318ti.org forum - View Single Post - what maintenance would YOU do right away?

mobius · 05-02-2015, 06:05 PM

I would do the complete cooling system following the excellent thread that's stickied if you need reference material. In the process of doing that I would suggest to remove the alternator and secondary air pump. It makes things alot easier. If you think you're on borrowed time for the starter I'd replace this at the same time because it'll be the best access you'll have unless you want to do it separately down the road. Check the vacuum hoses especially the tree connector that goes to the fuel injectors. Check your rubber boots around the intake because down the road they can be part of a damned to be found idle issue (or at least that was my experience) . But to start with do the complete cooling overhaul and don't cheap out on the two connectors, the oe bmw ones were the only that worked for me (my car hadn't had a coolant swap ever in its 120k miles and had corrosion at the side block connectors mating surface). I ordered the cheaper block connectors my first time and learned my lesson they didn't fit right and caused leaks. This meant I had to tear apart the intake manifold and deal with the wiring squid yet again. Upside is after a handful of times of completed teardown for myself and my friend I can do a complete overhaul without blinking an eye, alot quicker, and without documenting anything

. But again cooling system. I stress it because my first bmw I ruined by not doing everything not knowing the condition I should have. The result I blew the motor on an e34 540i/6 at a time when I didn't know enough about cars to salvage it. That next owner got a great deal.

05-02-2015, 06:05 PM	#10
mobius Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Maine Posts: 55 iTrader: (0) Photo Gallery	I would do the complete cooling system following the excellent thread that's stickied if you need reference material. In the process of doing that I would suggest to remove the alternator and secondary air pump. It makes things alot easier. If you think you're on borrowed time for the starter I'd replace this at the same time because it'll be the best access you'll have unless you want to do it separately down the road. Check the vacuum hoses especially the tree connector that goes to the fuel injectors. Check your rubber boots around the intake because down the road they can be part of a damned to be found idle issue (or at least that was my experience) . But to start with do the complete cooling overhaul and don't cheap out on the two connectors, the oe bmw ones were the only that worked for me (my car hadn't had a coolant swap ever in its 120k miles and had corrosion at the side block connectors mating surface). I ordered the cheaper block connectors my first time and learned my lesson they didn't fit right and caused leaks. This meant I had to tear apart the intake manifold and deal with the wiring squid yet again. Upside is after a handful of times of completed teardown for myself and my friend I can do a complete overhaul without blinking an eye, alot quicker, and without documenting anything . But again cooling system. I stress it because my first bmw I ruined by not doing everything not knowing the condition I should have. The result I blew the motor on an e34 540i/6 at a time when I didn't know enough about cars to salvage it. That next owner got a great deal.