Project E30 / Ep. 16 / Final Mechanical & Electrical Fixes

There were a few known mechanical and electrical issues remaining in Project E30. In this video we take care of them all.
-Here's where you can find the replacement LCD screen for the 6 button OBC: www.partworks.de/gearworks-de...
-I spliced in a connector like this to repair the brake pad warning sensor wires: a.co/d/iwlvONg
-This is the original, BMW brake pad warning connector (part # 61121367674): www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-b...

[@GaJeepr]

Somebody was BUSY over the Thanksgiving holiday! Lots of good work! Thanks again for sharing and the quality of work.

[@shathiso]

By far the best E30 restoration videos on KZbin...You Sir have done an amazing job.

[@RickVonSloneker]

Great tip on Part Works for the LCD bleed issue. This series has been amazing. Thanks so much for creating it. Truly special.

[@robsfooty]

It’s a pleasure to watch you restore this car. Keep the videos coming. I enjoy when you explain what your are doing as well. I understand the timelapses are usually of fairly trivial jobs but little interludes here and there might help myself and others. Thanks for the great videos!

[@friguy4444]

I gotta say I really enjoy watching you work on this car. I think it's a combination of the fact that I like BMW's as well that you do a great job of the video work and you do a great job on the car. You really are making this little car into the car it deserves to be IMHO. Looking forward to your next video and maybe seeing you drive the car soon too. Thanks

[@urambotauro938]

Good call, leaving the odometer stuff out. Always bothers me when someone posts a walkthrough of stuff like that. I've actually rolled my failed odometer _forward_ during a repair, because I knew exactly when and where it failed, and was able to restore it to reflect the car's actual mileage. Illegal? Technically, maybe. But I felt that I was following the spirit of the law, and that leaving it alone would have been potentially more fraudulent than correcting it.

[@cocoyc495]

Thanks for sharing! I'm in the same boat with an e34. It's always a good feeling getting things done no matter how small the problem.

[@fencr]

I too would really like to see the full / long version of this. I have a '90 and have some of these same problems. Seeing these repairs real-time would be very helpful. You've done a great job on your project.. thanks, Marc

[@agoogleuser9550]

Your front driver side amber parking light is out at 11:38 . Keep up the good work. Love your attention to detail!!!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Good catch! I'll take a look at it, thanks.

[@EggHead2103]

Great video! I can relate with the speedometer woes from trying to revitalize the ECU and dashboard in my 96 Lexus LS400. Also, the new fog lamps look awesome!

[@BudgetBimmers]

Awesome videos. You are giving me tons of motivation for my e30 build

[@matejsommer72]

I love your vids. Sometimes when I watch them, I feel like watching Wheeler Dealers :D

[@dsgant1616]

I’d honestly like to watch your timelapses as full length via a secondary channel. It’d be like watching Bob Ross do his thang. Anyways, new subscriber here! learning mechanics from scratch via KZbin on a 91 318is with the M42s and go figure my first restoration project I pick a badass classic that requires TWO full manuals LOL. I’m having a blast though and I’ve made it about 10 down a list of 40 or so repairs by watching your series and a couple other high quality creators. And I really appreciate the effort and discipline that goes into these videos. I would love to bye you some lunch at some point in my life. Thanks!

[@dsgant1616]

Also, I of course meant “buy” woops!

[@carloslargaespada6051]

I love these videos! I have a 1987 325is that I have covered in the garage and have to bring back to life. I really dont know where to start but at least I think I can take my instrument cluster. Mine only lights up half the gauges! Meaning, I only have the amber illumination on the speedometer and gas gauge. Thanks again!!

[@ErikGabSwe]

you have really high quality on your videos! I recently found your channel and i love it!

[@ralphperez1252]

Wow love your videos I have a 91 318is with similar problems you are clear on all your work especially on where to get parts that are hard to find.

[@becomematrix]

Nice work! Those jobs make the car feel great again. If you want to be extra sure for protecting against rust, use some cavity wax in the rocker panels and doors.

[@MrEdit74]

I'am from Germany and i like to remember as my father comes the first time with a complete new BMW E30 1988 "Memory's" and the rest is History (only BMW's )

[@mwcrilly]

thank you for paying attention t the details. i have been meaning to figure out how to fix the 8 button computer also. BTW nice oem radio

[@CabanaD]

VERY well done video! Thank you! Looking forward to more. Subscribed.

[@EinKerl3554]

Just to help it is easier to remove the OBC from the front. The cover plate can be pried off then there are two tabs, top and bottom, to release it from the bracket.

[@brendensprague8019]

your channel is under viewed imo. Great work!

[@182kevtcs]

You are such a great 👍 mechanic.

[@bmw-e30]

Great video, the e30 is very therapeutic to work on. Well engineered for the diy enthusiast unlike modern vehicles. Would like to have got a slow close up of the brake wear sensor connections.

[@EK4rguy]

Great detailed content keep it up 👌🏽

[@jewbaccaog6674]

instantly bought that new screen for my e30

[@Getz]

Same!

[@jamespark9484]

Your videos are SERIOUSLY underviewed. Keep on keeping on. And sweet music too. Check out Galactic, jam band from New Orleans.

[@mrrhyte]

Nice work... keep it coming, but for future knowledge, to remove the OBC (on board computer) display simply use a small flat-head screw driver to remove the trim face and depress the to clips. Then you simply have to unclip the green wire harness on the back.

[@azamizi]

So satisfying, I am jealous. Wish I have the space to work on mine like that.

[@MrMichaelConstantine]

You also need patience, time and skill.

[@robshomeandautofixes6926]

great diagnosis and good content, (music not so) I still cant get my tach working all other gauges work and light up, darn!

[@christophernarvaez]

Nice video. My ‘87 E30 stopped adding mileage. lol. Everything else are working. Maybe I’ll replace the battery. Thanks for the info about the LCD I will be buying it for sure.

[@anthonys4639]

you broke the odometer gears

[@daredevil7442AUTOMOTIVE]

Great job, I did the same style of repair to a 2000 528I, went through everything and it was a great running and especially driving car although, my repair videoing could use some refining. I truly wish I didn't sell it last year but, I will find another and hopefully the V8 540?! What are you gonna do with the body? entire paint job or touch ups? Oh, a black leather interior ? The leather seats are a must imo....black on black!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I'll just be doing touch up spot repairs, not a whole repaint. I hope to do a full black-on-black seat recover as well!

[@raf530i]

Wow, that's a lot in a single video. Do you have to research into every single one of those repairs, or do you have a long experience in fixing cars? I know of the Nissan and the Lexus and the Toyota, but none of those is identical. Do you buy the technical service manuals for each car you own?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I do quite a bit of research before diving into electrical fixes, as those systems can vary widely between manufacturers. The mechanical stuff I'm not as cautious with, I usually just dive into it and figure it out along the way. I do always have the factory service manuals on hand for all my cars & bikes because there's no better resource for intricate specifications like torque values and voltage readings.

[@markusspeicher4648]

You have really done a great job restoring this E30. Please don't sell this car. If you do let me know. I will buy it.

[@stevenbauer7744]

I'm looking at replacing the light bar on my computer ('84 325e). I looked at the partworks replacement and while it's only 30 euros, they want another 30 euros for shipping to the U.S.. A little more searching and I found that garagistic has an LED light bar conversion kit for $40.

[@PillarsOfDub]

So grateful for these videos, a huge job. You're great, you could be less self-conscious, the content is great, music is great, I just find your edits so jolting. Try and not cut in the middle of a sentence heheh

[@LivingOutdoorsPNW]

hey, what cleaning product did you use to clean up oil on your oil pan and other parts?

[@brendensprague8019]

can you please do a video of you driving around and you impressions of the feel of the parts you've upgraded/replaced?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

It's coming!

[@ActionM]

Bravo!!

[@davidpolyakov4060]

PLEASE replace the steering wheel. Awesome build!

[@jerryjenkins6071]

Great content! I really hope the previous owner doesn’t watch this series, though.

[@SkyNeeNews]

Антенна это мощно !))

[@bart6405]

Great

[@autos92]

Nice work! Do you have some more info on the 2 pin connector for the brake pad wear indicator? My E30 has the same issue (previous owner) and I can't find a connector that fits the original wear indicator connector.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Thanks! I didn't use the original style connector because I couldn't find a male end. I ended up splicing in a connector like these: a.co/d/iwlvONg This does mean when you go to replace the wear sensor, you'll have to splice another connector end on, but from my perspective, that seemed like small price to pay for the system to work again.

[@autos92]

I was aiming for all original but it seems to be a case that requires a smart choice. Thank you for the info!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

@@autos92 well, I actually just found the the original BMW connector, part #61121367674. It's sold as a pigtail that you splice in. Not "cheap," but if you want original, this is the way to go! www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/brake-lng-line/61121367674/

[@elmerpalma9328]

Yo tengo un bwm e30 pero el reloj de las reboluciones dejo de marcar junto con el de hacite que esta en el mismo reloj

[@Meatballfb]

Hey! Having the same problem as yourself with the 3/5 service indicator lights on after resetting the indicator instead of 5 as it should be. Do you think replacing the SI batteries was the reason yours started working better?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Yep, I believe the SI batteries were the culprit in my case (for that specific issue). Unfortunately I didn't get to utilize the new batteries in the end because of swapping to a different gauge cluster. Apparently the batteries in the new cluster were still good.

[@rodrigoandrescepedaperez7877]

Hello dear friend. I have followed all your videos and I found them very interesting and didactic, for all of us who love these beautiful vehicles. Particularly, I have a 325i of 1990 two doors. Right now I have a problem with the ignition. The manual I acquired by ebay has not yet arrived. Could you help me with the primary and secondary values of the ignition coil. According to some notes I reviewed, the primary should measure 0.82 ohms and the secondary 8.25 ohms. Greetings from Chile.

[@WelcomeToTheMadness]

Sweet you can now sell me the shell that holds the instrument cluster...I need the housing section.

[@donalishop]

soo I was thinking... ummm a new steering wheel... and you installed the old one again... are you going to fix the old one? new leather?

[@wheelsdeal]

Great work as usual...you really took care of the car and got things done. You almost there...but pls do something with that disgusting steering wheel :)

[@cf20769]

wheelsdeal mtech2 wheel

[@brendensprague8019]

@@cf20769 nah get a renown wheel

[@cf20769]

Brenden Sprague agreed

[@CalypsoBotter]

This car has come such a long way... Good call on that instrument cluster, I was able to repair mine by re-soldering the joints but I guess that's not a resolution for all of them. Any luck on finding new seats?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I have located some sport seats from a '92 convertible, but I haven't shown them yet as I'm still deciding which direction to go on recovering them. They have a really cool gray twill fabric. But, of course, if I keep those covers, the rear seats won't match. We'll see!

[@CalypsoBotter]

@@PracticalEnthusiast be careful with purchasing those! The convertible rear seat bench is different than the sedan and coupe bench. One difference is there are 2 seats rather than 3, and the other is that they always split down the center between the two seats. I dont think the rear bench would fit into your car super well, I tried putting a sedan bench into my old coupe and there were gaps between the side of the seat and door cards. As for the front seats, they should fit fine but they will just be convertible specific. I wish I still had my old black leather sport seats, I could have sent them out to you.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

@@CalypsoBotter Thanks for the info - I only picked up the front seats. I plan to just recover the the rear bench seat that came with the car. However, the car's rear bench seat configuration does have me a bit confused. It's a 3 person seat, but it doesn't have the center arm rest that folds down. Was the arm rest an option on sedans? The seat bottom is definitely a sedan one, as it has the rounded corners to allow for easier passenger egress. The leather covers on the seats, while worn & ripped, do appear to be factory leather covers, not recovers.

[@CalypsoBotter]

@@PracticalEnthusiast I think the rear arm rest was optional for both coupe and sedan rear bench seats. Sounds like you have some sewing coming your way. If the cloth on the front seats is in good shape, I would restore the rear bench with the matching material, or just look for a new rear bench that matches. Im pretty sure you can buy material for them on Ebay last time I checked!

[@MrMichaelConstantine]

I've got to say, your musical taste is brilliant. I really enjoy watching your videos. Very informative, it gives me confidence to work on my e46 325ci vert.

[@Shas4Ever]

Why you didn't pressure washed the engine bay from the bottom?

[@stanislavkocian4886]

Please.Where did you buy a battery to odometer?

[@shyboy2cute]

no link for the fog lights?

[@KiaShah]

Incredible work as always! I am a little bummed because it appears you have bought the last lcd screen for the 6 button obc (when I click the link it seems to come up with an error in German) haha I had also been searching endlessly for a fix to my six button but ended up giving up... if you run across another replacement lcd please let me know! Thank you again for all the great content!

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Keep trying the link - I just tried it and can add the LCD screen to the shopping cart! Granted, everything is in German. Use Google Chrome and you can translate the page through the browser options.

[@KiaShah]

Awesome just checked and the link worked! Danke schön!

[@2Brian]

LCD screen repair begins at 12:39

[@3RomeoFoxtrot]

what repair manual did you buy

[@taharateq]

Are you going to replace the dash or try and repair the cracks in it?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I don't have plans to replace it as of now. But who knows, if I get the interior looking nice at some point, I may have to address that.

[@bmwe30godzilla10]

Speedometer website or link please to buy it

[@gdenon]

Can you send me the LCD replacement video regular speed? I need to do this. Also learned that you can go in through the glove box! Everyone else says to take the whole panel off!!

[@gdenon]

also, would you be willing to sell me your SI board?

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

Sorry George, I don't have a regular speed video of the repair. The time lapse was recorded with a slow frame rate. However the LCD screen comes with great instructions.

[@bvd2551]

The broken screen looked kinda cool

[@Timeless.Tuning]

Just watching the whole series so I can fix my e30 😂

[@1188clean]

where did you buy the fan for the interior

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

You can find them on Ebay for less than $100 new.

[@elmerpalma9328]

Tengo e30 no funsina el reloj del tacometro

[@nedalalibya2344]

🤝👍👍👍🇱🇾

[@TexasRedneck]

16:14 You went over how you checked everything electrical. For me, I'm electrically retarded. Would be great to see how you actually can use a volt meter to check that stuff.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I still need to replace the odometer gears so I will have to take the cluster back out. I'll try to grab a video of how to test the cluster wires for power.

[@TexasRedneck]

@@PracticalEnthusiast Thanks! I was also wondering if it wasnt the gears that were bad. I know some companies sell those gears.

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

I've added a video showing how to check the electrical connectors - check it out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/np21l3V7oKekh6M

[@Shas4Ever]

Good work! But, I don't see you are soo much towards to clean or even doing air pressure cleaning!

[@scadieee]

Where’s the Kansas attire ????

[@PracticalEnthusiast]

It's getting cold and I don't have any "warm" Kansas stuff!

[@benfidar]

Correcting your odometer is not illegal. Everything hinges on intent: Federal statute 49 U.S. Code § 32703 states that: A person cannot “disconnect, reset, alter, or have disconnected, reset, or altered, an odometer of a motor vehicle intending to change the mileage registered by the odometer.” A person cannot “with intent to defraud, operate a motor vehicle on a street, road, or highway if the person knows that the odometer of the vehicle is disconnected or not operating.”

[@elieconstantine]

He bougt the worst e30 on the markey lmao