101 Performance Projects for Your BMW 3 Series 1982-2000: Covers All E30 and E36 Models

Replacing the rubber timing belt is one of the most important maintenance tasks for the six-cylinder E30 engine. As the engine ages and mileage climbs, an old, worn-out timing belt may break, causing catastrophic engine damage.

A broken timing belt typically causes valves to hit the tops of the pistons, bending the valves and/or destroying the pistons. A broken timing belt can indeed lead to the complete destruction of the engine.

To avoid this fate, replace the timing belt every 60,000 miles or every four years. If you live in a dry climate (like Arizona), or if you don’t drive your car often, then I recommend replacing the belt more often.

In dry climates belts can become brittle and worn much more quickly. If you car sits for longs periods of time, the belts take on the bends and shapes of the pulleys while the car is parked. Both circumstances increase the likelihood of belt failure.

Jack the car up to gain easier access to the crankshaft pulley and lower radiator hoses; it will also be easier to empty the coolant. Be sure to place the transmission in neutral so you can turn the engine more easily.

One of the most annoying problems with older cars can be an intermittent electrical problem.

Example: A dashboard light goes on when you hit the brake, but only the rear defogger is on; or the radio only works when you are in reverse. As bizarre as this sounds, electrical problems like these have become more and more common as cars have become increasingly complex. Unfortunately, they can be quite difficult to do.

What typically goes wrong with the wiring on these cars? Several things can happen.

First and foremost, every time the car is sold, there is a big chance the new owner will do some modification to the wiring that only he or she will know about.

Installing a new stereo, European headlamps, a radar detector, or – worst of all, an aftermarket alarm system – can seriously mess up your wiring configuration if not installed correctly.

You’re left holding the mess, armed with only a few sporadic clues as to what is causing the problem. Troubleshooting electrical problems is a tough chore and one most automotive repair shops will not perform without telling you they charge an $80-an-hour diagnostic fee.

One of the coolest upgrades you can do to your BMW is installing white gauge faces. One notch even higher on the cool scale is the addition of indiglo faces.

These faces are manufactured out of a material that glows when electricity runs through it. You can alter the brightness and even change the color with the controller that comes with it. Installation is a bit above the beginner level, but the end result is definitely worth it.

Begin by removing the gauge cluster from your car (see Project 90). When the gauge cluster is removed, bring it over to your workbench. Photo 3 of Project 90 shows the five Trox screws that must be removed to separate the two cluster halves (shown by the yellow arrows).

Pull the cluster apart after carefully peeling back the BME certification sticker. With the cluster open, the gauge halves should resemble what is shown in Photo 1. Now separate the actual gauges from the clear plastic housing by rotating the white part of the locking mechanism about 180 degrees.

You will probably need a pair of pliers or a small screwdriver for this task. Once these are rotated out of the way, the gauges should be able to be pulled from the housing.

With the gauge cluster removed (Photo 2), pull out the miles-per-gallon (mpg) gauge from the back of the cluster (inset of Photo 1). Each of the needles on all five gauges needs to be removed in order to perform the face swap.

Take a small soft pencil or light marker and mark on each of the faces where the fuel and temp needles lay prior to removing them. The mpg, rpm and mph needles do not need to be marked because they rest against stops when they’re off.

• BMW Model Designations
• BMW 3 Series Resources
• Tools
• Basics
• Engine
• Fuel Injection
• Water Cooling
• Transmission
• Drive Axles
• Shifter
• Exhaust
• Brakes
• Suspension
• Body & Interior Trim
• Gauges and Electrical Systems
• A/C Maintenance
• Car Bras and Car Film
• Tires and Wheels
• ...and much more!