RE: <E30> Running on all 6 cyl?

["Fadeev, Alex" <Alex.Fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I took my 86 325es in to a BMW repair guy to get my shifter 
> slop fixed. He suggested a couple things.
> a) rear shock tower mounts are causing my clunking.

	Very very common.
	Replacement mounts are under $15/piece from a dealer. Do _not_ try
to save a few bucks with aftermarket as there have been fitment problems
with mounts from certain mail order places. Also remember to buy the paper
gasket that goes between the mount and the body (squeak, squeak).
	You can replace the mounts yourself. Remove the side trunk
carpeting, unscrew the two bolts holding the mounts to the body and one big
nut holding the mount to the strut (forgot the sizes) and replace with the
new ones. There is a decent description in Bentley. 1 hour for the first
side and maybe 10 minutes for the second.

> b) tranny mounts

	These are a bit more tedious as (if I remember correctly) you would
need to drop the transmission to get to them. Once there, you would probably
want to replace the guibo and all gaskets as well (if mounts are shot, guibo
can't be far behind and the gaskets are always sweating).

> c) engine running on 6 cyls?

	Highly unlikely.
	You would _definitely_ know if you were running on less the 6
cylinders. Try forgetting to plug in all the spark plugs after replacing
them. Or pull one plug wire off with the engine running to get the idea.

> C really concerns me. He says it feels like it is off at idle, 
> and the idle is high.  I know I need a new idle control valve,
> but he says that it may not be running on all 6 cyls?

Please get a new mechanic.

> Is there anything I can do? 

	Yes -> replace the ICV. Amazingly many things are impacted by a
flaky ICV. 

> I have yet to change the 
> rotor/cap/plugs/wires since I bought the car in November.

	Replace things as they wear. Avoid platinum plugs. Get Bosch
'silber' plugs if you find them. Regular Bosch otherwise. Leave the rest
alone unless you have too much money on your hands.

> It has 160 miles on it.
> He also said that he doesn't think it is using it's full 
> power when driving.
> What kind of checks can I do?

	1). With the new ICV in place for a week (to clear old errors),
check if your DME has any error codes
(http://cbsgi1.bu.edu/bmw/motronic.html). 
	2). Get the Bentley manual if you still don't have it.
	3). Sign up for a driving school. Whatever you car lacks in 'full
power' you will compensate with skill.
	
...and have fun,
alex

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