please help me im goin insane

[uk525isport]

hi therei realsie this is a huge first post but its really anoying me and i wanted to provide as much info as possible so you know what your advisin on
i own a 1989 525i sport which is fitted with an12v m20 engine and i have a few problems with it and i hope that you guys can help me sort them out
1. my headlights work every now and again so i changed my headlight switch this cured the problem for a month or so now they do it again but when they cut out if i fiddle with the indicator/full beam stalk they come back on and stay on turn the ignition off and off they go again!!

2. under my speedo i have the service indicator and mileometer the readout and lights rarley work unless i hit the glass with my finger tip (along with the speedo light itself)

3. the check panel constantly tells me i have a dip beam down a low coolant level, low oil pressure (scared me the first time) and the oil level is shown if the level strays 1mm from the full line

4.the fuel gauge is very weird the light comes on with quater of a tank left and stays on never sure weather to belive the gauge or the light!!

5.the radio reception is really poor to the point that i dont even use it however i would like too

6. shes fitted with a remote alarm with full closure has a bmw badge on the remote although the siren has foxgaurd written on it seems to work when it wants too lockin then unlockin straight away with a single press????

7. REALLY ANOYING it has the roughest idle you can imagine it feels like a violent missfire it runs sweet just idles like a pig i have had the injectors cleaned and have fitted some new bosch plugs and new leads

i have also been told that i can unplug my analoge clock and simply plug in a fuel computer from a higher spec model and this will work (i dont believe it but have removed the clock and theres an awfully big wiring harness compared to my old ford
the same with the sunroof motor as mine is a manaul and was told if i had the motor and switch and cover then this would be fine as the wiring is allready there
can anybody confirm or deny this and help me sort my problem i realsie this is a huge first post but its really anoying me and i wanted to provide as much info as possible
thanks in advance
chris

[uk525isport]

dont worry about the first one gonna have a crack at the lkm in a min wish me luck!!

[632 Regal]

you have quite a few problems ahead of you! I would take them 1 at a time after you resolder the LKM.

[uk525isport]

i think i should be ok gonna take out the ccm when i do the lkm and take take it apart and have a look
gonna take the clocks out and look for a loose wire as i figure thats what the prob could be?????

any takers on the rough idle as i can live with the rest but i hate the vision of my black slammed zeemax kitted e34 pullin up at the lights and soundin like a bag of nails!!!!

once again thanks in advance!
chris

[Unregistered]

but does it always idle rough like that? Mine idles really rough when you first start it up and the engine is cold but if you let it sit and run for about 5 min. it smoothes out quite a bit (although its never completely smooth. Is your idle always the same?

[uk525isport]

but does it always idle rough like that? Mine idles really rough when you first start it up and the engine is cold but if you let it sit and run for about 5 min. it smoothes out quite a bit (although its never completely smooth. Is your idle always the same?

yeah it seems to soften out a bit when it warms up but not by a great deal i found that the breather hose on the top of the rocker cover was loose so i tightened it up and it has improved but not sorted it completly especially when i listen to my mates 325i and his sounds like a 24v gives me a touch of the green eyeed

any ideas on what it could be????

[uk525isport]

help me get it runnin as sweet as it looks!!!!!!!
took my lkm apart and resoldered the joint any hey presto i have lights again!!

took out the ccm at the same time no joy on finding anything wrong
im stumped again!!!!! :(

[Warren N.CA]

by being sure ALL maintence items are up to date. Be sure to replace the distributor cap and rotor ASAP! (Likely they are the original ones.) then Remove the instrument cluster and clean all the multipin connectors and apply Stabilant 22. Replace all electrolytic capacitors in the cluster.
Find every electrical connector in the wiring harness, under the back seat, below the cluster, etc. Treat every contact with stabilant. Remove each fuse and treat its terminals with Stabilant. Don't forget the fuses under the back seat.

When you have completed all of the above, some of your problems may have been resolved. Address each remaining problem on an idividual basis, one at a time.



hi therei realsie this is a huge first post but its really anoying me and i wanted to provide as much info as possible so you know what your advisin on
i own a 1989 525i sport which is fitted with an12v m20 engine and i have a few problems with it and i hope that you guys can help me sort them out
1. my headlights work every now and again so i changed my headlight switch this cured the problem for a month or so now they do it again but when they cut out if i fiddle with the indicator/full beam stalk they come back on and stay on turn the ignition off and off they go again!!

2. under my speedo i have the service indicator and mileometer the readout and lights rarley work unless i hit the glass with my finger tip (along with the speedo light itself)

3. the check panel constantly tells me i have a dip beam down a low coolant level, low oil pressure (scared me the first time) and the oil level is shown if the level strays 1mm from the full line

4.the fuel gauge is very weird the light comes on with quater of a tank left and stays on never sure weather to belive the gauge or the light!!

5.the radio reception is really poor to the point that i dont even use it however i would like too

6. shes fitted with a remote alarm with full closure has a bmw badge on the remote although the siren has foxgaurd written on it seems to work when it wants too lockin then unlockin straight away with a single press????

7. REALLY ANOYING it has the roughest idle you can imagine it feels like a violent missfire it runs sweet just idles like a pig i have had the injectors cleaned and have fitted some new bosch plugs and new leads

i have also been told that i can unplug my analoge clock and simply plug in a fuel computer from a higher spec model and this will work (i dont believe it but have removed the clock and theres an awfully big wiring harness compared to my old ford
the same with the sunroof motor as mine is a manaul and was told if i had the motor and switch and cover then this would be fine as the wiring is allready there
can anybody confirm or deny this and help me sort my problem i realsie this is a huge first post but its really anoying me and i wanted to provide as much info as possible
thanks in advance
chris

[Elekta]

Just put me in a wheelchair
And put me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers
I can't control my brain
Oh no oh ho

[Unregistered]

im the same guy who asked if the idle was consistant I forgot to sign the post. I got a black beauty too but I got 18" bmw parallels on her. I know what you mean about your friends ride though, my roomate has a 328is that is damn near completely silent and totally smooth. It makes me so pissed

tetsuo48

[krisby]

the display flicking off unless you tap the glass is a cheap fix. My Odo disappeared too, a bang on the instrument binacle bought it back on (like and old TV), but then even that stopped working too. I took it to my mechanic and 5 minutes later he had put a new bulb in the dash and voila, only $10NZ too. Apparently the connection on the bulb can wear out (not so much the bulb itself).

[krisby]

oh yeah, and the rough idle could be the pressure regulator, fuel pump or the throttle position sensor. My car doesn't have the fuel pressure regulator, I also don't have rough idle, but sometimes when stationery at lights when I pull away the revs drop before building up. The TPS is below the air intake, mine is still in the original position, so my mechanic is gonna have a play next time I take it in for a service.

[uk525isport]

still hunting
well i put in new dizzy cap and rotor arm (those screws are a pain to remove!!!) while i had the cap off i decided to check the belt what a nightmare tryna get those covers off and turns out the belt was really shot could almost turn it 180 degrees on itself so i put a new one in figure i had a lucky escape!!
had a go at the tappets while i was there i adjusted them to what my data book stated but it still sounds very tappy up top so might knock a couple of thou off and try that!!!!
the engine still really hunts though my freind suggested getting some ether and spraying it around the intake manifold and vacume hoses and listening out for a knock will this damage my engine?????

[uk525isport]

the display flicking off unless you tap the glass is a cheap fix. My Odo disappeared too, a bang on the instrument binacle bought it back on (like and old TV), but then even that stopped working too. I took it to my mechanic and 5 minutes later he had put a new bulb in the dash and voila, only $10NZ too. Apparently the connection on the bulb can wear out (not so much the bulb itself).
cheers krisby will give it a go a bit later!!!

[uk525isport]

oh yeah, and the rough idle could be the pressure regulator, fuel pump or the throttle position sensor. My car doesn't have the fuel pressure regulator, I also don't have rough idle, but sometimes when stationery at lights when I pull away the revs drop before building up. The TPS is below the air intake, mine is still in the original position, so my mechanic is gonna have a play next time I take it in for a service.
once again thanks i will have a go at that asap the breakers yard near me has a 525 so im gonn try swappin those bit over one by one andsee what happens

[uk525isport]

im the same guy who asked if the idle was consistant I forgot to sign the post. I got a black beauty too but I got 18" bmw parallels on her. I know what you mean about your friends ride though, my roomate has a 328is that is damn near completely silent and totally smooth. It makes me so pissed

tetsuo48
went out in my mates 325 miles quicker more revvy ond more responsive now im really gutted might have to fit a 3.5 m30!!!!!!

[uk525isport]

until then is there a quick fix on the hunting?