87 325

[miscevans]

hi-

i am looking to purchase a 1987 325 5sp.. it has 140k miles and the engine is so clean you could eat of it. there is one obvious problem that concerns me: there is a hissing sound that emits from the the undercarriage of the car between the wheel base (i.e. not engine). the noise doesn't change when the engine is revved so i conclude that it is not exhaust. any ideas? is this an issue that should be a deal breaker?

[Aether]

LSD, maybe?
Although it really shouldn't be doing much at all if you're parked.

Have the timing belt looked at; E30s smoke belts often (by BMW standards), and that can lead to destroying the valvetrain, and, consequently, heads. See that all of the electrical functions of the car work well enough for the price, E30s are also notorious for electrical problems. All in all, excellently designed and manufactured cars. Good luck, you'll enjoy it if you get it.

[schneider252]

is it near the fuel filter?? idk can those make noise if there too dirty?

[325iconverted]

I bought an 87 325i convertible with 140K miles in january of this year. I *love* it and can't get enough of driving it. BUT, there were significant problems and I have since turned into an amateur mechanic in order to deal with them. It's been great fun for me, but make sure you know what you're getting into. I think my car was driven really hard in the past...but here's what I've done to it so far:

replaced intake manifold gasket (vacuum leak into the engine)
replaced front shocks, they were totally gone.
resealed oil pan -- I was eating a quart of oil every 275 miles. that fixed it pretty good.
replaced inside driver's door handle, it cracked.
tune up...oil...filters....spark plugs...carb cleaner...
replaced front brakes
replaced many little plastic pieces that you can only get from BMW for very high prices
replace axle CV boots, they're ripped (very bad but aparently its rare for them to rip, but check em out before you buy)
replace both front wheel bearings (loud grinding noise while turning)

i bought the car for $2600 originally, and have dropped another $4500 on repairs/tools/parts. All in all I'm still really happy for it. Hope that helps.

[ledean]

I've got an '87 325i convertible and a '88 325i sedan that both emit that noise --
I've no idea what it is but it's never bothered either car. Convertible has 211,000 on it -- '88 has 126,000. One note though, change your timing belt every 50,000 miles and the oil every 2500 to 3000 miles and drive your car forever!
You're in for a real treat.

[jonus079]

hey. i just got a 1985 325e too. best of all it was free!! so anyway i was doing some research and i came across your post.

my car has the same loud hissing from around the rear wheel on the driver's side. on another forum i wrote about this problem and they told me it was my fuel pump. i think they said something like.....if the first one fales or get clogged then the second one works harder and makes a hissing noise that sound like a tire with a slow leak.

hope that helps

btw here is the url for the other site, i looked but i cant find my original post. oh well:

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e30/f...mnum=203&page=1

[Fox]

when does it hiss? Idle, low speeds, high speeds, all speeds?

Btw dont listen to these jokers about electircal problems... They dont have anymore than any other 16 year old car. Just some of the connections rot after all that time.

[Aether]

Yeah. But they're BMWs. Having the same frequency of problems as any other car the same age is sub-standard. Hubris.

[onerchprk]

It sounds like it is the fuel pump.I believe the is an externally mounted fuel pump on some 325's

[sstuner]

hey all

if the external fuel pump is making noise then the in tank pump is shot.

remove the back seat base and on the passenger side by lifting it up on both sides about 6 inches in from the edge.you will see a plate held down with 4 0r 6 philips screws, remove the plate for access to the tank.

one thats off you will see a couple wire connectors and some fuel lines, remove all that, making sure to mark where the go if you have a bad memory,


now you have to turn the round plate counter clockwise use a punch and a hammer but dont hit too hard, ir a big pair of pliers works too.

turn the plate and lift it up and you have to wiggle it around a bit to get it out.

once its out you will see the pump, filter screen and sending unit.,

replace pump and assembley as reverse of removal


hope this helps