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I'm thinking about buying a ti. Ask all your questions about the possible purchase of a ti. Keep in mind, we are biased.

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Old 10-31-2013, 05:21 AM   #1
showaski
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Default Considering a boosted 96 318ti with 200k mi

Hi everyone

I'm considering a purchase, and I hope you guys can give me your opinions.

I really like how this car looks inside, and out. I find the price tag to be appealing, but when I see the mileage, I immediately start having 2nd thoughts. I'm thinking about using it as a daily commuter (short distances). The current owner states it was his daily driver until they purchased a new car.

Besides the milage, the only thing that is a concern is a bad gauge cluster. The fuel and water temp gauge doesn't function. It's supposed to be a common BMW issue? Does anyone know how easy this is to find, and how much it would cost me to buy? I'd be willing to replace it myself.

The car is set to 10-12 psi at the moment, but has been tuned for 15 psi.

All your inputs, opinions, and tips would greatly be appreciated!!
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Old 10-31-2013, 05:32 PM   #2
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Fuel and temp gauges not working are not a common issue. In fact, I wouldn't even want to drive one of these cars without a functional temp gauge. Head gasket failure due to overheating is the most common killer of these engines. These cars are prone to overheating due to improperly bled cooling systems ie vapor-lock(air trapped in the system) and/or cracked coolant fittings.
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Old 10-31-2013, 05:51 PM   #3
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I saw that one is a nice looking blue auto boosted 318ti for the price. Instrument gauges are about $75 used with about 200k miles on odo. Just search craigslist. I saw a bunch of them from people parting out. Fuel and temp gauge could also be bad sender in the tank and block. Get a PPI to be sure it did not overboost or overheat or don't have any other issues.
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Old 10-31-2013, 06:02 PM   #4
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I'm 99% sure the car the OP is posting about is the one in orlando. That car's turbo conversion was extremely well detailed on this forum. I spoke to the owner a few times via email when I was pondering selling mine. It seems like a lot of car for the money and the owner was easy to communicate with.

My ti also had a dead temp gauge in the cluster, that was fixed by just buying a used cluster. Cluster swap is a VERY easy job, but you will get a little light on the ODO so people know the cluster has been swapped. Lots more details on that available online if you get to the point of buying the car.
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Old 11-01-2013, 03:28 AM   #5
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I saw the car today and the only issues it had were the gas and temp gauge not working or fluctuating, and the driver side door panel will eventually need to be replaced. Other than that, the car sounded very smooth and strong. No smoke or rough idle. Started right up. Transmission appeared to shift smoothly. The auto had no problem going into reverse. No signs of leaks, and the owner has no knowledge of leaks.

The motor didn't skip a beat, and it always returned to idle without the RPMS dropping, or fluctuating. I noticed it had a perfect - 18 to -20 vaccum during idle (this usually means there are no vacuum leaks). I asked about the water pipe which commonly goes bad near the back of the engine and he said he replaced that pipe already, so I shouldn't have to worry about that.

I did a quick search online, and the temp/fuel gauge issue does seem to be quite common. I've noticed some say it could be the thermostat, but I don't think that is the case with this one as it fluctuated from hot to cold even whent the engine was completly cold (1st moment after it was started). I wonder if there is anyway to repair the current cluster to avoid the light on ODO from turning on?

I did a search for a driver side door panel, and I might have a hard time finiding one. How often do you guys see these cars in the junk yard?

I may pick this up tomorrow.

Last edited by showaski; 11-01-2013 at 03:34 AM.
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Old 11-01-2013, 10:53 AM   #6
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I know this car as well. The turbo build was performed close by...St. Pete to be exact. If you do purchase the car and ever have a problem...I can hook you up with the builder.
The owner of the car is a stand up guy. This car has been around for a long time. it is well taken care of. You would be able to purchase the car from him and continue to communicate with him after purchase.
Everything you'll need for the car will become available either here on the Org or in a Florida junk yard...soon. There are a lot of these cars here in our state. They pop up regularly. I'll keep an eye out for you.
Keep us posted.

Welcome to the Org
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Old 11-01-2013, 06:25 PM   #7
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Thanks for the responses guys. I took another look at the car today, and asked a few more questions. The rear sub frame bushings haven't been done as far as the owner knows. When I test drove it, I didn't hear any clunking noises in the rear, so I'm assuming the bushings may still be in good condition.

I also noticed a very, very small oil/fluid leak of some kind. It appears to have wet the driver side underbody. It's coming from somewhere up front, and then it works its way to the back of the car (wind probably pushes it back there while driving). It's look very minor, and it SEEMED to be coming from either the rear main seal as it looked to be dripping between the engine and transmission, or from the transmission drain blug bolt (could be bad a bad washer, or it's loose). Keep in mind I never saw it drip from these areas, but it had the drip forming in these two spots. I looked further up front, and it looked like I saw a tiny, tiny drop fall onto the ground maybe once or twice from the front of the engine. Almost as if it were the front main seal or maybe the front area of the engine's oil pan.

Last edited by showaski; 11-01-2013 at 06:29 PM.
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Old 11-01-2013, 07:36 PM   #8
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The oil filter housing gasket and O-rings seem to go out on our cars. This will cause a leak that starts at the top of the motor and winds its way down. It may be worth checking out.
But, the parts are cheap (under $30.00) and the job is easy enough (2 on a 1-5 scale).
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Old 11-03-2013, 11:22 PM   #9
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I have 217k on my my 318ti and have a long list of repairs that have been done to it. I mean, you gotta take care of the baby, right?

I have encountered all of the issues previous posters mentioned:
OIL LEAKS
About 60k ago, it was the gasket leaks--all were replaced. I do not have a garage, nor a place to perform this type of work (unless it were on the street), so I paid to have all of the gasket work performed (in stages). It cost a bunch of money for the labor.

COOLANT
I recently experienced a coolant issue with mine, and it has never worked properly since. Through the fault of my mechanic, after installing a radiator he missed identifying two plastic tubes specific to the m44 engine, all the fluid leaked-out and blew a head gasket (like Jesus mentioned above). My mechanic did fix the head gaskets, the two engine specific plastic tubes, and replaced the temp gauge at no charge, but different overheating issues are presently still amiss. The fan does not activate when the car is running. It can be overridden by turning on the climate control, but that does not solve the problem—it gets hot when idling (like in traffic, driving around town without traffic, etc).
The car you are looking at does not have a properly working temp gauge? Whew, that is a nightmare waiting to happen! My 318ti is my daily driver and, as of late, it has been a nightmare. I hate to say it, but it is true. I have taken it into the shop 6 or 7 times in four months.

WINDOWS
Also you mentioned interior panel coming off. That would likely be because the owner has made numerous window repairs and had to take the panel off to do it (paneling clips and their brackets get messed up). 318Ti owners have issues with their windows messing-up. Please view our beloved “WINDOW FIX” page. Cool Jess did a great job on that one, btw!
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthrea...ght=window+fix
BMW really screwed-up with the ti's window. Which is why Cool Jess's window posting has been viewed over 59,000 times.

Best,
Patrick
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Old 11-04-2013, 07:07 AM   #10
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Thanks for the information Patrick. I actually ended up purchasing the car on 11/3/2013. My girlfriend will be using it temporarily because she just sold her car, and is in the market of buying a new one.

The car has had way more $ than I paid to buy the car, so I believe I bought it for a fair price. The windows go up and down flawlessly, but I'm sure they were serviced at one point like you said.

I discovered 3 new issues after buying it. For one, the oil leaks I mentioned previously must be eventually getting onto the exhaust because I can smell it burning off. It rarely happens, and when it does it's barely noticeable. Secondly, the brake lights aren't working. The rest of the lights work perfectly fine. Lastly, the front tires may need to be balanced because I can feel vibration after 40 MPH.

You mentioned something about your electric fan not turning on? I haven't noticed mine kick on yet, but I will keep a really close eye on that.

The first thing I want to look into is the brake lights! I will start tracing the problem as soon as I get some free time. The last thing I want is anyone rear ending my GF while she's driving this in the meantime.
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Old 11-04-2013, 01:27 PM   #11
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make sure the correct bulbs are in the correct spots. That can cause your problem.
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Old 11-07-2013, 04:55 AM   #12
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might be the brake light switch mounted on the pedal, I know mine's gone bad before, you should be able to jump the wires going to it, make sure the key is on and if the lights come on when you jump it the switch is bad
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Old 11-07-2013, 03:44 PM   #13
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Thanks guys, I overlooked a fuse.

The first thing I checked was the fuse a few days ago. I thought it was good because the metal contact in the fuse didn't look broken. Plus, I checked the fuse for continuity with a multimeter, and it tested OK.

After looking over the electrical schematics and the tail light boards several times, I went back to square one and double checked the fuses. The brake light fuse was no good, but I didn't know this until I poked my multimeter's probe inside of it. I immediately saw the metal contact break in half. I replaced it with another 15 AMP fuse, and my clock now lights up (w/ parking lights off), temp/fuel gauge works, and all brake lights work.

Another thing I noticed ... each board had a dual element bulb for the brake light socket, and one of them looked burned. I didn't test it because I didn't want to pop the new fuse. I'm pretty sure the bulb blew, and maybe caused damage to the fuse. This explains a lot of the weird symptoms I was seeing with the gauges, clock, and brake pedal. I thought about the switch first, but I've never seen a bad brake swith cause brake lights to stay OFF. It's usually the opposite, and will cause the brake lights to stay ON.

Last edited by showaski; 11-07-2013 at 03:51 PM.
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Old 11-07-2013, 07:08 PM   #14
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I know this car well if it is a Orlando car. I did the turbo work with the owners help. I can help you with any issue. The oil leak is caused by not running a CCV valve. The motor needs vacuum in the crankcase unless you are in boost. PM or email me and I will explain. jsmith50@tampabay.rr.com.

Didn't pay phone bill so can't call me until I get some work done. DDivorce can kill a mans wallet...
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Old 11-08-2013, 04:27 PM   #15
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Hey John, yes it is the one out of Orlando. I've been meaning to message you to ask you some questions about the waste gate spring. It seems that it needs a stronger spring. I'll send you a message soon. I'm sorry to hear about the divorce by the way.

My wallet is already taking a hit on maintenance. I had to replace the rear right CV axle, and wheel bearings. It ran me close to $600 with parts and labor.

Long story short ... I originally stopped at a Firestone to check for imbalance on the front wheels & tires. Instead, they ended up finding at least a 1/4 inch vertical and horizontal play in my rear right wheel. The wheel bearing was completely shot. The mechanic couldn't put it back together with the old axle. The threads on the axle stub were stripped. This was before I found the blown fuse. I'm really glad Firestone caught this for me before it resulted in a serious consequence on the road.

I'm still pin pointing the oil leaks. A lot of it is coming from blow by fumes like JohnBoy said. There is quite a bit of oil in and around the MAF. I noticed some of it may even be coming from the wastegate's opening (used for open dump tube). My guess it that the seals on the turbo are going bad.

Last edited by showaski; 11-08-2013 at 04:34 PM.
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