Would appreciate a little diagnostic advice...

[webhak]

I have a great old '85 528e with 150,000 miles on it. I've replaced most of the front end suspension and need to replace a lot of the weatherstripping on the doors. The heat in the Southwestern U.S. kills everything rubber and plastic. That being said, I have a few mechanical issues I would appreciate some 2nd opinions on:

ISSUE #1: Lately, the speedometer & odometer stopped working. So did the radio (factory original). The last couple of nights, when the speedometer kicks in again, so does the radio.

The speedometer is mechanical right? Why is there a connection between these two seemingly unrelated devices? I checked the fuses anyway and everything seems to be in order.

ISSUE #2: When making TIGHT left turns (steering wheel cranked all the way over), I get a groaning/squeaking sound and the wheels start to slip...i.e, don't hold the turn. Any ideas on what's going on here? Steering pump going bad?

Thanks in advance.

[4-Door Flunky]

Hi, Webhak!
I'm also having trouble with my speedometer. They are electronic, not mechanical, so there's no cable...just a piece of wire coming from the back of the transmission.
Having said that, I've found some good information about how to repair a speedo that works when it's warm, but not when it's cold...which probably isn't your problem, because it's always warm in Las Vegas (nearly).
So, your problem is probably a wire grounding out, with the coating worn off. When my speedo problem started, each time I'd see the 'brake light' message lit up on my overhead readout.
I'm going to crawl under mine this weekend and look for the short. I already looked everywhere in the trunk and didn't find anything, so I'm going to start at the source (transmission) and work my way toward the dash. I'll let you know what I find.
Also, I found all the info about speedo repair at the unofficial BMW site. I highly recommend it.
Flunky
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/repair_faqs/index.html
PS-My car's a 1985 535i.

[webhak]

Originally Posted by 4-Door Flunky

They are electronic, not mechanical, so there's no cable...just a piece of wire coming from the back of the transmission.

OK. That makes a bit more sense.

Originally Posted by 4-Door Flunky

When my speedo problem started, each time I'd see the 'brake light' message lit up on my overhead readout.

Bingo!!! Mine's been doing that too! I thought it was a short in the brake lights somewhere. Now it's telling me that the brake lights, radio and speedo are all connected somehow, somwhere. Perhaps?

These are the type of things that you hate to pay someone for because it will cost an arm and a leg. Then again, I shiver when I start to think about wiring problems.

Please let me know what you discover. I'll try and get under my hood and into the instrument cluster this weekend.

My other car is an '86 full-size Bronco that just threw a rod on a family vacation. I'm looking into getting the engine replaced and obviously want to keep my car repair bills down to a minimum, yet make sure they're both reliable.

Anyone have any thoughts on ISSUE #2?

John

[4-Door Flunky]

Remember, I've only had this car for a month or so. My Honda Civic, which I've driven 100,000 miles, is a different story. I know how to just about everything except rebuild a standard transmission and replace a steering rack.
So, I'm ignorant about the BMW suspension and steering. But I don't think it's a power steering problem. When the pump starts to go bad, it groans. Even if it dies, the car should still basically handle the same, because it is actually power ASSIST, and when you're going fast, it doesn't really have to assist much at all.
The only other thing with power steering is if the belt is good and has the proper tension.
Now, there MIGHT be an issue with some little adjustment that decides what the limits of travel are for the steering rack. If your adjustment is off, and that one side is allowed to move a little too far, then you might hear the tire rubbing, stuff like that.
I have a Bentley manual ordered from Amazon.com, and once I get that, I'll have a better idea.
Did you read the UnofficialBMW article about the speedometers? The guy there couldn't find any wire rubbing, or any short, so he took out his speedo and re-soldered the connections. It worked great.
The directions for taking out the speedo are good, and it's not that hard..you just have to be careful, becuase the naked needle is very delicate.
If I don't find a short or a loose connection on the transmission, I'm buying a soldering iron and some solder, and going to town on that sucker!
Flunky
PS-You know that the brakes and the power steering share the same fluid, which is DOT 3 brake fluid? I hope you checked your level in the reservoir...you can always change the brake fluid, and see if that helps...but I don't think that's the problem.
PPS-My radio doesn't work either....(I sense a disturbance in the Force, Luke...)

[webhak]

Flunky,

I didn't get a chance to look into things this weekend. Too busy.

I did check the power steering pump and it was low. I added some power steering fluid to it, but the car still groans on TIGHT (wheel hard over) left turns. A power steering pump from Bavarian Motorsport is $300 and change. Yikes! My brother (a fellow BMW enthusiast who loves the 80s models) gave me this advice: "Then don't make hard turns!"

I'll wait this one out and see what develops.

I did read the article on resoldering the connections. Sounds like a good idea. My speedometer and radio are now working that the temperature has warmed up a bit. Definitely starting to sound like a loose connection of sorts. I also noticed that when the radio is working, I get some static when I first step on the brakes. Something is crossing somewhere.

John