528i in France

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Hello from France.
My name is Lionel and I’ve just acquired a 1983 528i.

2 owners, high mileage, low options and in a dark shade of grey that I dislike and swore to never buy again. But hey, it’s an e28 and it was cheap…ish. That car has been on my bucket list for a long time.

It sat for 17 years before the previous owner put it back on the road, got it French-“MOT” certified and sold it to me. So let’s say that it’s not a showroom or museum piece…

From what I gathered scrolling through this forum is that my car suffers from all the usual problems:

· Dead gauge cluster (which was replaced with one from a different car: wrong max speed and rpm…)
· Shady wiring
· Shady vacuum lines
· Old & tired suspension
· Finicky contacts in the taillights
· Dry & torn window gaskets
· Destroyed chrome windshield trims
· Faded black trim
· Leaky exhaust
· Etc…

Apart from that, it’s great! It drives straight and pulls very strong. No damage or rust apart for tiny spots.

I was quite surprised of how “powerful” it feels. During the first test drive, the previous owner tried to show off and got it to 100mph between 2 roundabouts… “It’s good, huh? Just be very careful in the rain, it likes to spin around!”… Very reassuring.
My only complain is that you really have to push 1st and 2nd gear in city driving or otherwise the clutch will make the whole car jolts and buckles around… guess it was made for the autobahn and not town streets! 2000+ rpm only!

I drove it around 500 miles already (no spinning) and I love it. I already solved a few issues and gathered a few parts:
The “inspection light” now shuts up most of the time, I got music via my high school days cassette-adaptor, bought a brand new Simons exhaust line to hopefully solve the huffing of exhaust fumes in the cabin, some bits & bobs from e28 Goodies and I’m actively looking for some cool 16’’ wheels to ditch the 14’’ Mahle

I’m still discovering it, learning, checking stuff and adding parts to the long grocery list. I have yet to clean it as it is filthy.
There are still a few mysteries:
No radio antenna… No trace of it, none. I only found the wire in the boot but nowhere to actually install one. No “528i” emblem on the back or side markers and a tiny rear sway bar… Everywhere I read it should be a 15.5mm but I measure 12.5…

But hey, that’s part of ownership of an old car.

I’m looking forward to learn from you guys, I already read Rod's Automobile Pages twice back to back.
I’ll get better pictures soon but right now it’s on jacks in my dad’s garage…

Cheers.


Image

(That M badge is gone, I promise)
John in VA
Posts: 5278
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Leesburg, VA

Re: 528i in France

Post by John in VA »

Welcome! It seems you are on the proper track making the car reliable.
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Hello Lionel, I´m Aldo from Chile.

I have an 87' e28 525ia serviced mainly by myself (DIY'r) in every parts of the car, so if you need some info about anything do not hesitate to ask.

About your mysteries:

- Rear stabilizer: 528i up to 09/84 was 12 mm; 13 mm from 09/84 up to 04/86 and 15,5mm from 04/86
- Antenna was an optional when new, so maybe never was installed....usually was mounted on rear right side
- Same with "528i" emblem...was an optional "Not to be added any emblem" when new.

Your car looks great.

Greetings,
Aldo
1st 5er
Posts: 21718
Joined: Jun 13, 2008 12:15 AM
Location: Cypress
Contact:

Re: 528i in France

Post by 1st 5er »

Nice whip.
The rear headrest are a nice option.
dsw99a
Posts: 405
Joined: Jan 07, 2012 5:22 AM
Location: Hawaii

Re: 528i in France

Post by dsw99a »

Kudos!!

Beautiful Ride.
You are on the right track, AND- in the right place to keep these vintage cars on the road and running well.
I wish there were other things in this world that are as reliable as these cars when maintenance is paramount.
I identify as "vintage" BMW :laugh:

Bienvenidos!! Welcome


Looking forward to more pics and posts.

d.wil
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: 528i in France

Post by Mike W. »

Welcome to the group! And nice looking car, it shows well.

Related to some of your problems with it are the individual instruments can usually be swapped out in the cluster to retain the proper speed and RPM. Often the taillights are a ground issue on the taillight itself, they folded over one piece of sheet metal on another, without a screw or rivet or connecting wire and over the years and often leaking taillight seals it tends to make less than a perfect connection. The windshield trim has been a problem since E12s back in the early 70s, and if often discussed, I think there's a thread on it currently. Clutch shudder can be bad motor or tranny mounts, a bad clutch itself and or a flywheel that needs surfacing. Also a valuable resource in case you haven't run across it yet is Realoem. It's not perfect, but it's very good and usually correct. https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgr ... 8-BMW-528i
Panici
Posts: 217
Joined: Aug 07, 2014 2:04 AM
Location: Canada

Re: 528i in France

Post by Panici »

Looking good!
Interesting about the rear swaybar changes throughout the years.
Might be able to pick up a larger bar from a later car for less bodyroll.
Federico
Posts: 545
Joined: Sep 16, 2013 6:38 PM
Location: Argentina / California

Re: 528i in France

Post by Federico »

Welcome! That's a nice 528i
Don't worry about the city driving; you are not the only one to have discovered this:

Image

Of course, poor idle and clutch performance make it worse, but you will learn to drive it smoothly eventually :laugh:
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Aldo525 wrote: Nov 09, 2022 3:33 PM About your mysteries:

- Rear stabilizer: 528i up to 09/84 was 12 mm; 13 mm from 09/84 up to 04/86 and 15,5mm from 04/86
- Antenna was an optional when new, so maybe never was installed....usually was mounted on rear right side
- Same with "528i" emblem...was an optional "Not to be added any emblem" when new.
Seriously? They reinforced the rear sway bar TWICE in 2 years?!
Damn… I need to invest then! In something from Ireland Engineering maybe?

Thank you for your help!
Visited Chile once and absolutely loved it! Would love to go back.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Mike W. wrote: Nov 09, 2022 11:07 PM Welcome to the group! And nice looking car, it shows well.
Thanks for the tips!
I have the original gauge cluster but the board is dead from the battery leaking and the rpm needle is all wonky. I found a tutorial on YouTube on how to remove the needles but the guy didn’t bother to explain how to put them back…

I’ll check the motor & tranny mounts, wouldn’t hurt to replace them anyway.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Federico wrote: Nov 10, 2022 7:05 AM Welcome! That's a nice 528i
Don't worry about the city driving; you are not the only one to have discovered this:

Of course, poor idle and clutch performance make it worse, but you will learn to drive it smoothly eventually :laugh:
Good to know! I definitely need to adjust the idling speed but it must be a BMW thing: I’ve had an e46 M3 with the SMG gearbox for a few years and that thing hated city driving…
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 10, 2022 12:49 PM
Aldo525 wrote: Nov 09, 2022 3:33 PM About your mysteries:

- Rear stabilizer: 528i up to 09/84 was 12 mm; 13 mm from 09/84 up to 04/86 and 15,5mm from 04/86
- Antenna was an optional when new, so maybe never was installed....usually was mounted on rear right side
- Same with "528i" emblem...was an optional "Not to be added any emblem" when new.
Seriously? They reinforced the rear sway bar TWICE in 2 years?!
Damn… I need to invest then! In something from Ireland Engineering maybe?

Thank you for your help!
Visited Chile once and absolutely loved it! Would love to go back.
Glad to ear you visited Chile...welcome again with your e28 anytime... :laugh:

And I believe you can swap the existing stabilizer bar to a 15,5 mm just plug and play....OEM number is 33551128391 and there are some on eBay. Just need new rubber mountings 33551129225 and 1/2 hour job.
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: 528i in France

Post by Mike W. »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 10, 2022 12:53 PM
Mike W. wrote: Nov 09, 2022 11:07 PM Welcome to the group! And nice looking car, it shows well.
Thanks for the tips!
I have the original gauge cluster but the board is dead from the battery leaking and the rpm needle is all wonky. I found a tutorial on YouTube on how to remove the needles but the guy didn’t bother to explain how to put them back…

I’ll check the motor & tranny mounts, wouldn’t hurt to replace them anyway.
Just by unscrewing things you can remove the speedometer and tach seperately and probably put them in your new cluster. It's not a sealed assembly you can't do anything with. No need to do anything with the needles.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Mike W. wrote: Nov 10, 2022 3:22 PM Just by unscrewing things you can remove the speedometer and tach seperately and probably put them in your new cluster. It's not a sealed assembly you can't do anything with. No need to do anything with the needles.
Oh yeah, apart from the crumbly ribbon cables, the overhaul of the cluster seems to be « easy ». I’ve already dismantled the original cluster and will swap the counters to the cluster currently in the car and remove the batteries.

Image

My only problem is that the rev needle is wonky… and that will bother like crazy if I leave it as it is. Is « unscrewing it » an actual technique, what are the odds of breaking it?
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Small update:

The Simons exhaust is on and the car sounds great but not aggressively. Unfortunately, I still have a major exhaust leak as the weld on the portside downpipe is badly cracked. So I’m looking into more parts as driving like this is awful especially since it’s cold out now.

I also need to replace all vacuum lines… idling is really bad (surging and smoking) and the car seems to run rich. I haven’t located the idle control valve yet.
I’ll also order a bunch of sensors, like the O2, to freshness up the fuel system a bit and try to help it run better. Maybe get better gas mileage as well… that would be nice!

Image

Notice the lack of 528i emblem and antenna. Anyone know where I can get a third brake light?
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 5:33 AM
Mike W. wrote: Nov 10, 2022 3:22 PM Just by unscrewing things you can remove the speedometer and tach seperately and probably put them in your new cluster. It's not a sealed assembly you can't do anything with. No need to do anything with the needles.
Oh yeah, apart from the crumbly ribbon cables, the overhaul of the cluster seems to be « easy ». I’ve already dismantled the original cluster and will swap the counters to the cluster currently in the car and remove the batteries.

Image

My only problem is that the rev needle is wonky… and that will bother like crazy if I leave it as it is. Is « unscrewing it » an actual technique, what are the odds of breaking it?
Hello, needles can be removed by pulling/pry gently, not unscrew it. If the speedo meter don't work the most common problem is broken gears....really easy to replace. In your case (Km/h, like me) you need a gear kit 48/12 + 48/13 + 12 (teeth). Finally, if the gauges (temp and econometer) don't work even after the batteries replacement, you can buy a new circuit board (at eBay) to replace the old one and this new version doesn't use any batteries. If you need any help on this send me a message.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 7:23 AM Hello, needles can be removed by pulling/pry gently, not unscrew it. If the speedo meter don't work the most common problem is broken gears....really easy to replace. In your case (Km/h, like me) you need a gear kit 48/12 + 48/13 + 12 (teeth). Finally, if the gauges (temp and econometer) don't work even after the batteries replacement, you can buy a new circuit board (at eBay) to replace the old one and this new version doesn't use any batteries. If you need any help on this send me a message.
The « unscrewing » method comes from this YouTube tutorial by Ivo Christov but I’m to scared to try yet… and the dude forgot to tell people how to put them back!

I have a new 12 teeth gear from e28Goodies as well as their shift light conversion board.
I didn’t know about the new version of the board, I’ll have to check it out.
Federico
Posts: 545
Joined: Sep 16, 2013 6:38 PM
Location: Argentina / California

Re: 528i in France

Post by Federico »

For diagnosing the L-Jet, I reccommend the follwing website: https://hpsimotorsports.com/blogs/tech-articles
It has useful guides to testing every component, even though it's mostly for alfas.

As for the idle control valve (aux air valve), it is located below the rubber intake hose and the throttle. Read one of the above guides to learn about it.
There's also an idle screw next to it, a small aluminum cylinder thingy.

You probably don't have an 02 sensor. Maybe some market had it but most did not.

Finally, here's a photo I posted a while ago with the correct location for the vacuum hoses in case you need it:

Image
Federico
Posts: 545
Joined: Sep 16, 2013 6:38 PM
Location: Argentina / California

Re: 528i in France

Post by Federico »

Also, it's handy to have this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mmYLAE ... sp=sharing
That's the engine wiring
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 8:22 AM
Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 7:23 AM Hello, needles can be removed by pulling/pry gently, not unscrew it. If the speedo meter don't work the most common problem is broken gears....really easy to replace. In your case (Km/h, like me) you need a gear kit 48/12 + 48/13 + 12 (teeth). Finally, if the gauges (temp and econometer) don't work even after the batteries replacement, you can buy a new circuit board (at eBay) to replace the old one and this new version doesn't use any batteries. If you need any help on this send me a message.
The « unscrewing » method comes from this YouTube tutorial by Ivo Christov but I’m to scared to try yet… and the dude forgot to tell people how to put them back!

I have a new 12 teeth gear from e28Goodies as well as their shift light conversion board.
I didn’t know about the new version of the board, I’ll have to check it out.
Check the others gears as well, not only the smallest 12 teeth. In my case all the gears was broken or really brittle. The video shows the latest cluster and by your photos and car year, your cluster is the early version, they are different inside (same shape outside, except service lights, but internally the circuit board are completely different). The rotation method is just to remove the needles, they have not "bolt thread", so you can use that method to remove the needles and after that "push" the needle into the instrument.

The right electronic board for your cluster is: 62111394270. Look that number at eBay, is developed by a US company Programainc...not cheap but good quality. There is another version without the service lights cheaper than the US option. In my experience, the main problem are the batteries but that is solved using new batteries or the circuit replacement, but no bad service lights (I mean, maybe the shift light conversion board you bought is not the solution on your dashboard problem...)

Image
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Federico wrote: Nov 22, 2022 9:13 AM For diagnosing the L-Jet, I reccommend the follwing website: https://hpsimotorsports.com/blogs/tech-articles
It has useful guides to testing every component, even though it's mostly for alfas.
Thank you very much! Lots of useful information there.
I already stumbled on HPSI’s website looking for their vacuum hose kits. It’s quite confusing to look for 528i information on American websites and/or with American suppliers as they tend to speak either about the 528e or the 535i so as a beginner I don’t know if any of this is relevant to my car.

Thank you for the electrical wiring as well, I’ll print it ASAP.
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 9:36 AM Check the others gears as well, not only the smallest 12 teeth. In my case all the gears was broken or really brittle. The video shows the latest cluster and by your photos and car year, your cluster is the early version, they are different inside (same shape outside, except service lights, but internally the circuit board are completely different). The rotation method is just to remove the needles, they have not "bolt thread", so you can use that method to remove the needles and after that "push" the needle into the instrument.

The right electronic board for your cluster is: 62111394270. Look that number at eBay, is developed by a US company Programainc...not cheap but good quality. There is another version without the service lights cheaper than the US option. In my experience, the main problem are the batteries but that is solved using new batteries or the circuit replacement, but no bad service lights (I mean, maybe the shift light conversion board you bought is not the solution on your dashboard problem...)
I’ll try removing one needle first and see how it goes.
I’m trying to get rid of the service lights as I’m trying to simplify the system and make it more reliable cheaply. The shift light conversion was never meant as a solution, more as a fun bypass of the problem.

Besides a stuck gas gauge needle and an in precise temp gauge, the cluster currently in the car works quite well.
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 10:27 AM
Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 9:36 AM Check the others gears as well, not only the smallest 12 teeth. In my case all the gears was broken or really brittle. The video shows the latest cluster and by your photos and car year, your cluster is the early version, they are different inside (same shape outside, except service lights, but internally the circuit board are completely different). The rotation method is just to remove the needles, they have not "bolt thread", so you can use that method to remove the needles and after that "push" the needle into the instrument.

The right electronic board for your cluster is: 62111394270. Look that number at eBay, is developed by a US company Programainc...not cheap but good quality. There is another version without the service lights cheaper than the US option. In my experience, the main problem are the batteries but that is solved using new batteries or the circuit replacement, but no bad service lights (I mean, maybe the shift light conversion board you bought is not the solution on your dashboard problem...)
I’ll try removing one needle first and see how it goes.
I’m trying to get rid of the service lights as I’m trying to simplify the system and make it more reliable cheaply. The shift light conversion was never meant as a solution, more as a fun bypass of the problem.

Besides a stuck gas gauge needle and an in precise temp gauge, the cluster currently in the car works quite well.
Imprecise temp gauge is probably a bad temp sensor (the one with only one plug, black or white base is the sensor for temp gauge), located in the thermostat housing.
Fuel gauge stuck??...or no movement at all when ignition on??..If there is no movement the culprit could be the Fuel Sender Unit, into the fuel tank. Maybe a bad or broken cable or worse, a bad fuel sender.....very expensive and rare, there are two diferent senders, you must to remove it from the tank (from the trunk floor) and see what type you got
Engineer666
Posts: 14
Joined: Nov 09, 2022 2:40 PM
Location: France

Re: 528i in France

Post by Engineer666 »

Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 11:00 AM Imprecise temp gauge is probably a bad temp sensor (the one with only one plug, black or white base is the sensor for temp gauge), located in the thermostat housing.
Fuel gauge stuck??...or no movement at all when ignition on??..If there is no movement the culprit could be the Fuel Sender Unit, into the fuel tank. Maybe a bad or broken cable or worse, a bad fuel sender.....very expensive and rare, there are two diferent senders, you must to remove it from the tank (from the trunk floor) and see what type you got
The temp gauge barely creeps up when the car is running and I’ve seen once go up to the middle while stuck in traffic. So it does kinda work, I guess.
At that point, I want to change all sensors on the whole car!

The fuel gauge just goes straight up when the car is running but that’s it. It doesn’t move wether the tank is full or empty. It settled back down when you shut off the engine.
Aldo525
Posts: 276
Joined: Mar 24, 2021 3:04 PM
Location: CHILE

Re: 528i in France

Post by Aldo525 »

Engineer666 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 11:21 AM
Aldo525 wrote: Nov 22, 2022 11:00 AM Imprecise temp gauge is probably a bad temp sensor (the one with only one plug, black or white base is the sensor for temp gauge), located in the thermostat housing.
Fuel gauge stuck??...or no movement at all when ignition on??..If there is no movement the culprit could be the Fuel Sender Unit, into the fuel tank. Maybe a bad or broken cable or worse, a bad fuel sender.....very expensive and rare, there are two diferent senders, you must to remove it from the tank (from the trunk floor) and see what type you got
The temp gauge barely creeps up when the car is running and I’ve seen once go up to the middle while stuck in traffic. So it does kinda work, I guess.
At that point, I want to change all sensors on the whole car!

The fuel gauge just goes straight up when the car is running but that’s it. It doesn’t move wether the tank is full or empty. It settled back down when you shut off the engine.
Temp Gauge: so maybe the problem is not the gauge nor the sensor but the thermostat, the engine is running cold. Anyway, changing the sensor and the thermostat should solve that issue.

Fuel Gauge: I've removed/replaced some fuel senders and the flotator inside is prone to get stuck due to the time without movement....maybe that is the problem, I'd see that first.
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