BMW E36 Blog

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There are currently 39 responses to “What problems does your BMW E36 have?”

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1. 1 On November 19th, 2007, Paul said:

   Thanks for bringing all this comments. I also need to change somerthing on my BMW it seems that this car need a lot of care.

   I need to change my Engine Belt the Main One and do now if I need special Tools because I know I Need to remove the one for the A/C

   Currently subsribed to this Feeds. I find it so good. I still Like my car.

   posted on November 19th, 2007 at 8:07 am

2. 2 On November 19th, 2007, 4InPWR said:

   I’ve been having constant troubles with my e36 328is but its getting better. Here is a list of things that have either been done or in the process or soon to be done.

   1. My paint is a mess. From all the car meets and people leaning against it, from having a stupid ex girlfriend that lived out in the country on unpaved roads. My windshield causes a lot of glare beacuse of the stone chips as well. My clutch pedal used to be rock hard but recently got it changed and lubed up and now it works like a charm. My headlights are foggy looking as well. I need a new hood as I crashed in a hummer h3 and bent it up. My handbrake pads don’t sit in place because of the rusted out dust covers where they would normally clip into. The vent by the driver window with the light switch has no light anymore and also all the fins on it won’t move because i pushed the bar that connected them all together with a air freshner. My windows make a squeeky noise on their way up or down most of the time because of the old rubber im guessing because if its wet enough it won’t make the sound anymore. The cover right by the rear windshield which houses the two speakers vibrates from my subwoofers lately. I just had to change my hot water shut off valve because one of the solenoids failed. I’m starting to hear a very small tick in my engine but im thinking its my vanos while warming up. My headlight sprayer pump broke and kept draining out the windshield washer fluid, but thats fixed now, but i had to take the headlight off to fix it, so now my headlight is not aimed properly. One of my bulbs burnt out and replaced it with a oem one thats not as bright as the one on the other side. oh boy i could go on for days but il keep it right there.

   posted on November 19th, 2007 at 4:59 pm

3. 3 On November 19th, 2007, ricky said:

   lets see hmmm
   -when i start it, it sometimes revs to around 3k for a second but it makes me look like a douche in a bmw
   -had a electrical fire behind the dash and melted my heater blower which sucks since its about to be winter in the north east
   -need alignment, i drift to the side a bit and wears my tire fast
   -need a new fuel sensor, idk if thats what its called but its reading the amount of gas i have way wrong

   i still love her *hugs car*, shes just got issues

   posted on November 19th, 2007 at 6:02 pm

4. 4 On November 20th, 2007, 4InPWR said:

   hhahaha ok i forgot all that! When it warms up she revs up a couple of times until slowly drops itself below 1. I need to change the driver side front ball joint and its got some play and also to get an aligment, but maybe you guys can answer this for me. Can that ball joint be causing the aligment problem i’ve been having lately or no!?

   posted on November 20th, 2007 at 3:56 am

5. 5 On November 21st, 2007, ricky said:

   just want a opinion, i thinking of selling my current e36 and since i love the car im thinking of getting this one http://nh.craigslist.org/car/485280348.html, its a 325i and auto, since sadly no one taught me stick, looks like its in better condition then mine 2 so im going to see it friday after turkey day.

   looks like a good buy? oh and its cheap which is a plus

   posted on November 21st, 2007 at 1:57 am

6. 6 On November 21st, 2007, ricky said:

   http://nh.craigslist.org/car/485280348.html the comma got stuck with the link

   posted on November 21st, 2007 at 1:57 am

7. 7 On November 21st, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

   It’s a very good price indeed Ricky, just be careful about it. I mean for that good price, you will need to make sure it’s good as advertised. Please get back to us with an update after you examine it.

   posted on November 21st, 2007 at 5:23 am

8. 8 On November 22nd, 2007, Dennis said:

   I got the “BMW Check Control Inactive” problem as described earlier on this blog. It has around 2000 km untill next service, think i’ll drive it to the local bmw dealer and have them look at the problem, will post details if i get it working again.

   I think one of my brake discs is a bit uneven as my steering wheel is shaking like hell, when i brake at 140 km/t.

   Need to get my hood repainted as there are too many scratches etc.

   Need to replace those thingies holding the door panels, as my driver seat door panel is a bit squeeky some times. Will use the DIY posted earlier.

   Need to do something about my driver seat as it makes some weird noises when i take turns, but i don’t know where the sounds is coming from (anyone who knows that).

   Sorry my english is a bit bad

   posted on November 22nd, 2007 at 1:52 pm

9. 9 On November 22nd, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

   Dennis,

   This is a short list!! are you sure you didn’t miss anything ? LOOOL!

   About the “OBC Check Inactive”, I would love to find out what is causing this error. Please let us know if you find a solution for it.

   posted on November 22nd, 2007 at 7:30 pm

10. 10 On November 22nd, 2007, 4InPWR said:

    my passanger seat squeaks in turns and a little bit bumpy road i’ve lubed everything i could think of and it still does it i didnt really put too much effort into it. just lube it up and then if that doesn’t work make sure its not your seatbelt thing where you can adjust the height of the belt by the window. I just moved mine down a notch and it stopped squeeking.

    posted on November 22nd, 2007 at 9:13 pm

11. 11 On November 23rd, 2007, ricky said:

    just got back from looking at the 325i, its nice and in nice condition but for the price i can find one with less miles (255xxx). the search goes on..

    posted on November 23rd, 2007 at 2:11 pm

12. 12 On November 23rd, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    Ricky,

    Is the miles the only reason you’re skipping this car, or you didn’t like it? What is the color? Is that photo at the end of the web page is for it?

    best regards,

    posted on November 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 pm

13. 13 On November 24th, 2007, ricky said:

    mainly the miles, but the transmission was really hard to put into gear, like i would have to summon the power of thor to shift to drive. yah the pic from the website was the car, it was a trade in, the body was in really good shape, still shiny paint, but it seems like it would need a new tranny soon (maybe) and with winter coming up i didn’t want to hassle with that engine (idk something seemed like the old owners never changed the oil) all in all nice car but im thinking of getting a standard and learning from it

    posted on November 24th, 2007 at 12:30 pm

14. 14 On November 24th, 2007, Tony Sticks said:

    I agree with you. I just thought that the miles is the only issue which in many cases doesn’t tell you anything (although it’s an indicator). These cars need good maintenance and if the owner did his job well, the miles will make no difference I guess. However, as you have said, the owners look like they were not doing anything. I guess that’s a big red sign.

    posted on November 24th, 2007 at 11:33 pm

15. 15 On December 4th, 2007, Nick said:

    Whatever you do, if you touch up your paint, don’t use the brush that comes with the touchup paint from the dealer. It does not dry on like a coat of paint on a wall (I suppose I’m probably an idiot for not knowing this anyways). After I told them it looked like sh*it they said you’re best off to use a dropper instead of the brush. My 98 M3 has had the cat, the a\c unit, the brakes, radiator leaks, thermostat leaks, the motor for two door locks, alarm system, and pretty much anything else you can think of done since I got it 4 years ago. But I still love her dearly.

    posted on December 4th, 2007 at 5:39 pm

16. 16 On January 19th, 2008, Graeme Wilson said:

    i have a 318i 1997 convertabel. i bumped the front end and rear the head protectors have shot up! any ideas on how they go back down?

    posted on January 19th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

17. 17 On January 20th, 2008, Paul said:

    I have a 325I 1994. And I am not able to figure out how to turn off the light form the ASC I want this feture to work I already took it to the shop to clean the sensors, My question is Do I have to reset the computer for the ASC to worked does anyone know?

    posted on January 20th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

18. 18 On March 25th, 2008, Gene said:

    I have a ‘94 325i and it’s makes too much noise when I am accelerating. Is there anyway I can fix this? I believe it’s coming from the muffler. Could it be that the muffler is an after market one? Is the solution a DIY job? Please let me know! THANKS.

    posted on March 25th, 2008 at 5:48 am

19. 19 On March 25th, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    Hi Gene,

    Maybe your muffler has some sort of crack. I suggest you have it examined before trying anything else.

    posted on March 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am

20. 20 On April 9th, 2008, Valery said:

    I have a ‘96 318i Sedan and I have water under the rear carpet driver side, cannot figure out where it gets in when raining a lot. And also the protective layer of the paint cracked at some place on the roof, like bubbles. Any idea to “fix” these ? Thanks.

    posted on April 9th, 2008 at 8:06 pm

21. 21 On May 20th, 2008, Rosaline said:

    I have a current issue with the driver’s side POWER window in my 1995 318i convertible. When you roll the window down, then try to roll it back up, it only will roll up half way and then go back down about one inch. I had a different motor and regulator installed but it didn’t seem to fix the problem. They thought it might be a relay/computer issue but aren’t sure. I usually can get it to go up all the way after a few times of rolling the window completely down and then back up…

    posted on May 20th, 2008 at 4:32 am

22. 22 On July 20th, 2008, Sebastian said:

    My BMW: 1994 325i Sedan

    -Hazard lights turn on when I start the car sometimes
    -a/c and air blower probably broken
    -back right wheel makes a jingling metal sound when I go over big bumps and when I accelerate. The suspention of that wheel is also lower.. What is the problem on it?
    -brake lining sensor is wrongly saying the lining of my brakes are low

    posted on July 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

23. 23 On July 21st, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @Sebastian: I’m not sure about the suspension, but for the lining sensor. Did you change that sensor when you changed your brake pads last time? If not, this is the problem then. This sensor should be replaced everytime you change your brake pads regardless of its condition.

    posted on July 21st, 2008 at 9:21 am

24. 24 On August 4th, 2008, Kim said:

    My alarm likes to go off for no reason… for days at a time.. then it’ll take a break for a few days and start up again. This is most annoying at my condo… at 3 or 4.. or 3 and 4AM! I don’t even know where to look for the alarm. If it needs cleaning, or to just disengage it, so that I can lock the car and not worry about the alarm. Any help id appreciated!!

    posted on August 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pm

25. 25 On August 5th, 2008, Valery said:

    For Kim:

    I have the exact same problem, this is so annoying when It goes off twice at night for no reason. What I do is lock the car with my key, and open with the remote. This way the alarm is disengaged. I have read some stuff on the web about It. When the alarm goes off, you have to check the red LED flashing, 3 flashes = glass breakage sensor, 2 flashes = hood/trunk sensor, 1 flash = door sensor. There was a topic called ALARM FALSING E36 on the web. I havent fixed mine but thinking about reducing the sensitivity at the BMW Dealer. Hope this helps. Take care.

    posted on August 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

26. 26 On August 5th, 2008, Kim said:

    Valery,
    Thanks for the LED info… I will check next time and maybe I can find the source of the problem. Will let you know.
    ~Kim

    posted on August 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm

27. 27 On August 7th, 2008, Kim said:

    ok, the alarm issue… I’ve got 3 flashes. No glass is broken. No idea where I should look now. Does anyone know where I can find the alarm unit? Maybe I have some shorted wires or something… or I can unplug it! There is nothing in my Chilton book on the alarm.

    posted on August 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm

28. 28 On August 7th, 2008, 4iNpWR said:

    the alarm module on most e36 is on passanger side underdash you have to pull off the cover where the footwell lights are. the module lays there most likely glued to the panel

    posted on August 7th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

29. 29 On August 8th, 2008, Valery said:

    yes the alarm is behind the dash stuck behind the glove box. you can pull the cover. But man good luck, I tried to pull like crazy once on the module. It was stuck for me, I was going to break the thing…so It stayed here

    posted on August 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

30. 30 On August 16th, 2008, James@BMWSportTuning said:

    Sebastian, for your suspension issue, it is most likely the rear bushers on your rear sway bar that have snapped off, also it could be a mix of a cracked or loose shock.

    posted on August 16th, 2008 at 4:06 am

31. 31 On August 16th, 2008, Sebastian said:

    thanks

    posted on August 16th, 2008 at 5:12 pm

32. 32 On August 29th, 2008, v said:

    i have a 97 328is the check engine light is on. i got the computer scan and it said that the oxygen sensor and the cam position sensor wasnt working so i got them replace. the light is is still on. Does any one have any suggestions?

    posted on August 29th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

33. 33 On August 31st, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @v: Did you try to run the scan again?

    posted on August 31st, 2008 at 4:14 pm

34. 34 On August 31st, 2008, Paulicious said:

    Can’t you clear it by pressing the accelerator all the way to the floor for a few seconds? After you read the codes.

    posted on August 31st, 2008 at 8:00 pm

35. 35 On September 1st, 2008, v said:

    yeah. my mechanic has the computer scanner and he erase the codes but the’re showing up againg. i am starting to think something might be wrong with the cars computer.

    posted on September 1st, 2008 at 3:27 am

36. 36 On September 2nd, 2008, Tony Sticks said:

    @v: This doesn’t make sense. I imagine that atleast one of the faults should’ve disappeared after replacing the sensors and clearing the faults, but for them to stay on (both)… that’s weird.

    posted on September 2nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm

37. 37 On September 24th, 2008, mark said:

    does anyone no how to reset the sequence for an electric roof on an e36 convertable ??

    posted on September 24th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

38. 38 On November 17th, 2008, LJ said:

    I’ve got a 318i SE 1996 Saloon.

    The electric mirrors don’t work anymore,
    The driver’s electric window does work but the window doesn’t go up and down, I went for a drive and it was working and on the way back home it stopped.
    Whenever I do a full lock turn on the steerling wheel I start to hear a noisey sound. which doesn’t go away until I turn the car off and start it up again.

    Please let me know.

    Also things that are fixed now:-

    I got a paint job done so the car looks like it’s been driven out of the show room
    put some 17′ alloys on it as the 16’s were gone
    lastly the electric sunroof it working due to banging it ten times with a hammer lol

    posted on November 17th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

39. 39 On December 1st, 2008, Angus said:

    Hello,
    im new here.
    I recently purchased a 325tds saloon. Im having problems with the power steerong and my wipers.
    When i got the car i changed the pump and put new steering hoses on, but i still have no assistance.
    My wipers only work properly for about 5 minutes and switch off in the middle of the screen. I changed the control stock but the problem remains. Anyone else come across these problems?

    Angus

    posted on December 1st, 2008 at 3:22 am

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