By now, most M20 engines have undergone multiple timing belt services. As part of this process, the upper timing cover is typically removed. Two bolts secure the cover to the aluminum cylinder head, and one of them in particular, the smaller M6 bolt is notorious for stripping its threads. The distributor cap depends on...
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The E30 is provisioned for two trunk lights, but only in very rare circumstances was it actually ever fitted with both. On all North American E30’s, there is only one trunk illumination light, normally a 5W festoon bulb. Provisioned in this context means, that there is already a cut out in the trunk to...
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If you’re experiencing an ABS issue where the brake pedal causes the ABS to pulsate or activate even when the vehicle is idle, the likely culprit is a failed ABS module relay. The good news is that these relays are straightforward to replace. There are three relays that control the entire ABS system: An...
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When buying or refurbishing E30 seats there are many spots to look out for: Seat top mounting tabs: The seat top is held together to the seat bottom by way of two mounting ears, and these fatigue and break.   E30 Seat Hinge Interchangeability (2/4 Door/Comfort/Sport) and Failure Point (Broken Seat Back Mounting Bracket)...
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Some folding sport seats develop a noticeable back-and-forth rocking motion over time. This is primarily caused by wear in the rotating mounting lever, which creates clearance in the seat rail mounting arms. The resulting play is actually as much diagonal as it is forward and backward. While the user perceives it as a back-and-forth...
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AFM to Airbox Gasket E30: Throttle body to Intake Manifold Gasket E30: Valve cover gasket E30:    
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This factory-style modification allows you to toggle the auxiliary fan to high speed when the AC is on, improving AC performance at idle. The E30 comes with a fog lamp switch, which in some markets is a double switch. By using the alternate switch (part number 61311380312) and adding two connectors to the existing...
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One major quality-of-life improvement when performing a valve adjustment on an E30 is the ability to use the starter instead of a wrench and socket on the crankshaft to rotate each cam lobe away from the rocker for adjustment. Luckily, the diagnostic port on an E30 can trigger the starter by simply bridging pins...
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This article serves to provide nuanced detail for those looking to refresh their OEM setup (Denso with early style dryer in particular); one of the biggest roadblocks is that the OEM parts catalogue (ETK) is often wrong. Also, reference to this article for how to recharge the AC system: How to recharge the AC...
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When changing the AC evaporator on a BMW E30, there’s definitely a right and a wrong way to do it. The glovebox is attached to the car by a brass-colored piano bracket. If you remove the black screws, you’re going to spend a lot of time realigning the glovebox when reinstalling. Instead, if you...
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