After several months of excessive noise due to the previously mentioned cracked exhaust manifold, my 1997 318is sedan is now fixed and quiet again. I had previously purchased a second hand...
My wife's car, the four door 1997 318is, has developed several faults over the last few months. The most annoying is that the exhaust manifold seems to have developed a crack, which I believe is a...
Recently we have been having problems starting our 1997 BMW 318is sedan. The symptoms are that the engine does not turn over but the starter motor does spin. However, it only happens sometimes...
The ignition lock on our 1997 318is 4-door has for some time shown some signs that it was wearing out. Sometimes when you turned the key the lock would just spin freely. Today there was a...
The 318is has had broken front door trims since we bought it earlier in the year, with an entire centre section missing on one side. I finally found a reasonably priced set of four door trims...
Engine mounts replaced... car running great now. No strange noises around corners, and idle is much smoother now. See if you can see what's wrong with my old engine mounts (pictures are exactly...
I got around to doing what I should have done first and just looked down at the engine mounts. Looks like the driver side mount has completely separated. It's hard to see the passenger side one but...
Another day spent working on the car, another frustrating day. I replaced the control arm bushings which was much harded than expected. I had trouble getting off the old ones and ended up cutting...
Okay, I might buy a set of bushes already mounted in the housings and try installing them myself. I found some on eBay for about $80 delivered from the USA. I figure if I put the new bushes in...
Finally got the car back from the auto trans place. This transmission is better - drives well in forward gears - but reverse is slow to engage (around 2-3 seconds). Is it that hard to find a...
The car has been with the auto transmission specialists since last Tuesday and two days ago they told me the new (used) transmission needs replacing. I organised a replacement under warranty from...
I drove the car to work today and the transmission became a bit of a problem, finally resulting in the transmission fault light coming on and being stuck in 3rd gear (limp home mode presumably). I...
Late this afternoon I registered the car finally, and my wife and i took it for the first legal drive. I spoke to a couple of people and it seems that after a fluid change an automatic...
Just when I thought the worst was over, things got worse. I picked the car up from the auto trans specialist tonight. A$510 for fitting the new trans, servicing it, replacing a broken water...
Unfortunately the fitting of the new transmission did not go well today. First call I got was that the transmission I bought was different and would not fit. So I rang around and found another...
Car is with the auto transmission specialist now. They are going to fit the transmission, including new rear main and torque converter seals, and new gaskets, filter and oil. They are also going to...
I fitted the new steering wheel slip ring this afternoon and the horn now works. The airbag warning light is on - maybe that needs resetting? While checking that all lights etc work for...
Most importantly, earlier this week my new bonnet badge arrived which I fitted immediately. Looks great. This morning I went to my local wrecker and pulled out a blower motor, cost A$30. I also...
If you saw my first post, you would have seen the condition of the bonnet. It had several large areas where the paint had peeled off and the exposed metal had started to rust. It looked awful and...
Finally fixed the sunroof. Aside from breaking certain parts while trying to work out how it all worked, I think the main problem was lack of lubrication. It's working great now. While I had the...
Yesterday I replaced the oil filter housing gasket and bush, and also the cylinder head cover gasket. So far no oil leaks. I also picked up a (very expensive) sunroof mechanism ("cassette") which...
I picked up a used automatic transmission today for A$250, and need to get it installed now (quoted A$350 + oil). I also got a "final stage unit" hoping it would solve my climate control issue (no...
Had the windscreen done yesterday. Ended up being $227 including a $29 seal. Beware of cheap windscreen installers. At this end of the market you don't get the windscreen cleaned or the mess cleaned...
I have now ordered a bunch of parts from Pelican Parts, most importantly a new gasket and bush for the oil filter housing which will hopefully fix the oil leak. I have also organised an even...
More degreasing of the engine took place. I then ran the engine for a couple of minutes and found roughly where the oil is leaking from. I suspect it is from the oil filter housing. I also went...
Thought I better stop worrying what it looks like and start sorting out the mechanical issues. First step, raise it up to get enough clearance ready to give the engine a wash tomorrow so I can try...
I found a "good" transmission from a wrecker for $350, expecting another $350 in labour. I looked at the repair manual but I think changing a transmission is beyond my skills. I had a better look...
Cleaning day. I stripped the interior of everything that came off reasonably easily... Seats, console, glovebox, door trims, and various other pieces. Under the seats it was pretty disgusting....
I have been looking for a car for my wife to transport our first born when he arrives in April. Being a three time 318is owner I liked the idea of getting her a 318is 4-door auto. Most of the ones...