1983 BMW 320 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual a lot miles
I drive a 1983 BMW 320i, that I got about a year and a half ago. It's been having problems (they started after I hit a classmate's car when he pulled out into my lane out of nowhere, but since I only had very minimal body damage we didn't report anything). I have already tried to fix it at my high school's auto shop (they run a business through there), and after they fixed it it worked great - until a couple months ago it started acting up again, and being in college, I need my car.
Problems:
-I noticed a long while back that my power side-mirror adjuster stopped working (could be totally unrelated, but you never know)
-It doesn't start. No turn over, nothing. It did this the first time I experienced problems, but once it was fixed, it didn't do it again until I came home for spring break this year. We charged it over the break for about an hour, and then it ran fine for about half a week - then died again. A friend of mine jumped it with his car, and it started, but had no power. It was extremely sluggish and the tachometer never went above 3. It idles really hard and once I parked and turned it off it would not turn back on again.
-As I was driving it after it had been jumped the last time, the turn signals no longer worked, and the wipers gradually slowed and then quit working as well.
-It's really slow on accelerating. Especially hills.
-The clutch doesn't like to go into 1st gear when slowing down (I don't know if that's normal, but I thought I would include it)
-The OXYGEN SENSOR light comes on, as does the battery/engine light, and the check brakes light sometimes flickers on and off, and sometimes the parking brake light comes on.
As far as additional information that might be helpful.
-The battery was replaced in Jan08 (the battery before that one was only a year old as well)
-the fuel pump relay was replaced around that same time
-the rear brake pads and rear wheel cylinders in the rear were replaced around that time
-the alternator belt was replaced around that time
-the alternator bushes were replaced around that time
-the valve cover gasket was replaced around that time
Some other funny quirks about my car (as if there weren't enough already!):
-the turn signals don't normally work in a traditional sense - I have to push the hazard light button in to get them to work
-the fuse that powers the interior lights/hazard lights/clock/turn signals (regularly) is not in place because for some reason the clock never turns off which drains the battery
-the truck seal needs replaced BADLY (it leaks so bad there is mold growing in there - does anyone know where to find a new seal and/or how to fix that?)
-there is some kind of leak in the front that lets water in the glove box
If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it! I would just go to a mechanic or something but I'm a stereotypical poor college kid who has no money what-so-ever.
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Saturday, April 18th, 2009 AT 12:01 AM
