got an e34 on ebay, need shop in new england

[gotatouring]

hi, everyone, new bmw owner here. long time mercedes owner now looking for a new indy shop located in new haven, ct down to new york. got a reasonable deal on a 93 525i touring on ebay down south. car made it back 1800 miles.

the good
clean, not a hint of rust (rare up here)
lots of new parts like ac new brakes, etc
does not drive like 155k
temp perfect no overheat

needs attention
check engine light on and off, on decel, off heavy accel
loss of power or misses a beat every 200 miles or so for just a second
seat back power unusable
radio trashed, will likely get aftermarket
hatch handle latch not working
coolant level warning despite coolant level ok


any reply appreciated!

[mbogosia]

Can you hear the seat motor working when you try to move it? If so then that most likely means that the cable has become disconnected somehow. Here are a few links to help you.

http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/i/miales/seatcablesfix.htm


http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_11.htm

Part of the fun is doing the work yourself. Don't worry about a shop for now. I bet the guys here can help you diagnose and fix your problems. Good luck

[Dave M]

hi, everyone, new bmw owner here. long time mercedes owner now looking for a new indy shop located in new haven, ct down to new york. got a reasonable deal on a 93 525i touring on ebay down south. car made it back 1800 miles.

the good
clean, not a hint of rust (rare up here)
lots of new parts like ac new brakes, etc
does not drive like 155k
temp perfect no overheat

needs attention
check engine light on and off, on decel, off heavy accel
loss of power or misses a beat every 200 miles or so for just a second
seat back power unusable
radio trashed, will likely get aftermarket
hatch handle latch not working
coolant level warning despite coolant level ok


any reply appreciated!


Welcome,
The coolant level sensor is a common problem. If you can see detail in the diagram below, part # 13 is the sensor. After draining the coolant, its a simple unscrewing of the sensor from the bottom of the expansion tank. Some folks get aaway with cleaning it, others replace.

Try Brunos site e34.net (http://www.bmwe34.net/) for help with various fixes. Otherwise, someone here will glady come to the rescue.

Good luck,

Dave m

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/dave_macisaac/Bimmer/Engine/RadiatorPartsDiagram_2.jpg

[Kalevera]

Welcome!

White on gray wbahj6313pgd23791 located in TX ended a few weeks ago?

I bet it needs an O2 sensor.

If it is indeed that car, looks like it'll need some gorilla glue on that pass side rear door panel.


best, whit

[uscharalph]

Welcome! Looks like you've come to the right for some help.

[gotatouring]

Welcome!

White on gray wbahj6313pgd23791 located in TX ended a few weeks ago?

I bet it needs an O2 sensor.

If it is indeed that car, looks like it'll need some gorilla glue on that pass side rear door panel.


best, whit


thats the one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4558739835&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT#ebayphotohosting

o2 sensors replaced a couple of years ago, but still could be bad. do these cars have egr troubles?

[BobHarris]

Welcome

That engine managemet light sounds like something loose, or one of the fluids sloshing back and forth causing a fluid level sender to read or not read the level. (if that makes any sense).

My tail gate handle switches were playing up when I bought my touring.

The window one turned out to be a broken wire right by the switch were it had rubbed on the inside of the panel. The other was the switch or the handle worn so that they don't quite touch enough. I tweaked the lever of the switch to bend it closer to the handle and all was well.

HTH

Bob

[gotatouring]

Can you hear the seat motor working when you try to move it? If so then that most likely means that the cable has become disconnected somehow. Here are a few links to help you.

http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/i/miales/seatcablesfix.htm


http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_11.htm

Part of the fun is doing the work yourself. Don't worry about a shop for now. I bet the guys here can help you diagnose and fix your problems. Good luck

the seat back will move on the left side only and twist the seat. up/down f/reverse functions of the seat bottom work fine. both headrest motors spin but dont move the power headrest

[mbogosia]

I would say you just have to follow the procedure for fixing seat twisties on that link I posted. It seems to be common and can be fixed with a little patience.

[bjl4776]

I live near Waterbury, CT, if you ever need help with some heavy wrenching give me a pm. As for shops, im not really sure I either wrench in the garage or the bimmer dealership i work at.

[jgrills]

I bought this car from a 'dealer in MD in August 2012. Starting the 5spd swap today. Talk about a ghost from the past!!! I googled the VIN to get to this thread. Prety wild!

[jgrills]

I bought this car from a 'dealer in MD in August 2012. Starting the 5spd swap today. Talk about a ghost from the past!!! I googled the VIN to get to this thread. Prety wild!

Hi,
On a whim, I googled my VIN and a thread popped up on BimmerNut.com forum

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-series-bmw/12036-got-e34-ebay-need-shop-new-england.html

I bought your old wagon last August (2012). It's now got 193k miles on it. When thru several auctions in NJ/MD. I bought it from a 'dealer' in MD who got it at auction in Baltimore in June 2012. It was almost headed to Nigeria at one point from the looks of the title I got, lol.

I'm starting the 5spd swap today, as the slushbox has finally given up the ghost. I use it as my work truck. I redid the whole front end, O2 sensor, and rear hatch wiring was a MESS. Needs a headliner. Sunroof still works, which is VERY unusual on these models. My 1st E34, it's really built like a tank! My 1st BMW was a 1978 530i/4spd, so I'm back in the 5'r fold again.

You mentioned an engine hesitation/hiccup. I get that occasionally when its cold. I'm thinking vanos seals...

Any other history you can provide would be a real help. I see it was service in Bridgeport CT when u got it in 2005 (CarFax hit).

I also picked up a set of M5 front sport seats as they were still broken 7 yrs later. Crazy, right?
Cheers!
John Grills
Alexandria VA
NCC-BMWCCA
98 M3/4
93 525iT

[genphreak]

Yea not bad, LOL! There aren't many good reasons for old thread revival, but you nailed one.... welcome to bimmer.info/bimmernut.com mate!

[Clarksonvalley]

I've had the same problem with my seat backs. Evidently what happens, with age, the cables shorten themselves and pull out of the square drive pin at the motor end or at the seat end. There are posts (with pictures) that tell you how to solve this problem. What you need to do is unfasten the cable at the motor end, pull the cable out of the sheath, pull the fitting off the end of the sheath and use a pair of wire cutters to cut off about 1/4" from the end of the sheath. Put the fitting back on the end of the sheath, insert the cable, screw it back into the motor and test for proper seat movement. When the cables shorten, you usually make a chattering noise as the cable end is not far enough into the square drive pin and it snaps in and out. Sometimes, the cable is all of the way out of the square drive pin and you just hear the motor spinning. To determine which motor needs attention, switch on the motor with one hand and with the other hand touch each motor - you will feel which motor is spinning.

[Dave M]

Welcome. First time I've seen someone find us with a VIN :D