Hi all, new member here with a question

[Nomad]

hi everyone.

i'm so glad i found this place. i just purchased my first ever bmw. it's a 1996 316i coupe.

i absolutely love it. looks wise it was exactly what i was looking for, a little different from the rest but not so different that people will think it's a boy racer car. and with rising petrol prices, i'm fine with a 1.6 engine.

here's a pic. let me know what you all think.



now to the problem. there are a couple things which i have noticed about the car.

1. the exhaust makes a kind of farting style sound when the engine is on and increases when the gas is applied. my old honda civic had a similar problem but to a much higher degree. the exhaust had holes in the it. i mean the underbody exhaust. so everytime i applied gas, you would hear PPPRRRRRRR...PPPRRRRRRR....

now the bmw seems to have the same problem but its nowhere near as bad. just slightly. so i took it to a mechanic and he checked it out and said the problem is the (forgot the name) exhaust unit right at the back, where the fumes exit. he sais its not a big problm and won't cause a problem driving the car. but should be changed before my next MOT, which is in 5 months.

2. second problem is the steering wheel, again this causes no problem with driving but it is not alligned straight. when the wheels are dead straight, the steering wheel bears about 1inch to the left. if i straighten the steering wheel, the car will veer to the right.

i already had a read through the buyers guide thread (first thread at the top) and regarding this problem, it said it could be due to a previous acident, involcing humps or something. the body is in mint condition however, and there are no signs of any scratches, dents or accidents.

feedback much appreciated

[97alpineM3]

Welcome to the site.... nice to have you.. and your car looks great...

1. Sounds like a exhaust leak... get a new one... eash as pie.

2. Sonds like you need an alinment... they will staighten that one out for you... not a big deal.. about 70 bucks...

Again... nice to have you...

Les

[Tochenzo]

wow ive never seen a 96 316 before

[tomctx]

Probably European.

[Nomad]

yep. uk.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by 97alpineM3

Welcome to the site.... nice to have you.. and your car looks great...

1. Sounds like a exhaust leak... get a new one... eash as pie.

2. Sonds like you need an alinment... they will staighten that one out for you... not a big deal.. about 70 bucks...

Again... nice to have you...

Les

hey mate thanks for the help and the welcome.

so the wheel alighnment is pretty straight forward i hear from everyone.

but the exhaust, are you sure it could be a leak? because the mechanic didnt pick up any leaks, he checked. imagine if there were little holes on the underside of the exhaust and when you press the gas, you can hear the air escaping through these little holes, that's what it sounds like.

i will take in for a proper check soon. ubt i thought i might aswell get some opinion from you all, incase it's a common problem.

[///M Power]

1. Exhaust sounds like a leak. Im sure you are reffering to th emuffler. This is a common problem that the muffler develops holes through corrosion and time. You can always upgrade to an aftermarket cat-back system. You can find a used one in the 300-450 range. A nice upgrade and you'll love the nice tone.

2. Just needs a suspension alignment. It will run you about $100 USD

And welcome to bimmerwerkz. Trust us, we're all in love with BMW as much as you are.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by ///M Power

1. Exhaust sounds like a leak. Im sure you are reffering to th emuffler. This is a common problem that the muffler develops holes through corrosion and time. You can always upgrade to an aftermarket cat-back system. You can find a used one in the 300-450 range. A nice upgrade and you'll love the nice tone.

2. Just needs a suspension alignment. It will run you about $100 USD

And welcome to bimmerwerkz. Trust us, we're all in love with BMW as much as you are.

1. thank you mate. so how does this leakage happen, and what exactly is it that is leaking? so the leakage leads to holes right?

sorry, i love knowing all the intricate details lol.

2. thanks. i'll get this done at my next visit to the mechanic.

thanks for the welcome

ps: is there anything else you guys think i should know? like should i use BMW products only? i read in the buyers guide that for example, BMW reccommends we only use BMW coolant and no other for these cars. is this true, and if so, what products should i get exclusively from bmw?

thanks again

[///M Power]

2. Cant really get an alignment at your mechanics unless he has the specific machine for it. You need to find an alignment shop. They usually use lasers and other fancy gadgets.

1. It's a hole. Just happens no need to worry how it got there. It's like if you have an elephant sitting on your car. You shouldnt think "How'd that get there?" instead you should be thinking "Well shit I gotta fix this"

bad example, but im drunk.

Some parts should be BMW only I assume. Whatever. I barely ever get BMW original products unless I cant find them anywhere else. I dont use BMW coolant. I dotn use BMW oil. I dont use BMW gasoline. No offense to BMW engineers, I just cant afford them. There are plenty of fantastic sites on the internet and many sites who produce fantastic, and possibly better products for what you may need.

[Nomad]

cheers man. good thing about alcohol is it brings honesty.

appreciate it

[drz]

I only use BMW gasoline. I get it in the mail every week.