Re: 87 BMW 325

[Bob Hazelwood <woodyh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Debi O wrote:

     Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 01:33:33 -0500
     From: Debi Onken <debionken@domain.elided>
     Subject: 87 BMW 325

     My husband and I just returned from a police auction where we
     purchased an
     87 BMW 325 in good condition with 184,000 miles on it for $2,500.
     <snip  We have never owned a BMW before
     and have lots of questions.  <snip>

     First, the car is missing it's shift lever knob - will this be a
     hard item
     to replace?  Should I just go directly to a dealer or perhaps there
     is a
     better source?

There are lots of good sources for OEM or aftermarket BMW parts other
than the dealer. One of the tricks to owning a BMW affordably is finding
the right parts sources. A shift knob ai a piece of cake. It just snaps
on.
Start at  http://www.bmwcca.org/l2pages/links.htm and check out the
various vendors. Personally I have had good experiences with Bavarian
Autosport and Turner Motorsports, but there are a number of others which
may be equally good or better. I even had good experience with Rodd
Sidney! (OK digesters don't flame me, it was before I knew better.)

     Second, we drove the car home at freeway speeds for over an hour
     and it
     drives wonderfully, but we noticed that at slower speeds it seems a
     bit
     sluggish in the first couple of gears, and we also notice a high
     pitched
     whine at rpms over 2,500.  Is this usual or does it suggest a
     possible
     problem?

It's not a fast car as it comes from the factory. The '87 325(no
letters) used the ETA engine, which was designed for efficiency and good
milage. It is optimized for torque at low RPM's, and is also geared low
so that the engine turns relatively slowly. This is great for highway
cruising and for longevity. It is not the ticket for neck snapping
acceleration.
However, the good news is that it is one of the best BMW engines for low
maintenance at high mileage. I sold my 87 325 to a friend about a year
and a half ago with 250,000 miles. He's had to replace the (original)
clutch about 10,000 miles later, but beyond that it's remained a
trouble-free daily driver. The low RPM's this engine turns is great for
reducing wear on the cylinders and bearings. The other good news is
that, since the engine management software is so conservative, replacing
the BMW software with a Jim C. chip makes a more dramatic improvement
than in many of the other BMW's. You will find this to be the universal
recommendation of almost everybody on this digest.
The high pitched whine you mention could be a number of things. When
mine exhibited this trait at about 150kMi it was the water pump. You
should probably have it checked out.
The other thing which I can't stress enough is to REPLACE THE TIMING
BELT NOW, since you don't know its history, and religiously every 50,000
- - 60,000 miles thereafter. If the belt breaks you bend valves and
possibly hole pistons. $$$$
Given the mileage you have, you can probably expect to replace a lower
control rod or two, maybe a few bushings. Of course this may have been
already done by the P.O., who knows? I would recommend taking the car to
a good independent shop and having it checked out thoroughly. Once you
go through the initial cycle of replacing worn out rubber and suspension
parts (assuming it has not already been done), you'll have a car that
feels like it was new and should last many more miles with basic care.

      How can I find an owners operating manual for this car?

Maybe someone here on the Digest has one. If not, the dealer may be able
to help with this.

     And my last question is regarding the radio.  It appears to be
     factory but
     has an antitheft device on it for which we have no code.  Is there
     a way to
     disengage this or will we have to replace the entire radio?

If it was the original radio in the car, a dealer will be able to do a
computer inquiry to find the code based on the V.I.N. If it has been
replaced, they'll need the serial number from the tag on the back of the
radio itself. Either way, you should be able to get the code.

Enjoy the ride,

Bob Hazelwood
'93 525i 5-sp. Sharked, BL/ss'd, etc.
BMW CCA

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