Hello,

I posted the following to the UUC digest and was made aware of this forum. For some reason I hadn't come across it in my E34 research.

I have some questions about a 1995 540i 6-speed I purchased this past September. Apologies for the length but I've kinda got a laundry list and thought some history might be in order too.

I saw this 540i for sale at a nearby office building and decided I *needed* a car for longer trips than might be comfortable in my M3. I kind of got carried away and bought the car without thoroughly checking it out, driving others, etc. Bad idea, I know, but I just couldn't help myself and it seemed a reasonable deal at the time.

The seller had a long list of things that had been replaced and through some research it appeared they were the usual suspects for this car with 93,000 miles. That is, radiator, clutch, many suspension bits, block, LKM, etc. I asked him what was causing the check engine light to periodically come on - could it be oxygen sensor(s)? No, he assured me that had been checked numerous times and the gas cap was the likely culprit. I'm too trusting ... I bought the car two or three weeks after first seeing it.

Well, of course it turned out there was nothing wrong with the gas cap and both oxygen sensors were bad. While it was in the shop it also got a service II, belts, fluid flushes, valve cover gaskets, etc. They told me the tranny didn't need fluid replaced 'cause it was 'lifetime' fluid. I don't really buy that and think I should get some new tranny fluid, probably diff too. I guess I should mention I took it to the local dealer - maybe another bad move.

It had a bumpy-ish ride and some sad looking Borbet wheels and pretty worn-out tires so I'm thinking some round wheels and tires will fix that vibration thing and I'll be good to go. So, off to TireRack for some wheels and tires which made it a little better but the ride still isn't right. Darn.

After driving it more I noticed it had a vague on-center feel that caused it to wander around, especially on the highway. I found on the e34.net site the how-to on tightening the nut connecting the steering shaft spline to u-joint - did that and what a difference that made! I had already taken the dash parts off to fix the electric steering column adjuster so it was real quick to get in there the second time. I also fixed the driver side headrest adjuster using e34.net resource.

The car also seemed to dive excessively on braking, lift on acceleration, and roll on cornering. At first I just presumed that was because it was heavier and 'softer' than I was used to in the //M car. After a while I realized struts/shocks must be in order - it's a BMW after all, not a Cadillac, and shouldn't do this. After some amount of figuring out what to get I ordered some Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers - my brother and I installed them and away went all the rolling, diving, etc - the slight lowering looks pretty nifty too. We also installed new rear brakes. I was worried about the ride being too harsh but it seems ok, although the irritating vibration/bumpy thing is still there and maybe a bit more noticeable now which I kind of expected - until I fix it, which I'm determined to do.

So far, I'm into this for a fair amount of $$$ more than I was expecting but I can't just leave it in the shape it was in.

This is where I am at the moment. I've spent a fair amount to get some things right and still have a little (hopefully) way to go. I suppose at some point I should decide it it's worth dumping more money into - if not sell it, likely at a large loss, go find a nicer example and chalk it up to experience. I really like the car though and wouldn't mind fixing it up if it's feasible and not horribly exhorbitant.

So, finally to my list of symptoms/questions and what's next.

1) The ride: It's hard to explain but it feels kind of like any little bump is transmitted to the body (seat, steering wheel) from 20 mph, or less, on up. It seems to smooth out a bit at 65 or so and doesn't get worse with speed. Oddly though, it's hard to correlate the 'bumpiness' with a particular road - i.e. it might do it on what appears to be a smooth road. I'm thinking it's probably thrust arm bushings and/or some other assorted bushing(s).

Even though thrust arms were listed among the seller's list of replaced items they didn't show up in the stack of receipts he gave me. I looked at the bushings while we had the car up doing the springs/dampers but couldn't tell much. How do I tell if they're in need of replacement? And if they are should I get the OEM arms and 750i bushings I've seen in a few places as replacements or BavAuto has some replacements with bushings installed? I don't think the dealer prices, even w/ CCA discount, are something I want to pay unless I have to.

2) clutch: it was replaced < 20,000 miles ago but dis/engages really high. i.e. if you rest your foot on the pedal it starts to disengage. Is that right and, if not, how might it be corrected?

3) burning rubber smell: I periodically notice a burning rubber smell but haven't been able to figure out where it's coming from nor really how to reproduce it. I think it happens when I put a pretty good load on - i.e. zooming up tight, curvy roads maybe? I had thought maybe it's the clutch but it smells more like rubber than some sort of friction material and clutch doesn't seem to be slipping - but I don't know what a burning clutch smells like on this car. Any ideas?

4) heater core: I've started smelling coolant in the cabin recently and suspect the heater core. How do I check it and where's a good place to get one if I need to replace it? Luckily, spring is coming so I suppose can put it off for some time.

5) transmission: the transmission (manual) seems awfully unsmooth when changing gears. It works ok when in gear but going through the gears doesn't come without some thought and making sure it's actually pushed into gear. Even moving between gears at a standstill doesn't feel right. It's hard to explain but it feels kind of sloppy and you have to push it through something to get in gear. btw, transmission mounts were replaced with clutch. I'm thinking some new tranny lube would help but maybe something's damaged?

6) power steering: When cold (< 35 F) the steering is very stiff and doesn't return to center. It doesn't seem to improve even when the engine warms up. I've noticed I have a leak from the reservoir and got some fluid to keep it topped off until hopefully I figure out where the leak is and fix it. There was fluid in the reservoir but it didn't quite reach the cap's dipstick. It hasn't gotten cold enough since I filled the reservoir to know if that had anything to do with it. Any ideas on this one?

I'll probably take it to the local independent shop to see about these items but would like to have some clue beforehand, plus I can do some of the work myself.

Well, that's the saga so far. I hope it wasn't too long and greatly appreciate any ideas and/or assistance anyone may offer.

Thanks,
Marty
'96 M3
'95 540i 6sp