New Owner and issues

[Popeye]

Having owned a BMW (in europe) wanted another for ages. Finally the finances alowed it and i got myself a 1996 318Ti (not really sure if it is a Base/Active or Sports) with 155000 KMs. It does have cruise but no OBC (just a clock). I did check the car to the best of my ability but my ability seems to have let me down.

In the first week i have had to change the front main seal, Gasket below the Oil filter, 2 'O' rings, thermostat unit and of course just to be on the safe side Plugs, Oil change and Air filter. The Engine light just came on and the code points to a "Cam Positioning sensor". My research shows me that 2 gaskets need changing when changing the 'Cam Positioning sensor'. On line i have found this part named as the 'Cam Speed sensor', not sure if this is the same part.

I feel that the water pump might be the next to go as it is 'squeaking' and the "CAT" seems to be dodgy.

However, i do like the ride and am hoping NOT to 'cut my loses' at this moment in time even though i am way over budget.

[tiFreak]

It does have cruise but no OBC (just a clock).

I'm pretty sure it's a base

[b.u.ti-ful]

Hopefully you will be able to get on top of your list and enjoy the car.

Here is a site that will tell you exactly what model you have.

http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi

[dave45056]

Does that site REALLY tell you that? I put my vin in and it just tells me the body style, engine, transmission, production date, oil capacities, etc. Did not mention Club Sport, Sport, Active, or Base

[b.u.ti-ful]

Oh yeah, you are correct.

But, this list should help you determine your package:

http://www.rohrer-design.com/318ti/img006.jpg

[Popeye]

So i have completed one year of the ownership and have had to replace the following:

1. Cam Positioning Sensor
2. Front Main Seal (Engine)
3. Rear hatch shocks
4. Radiator
5. Driver door handle (came into my hand)
6. Water pump
7. Starter motor
8. Drive shaft hanger bearing
9. front wheel hub
10. New Key (as old key was worn out and wouldn't open the doors)
11. Wiper issues
12. Front Brakes and rotors
13. Rear brakes and backing plate
14. Plastic coolant line(s) at the rear side of the engine

Still need to do
15. replace valve cover gasket - leaking
16. Investigate: CEL comes on when tank is empty and sometimes goes of when i fill up.
17. 10/24/2011 - Rust patch on the rear left wheel well

Some of these items have had me stranded on the highway, not good. When i calculate the Total cost of ownership, i am not sure this was a economical buy. Don't get me wrong it is a nice & proud drive, however very expensive. Some parts are dealership only and did cost me premium. Maybe this is normal for a + 12 year ownership or a melon. In any case this forum and members certainly saved my bacon a few times with tips and recommendations, so Thanks.

[milehigh96caliti]

Hopefully you will think the hard work will be worth it in the end. They are cool cars and I'm a girl!

[aceyx]

Still need to do
15. replace valve cover gasket - leaking
16. Investigate: CEL comes on when tank is empty and sometimes goes of when i fill up.
I think you've covered all the problematic parts, and quite honestly, it sounds like you've done the groundwork to make this thing last.

As far as the CEL goes, it's probably the gas cap seal/o-ring (~$1) but I would go get your codes read anyhow. Most auto parts stores will rent readers for free.

[Popeye]

Lately the car started to pull to the passenger side when appling brakes. Researched issue / verified that Driver side caliper is working / replaced driver side flex brake line, still having the issue when car is driven for some time, i.e. hot. Any ideas?

CEL light still acting up when tank 3/4 or below. Gas cap verified to be ok by emission shop.

Once this issue is taken care of the car is going, i am cutting my losses.

[Popeye]

Contary to my last post above i did not cut my losses. I just ran the bloody thing. As ACEYX says i had got the main things all wrapped up n my first 2 years of ownership. I must say for the last ~2 years i have only changed oil/filter and put gas in it. My ODO is up to 270k now.

I came back to this tried and true forum once again as i relaized that the old girl needs rear shocks replacing now, the new bilsteins i put in Sept 2008 has started to leak all over my driveway. So much for these life time Bilsteins.

[slow_ti]

Valve cover isn't bad if you know your way around the engine bay


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jca]

I agree that you are getting ahead of this car as far a maintainance and repair is concerned. Most used cars, especially used BMW's, need catch up work after you buy them.

[Popeye]

I am trying not to start building this thing (as i have done my other transports) but i cannot stop thinking of getting some ooomphhh out of it. I caught myself thinking of a peformance exhaust and a CAI in the coming months. Any advise on this front?

[tiFreak]

you won't get much power with just an intake and exhaust, but they do add some eye candy and a better sound, Cosmo racing makes a decent intake for a good price and you can get a Magnaflow muffler with a custom catback for a decent price

[Popeye]

Decided on synthetic oil from now on. i hear i can run 8k between changes.

[pi4ovete_84]

Oooo congrats on the ODO km reading:)
I think synthetic is better, but I still change it around 4000mi (6400km). It gets really black.
Mobil1 5w30

[Popeye]

Just keeping the thread updated.

Had oil in the 2nd plug. Cleaned it and all is well.
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33812

I have owned the Ti for 25 months and i have put 160km (100,000 miles)

[vsonix]

yeah I bought mine at 124k (the previous owner was talking about "running her into the ground because she's old" FFS) and although the guy that owned her before me took good care of the exterior and kept the inside clean he obviously didn't want to spend much on maintaining the engine so after I bought her I had to spend another 600 or so on getting things like the prop shaft bearing changed, cam position and lambda sensors, spark plug wiring harness etc, plus I've had to replace 4x suspension springs, cat, exhaust was rotted so upgraded to a stainless cat-back system. Obviously on a car that is 10+ years old there will always be things that need replacing - I know at some point the clutch is going to need work - but I too am confident I am now ahead of the problem and touch wood my servicing costs are going to tail off now. I should add that in all my time of ownership she has been a trouble free drive and maybe only failed to start once or twice when hot after a long run, most of this work has been done to prevent issues occurring rather than in response to them with the exception of a couple of things which were because I was failing emissions by a fairly insignificant amount but enough to mean work had to be done.

[pdxmotorhead]

The TI engine is MUCH happier with 15w40 0r 15w50 0r 10W40 than the 5w30 stuff. The engine clearances are NOT set up for the thinner oil.

The BMW branded synthetic is actually fairly reasonably priced in my area....

Dave

[pi4ovete_84]

The TI engine is MUCH happier with 15w40 0r 15w50 0r 10W40 than the 5w30 stuff. The engine clearances are NOT set up for the thinner oil.

The BMW branded synthetic is actually fairly reasonably priced in my area....

Dave

When I bought mine 2 years ago, the previous owner was using mineral oil from the dealership(such morons). I switched it to synthetic, tried 0w-40, was too light, I was experiencing dry starts, and after that I started using Mobil1 5w-30 $25 Walmart, very satisfied!

[cooljess76]

Here in SoCal, I use Mobil1 5w-30 synthetic, but I agree with Dave about BMW's not liking the thinner stuff. The previous owner of my M3 used 0 weight and it seaped from every seal and gasket. When I drained the oil for the first time, I almost had a heart attack. That stuff looked like water! Once I'm finished with the build, I may go up to a 10w oil.

[urbanmisfit]

So i have completed one year of the ownership and have had to replace the following: 1. Cam Positioning Sensor 2. Front Main Seal (Engine) 3. Rear hatch shocks 4. Radiator 5. Driver door handle (came into my hand) 6. Water pump 7. Starter motor 8. Drive shaft hanger bearing 9. front wheel hub 10. New Key (as old key was worn out and wouldn't open the doors) 11. Wiper issues 12. Front Brakes and rotors 13. Rear brakes and backing plate 14. Plastic coolant line(s) at the rear side of the engine Still need to do 15. replace valve cover gasket - leaking 16. Investigate: CEL comes on when tank is empty and sometimes goes of when i fill up. Some of these items have had me stranded on the highway, not good. When i calculate the Total cost of ownership, i am not sure this was a economical buy. Don't get me wrong it is a nice & proud drive, however very expensive. Some parts are dealership only and did cost me premium. Maybe this is normal for a + 12 year ownership or a melon. In any case this forum and members certainly saved my bacon a few times with tips and recommendations, so Thanks. There's a couple different ways to look at this. You can buy a 15 yr old car; expect it to be golden; and be disappointed when it needs repairs. Not too realistic especially with multiple owners. My approach is a bit different; I research the car and it's possibilities and the only deal breakers are major butchery or terminal rust. I just bought a '96 Ti with 109K miles and am prepared to completely bring it back to new or better condition; a guesstimate right now is $6-8000K but when it's done I'll be able to fill it up and head for NY at the drop of a hat in a car that has the power I want; handles the way I want, etc, etc. It doesn't have to be a BMW; my last project started as a base Mazda 323 and would cruise at 140K+MPH all day long when it was finished.(BTW it's NEVER finished!) The biggest challenge I find is finding up-grade parts that work for you; I've gone the route of coil-overs that loosen your fillings on the street etc. There's no difference if you do your own work or have a shop do it other than the money and satisfaction factor although I must admit my cars are hobbies (sickness?) I know I'll never recover the money that goes into a car but I can easily justify that by using the common knowledge that it costs X dollars a year to maintain a car so that works out to be 15 yrs. X $2,000 a yr. = $30,000. The new math LOL...but if I go to a dealer what can I buy for 1/2 that? That's my rant....now I have to decide if I'm going to pull the engine on my car in order to fix 15 yrs. of wear and tear....and oh, a nice Fidanza FW!:smile:

[Dave-ROR]

Decided on synthetic oil from now on. i hear i can run 8k between changes.

Have some UOA (Used old analysis) performed as you increase your OCI. I wouldn't go straight to 8k. I've found in my other cars that it starts to shear alot after 5.5-6k so I don't tend to run more than that.

[Popeye]

I hear ya all ..
either pay up front and expect no issues or buy cheap and pay later. Don't get me wrong i enjoy driving this machine, but i must say it would be better with a 6 under the hood and i have caught myself thinking of it seriously. :) especialy as i got some new wheels for it.

Latest update is
Went to work and all was good, at the end of the day when i attempted to start, the engine turns but will not catch. AA verified that the battery was good, flat bedded to the garage and the damn thing started at the first turn, making me look like a real 'dork'. No error codes, nothing to indicate a issue. So i come home, park and the next morning the same deal, no start. I checked the plugs and there is no spark, so obviously some sort of a electrical gemlin.
If someone has some idea where to start i am all ears ....

[3.2TI]

I have noticed when there is a no start ti, the first thing people check is the MAF sensor, it seems to be a concern to some and has actually been the problem but you said there were no codes.

These cars are meant to be fixed, even if you find a mint condition one, you will find things breaking or leading to a concern but that is part of the fun. Don't get discouraged by this, that is why this website is here.

Best thing to do is search before asking as you may find lots of threads already posted about this same issue. Hope you get on the road again...

[Popeye]

i've been doing lots of research into existing threads but have not found any leads that helps my situ, especially cos it has no codes to help me. My thoughts are to take the oppertunity to start with the plugs and wires, not sure where the points are in the 318ti but if i can will replace that too.

[Popeye]

Update:March 2012, happened again without any ryme or reason.. but this time I found the gremlin ... the fuel pump was on the frits, changed that and all is well again, while at it i changed the head gasket and plugs.


and on the 1st of March 2012, it spun thru the 300k mark.

[9644]

I got lucky when I bought mine. Previous owner had replaced radiator/thermostat/water pump/ hoses/belts/heater by-pass hose/maf. All normal replacements when you buy one of these. That left me with replacing gasket below oil filter/front brakes and window regulators. Again, all normally replaced parts. Once you get past this, the thing runs like new.

[Popeye]

Update Aug 2012: P1174 code came up after dropping the pedal to the metal trying to overtake / cleared the code but it keeps coming on again after a while. Thinking of replacing O2 Sensor before the cat, am i on the right path?

btw, i am running at 15.6km/lit (6.5 lit/100km, 37mpg) and i just went over 320k on the clock. i think this engine kicks ass when it comes to fuel economy.

[djazz]

My guess is O2 sensor, vacuum leak, or MAF. Either the sensor is reading the mixture wrong or the mixture is not what the ECU thinks it should be.

I enjoyed reading your thread. It shows what people go through for these cars. Or maybe what kind of people are attracted to them in the first place. I'm going through the cooling and ignition systems, and probably rear shocks too, before putting my new-to-me ti on daily driver status.

The E28 guys have the "2k rule." It states that regardless of what you pay for the car you will spend $2000 in the first year base-lining it to your standards. This is a great way to look at any used car purchase. I also consider car parts as part of my entertainment budget. Repairing or preempting problems brings satisfaction and driving enjoyment.

Are you waiting til 500k km to decide on cutting your losses? :biggrin: I cut my losses on my first E28 535i at 400k miles.

Good Luck,

dj

[Popeye]

Replaced the O2 sensor, 2 days later the code returns (P1174). next step research again, unless you folks can point me a way.

Also added a Keyless entry and remote start for good measure. Winter shoes on and ready for the 2012 snow.

[1996 328ti]

Decided on synthetic oil from now on. i hear i can run 8k between changes.Easily. Probably longer.
I like to change my oil filter at 1/2 intervals though.

[Popeye]

The O2 code pops up and clears (I mean CEL) on it's own at random intervals. I have given up chasing the ghost.

The driver rear spring had broken in 2. Found out when doing a oil change. A trip to wreckers is scheduled. What other 3-series can i get this from?

Something under the hood is ON all the time even after switching the car off. On a hunch I removed the #38 fuse and it went away. ABS light is ON all the time now. Is there a way to OFF this via ECU. I hate to remove the console just to remove the bulb.

345km on the clock.

[Popeye]

Moved thru the 350Km mark.

While I was replacing the rear drivers side spring I found that the passenger side was also broken, and so were both the front ones. So I went right to the yard and replaced all from a beaten up 318is coupe. The entire car now sits roughly 1" higher. I am hoping that it will settle down.

Anyone done this before?

[Popeye]

late summer 2013 update
passed the 360k milepost, rust beggining to make a mark on the rear wheel well. Wife thinks it is a eyesore!

[Popeye]

Spring 2014 Update:
moved thru 380Km on the clock.

The rust has definitely won the battle, helped by the harsh winter we had. Just aft of the both front wheel wells pretty much is gone. The driver rear wheel well is also beginning to look pretty bad. Even if i did not want to, the boss is going to force my hand in getting rid of this vehicle this summer. The innards are still ticking though.

[jca]

Perfect track rat!

[Popeye]

just ticked over the 385km mark. CEL came ON after a very long drive in the rain. Hope it is only the O2 sensor .... more when i do figure out ..

[BlackBMWs]

I love the durability of these cars. One of my TIs is now at 372k miles and still running strong. and it's an Automatic! Wife loves it. :cool:

[AnuketTi]

WOW! I feel like an infant in this thread. My car has only 135K original miles.

[Popeye]

Ticked over the 390K mark. CEL is definitely to do with the O2 sensor as it comes and goes according to my driving habits, almost predictable.

Needs rear brakes for sure. The exhaust bracket(s) needs attention as the center one dropped off as a result of rust.

[Popeye]

The time has come to let it go. Picked up a replacement and as such the Ti is now parked for the moment until I decide what I will do.

ticked over the 395k mark and still strong as ever.

[Popeye]

Finally the Ti has passed onto a better place, its worldly duties fulfilled. It was a awesome ride until it was retired in Jan 2015. A few parts were gifted to other Ti's to continue the legacy.

I will leave my account around so that this build thread does not get orphaned. I hope my experience will help other owners/enthusiasts.

Maybe I might own another and rekindle the Ti fire.