recently bought 1996 318i - help!

[aapplebey]

I just got a 1996 318i from a dealer and i think i got burned. a week after owning it a laundry list of issues have shown up. can i get some help with these please?!?

For starters...

The sunroof wont open at all (power)
the rear passenger window does not work (power)
strong smell of exhaust entering the cabin
the check engine light just came on and the generic ODB is reading that the O2 sensor needs replacement.
it has a slightly rough idle at stops. can only compare it to my previous cars as a possible fuel filter issue
the previous owner installed an after market head unit and there is no radio coming through, and didnt bother installing a trim plate to place over the exposed housing.
and finally the air bag light is on

are these all typical and more importantly easy fixes?

[Manolito]

Let's prioritize.

The exhaust smell in the cabin is the biggest problem. I don't know about where you live, but if it is clear that the problem causing the exhaust leak was there when the dealer had it, then in California, the dealer would be on the hook for fixing it because a dealer cannot sell an unsafe car. They will scream "no warranty" but they are on the hook if the car is not safe. You need to get the car up on ramps or on a rack and see where that exhaust is coming from.

If the exhaust leak is upstream of either oxygen sensor, the exhaust leak could be causing the check engine light as well. Oxygen can leak into the exhaust pipe at idle or when decelerating, which confuses the oxygen sensor(s) and sets a code. If you have a check engine light and you are showing an oxygen sensor code, it is probably running open loop. That will make your idle rich and your gas mileage poor until you resolve it. If the exhaust leak is not the problem with the oxygen sensor(s), and you do need one or two new oxygen sensors, you can put them in yourself. They cost a little over $100 each. Be glad that a 318 uses only two, not four.

Seat belt light is a VERY common problem on mid-90s e36s. If you take it to a shop to get anything fixed, see if they will check/reset the light for free or very little $. It takes only a minute. Failing that, get in touch with your local BMW club. Someone will have a Peake SRS tool and will tell you the code and reset the light for a beer. 9 times out of 10, the problem is that someone jambed the seat belt tab into the buckle at an odd angle. Just reset the light and forget it. Be more gentle with the seat belt buckles in the future.

Sunroof can wait. That is urgent only if it is stuck open ;-) You can find some good how-to instructions on this web site and in other places when you have some time and money to spare. I bought an '04 325 a couple of years ago and the sun roof has never worked on it since the day I got it. I may fix it some day, but with 4 BMWs in the family, there are always more urgent repairs.

Rear passenger window, also not urgent if it is closed. So, it does not work from the front seat switch or the rear seat switch? That is not a common problem on an e36. (super common on e46s, but not on e36s). Any indication that the car has been wrecked and the door worked on? Are you at all familiar with the use of a volt meter? If so, you can probably track down the problem once you get the inner panel off the door.

[aapplebey]

that is some relief. to say that i am inexperienced to BMW is an understatement. example i was just pushing the sunroof button the wrong way and not realizing it. So thats off the list.

ive had domestics all my life and im a bit nervous owning a BMW. even one thats got some age to it. im going to give the dealership a call asap and see how accomodating they'll be to your suggestion.

I did order the bosch o2 sensor and the bentley service manual so i hope that can get me started.

but what can i do about the airbag light. Ive already "cleared" the computer of faults and the airbag light remains. i have a friend whose got the bmw code reader so i hope that will help clear up the situation.

[Manolito]

Nothing much special about a 4-cyl BMW that is different from domestics, other than better design. Nothing to be nervous about.

Don't expect the dealer to cut you any breaks on resetting computers. They have very expensive electronics that they are required to have that don't get used much on the warranty work they normally do, so they have to hit you pretty hard for the use of that equipment to pay for it. When I accidentally triggered the air bag light while repairing the window regulator on my wife's '04 330, the dealer wanted $175 to reset the light. My favorite independent shop said he would reset it for free. I took him a box of fresh muffins.

The engine control and the airbag (SRS) are accessed through the same plug, but they are two different computers and it takes two different tools to read and clear their codes. I don't know of a single tool that does both jobs. I have a Peake engine computer tool and a Peake SRS tool, but I have four BMWs so I can justify the expense of having both tools on hand.

The Bentley manual you ordered was a wise investment.

Did you find that exhaust leak yet? That should be the priority. You will feel pretty silly if you replace the oxygen sensor and then find an exhaust leak at the manifold that was tripping up the O2 sensor. My mistake, BTW, I said your car used two O2 sensors but apparently it uses only one.

[aapplebey]

I have not had a real chance of getting under the car yet but from what i can tell the leak is coming from of around where the front pipe and the exhaust manifold are attached. Ive been looking for a new front pipe (to start pricing it out) but i cant seem to find one that isnt attached to a cat converter. - It is possible that the air intake for the cabin is located in that area to explain the exhaust smell on the inside?

one thing that could be a developing issue is the down shifting when the engine is cold. Ive been trying to give that car a few minutes to warm up before i jet off but if i dont the trans doesnt seem to want to down shift untill it gets to about 3000rpm. could be nothing because after the car is warm the issue goes away. i plan on changing the trans fluid and filter soon anyway to cover my bases. But is that something to be concerned about? also any tips on chaning the fluid? reading the manual makes it seem like an involved process.

Other than that its a really great drive. put about 200 miles on it over the holiday weekend and had no issues at all.

[Manolito]

Your cabin air inlet is through the grate at the base of the windshield, but when the car is 15 years old, the seal to the hood is not tight so if there is a leak under the hood, you will smell it.

This automatic transmission tends to hesitate on upshifts when it is cold. Fresh fluid helps. I have not heard anyone mention problems with downshifting when cold. If the problem goes away when it is warm, I would not be concerned.

Changing the automatic transmission fluid yourself is messy, requires a way to elevate the car level, and somewhat tricky to get the temperature correct. I do my own brakes, tuneups, suspension parts, almost everything the cars need. Transmission fluid is one of the few things I pay a shop to do.

If the exhaust leak is between the front pipe and the manifold, that gasket is about $10 and is available anywhere.

[aapplebey]

so it appears that the gaskets need replacing on the manifold side. It looks like their are four gaskets all together. also the flanges on the manifold side of the connection is very corroded. after looking at it while running it looks like the area where the manifold pipes enter the flanges (the gasket connection area) the pipes themselves are loose. Ive taken it to two places one wants me to replace the entire manifold and the other wants me to replace the gasket. i have no problem getting the gaskets myself and putting them on.

1. Does it normally take four gaskets?
2. Are the manifold pipes and the connection flanges separate parts? Ive seen pictures where its attached and some that are not.
2. where can i buy a new manifold because Ive looked all over the web and the only thing i can find is a performance header for $1400 and thats not even funny. I have found used but id rather get a new one.

[aapplebey]

on another note. how easy/difficult would it be to install fog lights on a car that didnt have them factory installed? is it as simple as popping out the houseing and installing a switch? are the 318i's prewired?

[aapplebey]

new exhaust manifold - $350 (last one in the country)
Gaskets - $20
New manifold nuts/bolts (20 pieces total) $200.

Jesus.

Hopefully the installation process will be an easy one.

[Manolito]

I would liberally apply penetrating oil (PB Blaster, WD40, or similar) for a day or two before trying to remove those exhaust nuts. That was a nasty parts bill. I have never heard of a manifold coming apart like that before.

[aapplebey]

The manifold replacement was not easy. The 5 lines of text in the Bentley manual were not even close to covering what was in store. Absolutely a two man job! About 7 hours total. Pretty good for a newb. The biggest hurtle was the clearance for the manifold nuts/bots. Had to buy a striped nut kit. Absolutely needed an elbow socket, several lenghts of extentions. Thankfully my friend had a well equipped garage. All in all a leaning experience. We cleared the O2 sensor fault and 100 miles later hasnt shown up yet. i think im in the clear. In the Bentley it stated the gaskets need to be installed with the arched side facing the manifold. ??? What side is the arched side? I gambled and put the padded side facing the manifold (metal side towards the cylinder head) in addition the manifold is giving off a strong burning odor and was initially smoking. My friend said it was the oil coating on the manifold itself that was put on to prevent corrosion while in storage. Is that true? How long with the smell last? It’s dissipating but still there.
Now that this is done. are there any preventative projects i could be planning?