Hey guys. I've been driving my '88 528e daily over the past 2 weeks and there are a lot of small things I've noticed, ranging from potential problems to odd peculiararities. And I don't have anyone to run them by. i don't want to flood the board with new threads. So it's all on here. Hopefully you guys might recognize some of the issues. I don't expect any on person to answer all the questions. But if youre familiar with one problem, any feedback would be really appreciated, as I'm new to old BMW's.

Sorry this is long, just trying to fully explain each part.

1) temperature gauge- it rapidly fluctuates going from 1/4 to 3/4 high depending on whether I'm on the open road or sitting in traffic, ive never driven a car that fluctuates so quickly and so far on the scale, once while idling in traffic i hit the AC and immedaitely the temp jumped from 1/2 to 3/4 high and took 5 minutes to return to 1/2, it scared me but i'm beginning to think this is normal

2) oil- i think i have a slow oil leak, the entire underbody of the engine block and going back about halfway to the rear is covered in road soot and an oil film, after getting warm the engine/oil smell is very strong from outside the car, i assume this is just from the oil burning off the outside of the hot engine, when i'm parked over night a get a few fresh drops on the ground, i can't pinpoint the exact source but it drops around the passenger side of the engine block, should i be concerned or is this normal? is it possible to clean the lower engine compartment and underbodyto lessen the burning smell? the oil level has gone down just slightly in 2 weeks

3)i've got the dreaded shake when i brake lightly in the 25 to 50 mph range - what is the exact cause? and what needs to be replaced to stop this

4)warm starting and idle control- my e28 seems to start with more difficulty when warm, more cranking time etc, which again, is opposite to any car ive driven, anyone else experience that? and twice in the past two weeks when starting warm it has had an idle jumping/hesitation problem which went away after gassing it a few times

DIY things

5) my interior lights flash when the car accelerates, i dont know if its from the car shaking/tilting or a voltage regulation issue? has anyone experienced this and know the source of the problem? i'd like to fix it myself

6) AT shift handle is wobbly and loose, ive got a new used leather one coming off ebay, is it just a matter of unscrewing and carefully plugging in the new one in the same manner i took the old one off? i couldn't find a DIY guide on this forum for replacing it

7) i've got a couple loose strips of door lining plastic/cloth around the driver entrance on the interior, it's the piece thats only about an inch wide. whats the best glue to use? any tips or suggestions would be awesome too

thanks for reading, any help is really appreciated!

okay so maybe i should have broken that up a bit. haha

3) You should have your rotors checked, they may be warped. If that's the problem a shop could just machine them down for you a bit. I had the same problem, my car shook when I braked and it was warped rotors.

1) This is normal. The E28 is cool because its temp gauge reflects the actual coolant temperature, rather than just going to the exact middle and staying there. I made a long drive today (first time with AC) and it rarely dropped below 12 o'clock. Without the AC it runs around 10 o'clock.

Temp gauge- if the temp gauage is reading correctly, then check your fan clutch. How old is the thermostat? If the car really isn't heating and cooling like the gauge says, check your engine grounds. This may help the fluctuating interior lights also.

Oil leak- you will have to clean up the oil to pinpoint where it's coming from. Use a paint safe degreaser of your choice and clean it up. I would say look towards the oil filter or pressure sender above it.

Shift handle- remove the little set screw, pull the handle with the white plastic rod out. Reverse.

Warm start- test your ECU coolant sensor. Or just replace it.

Rotors-either turn them or better yet replace them and get some new pads. Also make sure your control arms, ball joints, upper strut mounts and wheel bearings are in good shape.

Door moulding-If you're talking about the little flap on the door moulding, either find a good used one or a new one. I think they changed the styles of these, one of my e28s didn't have the flap at all, so check part numbers.

Timing belt done recently?

1. If the gauge is just moving then that's normal, but a "twitching" gauge is not. If the radiator is partially clogged or corroded then that might make it run warm at idle, also a worn water pump. The fan clutch is also a good thing to check, and there is an auxilliary electric cooling fan that should kick on with the AC.

2. Clean the engine to find the leak. Other than the oil sender and filter as mentioned above, it could also be from the oil pan or valve cover gasket.

3. Worn upper control arm bushing are a very common cause of a shimmy under braking. Replace the whole arm for about $100 a pair. You get a heavy duty bushing and a new ball joint as a bonus. :)

7. I used some 3M Super77 spray adhesive to glue some of my weather stripping back on. It held for a while, but eventually I will just have to replace them.

Good luck

thank you guys for the responses

m735is - my coolant light has been on since i bought the car despite the fact theres no issue with the coolant system. my local shop said maybe the sensor is dead so just keep an eye on the level myself. why would a dead coolant sensor cause a rough warm start?

my mechanic said my brake rotors were badly rusted, but didn't say anything about warping. he said they were solid but looked like hell. this is going to be my next repair, and at the same time i'll get the upper bushings replaced. the shimmy is really rough around 60 mph with light braking.

i don't have a lift, i'm going to have to pay to have the oil leak checked out and underneath cleaned up

travisr - its not the weatherstripping, it about an inch wide and its inside compartment, along one edge of the strip its furry, i think the material i need to glue it to underneath is a hard rubber. is it hard to aim the 3M super 77 spray glue? i dont want to get anything on the headliner or weatherstripping

random - my power headrests are busted, both stuck up high. the motors turn but nothing happens. i want to get the driver one down without breaking anything, im afraid to push really hard....

so many little things with these cars! thanks

travis hit the nail on the head with the upper control arm bushings in the front. the same thing is typical with 200,000+ e28s.


The "furry" stuff can just be replaced by finding a used pillar or ordering one from the dealer.

I've had the headrest problem for some time until i had someone redo the upholstery and found out that one of the wires was just not connected, hence the reason i wasn't even hearing the motor turn.

hey guys im new to the forum but not new to my 86 528e had for 2 years and love it....my only problem that i cant seem to find a solution to is the seat back they keep falling off and ive tried many diff things and nothing seems to work....suggestions?

The super77 is a little difficult to aim in tight quarters, so I'd just let it go until I could replace it. Maybe trim off the loose stuff so it doesn't look as bad.
I used a small self taping metal screw to reattach one of my seatbacks. I ust screwed it into part of the metal frame at the bottom. The top should have a couple metal clips, IIRC.

thanks ill give it a try

Quote:5) my interior lights flash when the car accelerates, i dont know if its from the car shaking/tilting or a voltage regulation issue? has anyone experienced this and know the source of the problem? i'd like to fix it myself

Check your fuse box and make sure all of the metal fuse holders are holding the fuses tight. While you are in there, might as well change all of them and clean the contacts. Should cost between 5-10 bucks. My 528e had the same issuse and whenever I went over a bumpy road the fuses would lose contact causing all kind of intermittent issues. I was amazed at the results once I replaced all of the fuses and cleaned all the contact points.

thanks VWDEE

im going to try cleaning the fuses myself, anything safety related to worry about? never done it before, do i disconnect the battery? thanks

nothing really to worry about i had a the a similar problem...take some steel wool or light very light grid sand paper and clean out the sockets should work, did for me

The hardest part for me was trying to figure out how to reset the obc to MPG and setting the clock. I will tell you how (I think I remember). Someone correct me if I leave something out.

Hit the MPG button then press the recessed button in the bottow right corner with a toothpick or some other pointy object. This should change the KM to MPG. Then to reset the clock, hit the button that says "reset" and 4 dashes will come up. Hit the numbered buttons accordingly to change the time/date (1000 or 100 etc)

I may be wrong but I am not exactly sure from off the top of my head. Go to MYE28.com and verify for a more thorough and/or complete answer.

sup dudes :D i heard thats its ok to use R-134 freon is that true?

hey guys, just wanted to post an update on my 528e

i'm so relieved right now, haha, i can't explain it :)

my oil leak was caused by the oil pressure sender being screwed in too hard, which cracked the seal around it and a little on the sender too

total parts 10$ plus two hours of labor charges to clean the engine and find the leak and put in the new part comes to around $200. they might be taking me a little on the "two hours" but for me its worth it to know that all things which could be causing the leak were not the issue.

alright now, i have to find the fuses to clean, where are they? thanks

driver side under the hood, by the radiator fluid resevior. Inside a small box, should have a clear blue lid. Unless a 85 is different than my 87, but i doubt it.

thank you, i have an 88, but i think i know the blue box you are referring to, i had wondered what that was

since i'm not too mechanically inclined i dont open things up, and take them apart until i'm certain i know what i'm looking at...

the o2 sensor is next on my list, which is gonna run me at least $400 total

the o2 sensor is next on my list, which is gonna run me at least $400 total
There is no reason to pay $400 for an o2 sensor, assuming this is parts+labor. It should cost around $100 for a new OEM-type sensor and less than an hour to do it your self.

ive been looking on the internet and i haven't found an oem bosch o2 sensor for under 125, which is what my shop said the part will cost me through them, they aren't gouging me on that

but thanks for giving me the heads up about the time it takes. i'm really not very mechanically inclined, but i will tell them i've heard it can be done in an hour. They want to charge me two hours labor and 100$ an hour. Total being $325 according to them.

I can deal with $225 total if they can do it in an hour.

thanks

I would say that is a reasonable price for the sensor, but the labor rate does seem high. I don't see it taking a competent mechanic more than 20-30 max to replace the sensor on a lift. I was implying that you could put the car on jackstands, lie under the car and replace the sensor and put the car back down on the ground in about an hour.

i'd need a jackstand... and the knowledge to do it myself, i'm not sure i could get either very easily, haha

thanks for the heads up

My Bosch sensor only cost me around $35.00 from autozone. Do a search on www.MYe28.com (http://www.MYe28.com) to get the exact number or I can post the model number in a few hours. Either way, it is a fairly simple task and not that expensive.

There is also a Ford or toyota sensor that will work as well. Can't remember which but when you do the search, it should pop up.

My Bosch sensor only cost me around $35.00 from autozone. Do a search on www.MYe28.com (http://www.MYe28.com) to get the exact number or I can post the model number in a few hours. Either way, it is a fairly simple task and not that expensive.

There is also a Ford or toyota sensor that will work as well. Can't remember which but when you do the search, it should pop up.
You are correct - it will work, but it is a universal sensor and must be spliced into the factory o2 wiring. The one he has priced is a direct replacement OEM type sensor.

random question,

what are the two little microphone lookings things in each corner of the dashboard, connected by wires, with a mesh grill at the end of it about 1/2 inch in diamater

my gf thinks they are so the government can spy on us

Do a search on www.MYe28.com (http://www.MYe28.com)
They do have a lot of information. Just be ready to get bashed if you ask a dumb question.

okay serious question, but hopefully has an easy answer

i got my car washed during my lunch break a couple days ago then went back to work. then i parked with all the windows cracked and later in the day found that all of them had stopped working. not one will go up or down.

is this caused by a fuse? on the fusebox diagram in the engine bay(1988 528e) i couldnt find one labeled power windows. but none of the fuses appeared to be burned up anyway. whats the easiest way to tell if a specific fuse burned up?

everything else powered i've tried still works: sunroof, seats, power locks, radio, dashboard lights, interior lights (they still flash when i drive) etc

has anyone ever had this happen?

thanks for the help

edit- last week i did try cleaning the fuse contacts with sand paper, i got through about half of them before i got bored, maybe i did something that would cause a problem later on down the line?

Have you checked the window circuit breaker?

please tell me how?

The window breaker is a black button about 1"x.5" on the right side of the trim panel under the steering column. If it has tripped you just need to push it to reset it.

i've always wondered what that button was...

mine has been kind of broken/loose since i bought the car, i'll play with it tonight afterwork to see if i can get it to reconnect, i might need to replace the switch, 40$ on partstrain

since i posted ive been looking harder on the internet for other similar problems and found this as a possible culprit from an old bimmerboard post

"12v power window relay" 59.95$ or 20$ at pep boys


does anyone know what or where i could find the 12v power window relay? i couldnt find the part for sale anywhere either

thanks, i tried the circuit breaker button, even tho it is broken, managed to get it to stay on and now all the windows work

except one, the right rear now will only go down, not up, im looking for what would cause one to only be able to go down but not up?

weird

Sounds kind of obvious but did you try the switch on the door to see if it will roll up? Sometimes one position on the switch will be bad and you can roll it up with the other switch. Plus, then you know its the switch and nothing more.

Haha yes i did check the door switch, doesnt work at all

it rolls down but not up from both switches, the motor is good, its on track from what i can tell, when it goes down an inch it doesnt make weird noises

it just wont go up

thank you guys for the responses

m735is - my coolant light has been on since i bought the car despite the fact theres no issue with the coolant system. my local shop said maybe the sensor is dead so just keep an eye on the level myself. why would a dead coolant sensor cause a rough warm start?

my mechanic said my brake rotors were badly rusted, but didn't say anything about warping. he said they were solid but looked like hell. this is going to be my next repair, and at the same time i'll get the upper bushings replaced. the shimmy is really rough around 60 mph with light braking.

i don't have a lift, i'm going to have to pay to have the oil leak checked out and underneath cleaned up

travisr - its not the weatherstripping, it about an inch wide and its inside compartment, along one edge of the strip its furry, i think the material i need to glue it to underneath is a hard rubber. is it hard to aim the 3M super 77 spray glue? i dont want to get anything on the headliner or weatherstripping

random - my power headrests are busted, both stuck up high. the motors turn but nothing happens. i want to get the driver one down without breaking anything, im afraid to push really hard....

so many little things with these cars! thanks The head rests are an easy fix, Remove seat back remove drive cable clip a small 1/2 inch or so piece of wire coat hanger drop it in the end of the drive cable and reverse. try different sizes of hanger bits till you get the one that takes up the slack, and runs smooth.

i had one oil leak fixed a month ago, and now apparently i have another one, except this time it''s a phantom leak...

a week ago i took my car in to merchants to get 2 new tires and they said i had an oil pan leak. i ignored them thinking they didn't know what they were talking about. i checked the oil when i got home and it seemed good, maybe a little above 1/2

4 days later my oil light came on again and what do you know...i was almost out of oil (again). so i threw in 2 qts immediately to get home.

in the 4 days since then I havent seen one single drop on the garage floor or noticed any drop in measurement on the stick. i did stop driving it to work these past 4 days for fear of losing the engine. but i've taken it around the block everyday to see if i can spot something afterwards.

what the hell? i'm seriously confused now

does an oil pan leak not leak onto the ground? or am I just burning oil at a bad rate? I don't get it

I have had good success ordering parts from Autohausaz.com. They have a BMW specific website, and the parts I have received from them have worked well at a reasonable price. Over $50 includes free shipping too!
Tim

random update to my own thread :)

-new coolant sensor
-new bosch 02 sensor
-replaced corroded starter wires that were causing dead starts occasionally
-repaired rear brake light socket, which had been flaking out and tripping the check engine light
-repaired right rear window switch on main console to get window to operate in the both directions again

and in the process of doing that my interior lights no longer flash when i accelerate!

all that = 460.00$

it's like a whole new car, i took it to my regular repair shop where i take my nissan and previously my toyota, not the "BMW specialists" that charge 100 an hour. i got tired of justifying the extra cost, plus my regular guys have a better electrician

random update to my own thread

-repaired rear brake light socket, which had been flaking out and tripping the check engine light

There is no 'check engine' light. It is a 'check panel' light and it covers more than engine conditions ... as you already know. You do know that the light stays on until you first trigger the brake light after startup, don't you?

check engine or just "check"... it's same thing to me, driving down the road and having the "check" light come on gives me a good scare, until i realize its for the brake lights or something minor,

it always scares me good because twice in the 3 months i've owned the 528e it's come on for oil level, which is a serious issue

and i have had actual brake light issues in the driver side taillight assembly, due to a flaky, rusted connector or socket, according to my mechanic. he cleaned it up for better contact

after 3 months of ownership i have figured out that the check light goes off when pressing the pedal only if you don't have a real problem. and you haven't noticed from my long thread, that i've already had many reasons to interact with my "check panel" light. :) thanks for asking.