in the diag port. There is also a key secreted on the exterior too.
a wrote:I have labled the main and FP relays so I could talk Marina through swapping them over the phone . I also have the sockets 11 and 14 marked in the diag port. There is also a key secreted on the exterior too.
Wife-proofing? I like it!
For that, I need something that illuminates potholes with red lasers and blinks green leds on the steering wheel indicating which way to turn from current position to avoid them!
Continuing on with the same subject, those wire clips that are such a pain in the ass need to be on those sensors connections. No biggie if they aren't on the injectors, they aren't fighting gravity, nor will it stop running if one of them comes off, but they should be on the reference sensors. I had a fun time one time in I think it was Blanding Utah on vacation troubleshooting that one. It was still attached, but not all the way and obviously not making contact. So yes on the clip, or wire tie them together or something, probably not tape though, too warm and the adhesive would get too soft.
Ok, I made a new list and I'm going to try to keep up at least once a week. It'll be random and jump around by topic and usefulness.
Use anti seize on all water related parts, stat, water pump, bleeder. Brake rotor set screws, the hub where the rotor goes over, spark plugs, O2 sensors. You don't need a lot, just a little. And careful with the O2 sensor, make sure you only get it on the threads, not on the sensor itself, I've heard it will kill it.
I like this Mike...make sure the thread name identifies this properly....I want to be able to find it again and print some of your nuggets....(yes homo)
TSMacNeil wrote:I like this Mike...make sure the thread name identifies this properly....I want to be able to find it again and print some of your nuggets....(yes homo)
Thanks Tim, I'm going to try real hard to keep it up once or twice a week. I'm up over 20 on my list now.
Locktite lots of things, brake calipers, everything oil related or that could leak oil, pan, timing covers. That's the best way to get a leak free engine. The one in my E28 was dry when I sold it 175K after I rebuilt it. You don't need it everywhere, like on head bolts or rocker adjusters or alt or compressor mountings, but do use it on the above. Oh, one more thing, the flywheel is spec'd to have red locktite on the bolts.
And Tyler knows about locktiting Brake Calipers. I had one loosen up one time too, on a Bav about a hundred years ago. Not what you want, even if it is a hundred to one or a thousand to one. It's one of those little things that makes for a bulletproof car.
And the 6 bolts at the bottom of the strut housings that hold the front suspension together! (Thank you Rod Paine for telling me before hand to do this)
Coldswede wrote:And the 6 bolts at the bottom of the strut housings that hold the front suspension together! (Thank you Rod Paine for telling me before hand to do this)
An emphatic yes, I knew I was missing some spots, but the general message was there. Except on the really old ones that used safety wire. More like Bav days.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
It ain't OBDII, but BMW provided a great diagnostic tool. It's the O2 sensor output. Don’t "think" it's running rich or lean, or rely on smell, read the voltage. Meters are cheap. Really cheap. I always check it before I go in for smog. If it's working right, it doesn't mean you'll pass, but there is a good chance you will, but if it isn't working I can almost guarantee you wont.
The second one of the day isn't a daily thing, but when you get in there follow it.
Use new copperlock nuts on exhaust parts. They come off nice with them. The first time only. Or stainless, with lock washers. Even 5/16" on the nuts bolts that hold it together.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
It ain't OBDII, but BMW provided a great diagnostic tool. It's the O2 sensor output. Don’t "think" it's running rich or lean, or rely on smell, read the voltage. Meters are cheap. Really cheap. I always check it before I go in for smog. If it's working right, it doesn't mean you'll pass, but there is a good chance you will, but if it isn't working I can almost guarantee you wont.
The second one of the day isn't a daily thing, but when you get in there follow it.
Use new copperlock nuts on exhaust parts. They come off nice with them. The first time only. Or stainless, with lock washers. Even 5/16" on the nuts bolts that hold it together.
Happy B'day, Mike.
How many Ohms/volt is necessary for a voltmeter to obtain a very good reading from the diagnostic O2 sensor output lead?
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
What does the oxygen sensor say.
It ain't OBDII, but BMW provided a great diagnostic tool. It's the O2 sensor output. Don’t "think" it's running rich or lean, or rely on smell, read the voltage. Meters are cheap. Really cheap. I always check it before I go in for smog. If it's working right, it doesn't mean you'll pass, but there is a good chance you will, but if it isn't working I can almost guarantee you wont.
The second one of the day isn't a daily thing, but when you get in there follow it.
Use new copperlock nuts on exhaust parts. They come off nice with them. The first time only. Or stainless, with lock washers. Even 5/16" on the nuts bolts that hold it together.
Happy B'day, Mike.
How many Ohms/volt is necessary for a voltmeter to obtain a very good reading from the diagnostic O2 sensor output lead?
Link to a quality tool?
Thanks!
Ohms/volt on a meter? Any digital will be way beyond what you need not to load the circuit. I have used analogs with 50K and got similiar readings to a digital.
Yes, Centech makes a little red digital VOM that is sold at Home Depot and Harbor Freight. At HF, I bought about 4 at $1.99 each. They work fine for occaisional use. I have a Fluke that I use for bigger projects.
The range being read from an 02 sensor is .1 to 1.0 vdc.
There's more, but I keep neglecting to update it so here is the current version.
Mark flywheel sensor wires at fly, bellhousing and harness
Use anti seize on all water related parts, stat, water pump, bleeder. Brake rotors, spark plugs, O2 sensors.
Locktite lots of things, brake calipers, everything oil related or that could leak oil, pan, timing covers
It ain't OBDII, but BMW provided a great diagnostic tool. It's the O2 sensor output. Don’t "think" it's running rich or lean, or rely on smell, read the voltage. Meters are cheap. Really cheap. I always check it before I go in for smog. If it's working right, it doesn't mean you'll pass, but there is a good chance you will, but if it isn't working I can almost guarantee you wont.
Use new copperlock nuts on exhaust parts. They come off nice with them. The first time only. Or stainless, with lock washers. Even 5/16" on the nuts bolts that hold it together.
Use Permatex #3 as gasket dressing. It not only helps seal, but makes it easier to get loose too. Think places like the upper and lower timing cover, oil pan, water pump and theremostat. Andy also says it's great and prevents corrosion where hoses go on aluminum castings like the t-stat housing. I haven't tried that one.
Do wiring work super sanitary. Trying to troubleshoot wiring that has been kludged or butchered is maddening. I need to do a FAQ on wireless connectors with pics. When I have time, LOL.
Use grommets or caulk wires in place that go thru sheetmetal. Don't rely on insulation alone.
Big case diffs are for bragging rights, very few diffs fail due to extreme power. Especially if it's a non turbo car.
Don't install a used water pump, the consequences of failure are too extreme and you can't determine wear on them. Do replace a WP when it starts to leak even a little, it can start to leak a lot very quickly.
Don't use platinum spark plugs, E28's and BMWs in general don’t like them. I knew the owner of an imported auto parts store a few years back and he said he would only sell them if a customer insisted. Bosch coppers or NGKs are just fine, Bosch Silver/Silber are ideal.
Install a head gasket dry. Im currently working on a car that has apparently had some sort of copper colored gasket dressing applied. It's slicker than snot and the HG failed by the sealing ring deforming. Which may not have happened if there was more resistance to movement.
Don't bother surfacing front brake rotors. E28 front ends are just too touchy, new ones are very affordable and machining isn't cheap anymore. Especially if it doesn't do any good.
If you buy an eta and aren't absolutely positive the timing belt has been changed in the past 4 years/40K miles, change it. Now. Guys have lost belts in less than a week after purchase, after they bought a replacement, but before they could install it.
The fan clutch is left hand thread. Turn it clockwise to remove it. Don't bother to try to get it real tight, it will self tighten. But don't leave it loose either, the engine starting and snapping it tight will make it almost impossible to remove.
If you break a fan remove it now. A broken fan is imbalanced, can take out a water pump, which can take out a radiator or dent the hood. None is better than part of a broken one.
Buy European fan belts, like Conti. Metric ones fit better, you would think a 64th of an inch would be close enough, but it's not.
At least some 535s show the wrong part for the alternator belt in the catalog and should be 1040, not 1060.
Yes, the tensioner is only slightly better than junk, but get over it, it is what it is.
Make sure you use fuel injection fuel line. Preferably BMW line, it's much less expensive than many places and about as good as you can buy. The first line to leak is the one to the cold start valve. You know, the one you can't get to. That's because it gets hot and stays hot because it has no flow thru it, unlike the supply and return lines which do have flow to keep them cooler.
R12 works the best for A/C in E28s. A good working R12 system works well, maybe not great, but well, even in 110+ temps it will blow cold air. It's not run you out of there cold, but cold, not just cool. Better than many 5-10 year old cars, better than the year old, 20K Hyundai I rented last summer. A half ass R134a conversion will not, don't whine because it doesn't, it wasn't designed for it and it doesn't work as well. R134a can work well, but needs additional work, it's not a drop in for good performance.
Unless you replaced it, or have documentation the PO did, the intank fuel pump is dead. Many millions of miles have been covered trouble free with a dead in tank pump. It will allow you to more fully drain the tank, but it won't result in a smoother idle, lower emissions, better gas mileage or whiter whites in your laundry.
You can usually, briefly, resuscitate a dead main pump by wacking it with the handle of a screwdriver. It reseats the brushes. That is not a fix and it will leave you stranded again soon, if not the next time. It's just a way home.
Alternators hardly ever fail. Voltage regulators do occasionally, mostly due to worn out brushes which can be replaced. I used to have the P/N but can no longer find it, but they are available. I would trust a used OE alternator before a cheap chain store rebuild. Just my .02.
On most, but not all E28s, the alternator/battery light needs to work in order for the alternator to work. In other words if the light doesn't come on in the AM when you go to start it up you may need a jump start to get home. Yes, the bulb can burn out and a bad regulator can cause it not to work, as well as wiring problems. But it needs to work. Nuff said?
If your windshield wipers work fine on high or low, but not on intermittent or one wipe, it's the motor. The park contact isn't making good contact. I have not found a fix and I've tried retensioning the wiper arm (inside the motor) and regreasing the motor. A new/used one did the trick even though it was only a couple of months different in production date. Seems like some do and some don't.
Don't use a pickle fork on the front end. They will destroy the boot rendering the part useless in a few months. Buy a clamp type ball joint separator. Put some tension on it, then give it a whack with a hammer. That works better than just cranking away and makes tools last longer too.
Also, big deal, grease the tapered joints when you reassemble them, if you ever go to separate them again you will thank yourself, it makes it much easier to split the joint.
Yes, banging on both sides of a joint with a pair of hammers will split them. If you have the room to swing.
Use brake hose for the line to the clutch master, not fuel line. Fuel line will expand and start leaking, brake hose usually will not. It used to be blue and may or may not be currently, you do have to usually buy a meter, but it is different and there for a reason. What's the price of not having brake fluid in your carpet/padding? Murphy's law says it's the interior side that will leak first.
Relays don't often fail. Except for the main relay. Which is kind of an odd one and many have been sold the wrong one. It comes in two different styles, one which lists the usual 85/86/30 and 87/87 and one that is 85/86/30 87/87b. If it says 87a on there it's the wrong one and the car won't run. Even it doesn't really fail often, just more often than the rest. Buying a spare and installing it before there is a problem and keeping the then known good one as a spare is a good idea.
Battery connections. If you get strange things happening, like everything works, but when you go to start it you get nothing but a clicking noise, clean the connections at the battery. Remove, clean down to shinny metal both the battery terminals and the connectors, and reinstall. It doesn't matter if it looks nice and clean already, that is not a test. You can't tell by looking, if there is any question, just do it.
Mike W. wrote:
The fan clutch is left hand thread. Turn it clockwise to remove it. Don't bother to try to get it real tight, it will self tighten. But don't leave it loose either, the engine starting and snapping it tight will make it almost impossible to remove. Use anti-seize on this left hand threaded nut Verify that there is anti-seize on the threads each time the fan clutch is removed.
One more:
When your diff mount goes out, the rubber muffler hanger (thick donut) is coincidentally a great size allowing for a good amount of squish, and isolation. Works great for a long term fix, adds no vibration, can be used in conjunction with a new mount, or repair a broken one.
Slice the nubs off the sides to make it smooth all of the way around, and stack between the body and the mount itself.
