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Re: bmw-digest V5 #38

I just purchased (last Saturday) a 1986 325e, and love it.  It is my 
first BMW, but probably won't be my last.

One minor problem ... today the cable attaching to the hood latch 
broke, at the handle under the dash.  Any way of opening the hood 
with the cable broken?  I've tried old-fashioned brute force methods, 
with vice-grips pulling on the cable wire itself, to no avail (I 
don't think I've got the angle and torque right!).

Also, the car had *some* maintenance records in the glove box.  Seems 
to have been fairly well inspected and maintained until 1992, per the 
owners manual, and 118K miles.  The car now has 150K miles.  I've 
changed the fuel filter, the air cleaner filter, and perhaps will 
change the plugs (or at least clean and gap them).  The car had the 
fuel injectors carbon-blast cleaned at 82K miles, by a BMW dealer.  
Water pump, timing belt, and hoses were replaced in April of this 
year, at 142K miles.

Besides fuel/oil/air filters, and an oil change (the owners had been 
using Castrol 10W-30), what else in the way of "standard maintenance" 
should I try to do to ensure long and happy engine performance and 
life?  I did place a bottle of Techron in this tank of gas, and will 
change the oil again when this tank is gone).

Finally, when I got the car, the tires (unknown make at this time) 
had 40 PSI in them.  The factory specs are 31psi, front and rear.  
Any thoughts?  Factors to me are gas mileage, performance, safety and 
tire wear.

Thanks for the help,

New owner in Tennessee,

Marty Watt