BOC Administrator

Glad you've got a successful (and cheaper) outcome. If you're using the car in Spain for a prolonged period, I was reading an article yesterday saying that the authorities are only allowing a foreign registered car to stay in the country for no longer than one month. Not sure if that affects you?

Oh I see what you mean, sorry misunderstood. If the coolant temperature is not raised enough then that is one issue, however, it could be the heater matrix isn't receiving hot coolant due to it being blocked or similar. Probably the best way is to get a cheap infra-red temperature gun similar to this link and then probe the hoses to see where it is circulating, or not as the case may be. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Infrared-Handheld-Temperature-Gun-Thermometer-Non-Contact-IR-Laser-Point/332426284743?epid=1756017825&hash=item4d66268ec7:g:tZEAAOSwyGZZ8ZGh

Hi Paul...welcome to the Forum I am assuming that it is operating correctly now and was not beforehand. Most windscreens demist settings are variable as you may only want to keep it lower depending on outside temperature to compensate.

Hi Paul....welcome to the Forum It depends on what type of headlights you have, e.g. Xenons, Halogen, etc.... The easiest way is to park up in front of a wall at night and put the headlights on dip beam to see if the beam is flat or whether it kicks up to the left. Sometimes, with projector beam type you can change it by adjusting a small lever to kick up to the right hand side for Europe. Let us know what you find

The perfect car for Spain then....

can you elaborate on when and how this is occurring, thanks

Hi Michael....welcome to the Forum it does sound like a fuse issue if both seats have failed at the same time. Not sure if there is also a relay to auto-time the power supply to them. Let us know what you find Cheers Trevor

Hi Ray...welcome to the Forum Not entirely sure what is causing a rumble but I would certainly be looking for any signs of abnormal tyre wear but otherwise, it may be worth looking up some of the tyre websites that publish noise levels for different tyres and change to something with a lower rating...either that or turn up the stereo. Also, just a thought but maybe worth checking tyre pressures when cold to ensure they are not too high. Cheers, Trevor

Very nice and love the colour...always was partial to that colour. Why Left Hand Drive?

Hi Barry....welcome to the Forum Not entirely sure there was a remote fob back then....if there was then it would be easy enough to pick one up and programme it to the car...plenty of info on this site to do this. Also, I don't think they had undershields on the E36s back then....but I may be wrong, just don't remember seeing them. Feel free to post up some piccys on here would love to see the old girl. Cheers, Trevor

Heard good and bad reports on Terraclean but mostly good feedback on results .... low mileage runs on an large engine aren't good in the longterm really

Forgot about those filters Greydog surely there can't be many left driving around with them? :-)

Hi Rachel If you are seeing white smoke then that is suggestive of coolant being burnt (e.g. head gasket) To be certain, check the coolant level at the same time every day (e.g. when the engine is cold in the morning, finishing work, etc) and if it hasn't gone down then its not that. Alternatively, white smoke can be an injector fault but will need checking out by a Diesel specialist. Keep us updated on what you find Cheers, Trevor

Here's a link for Halfords... http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil?brand=Petronas&pageNo=1&pageSize=21&sort=we_recommend

Try this link https://applications.castrol.com/oilselector/en_gb/c/search?_ga=2.30320191.1280854334.1508926439-1291265006.1508926439

Castrol Magnatec is a great oil but there are others that compare such as Mobil 1 and I recently tried Petronas in my Z3 and it is absolutely fine....no Vanos noise or valve rattle, and a lot cheaper as well. Halfords do great deals periodically on the above makes

The only difference between the two oils is the viscosity or as the Americans call it the 'weight' which is related to the oil flow at certain temperatures. Your engine should be fine with each although for older engines I would be tempted to go for the 10w30. However, there is a huge difference in oil quality so buy the best you can for your money.

Glad you sorted it Samuel...always a nice feeling to know it's an easy solution to resolve it.

Hi Emma As Dave has mentioned, a lot of readings can be taken to establish if a component is working, but what's important is how to move forwards from here. I would advise taking it to a Diagnostic specialist who can interpret the live data to determine the cause rather than replace any more parts. Alternatively, for the age of the car and mileage, maybe you have to consider replacing it with a new model (sounds terrible I know) but the old saying 'head and heart' Good luck with it all, Cheers Trevor

Hi Geoff...welcome to the Forum Fine looking car and in fact if you squint slightly it looks very similar to the A5 Good to have you onboard Cheers, Trevor

Glad you got it sorted....did happen to mention in my first post reply to replace the pressure cap, but at least it's running good now.

That's amazing the way some cars actually find their way home

There should also be a bleed screw just on top of the thermostat area on the engine if I remember right....a small bolt which you (carefully) loosen and it should bleed out any air through that.

Hi John...welcome to the Forum Looks like a bargain to me, as long as you know why it was stripped in the first place and where all the bits go. Good luck with it Cheers, Trevor

That's good news about the Head Gasket at least but still sounds like air in the system. If you buy a cheap infra-red temperature gun you can measure the cool spots in the cooling system....hoses, head, etc which tells you where there may be trapped air