RE: 1987 325 Brake Lining light problem

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

> I just purchased a 1987 325 w/117,000 miles.  The car is in great
> condition.

Bob,
Congratulations on a new toy!

> However, today, after checking the air pressure on all 4 tires, after
> starting the automobile, the on-board computer had the "Brake Lining" 
> LED on,

There are two sensors in the right rear and left front inner brake pads. The
'sensor' is a $5 piece of wire in a plastic housing inserted into the brake
pad. When the pad is wearing thin (< 5mm? of pad left), the wire will get
cut and the 'brake lining' light will go on in the instrument cluster. It is
intermittent at first as the brake pad sensor wire is progressively wearing
through. The wire can also get cut if it was installed incorrectly and got
caught in between suspension components. 
Check your brake pads.
If there are still good, you can do one of the two things to extinguish the
warning light:
1). replace the brake pad sensor (front and rear sensors are different);
2). remove the old sensor and solder the two wires together. Insolate the
solder and re-install the sensor. The light is gone.
If you take the 2nd approach, remember to check you brake pads once in a
while.

> and the engine was making a weird noise. I was lucky to get it to my
> house, as the car had no power.  After arriving at my house, I left
> the engine running, popped the hood, and noticed that the noise was
> coming from the passenger's side of the engine, with a little smoke.

That's the little vapor return hose. I though it had a clamp on it. If it
doesn't, that is why it came off.
With the hose disconnected, you have an unmetered amount of air entering the
engine (vacuum leak). Fix the leak and your car will thank you.

> Am I in for some serious problem down the road?  Really
> appreciate your responses.

Not if you join the BMWCCA (http://www.bmwcca.org) ;-)
Your car is fine, enjoy it.

alex f

P.S.: If you do not have the previous maintenance history, it would not hurt
to replace all the fluids in the car.

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