Subject: Nice example of a 320i! Author: davidc (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 10306 posts Posted on: 2005-01-19 12:48:52

Welcome to the board, too! The '83 320i is particularly desirable because it has electronic ignition, unlike the earlier models (e.g., my father's '77 320i) that used points which were forever requiring tuneups.

I would suggest taking the car to a trusted mechanic to inspect the shock absorbers and suspension components. As with any car of its age, you may need to replace rubber and plastic components -- e.g., hoses and belts. In fact, I would recommend changing all of the rubber hoses in the engine compartment. It will greatly increase the long-term reliability for you and reduce the chance of you getting stranded somewhere at some point.

The only way to hurt that engine is to allow it to overheat, so watch the temperature gauge. If it runs hotter than vertical on the gauge, you might want to flush the radiator fluid and, optionally, clean out the radiator. Make sure that the electic cooling fan in front of the radiator is working, too. It should turn on automatically whenever the engine gets hot or the air conditioning is activated.

Change the oil regularly, too -- every 3,000 miles. You might want to do a shorter oil change, initially, to help clean out the engine. Change the oil and filter, run the car for 1,000 miles, then do it again.

And, make sure you've got good tires. I recall a tendancy to hydroplane on cheap tires.

Congratulations and keep us informed!

David Cecil, KI4GZR
'97 740iL, 127k miles
'92 750iL, 77k miles
'86 735i, 95k miles

www.e38.org has links for everything about your BMW 7-series automobile

• Trying to learn - sea 2005-01-19 03:51:40 (1164 views)
  • Re: Trying to learn - 2nd try for photo url (url) - sea 2005-01-19 03:57:27 (1362 views)
    • Nice example of a 320i! - davidc 2005-01-19 12:48:52 (1498 views)
      • Re: Nice example of a 320i! - sea 2005-01-19 15:56:09 (1269 views)
        • The shimmy could be alignment and tire balancing, but it (url) - davidc 2005-01-19 23:52:34 (1468 views)
          • Re: The shimmy could be alignment and tire balancing, but it - sea 2005-01-20 00:24:50 (1401 views)
            • This may help you find a good independent BMW mechanic (url) - davidc 2005-01-21 13:46:06 (2322 views)
              • Re: This may help you find a good independent BMW mechanic - sea 2005-01-21 14:19:24 (1304 views)
            • The car probably isn't worth a lot to anyone else, so I'd suggest (url) - davidc 2005-01-21 13:36:11 (1302 views)
              • Re: The car probably isn't worth a lot to anyone else, so I'd suggest - sea 2005-01-21 14:14:25 (1230 views)
                • That wasn't a bad deal, though higher than what Edmunds.com shows. (url) - davidc 2005-01-21 14:51:16 (1305 views)
                  • Re: That wasn't a bad deal, though higher than what Edmunds.com shows. - sea 2005-01-21 14:58:38 (1206 views)
                    • Re: That wasn't a bad deal, though higher than what Edmunds.com shows. - marinersfan 2005-01-22 15:43:02 (1220 views)
                      • Re: That wasn't a bad deal, though higher than what Edmunds.com shows. - sea 2005-01-24 19:03:48 (1194 views)