RE: idle problem/timing belt

["Aaron Ness" <aaron@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Spray carb cleaner on your intake boot and all vacuum hoses to help diagnose
a vacuum leak.  When you spray it on a crack, the engine speed will pick up
noticeably.

Re the timing belt, mine was at 80k when I got my car in March.  I replaced
it the first weekend we had it, along with the water pump, just to be safe.
The old belt was pretty badly cracked when I took it off, and I (or the PO)
got very lucky.  Most people I've talked to will say 60k is too long; you
shouldn't let it go over 50k between changes.  Cheap insurance, IMO,
considering the fact that you might as well write off a 528e if you stuff
the valves.  Nice cars (the nicest I've ever owned), but not worth a lot of
money.

Aaron
'87 528e
'82 Scirocco
'70 Beetle
'82 Kawasaki GPz550


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-bmw@domain.elided [mailto:owner-bmw@domain.elided]On Behalf Of
> lswain@domain.elided
> Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 8:59 AM
> To: bmw-digest; bmw@domain.elided
> Subject: Re: idle problem/timing belt
>
>
> On 27 Jul 2001, at 1:02, bmw-digest wrote:
>
> > Subject: Idle problem with 85 528e
> >
> > Hi all,
> >  I am having a problem with the idle on my 85 528e auto. The problem
> > used to only happen every once in a while, now it happens much more
> > and seems to be once it gets hot. The idle will fluctuate
> between 700
> > and 1500 rpm on a "heartbeat" type rhythm. Any suggestions?
> The Hayes
> > manual say's timing belt!
>
> I recently had similar symptoms with my '85 528e manual.  A quick
> look under the hood showed that the corrugated rubber hose in the air-
> intake path had a number of cracks showing.  With only a little shame
> I cleaned off the hose and applied a little duct tape and the idle
> smoothed out nicely.
>
> Re replacing the timing belt:  A must-do every 60,000 miles, rough
> idle or not.
>
> Larry Swain
> '85 528e 215K mi
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