Philes' Forum by Vic Lucariello

Hello, Bimmerphiles! I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season AND catching up on all the maintenance on your daily driver that you didn't have time for during the driver school/club race season.

In the last Philes' Forum, I wrote about Neville Scott's 325e's starting problems. Neville seemed to be experiencing lack of fuel during starting, and I suggested that the fuel pump or main relay might be the problem. I haven't heard from Neville, but Al Kwan called to tell me that he solved an intermittent starting and driveability problem by......you guessed it.....replacing his fuel pump relay! Al said that he disassembled the old relay and found its output contacts to be burned and pitted. Thanks, Al.

Dan Rosano called with a question on changing the engine oil on his new 328i. The dipstick on these (and other late model) Bimmers has some markings that can be a bit misleading, resulting in the oil sump being overfilled. {I had a joke in here re Paula Corbin Jones being my consultant re the dipstick markings, but Editor McIntyre cut it!}

Anyhow, in addition to the normal hash marks [perpendicular to the long axis of the dipstick] indicating full and one quart low, the 328i dipsticks have two raised circular markings which are above the "full" hash mark. Disregard these circular markings. By the way, the engine oil capacity of the new 2.8 motors is 7 qt. including the oil filter.

Chapter VP Joe "E-Mail" Getcy sent in a nice write-up describing a problem he had at this year's Delaware Valley Chapter Pocono Driver School/Club Race. Here is the write-up as received from Joe, with my comments in parenthesis:

".......the "Coolant Level" indication activated in my '87 E-30 325is. The (temperature) gauge red normal, but began climbing as I slowed to exit the track.

"After much searching to determine the source of the coolant leak which had soaked the underhood area, I found that the power steering hose had cut into the lower radiator hose. There was only about one cigarette's width (about 8 mm) between the hose and the pulley.

(After changing the hose and replenishing the coolant, the 325is continued to run hot, so Joe had some more diagnosing to do)

"Well, what happened was that the motor mounts, BOTH of them, were broken and the whole engine was sitting off-center, at least one inch to the left! The mounts had broken, allowing the engine to shift over on a predominately right-hand-turn course. This allowed the power steering pump pulley to cut the hose. The loss of coolant and resultant overheating then damaged the thermostat so that the car continued to run hot even with a new hose and coolant.

(The final fix involved the new hose, a new thermostat, new motor mounts, and a shorter power steering hose {820 mm instead of 825}. This resulted in more than one inch {25.4 mm} of clearance between the pulley and lower radiator hose.)

"Will I be checking the clearance down there all the time? You betcha! Was it important to have spare hoses at the track? Yessiree! Should I have had spare motor mounts? Yes!

"By the way, Will Turner told me at Pocono that this problem only applies to (the '87 325is). BMW changed the design in '88 for exactly this reason.

"So, I hope that this may be useful to you and to the club. Might even be a good Tech Tip on how to check motor mounts.

Thanks, E-Mail. The problem you experienced is common on vigorously-driven pre-1988 325e and 325i models. You hit on the standard fix of replacing the motor mounts and using a shorter power steering belt. An old hot rodder's trick will provide even more insurance against a recurrence of the problem.

The motor mounts are designed to allow the engine to move a certain amount in order to isolate power train vibrations. Even new mounts will provide an inch or so of movement under certain conditions, such as an improperly executed downshift, abrupt throttle closure, etc (Uh....all the things we teach driver school students NOT to do!). The hot rodder's trick is to install a couple of wire cables or chains between the engine and chassis such that the restraints limit excessive engine movement. Under normal conditions, the restraints are slack, therefore the isolating features of the motor mounts are preserved. Of course, good motor mounts are required to begin with.

Checking the mounts is easy. Begin with a thorough visual inspection of both the motor (OK, techies.....engine) mounts AND transmission mount(s). Mounts exhibiting cracks or swelling (you may have to carefully wipe them down to actually see the rubber) should be replaced. Next, firmly apply the parking brake and securely chock the drive wheels. While an assistant stands TO THE SIDE of the car observing the engine, put the car in first, give it a little throttle, and partially engage the clutch. If the engine flops over to the right, the left-hand motor mount is weak/failed. Repeat the test in reverse.

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes' Forum should contact me via the info on the masthead. I'm interested in tech tips, repair/maintenance question and/or tips, dealer horror stories, etc. Please call before 8 PM and if you leave a message please include a daytime phone number. The best way to contact me is via e-mail. (No, not "E-Mail" Getcy, just regular e-mail!) That's all for now, Bimmerphiles, see ya.