Season’s Greetings 2020 from BeemerLab!

It’s been a bit of a grim year this one, but still lockdown has given us some time off to fix, tune and fine fettle our BMWs (health permitting of course! And no, not me I had to work right through lockdown + big ups to all key workers who did so too), so I just wanted to thank the half-million readers who have taken advice from our blog over the last 12 months! 

It’s been a record-breaking year and not just for Covid statistics either, but for blog visits as well and it means a lot that my little info-base is still gathering readers. Thank you to everyone who left positive and encouraging comments and I wish you all a healthy, prosperous and hopefully Covid free 2021! 

Late '90s BMW Crossover Concepts...

 A couple of interesting concepts here from the 1990s that you might not expect from BMW, but showing once again that they were well abreast of current trends and design cues that would become prevalent towards the end of that decade. 

The first, below, is this strange high-roofline runabout / city-car that seems to be a mix of Fiat's controversial Multipla and the bubble Nissan Micra that both came along soon after. This concept also pre-dates the BMW MINI (and the 1-Series) that arrived at the turn of the millennium and was perhaps the fore-concept of BMW's small car range after becoming aware of buyers desires for high-end hatch-backs following Audi's A3. Either way, it shows BMW were having a go at that small-car big-interior vibe that has now become the basic staple of small car design.

The next, below, is a compact, convertible, sports-car, SUV. Yes, BMW are covering a lot of bases with their concepts around this time and maybe, with this beast, trying to wrap too many trendy cars into one package. The high-clearance quasi-off-road look makes sense with the success of the then recently released X5, but in my opinion giving a taste of what would come along many years later, with a plethora of smaller, sportier SUVs like the X1, X3 and of course the X4 and X6 grand lifted coupes. Interestingly, this concept has integrated 'wrap-around' wheel-arches like the odd Chrysler PT Prowler retro sports-car from the late 90s, though without the open-wheel stance. Was this to pass certain road-laws but still give the high-clearance look of a 4x4? Perhaps these were removable if you were throwing knobbly-tyres on and going off-road?? I guess we will never know.

BMW Bosch Fuel Injection System Trouble-Shooting Guide

SYMPTOM:	PROBABLE CAUSE:
No cold start	Fuel-pump fault or clogged fuel-filter
	Additional air-valve not opening correctly
	Start-valve not opening correctly
	Leak in fuel system
	Throttle-valve plate not opening correctly
	Temp.-sensor fault
	Diode-relay fault
Poor hot start	As above then:
	Leaking / faulty injector
	Heat/time switch fault
Poor idle	Baffle-plate stop wrongly adjusted
	Leak in Vacuum-system
	Fuel-filter clogged
	Mixture-adjustment incorrect
Backfire from engine	Weak fuel mixture
	Fuel pressure too low
	Starter-valve leaking
Engine runs on after shut-off	Leaking / faulty injector
	Stiff/stuck baffle-plate
	Stiff/stuck control-plunger
Excessive fuel consumption	Control pressure too low
	Starter-valve leaking
	Leak in fuel-system
	Fuel mixture too rich
	Heat/time switch fault
Idle-speed too high	Control pressure incorrect
	Additional air-valve stuck open
	Baffle-plate stop wrongly adjusted

Detailed maintenance guide / diagrams in this post [L-Jetronic] - https://www.beemerlab.org/2020/03/bmw-bosch-l-jetronic-fuel-injection.html

Bosch K-Jetronic injection-system overview / diagram here - https://www.beemerlab.org/2019/11/e21e12e28-bosch-k-jetronic-fuel.html

Bosch L-Jetronic injection-system overview / diagram here - https://www.beemerlab.org/2019/11/e30e28e34-bosch-l-jetronic-fuel.html

F10: Rear Shock Absorber / Strut / Spring Replacement [GUIDE]

*Front strut-assembly replacement guide here - https://www.beemerlab.org/2017/09/f10-530d-front-shock-strut-spring-top.html*

Time to do the rear struts and springs on the 530d F10 this week as one damper has been leaking and while doing my tyres last week I noticed the spring has now broken at the bottom so this is now an urgent job. I picked up a pair of used complete struts (spring, damper and top-mount) from eBay for just £100. They are from another 530d and claim to be from a low mileage car. Well, they look a lot lower mileage than the ones I'm taking off lets put it that way and appear to be in pretty good condition. I get a lot of stick for constantly using second-hand genuine parts, but I still prefer this to buying new spurious parts where I can and have never had an issue!

GUIDE:

* This is not a difficult or time-consuming job, but will require a bit of brute force. *

1. First the rear seats need to come out. Lift the seat squab up at the front and detach it from the push-studs, press the seat-belt receivers through the recesses and lift the squab out. Next lift the seat-back upwards until it is free of the hooks at the top and lift that out, being careful of the door-sill paintwork and sliding it through the seat-belts. [You could always unbolt the seat-belts at the base using a T45-Torx socket to make this easier, but it's not essential].

2. The parcel-shelf now needs to come down in order to access the strut-top mount bolts in the shock-turrets. Remove the C-pillar trims by prizing out the plastic caps labelled 'Airbag' from the trim and removing the screw using a T25-Torx socket. Now carefully pull away the C-pillar trims and put to one side. Remove the five push-pin clips from the front edge of the parcel-shelf by levering the button in the centre upwards and pulling the plastic pin out. The studs can now be levered out. The parcel-shelf is now free to pull forwards and can be rested where the seat-back would be. [Remove the wiring-connectors to the speakers, but these should pop out by themselves anyway].

3. Lift the car and remove the corresponding wheel. [There is no need to be getting under the car for this job, so a jack and axle-stand is fine].

4a. The track-strut (pictured) needs to be moved out of the way to access the bottom strut bolt so first remove the plastic clips holding the E-brake wire-harness to the track-strut by levering them open at the bottom with a flathead-screwdriver and separating them from the strut. The wire-harness can be moved out of the way.

4b. Remove the bolt holding the inner end of the track-strut using an 18mm wrench. Pull the track-strut down and rotate it so it is pointing out of the wheel-arch. You now have plenty of room to get at the bottom strut bolt and lift the shock out.

5. Remove the bolt holding the bottom of the strut to the hub using a 21mm wrench.

6. Lift the triangle flap in the foam underneath where the parcel-shelf was to expose the studs to the strut-top mount and remove the three nuts using a 13mm wrench.

7. Wiggle the bottom of the strut free from the hub and the entire strut assembly is now free to be removed. It should be able to be lowered through the remaining suspension parts and to the rear of the car until it is free to be removed.

** IF YOU ARE CHANGING THE SPRING / TOP-MOUNT OR SWAPPING THESE ONTO A NEW STRUT THEN DO THIS NOW** [See this post for guide].

8. Make sure the new strut has the top-mount in line with the old one you removed by lying them next to each other and checking the bottom bolt-eyelet and triangle marking on the top-mount match up. [The triangle marking on the top-mount should face towards the back of the car with the bolt-eyelet facing the centre, or with the triangle marking facing you the bolt-eyelet should be pointing to the right for O/S (right-side) and left for N/S (left-side)].

9. Lift the new strut back up through the suspension and line it up into the strut-turret. [Triangle marking on top-mount facing rear of car] and screw the three 13mm nuts back on a few threads.

10. Lever the hub downwards until it meets the bolt-eyelet at the bottom of the strut meets its recess on the hub and screw the 21mm bolt back in about half-way.

11. Fully tighten the three 13mm nuts on the strut-top mount.

12. Fully tighten the 21mm bolt through the bottom of the strut.

13. Replace the track-strut / wheel as a reversal of steps 3 and 4.

14. If you are doing both sides then repeat steps 3 - 13 for the opposite side.

15. Replace the parcel-shelf, trim and rear seat as a reversal of steps 1 and 2.

E81 120d M-Sport: New springs and dampers!

Sean at work has a 1er with nearly 200k miles on the clock, through you would never tell as most of the parts have been replaced since he got it for a mere £700. Yes, you can get a zippy M-Sport 120d for this price, but unless you are willing to get your hands dirty I wouldn't recommend it. Of course, you probably are willing to do that or you wouldn't be here in the first place, so go sick there are bargains out there!

This time it's having new rear springs and dampers as one has leaked all of its fluid and is jammed in position. The opposite side was constantly hitting the bump-stop. She rides good now.

F10 530d: 4 new Run Flat tyres (Goodyear Excellence 255/55/17)

 My run-flats that came with the F10 have been run practically, well, flat. They were an advisory on my previous MOT and the last 12 months have not been kind to them with the F seeing a fair bit of use and the two rears are about 1mm from the wear bar, so with the next test looming its time to throw some fresh rubber on.

I went for the same, like-for-like Goodyear Excellence that were fitted when I picked the car up, in 255 / 55 / 17 size. I'm not sure if these are standard fit from BMW, but it's what the police were running on it for high-speed pursuit, so they will do for me and my mainly sedate driving style...

They aren't cheap kit. Even with a discount through work I was quoted £233 for two new tyres and I needed four. This price I would consider prohibitive just for new rubber when I can get four new regular tyres for as little as £100 the lot, but the Goodyear is what I wanted so I went for used tyres. Well, they are hardly used, with the set I bought having 7mm+ of tread left and a 2019 DOT code. Three of them have a puncture repair in the tread, but even so the deal I got was too good to turn down... £250 for all four!

Run Flats or normal tyres??

I've grown used to these Goodyear tyres over the last five years, though they would not be my first choice in normal circumstances. The grip, noise and ride are all pretty good and I've had a decent run out of them given the amount of tread left when I bought the car. They have suffered two punctures during that time and this is where the Run Flats show their worth. The first I repaired straight away, but on the other occasion I ended up driving for four days and covered 75 miles on a tyre with zero PSI, yes that's ZERO air in it and to be honest the tyre still performed perfectly and there car drove as normal. OK I would NEVER recommend anyone doing this, but yes they work and are worth the extra money they cost! The downside of this convenience is the harsh, bumpy ride due to the reinforced side-walls. This may be a big factor on low-profile tyres, for instance I had 18" alloys on my E60 with Run Flats and the ride was pretty harsh, and I would imagine it gets even worse for 19" and 20" with tiny side-walls, but with my current 17 inch rims with a 55 profile side-wall the ride is actually very good, so this argument becomes negligible! 

F10 530d: Cleaning up the 17” Cromodora alloys...

Thought I would give the 17 inch Cromodora alloys a quick clean while the tyres were off for replacement. I can't imagine they have been cleaned inside the rim in the car's entire 170,000 miles. I jet-washed them, gave them a liberal coating of Autosmart Ali-Shine (it's basically 'wheel acid') and jet-washed them again, thats it. You can see they have had a bit of a hard life, but I have to say for that mileage they haven't come up half bad!

 

F10/F11/G07: Front Fog-Lamp / Spot-Lamp Fault fix... the bulb or not the bulb?

 If you get 'Front Foglight Failure' coming up then it's likely a bulb has blown, but I believe it is a common problem on the F10 showing this error but both front fog lamps are still working, or a light not working but the bulb is not blown. It should be an easy fix.

REPLACING THE BULB / CHECKING FAULT:

1. Using an 8mm hex-socket remove four of the screws holding the front side of the corresponding wheel-arch liner - two from the bottom edge and the other two that run up the outer edge of the wheel-arch. This should be enough to peel the arch-liner back and see the back of the fog-light.

2. Remove the wiring-connector by pressing the clip and sliding it upwards.

3. Remove the bulb-holder in the back of the fog-lamp by giving it a quarter-turn anti-clockwise and it should pull out easily.

If the bulb is blown then it can be removed from the plastic holder and replaced.

IF IT'S NOT THE BULB:

The worst case scenario is a fault with the lighting module or wiring to it, see this post - https://www.beemerlab.org/2019/04/f10-halogen-headlight-module-issues.html, but it is far more likely to just be a loose wiring-connector behind the bumper.

Firstly, the wiring-connector to the fog-lamp itself connects from above, so it is possible moisture can fid its way in and corrode the terminals, which can be easily cleaned up with some emery-cloth and a small screwdriver/awl. It is also feasible that road dirt / debris can drop into the plug as it is removed, making it not seat correctly when it is replaced, so rule these out first.

Secondly, there is another wiring connector higher up in the front bumper behind the bottom of the headlight unit. It is hard to spot, as wires seem to run to the fog-lamps from both sides of the car and also link to the headlights, so it will appear as if the wiring to the fogs are intact, when this plug becoming loose or not properly connected will stop the fog-lamp working and throw the error, but not affect the headlights. This can be caused when a headlight has been removed for bulb-replacement or work on the front of the car, so if this work has been done to the car recently then be sure to check this plug. 

E34 5 Series 'Countryman' Touring X-Over Lifestyle utility concept... with pop-out tent...what?!

Well, I really have now seen it all. This is something I never expected to see from BMW, given their sporty, driver-focused image, but here it is... The E34 5 Series Touring utility camping wagon! Not only is it lifted with bigger tyres and sports obligatory 4x4 style two-tone paint, but it even sports a 'pop-out' camper roof and folding tent! This idea was only ever adopted in one vehicle I know of and that was the truly ill-received Pontiac Aztec some 10 years later, with the tent thing actually being one of its saving graces! You heard it from Bavaria first.

The concept is of the early 1990's, which means it also pre-dates Audi's 'Allroad' Quattro and Volvo's V70 XC / Cross Country, both of which were released and saw quite a bit of niche popularity, not to mention Subaru's ever popular Forester that seem to still be seen all over. The Audi and Subaru of course had 4-wheel drive as standard and the Volvo has it as an option, whereas the BMW would have still only been rear-wheel drive.. Can't imagine this would have been too good on a muddy camp-site field! It certainly wouldn't appeal stylistically to the same sort of younger BMW driver's who drift round ploughing up fields for fun anyway and perhaps doesn't quite fit with the BMW ethos overall, so I can see why it was overlooked and never made it into production. X-Drive all-wheel drive only became a feature in this millennium, which would have suited this thing to a tee and may have even brought it into production, but with such a limited market maybe the world has moved on.

Personally, I love it! Maybe I will recreate one from my E46 Touring! I challenge someone to beat me to it!

This reminds me, I really must get on a 'camping' trip in the 318i wagon when the epidemic is over and camp in the car, which I've been planning to do for a while now. I thought I was the only one eccentric enough to have such an idea... but no, some design team at BMW had the same notion, only over 35 years ago!

Elon Musk had a '79 E21 3 Series!

Of course he did! He's a genius, why wouldn't he?

And he was the same age as me when I had my Henna Red one. Mine was well better... why aren't I a billionaire?!

OK, enough celebrity with Beemer posts now I promise...


Other celebrity BMWs:
Easy-E 850i
Will Smith E28 5er
Britney Spears E36 M3
Bob Marley Bavaria New Six

Bob Marley had a BMW Bavaria New-Six!

Of course he did!

I don't really need to make a wise crack here... Bob clearly knew what he was doing, avoiding the 'Yardie' image with his truly tasteful BMW Bavaria. I wonder if that thing still exists now? Imagine how much it would be worth!

Other celebrity BMWs:
Easy-E 850i
Will Smith E28 5er
Britney Spears E36 M3
Elon Musk E21 320

Britney Spears had a white E36 M3!

Of course she did!

Who knew she had good taste?! I suppose she was at the top of her game when this thing was new, so why wouldn't she have a BMW. Imagine her booting this 326bhp monster up the road at that tender age. Oops... I lost it again!

Other celebrity BMWs:
Easy-E 850i
Will Smith E28 5er
Elon Musk E21 320
Bob Marley Bavaria New Six

E46 318i Touring: Oil leak fixed! Rubber rocker-cover gasket was the culprit!

It's about time I got back to wrenching on some Beemers after a busy hiatus, so where better to start than with the massive oil-leak on my E46 318i Touring. The car hasn't seen much use over the winter months, but as I start to need it again for its cavernous load-lugging functions, I figured it was time to spend a bit more time getting it right.

I was going through about a cupful of oil every 100 miles or so (I think that is a pretty favourable estimate to be honest, more like half a litre!) and worse than the cost of all the topping-up, smoke continued to billow from not only the sides of the bonnet (hood) while stopped at traffic-lights, but also straight into the cabin with the blowers turned on. This meant for the last 12 months I have had the climate-control set to full recirculation mode and on low, making de-misting the windscreen a nightmare on colder days.

I could see the oil-leak was coming from the rear left side of the engine, as it so often the case with N42 engines and assumed it to be the vacuum-pump (like with my E46 318ci in this this post), but after removing the rocker-cover (cam-cover) I found it was actually the rubber gasket itself. The thick rubber gaskets tend to harden and go brittle over time and almost completely down the left side of the cam-cover there was noticeable leakage, primarily at the back corner, next to the vac-pump of course. The gap at the rear-left corner was so pronounced I feel you could have slipped a credit-card through with a little force and touched the back of the cam-shaft! This was allowing a constant drip of oil out onto the heat-shield and down onto the exhaust-manifold, as shown by the arrows in the picture and causing most, if not all of the smoke.

Luckily, I suppose, I have been working through the Covid epidemic, so I am classed as a 'key worker' and had a day off, so I managed to blag Euro Car Parts that it was essential work and instantly collect the new Elring gasket (£22, but eBay alternatives are as cheap as £9.50 if you can wait!) and some Corteco White instant gasket-sealant (£7), though they still had me waiting for an hour outside!

Knowing how prone the top-end seals of the N42 are to leaks and not wanting to take any chances of removing the rocker-cover again anytime soon, I slapped on a liberal bead of the Corteco sealant over the vacuum-pump ring and along the entire left-side (lower) surface of the cylinder-head top edge along with the new rubber-gasket. The job does not take long at all (I will post a guide soon), with removal and refitting of the cam-cover only taking around 30 minutes each and that's taking your time...

Needless to say, this has stopped the major part of my oil-leak in this area! Not only has the oily steam stopped from the sides of the bonnet while stationary, the smell/smoke from the climate vents has now ceased and the car is no longer consuming oil at a silly rate, so I would say job done! There is still a tiny weep of fresh oil coming from around this area, but nowhere near like before and, after a run where the engine is warm, there is no dripping pool on the under-tray! For the money I spent, the difference in convenience is worth vastly more! I would have spent the ~£30 I did in oil in a couple of weeks using the car daily, so if you have this problem, it's safe to say this is the culprit and get it sorted!

Amazing custom BMW 1600 Ute / Pickup Truck!

Well, I have seen some custom BMWs in my time, but this one has to be one of, if not THE best yet... a 1600 chopped into a 'Ute' or pickup-truck to the layman. Whoever built this deserves a trophy of some sort, though I am in no doubt it has won at a won at a show or two so it probably already has.

Not only is the job seamless, which you don't often see with cut-up open-back car conversions, but it also features colour-coded rollover / grab bars (to re-stiffen the shell up I would imagine) and wooden-strip work around the deck like an Italian slipper-launch boat! Absolutely stunning... is all I can say.

Awesome off-road E30 Ute / Pickup HERE!

Easy-E had an 8 Series! Get in!

Of course he did!

"Drivin' down tha street in my 840... checking the error codes... slappin' my forehead!" - as he probably sang a few times in his career! (Actually he had an 850, but it didn't suit the lyric. Let's hope he knew where to check for holes in the fuel-lines and had a loud stereo to cover up the valve-chatter. I jest; his was new when he had it.) R.I.P Easy-E!

Other celebrity BMWs:
Will Smith E28 5er
Elon Musk E21 320
Britney Spears E36 M3
Bob Marley Bavaria New Six

Will Smith had an E28 5 Series!

Of course he did! "The Men in Schwarz II!" He actually has a BMW Club USA enamel badge on his grille! They still exist... check them out here - BMW Car Club of America.

Perhaps he is picking up fares while dressed as a New York taxi cab??

"I'm the MC, he's the DJ and this is tha WHIP!" Big ups, Smith.

Other celebrity BMWs:
Easy-E 840i
Elon Musk E21 320
Britney Spears E36 M3
Bob Marley Bavaria New Six

BimmerCode Tutorial - Quick & Easy Guide

BimmerCode is becoming quite a popular and effective application for coding / programming your BMW on the fly using your phone or tablet, which may prove easier than setting up a working DIS laptop. You can get the app here on their website - https://bimmercode.app

It's not just injector-codes we are talking here, BimmerCode can be used to adjust almost every parameter of your F and G series BMW, even down to atmospheric-light colour combinations.

Here is a great video tutorial by Arnold Chang from Youtube, demonstrating the software on his new F30 M3 he bought. Nice.

Photo of E34 5er Production Line, Munich, circa 1990

Check out this BMW Munich factory photograph of the E34 5-Series in production during the quality-control process. It would have been taken around 1990. I wonder if the workers in the foreground by the Henna Red car are smiling just for the camera, or if they are actually just that happy to be doing what they are doing. I choose to believe it is the latter, but either way just look at the full compliment of moustaches...
As for the guy stood to the rear of the blue model behind - check out those grey slip-on shoes! I think he took these from pop-star Falco's personal collection. Der Kommissar ist on der floor! The shop floor that is... Clearly these were the days before 'Health & Safety' madness and mandatory steel-toe boots and hi-vis.
What a great photo and man, do I feel like getting an E34 sometime soon. Shame they are shooting up in value here in the UK.

BMW Bosch L-Jetronic Fuel Injection - Strip-Down / Maintenance Guide + Diagrams [E30, E21, E28]

Throttle Housing:
1. Disconnect the cables (1, 2 or 3) as applicable - Fig. 1.
2. Pull off the vacuum hoses, the coolant hoses (1 and 2) - allowing the coolant to drain - and the air hoses (3 and 4) from the throttle housing - Fig. 2.
3.Remove the vacuum hoses (1 and 2), and the air hose (3) and pull off the multi-pin plug (4) - Fig. 3.
4. Remove the fixing nuts and take off the throttle housing. Do not separate the throttle switch from the housing, as a special gauge will be required to adjust it when refitting.
5. Refitting is a reversal of removal. Use a new gasket and bleed the cooling system.

Throttle Vacuum Control:
1. Pull off the hose (1), release the nut (2) and remove the vacuum control (3) - Fig. 4.
2. When refitting, adjust dimension (B) to between 32.8mm and 33.2mm (1.291" and 1.307") using screw (4).
3. Adjust dimension (A) to between 2.6mm and 3.0mm (0.102" and 0.118") using screw (2) - Fig. 5.

Control Unit:
1. Open the glove compartment and pull the pins from the retaining straps.
2. Remove the screws and place the glovebox cover to one side.
3. Depress the retainer (1) and pull out the multi-pin plug (2) - Fig. 6. Remove the control unit.

Air-flow Sensor:
1. Release the clamp and pull the duct from the air-flow sensor.
2. Disconnect the multi-pin plug, unscrew the fixing nuts and withdraw the sensor.
3. Refitting is a reversal of removal. Renew the seal if necessary.

Temperature Time Switch:
1. Pull off the plug, then unscrew and remove the switch.
2. Refit the switch using a new sealing washer.

Coolant Temperature Sensor:
1. Pull off the plug and unscrew the sensor. Refit using a new sealing washer.

Cold Start Valve:
1. Pull off the plug (1) and disconnect the fuel line (2) - Fig. 7.
2. Unscrew the mounting bolts (3 and 4) and withdraw the valve.
3. Use new seal when refitting.

Fuel Injectors:
1. Unscrew the four injection tube bolts and push the tube upwards until the fuel injectors have cleared the guide in the intake manifold.
2. Pull off the plug (1) and take out the circlip (2) - Fig. 8.
3. Take off the fuel injector.
4. Refitting is a reversal of removal; use new O-ring seals.

Throttle Shaft Return Springs:
1. Disconnect the throttle, kick-down and cruise-control cables. (The latter two where applicable.)
2. Remove the retainer (1), washer (2) and disconnect the linkage (3) on the lever (4).
3. Raise the lever and turn it to relieve the spring tension.
4. Remove the lever.
5. Remove the spring.
6. Disconnect the spring (1) and unscrew the nut (2) - Fig. 9.
7. Remove the washer (1) and lever (2) - Fig. 10.
8. Remove the sleeve (1) and spring (2) - Fig. 11. - also the wave washer.
9. Reassemble in the reverse order to dismantling and adjust in the following way - Pull off the tamperproof lock (1) and loosen the screw (2) until the lever (3) no longer rests on the screw - Fig. 12.
10. Place a finger on the lever and tighten the screw until the lever just begins to move. Turn the screw a quarter-turn more and refit the tamperproof lock.
11. Adjust the throttle, kick-down and cruise-control cables (where applicable).

Injection-system trouble-shooting guide here - https://www.beemerlab.org/2020/12/bmw-bosch-fuel-injection-system-trouble.html

Bosch L-Jetronic injection-system overview / diagram here - https://www.beemerlab.org/2019/11/e30e28e34-bosch-l-jetronic-fuel.html

E30 Stance - Steel wheels or modern wheels??

E30 wheels is a magnificent topic of discussion, so lets have a couple of different takes on wheels for the old 3er...

By far the most common wheels to bestride the E30 are cross-wire / BBS styles. and beyond that owners tend to stick to solid period styled alloy wheels like Azev-A five-spokes or Borbet C. Personally I think the old-school BMs look best with steel-wheels such as the almighty Weller competition wheels, as in the pic above, especially with a lowered car. These are built for heavy-duty dirt-track racing and off-road and I think give a lowered E30 the best squat / rat look.

At the other end of the spectrum, here are some ultra-modern Japanese-style alloys on a 325is. I am not 100% on who makes these, but they look very much like RAYS Volk or Rota wheels. You don't see many wearing rims like these, certainly not done well anyway, but why not? Sharp lines suit sharp lines and the 3-box shape combined with large modern alloys gives the E30 a very purposeful look and go-kart stance.

BMW UK Advertising Poster / Placard 1980 - M1, E21 320/6 + 6-cylinder engines

Nice 1980 placard from BMW UK advertising their family of 6-cylinder engines, from the later E21 320 to the M1's M88 and explaining the benefits of the. "Six cylinders where you'd expect to find four." in the compact 3-Series and "Six cylinders where you'd expect to find twelve." in the case of the supercar M1.

   BMW's dedication the six cylinder engine is not a recent phenomenon.

   It goes right back to BMW's original as a specialist engine-maker, rather than a car manufacturer.

   In fact, the first engines we ever built were six cylinder aircraft engines.

   Later, in the 1950's when conspicuous consumption was almost a status symbol, BMW preferred to stay with efficiency rather than extravagance and launched a six cylinder luxury car.

   Today, in the BMW 320, a car that's scarcely more than 14ft long, theres a sophisticated six cylinder power unit.

   And the BMW M1 on the right also needs no more than six cylinders. Even though in its most developed form, the engine can actually produce 800 bhp.

   It's not a blind dedication to six that makes us refuse the false economy of a four in the case of the 320. Or the wanton extravagence of a 12 in the case of the M1.

   Rather, we take our guidance from the laws of physics.

   According to those laws, it is not possible to build an engine that's perfectly balanced with less than six cylinders arranged in-line.

   Anything else, is a compromise that may help a car manufacturer balance its books. But won't help it balance its engines.

   Which is why every engine BMW make that's two litres or larger, is an in-line sic cylinder engine.

   Fortunately, there's no need for you to understand the laws of physics to discover the difference this makes.

   There's not a trace of roughness as you cruise. Or rawness as you accelerate.

   There's a smooth immediacy which motoring journalists normally describe as "turbine-like".

   And there's a flexibility which makes driving in traffic almost a pleasure. For with 85% of maximum torque at a mere 1900rpm you get a responsiveness in fourth gear that you might normally expect only in second gear.

   The BMW 320 costs £6,790.

   Which is scarcely more than cars whose manufacturers have chosen to compromise on their engines.

   And if they're prepared to compromise on the most important part of a car, where will those compromises stop?

BMW M54 Engine Wiring Harness Diagram Illustration

Illustrated diagram showing the engine wiring-harness configuration on BMWs with the M54 6-cylinder petrol/gasoline engine family, showing connections to the Vanos, GCV, DISA Valve, etc.

“TIP: Ensure your CCV system is properly connected to the underside of the intake-manifold (and it is not damaged) before connecting all of these harnesses. It’s a huge pain trying to reach through all the wires to adjust or properly connect it.”

A different take on a wiring-harness diagram done in a hand-drawn artwork style, but useful none-the-less, so it had to get catalogued. Originally posted by u/feedthedonkey on the r/BMW Tech subReddit, who claims credit for the artwork.

BMW Front Outline / Silhouette Gallery - All Models

Another great chart of BMW front-end outlines detailing almost every model, or at least every major model release, right from the word go... which one is yours??

1936 328		1952 501		1955 ISETTA 250		1956 507 ROADSTER
1962 1500		1965 3200CS		1968 2002 Tii		1973 3.0CSL E9
1975 316 E21		1978 M1 E26		1978 M535i E12		1986 M3 E30
1988 M5 E28		1989 8 SERIES E31		1992 M3 E36		1996 Z2 E36/7
1998 M5 E39		1999 Z8 ROADSTER		2000 M3 E46		2002 Z4
2004 6 SERIES E63/64		2007 M3 E90		2007 X5 E70		2011 1 SERIES M COUPE
2011 M5 F10		2014 i3		2014 M4 COUPE F82		2015 i8

BMW M10 Engine Family Tree

Interesting press release from BMW showing some derivatives of the much-loved 4-cylinder M10 engine, which I have covered in much detail before.

"With half the cylinders and half the power of todays V8 M3, the original 1986 car remains one of our all-time favourites. Its seemingly indestructible four-cylinder iron block, however, goes back to 1962 and the BMW 1500. This was also the block that formed the basis of the 1.5-litre turbo F1 engines that powered Brabham to many a race victory. That's not just the block type -- BMW Motorsport used actual 1500 blocks sourced from scrapyards, because the older the block, the fewer stresses remaining in it. Never has a production engine family been more versatile."

Awesome 2002 Ti race-car artwork by Lebor

Posted on r/BMW by u/Lebor

E28 5er - Interesting unknown rear wing/spoiler... Hartge maybe?

A lovely barn-find shot of an E28 528e in the USA, but on closer inspection it sports a striking rear-wing/spoiler that I have never seen before. Who makes this piece? On first impression I would say one of the period Euro-tuner firms like Zender or Hartge, but after a bit of research I can't find an identical one. The chrome-trim makes it look as if the spoiler was fitted later on though and the car is not a tuner model. Perhaps someone can shed light on this spoiler's origin?

Hartge lay claim to a few E28 aero-parts and a I can find a couple of similar rear-wings, pictured below. The upper one is a rounded type and I am not sure is definitely made by Hartge though the badge suggests it is, and the second pic shows a Hartge developed E28 with their own rear-wing fitted, very similar to the one at the top but not quite as tall and curved on the top-edge not flat. It could well be that it is a similar version of this same spoiler and still made by Hartge, but I cannot find it.

BMW 507 stunning replica... based on an MG MGA!

Saw this amazing BMW 507 replica on the Reddit /BMW sub. It is based on a 1955-onwards MG MGA Roadster and is pretty convincing to the untrained eye. However, as I own a 1959 MGA MK1 1500, I can see that those front wings and that bonnet shape are unmistakable. Still, with the price of 507s now topping the million mark and your average MGA not commanding even a fraction of that, I can see why this piece of classic British sports-car sacrilege is acceptable! Funny though, that someone has combined one of my toys with one of my Dad's toys...