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      01-16-2020, 03:37 AM   #1
csquared013
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3 years off the road, what could be wrong?

Hello all!

I'm trying to get some transmission work done on my 330 that's been off the road for the better portion of 3 years now. I don't have any experience with taking a finicky car like this off the road and letting it sit and then trying to use it again.

Can anyone give me some insight as to what kind of headaches I'm going to run into please?

When it gets shipped to Santa Fe, I'm going to be addressing an issue with the Trans and a shudder I get when I turn. No idea what this could be but the car seems to hesitate a bit when i turn the wheel between 40-45ish degrees, but nowhere else in the radius of turning the wheel.


I'd rather spend money and time fixing some problems than getting a less-fun beater car.
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      01-16-2020, 05:20 AM   #2
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I'm not sure what is so finicky about a 330i. But since you didn't mention any type of storage prep I'd expect:

-dead battery if it wasn't kept on a battery maintainer
-Tires flat spotted
-Tires possibly dry rotted if the car was stored in a location with an ozone-producing machine, which is most any machine with an electric motor (e.g. a freezer in the garage)
-sticky fuel injectors if the gasoline wasn't treated
-water ion the fuel if the tank was not full when it was stored
-possible rodent damage to wires or wiring harnesses under the hood
-it'll need a good scrubbin' to get clean
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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      01-16-2020, 09:18 AM   #3
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In addition to what Efthreeoh outlined, I'd also inspect and rubber/plastic hoses in/around the engine bay as well as the suspension. Rubber and plastic tend to degrade quite a bit when left untouched/unmoved. An oil change would also be highly recommended, especially if the car was stored outside.
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      01-16-2020, 11:10 AM   #4
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Adding on, you'll want to replace most of the fluids. There will be many gaskets that will be dried up & cracking, these will reveal themselves very quickly after startup.

Depending how it was stored the brakes will most likely be corroded in some areas, the rotors should be refinished or replaced, might as well do pads while you're at it.
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      01-16-2020, 01:42 PM   #5
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Also don't forget the suspension joints. Brake line fluids may need change. Not sure how coolant's acidity would do to the hoses in static state.
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      01-16-2020, 02:37 PM   #6
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Huge thanks for the replies and input, everyone!

Unfortunately, I had planned to sell the car right after buying a new one (luckily I didn't sell since I need it now lol). Because of this, there was really no prep done before storage.

The car was fired up once in a while just to keep things moving a bit and, at last start in October '19, it didn't seem to have any unknown oil leaks but it definitely has something going on with coolant.

I've killed off an oil and coolant change a couple months ago when it got an extensive under hood and exterior detailing at the cost of the better portion of my day. The Michelins are dry rotted beyond belief and will need to go as well. I like the idea of tossing fluid, pads and rotors into the mix because you're totally right, they're probably toast at this point. As for suspension, hopefully it will hold out a bit longer for me since it will only be driven about 7 miles a day from a train station and back until I can gather enough funds to go ahead and do a set of KWs and swap out all the other extraneous crusty rubber.

I didn't give any thought to the gas and injectors so that will definitely need to be addressed!

Before being left to sit, I replaced the serpentine belt and tensioner, oil filter housing gasket, and a ton of radiator hoses (one blew and I found that the rest break when you try to get them off the do the oil filter housing gasket). Since i seem to be loosing coolant very slowly, I can't wait to deal with that mess of rubber and brittle plastic all over again.


Would anyone recommend snagging a diag harness like the Bav Tech or Autel for future work on the vehicle instead of going to the stealer? Aside from what is listed above, I need to solve a unsettling transmission issue as well as replace the oil pan gasket

As soon as the car is shipped to NM I'll be sure to add some updates of what I end up doing mechanically. Esthetics is going to be a whole other issue for a whole other thread, hopefully there are a bunch of people parting out cars in here lol.

Thanks again!!

Last edited by csquared013; 01-16-2020 at 02:44 PM.. Reason: typo
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      01-16-2020, 04:59 PM   #7
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the injectors will likely be fine.

the fuel will be shit, but it will probably run, poorly.
thankfully it's plastic tanks.

if it hasn't started in a year + I usualy toss a bit of ATF in the cylinders and turn it over without the plugs in it the next day.
helps to not break rings.
toss the old plugs in, fire it up, ignore the smoke, put new plugs in after it clears up and you get fresh fuel in it.

take the rest as needed. I would recommend at least popping the calipers off and lubing the pads. A stuck pad will cost you a lot more money if you don't get it before driving.
The rotors and such are probably rusty, but they'll clean up with use.
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      01-16-2020, 05:25 PM   #8
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Yes, definitely get something you can read and clear codes with. Preferably a cable and laptop to run inpa, etc. Though there are also good apps too, which will run on android or apple phones.
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      01-16-2020, 11:19 PM   #9
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I like the idea of not breaking rings and lubing up the pads and calipers. There's already enough to fix without adding more to the list lol.

Further, I was hoping someone would say get the cable to pair with a laptop and not the purchase the standalone unit. Cost isn't quite as prohibitive and that means more money for replacement parts. Maybe some upgrades too, ya never know


Thanks again for extra responses!!
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      01-17-2020, 10:21 AM   #10
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you'll obviously need a new battery if it hasn't been disconnected or on a maintainer.

but in my experience of pulling cars out from fields, that's the process to get them running again.

I would not purchase anything except the bare minimum to make it run again, and then take any age/sitting related things as they come.
Most of it will be perfectly fine.
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      01-17-2020, 11:34 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nsjames View Post
you'll obviously need a new battery if it hasn't been disconnected or on a maintainer.

but in my experience of pulling cars out from fields, that's the process to get them running again.

I would not purchase anything except the bare minimum to make it run again, and then take any age/sitting related things as they come.
Most of it will be perfectly fine.
OP, nsjames is spot on in his advice. There are a lot of BMW owners that go way overboard on maintenance and parts replacement. All modern cars are designed to last in harsh environmental conditions and don't deteriorate in 3 years. Driveline fluids are not organic materials, so they don't have a specific shelf life. For chemical reactions to occur, there has to be a catalyst, sitting dormant for a few years is not going to change the chemistry of the coolant, or lubricants. Ozone can be detrimental to some plastics and rubber, but ns's advice is sound, review and replace components if they fail; you don't need to rebuild the entire car.
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      01-17-2020, 04:09 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
OP, nsjames is spot on in his advice. There are a lot of BMW owners that go way overboard on maintenance and parts replacement. All modern cars are designed to last in harsh environmental conditions and don't deteriorate in 3 years. Driveline fluids are not organic materials, so they don't have a specific shelf life. For chemical reactions to occur, there has to be a catalyst, sitting dormant for a few years is not going to change the chemistry of the coolant, or lubricants. Ozone can be detrimental to some plastics and rubber, but ns's advice is sound, review and replace components if they fail; you don't need to rebuild the entire car.
This is way easier on the pocket book. In this case, the car runs and drive and the only real glaring issue is the transmission. Since the car is only going to drive 3 miles from a train station and then back for work on a daily basis should I forego diag on the transmission?
The biggest issue with it is a intermittent failure to engage from 5th to 6th when not warmed up. The car probably won't even see 6th gear on Albuquerque streets though.

Should I take the gamble and do a fluid change and mechantronics sleeves to potentially fix the relatively harsh shift down from second to first and just wait for the tranny to fry itself and then go for a refurb?


This is going to be stupid to a lot of people in here who are financially better off than I am but i have an unhealthy attachment to the car lol. My DD right now is a 2016 4runner so I'm planning on (over time) putting good money back into the Bimmer to keep it around. My theory is that as long as you have the money and the ability, in theory, i should be able to keep the thing around even if its not really a monetarily intelligent choice lol.

Last edited by csquared013; 01-17-2020 at 04:10 PM.. Reason: typo
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      01-17-2020, 04:37 PM   #13
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I would service it, before it ends up being a thousand dollar transmission replacement.

if it just wants a fluid change and the mecha sleeve service, you can get it done for a couple hundo.

look at it this way.
You can gamble a few hundred bucks now and it may be fine for the life of the car, or you can certainly spend a few thousand in the near future after it fails.
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      01-17-2020, 05:30 PM   #14
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^^ good call, I appreciate the advice. I’ll snag a code reader when I get the car down to NM just to see what the car is trying to tell me, and then will plan on doing fluid and sleeves. Glad there are good videos out there since I don’t know squat about transmissions.
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      01-18-2020, 09:04 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csquared013 View Post
This is way easier on the pocket book. In this case, the car runs and drive and the only real glaring issue is the transmission. Since the car is only going to drive 3 miles from a train station and then back for work on a daily basis should I forego diag on the transmission?
The biggest issue with it is a intermittent failure to engage from 5th to 6th when not warmed up. The car probably won't even see 6th gear on Albuquerque streets though.

Should I take the gamble and do a fluid change and mechantronics sleeves to potentially fix the relatively harsh shift down from second to first and just wait for the tranny to fry itself and then go for a refurb?


This is going to be stupid to a lot of people in here who are financially better off than I am but i have an unhealthy attachment to the car lol. My DD right now is a 2016 4runner so I'm planning on (over time) putting good money back into the Bimmer to keep it around. My theory is that as long as you have the money and the ability, in theory, i should be able to keep the thing around even if its not really a monetarily intelligent choice lol.
I'd have a professional BMW shop perform a BG flush on the trans and change the fluid/filter. Reset the adaptations and see what she does.

I have to say, driving a BMW just 3 miles one way to work a day is not healthy for the car. You may have battery issues if you don't drive it some distance on the weekends or keep the car on a battery maintainer. If I were you, I'd go buy a used EV like a Mitsu MiEV. Dirt cheap because the range sucks on them (but you don't need range).
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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      01-18-2020, 09:29 AM   #16
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Don't do a tranny flush, they stir up problems. A fluid change is good but I would never flush a tranny.
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      01-18-2020, 11:28 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csquared013 View Post
^^ good call, I appreciate the advice. I’ll snag a code reader when I get the car down to NM just to see what the car is trying to tell me, and then will plan on doing fluid and sleeves. Glad there are good videos out there since I don’t know squat about transmissions.
the ZF isn't hard to service.
new pan/filter, the sleeve seal, fluid, that's about it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TunafishE93 View Post
Don't do a tranny flush, they stir up problems. A fluid change is good but I would never flush a tranny.
depends on the machine they use to do it.
some of them just connect at the trans cooler line and the transmission actually pumps out it's own fluid while a divided tank pumps in new. there's no extra pressure or anything in the system.

That's how I DIY fluid changes as well. It's kind of a PITA, but you can accomplish the same thing with some hose and a bucket.

disconnect trans line, start car, pump out 3-4 quarts of fluid in your marked container, put 3-4 quarts back in the pan, repeat until clean fluid.
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      01-19-2020, 03:32 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
I'd have a professional BMW shop perform a BG flush on the trans and change the fluid/filter. Reset the adaptations and see what she does.

I have to say, driving a BMW just 3 miles one way to work a day is not healthy for the car. You may have battery issues if you don't drive it some distance on the weekends or keep the car on a battery maintainer. If I were you, I'd go buy a used EV like a Mitsu MiEV. Dirt cheap because the range sucks on them (but you don't need range).
yeah I'm really not thrilled about the short distance. i guess i could just alternate cars maybe? right now its going to be taking the 4runner to the train and then the BMW when i get off the train to get to work. 60ish mile ride through the wonderful mountains of NM if i don't take the train.
I love the idea of going EV but then i couldn't justify shipping the BMW out here and keeping it hahaha
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      01-19-2020, 05:33 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csquared013 View Post
yeah I'm really not thrilled about the short distance. i guess i could just alternate cars maybe? right now its going to be taking the 4runner to the train and then the BMW when i get off the train to get to work. 60ish mile ride through the wonderful mountains of NM if i don't take the train.
I love the idea of going EV but then i couldn't justify shipping the BMW out here and keeping it hahaha
How many miles does the 330i have on it?
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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      01-25-2020, 04:24 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
How many miles does the 330i have on it?
sorry for the delay, all. Just started a new job down here and the time commitment was higher than expected with a drive from Santa Fe to ABQ daily.

the 330 has about 154,000 miles. lots of work was done before it was left to sit for a few years which is the other reason i don't want to just let it go.
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      01-26-2020, 06:47 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by csquared013 View Post
sorry for the delay, all. Just started a new job down here and the time commitment was higher than expected with a drive from Santa Fe to ABQ daily.

the 330 has about 154,000 miles. lots of work was done before it was left to sit for a few years which is the other reason i don't want to just let it go.
Sounds like it is worth the investment for a few more repairs.
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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