Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

E28 technical advice asked and given! Troubleshooting, modifications and more.
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SpruceBringstien
Posts: 11
Joined: Apr 12, 2017 11:29 AM
Location: Los Angeles

Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by SpruceBringstien »

Friends! I have a beautiful 1985 535i that needs some love.

Had some warm/intermittant starting issues a while back and, being a stubborn idiot, replaced the usual suspects, and started messing around with wiring and fuse box.You probablly know where this is going.. :)

I have gone through the 7 stages of grief and am now... finally.. ready to admit that I am in over my head on this thing and I just want someone to do it correctly, and replace the engine wiring harness with OEM or possibly aftermarket. DME etc. When all electrical components are getting power, tthe thing starts and runs like a dream, incredible! but, after a failed attempt at grafting a new fuse box, i am ready to ask for help.
I wouldnt expect anyone to work on my failed electrical experiments so lets just say it needs all engine bay wiring.Sadly I must sell my baby so I want this to be done correctly and not look like a birds nest :)

Anybody here an expert at such things and willing to take on this job, or know a guy/gal in the greater LA area?

THANKS
SpruceBringstien
Posts: 11
Joined: Apr 12, 2017 11:29 AM
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by SpruceBringstien »

Bump... No takers eh.. troubling.. lol.

Ok how about any decent BMW mechanics in the LA area willing to work on an e28?
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by Mike W. »

Patience, it's only been a day and the forum isn't as active as it used to be. I'd probably be up to help but I'm 500 miles away. I'm not saying someone will volunteer, but it might take a week or more. Bump it again in a few days if you don't get any response, but don't do it daily.

BTW, welcome to the forum and nice offbeat handle. :up:
SpruceBringstien
Posts: 11
Joined: Apr 12, 2017 11:29 AM
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by SpruceBringstien »

Thats fair, sorry, not trying to break forum decorum. :) My resolve is strong though. When u say 500 miles.... how 500 are we talkin about?

Thanx for the reply though, Ive been lurking for some time now but not a very vocal member of the community. I am however a life-long old-bimmer lover/tinkerer... having previously dailyed a 2002, e20 318is, and now this guy.. Its cherry aside from the stupid e-lectronic stuff.. under 100k miles and stock-'plus'.. all new stock suspension, with just a couple of tasteful ireland eng. goodies thrown in for good meaure. Truly a special car to drive.

It was my daily before I fugazied the wiring harness. So I hope someone is willing to help get this thing back on the road!!

Thanx man and appreciate the welcome. Cheers

s
a
Posts: 12469
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Marshfield ,MA

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by a »

You need this :http://wedophones.com/Manuals/BMW/1987- ... Manual.pdf

If you haven't cut any wires. Put everything back where it came from. BMW wiring is pretty straightforward. The only weak spot is the fuse box.

Get somebody to stop by with a 535i Take all sorts of pictures of the intact connections. Buff up all the connections and replace them and the fuses. If the starts are intermittent still, There is a troubleshooting flow chart in the Bentley manual. The only thing that is out of whack is that after 30 yrs, the "brain" is the first thing to check by replacing with a known good unit.

Take pictures and maybe the board can help' Wiring is mostly patience. Most E28 gremlins are bad fuse connections.
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by Mike W. »

SpruceBringstien wrote: Jun 18, 2021 12:34 AM Thats fair, sorry, not trying to break forum decorum. :) My resolve is strong though. When u say 500 miles.... how 500 are we talkin about?
Probably just under, but it depends on if LA is the north end of the SF Valley or San Pedro.
LarryM
Posts: 1222
Joined: Feb 01, 2008 11:40 AM
Location: SoCal

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by LarryM »

Sorry for your situation. Wiring issues are something that not many shops (or individuals) are too excited to work on.

All I can offer is a short list of some of the best BMW shops I'm aware of in SoCal, that work on older models like ours.

Bavarian Workshop in West Hills (Marc Norris)
Avus Autosport in Glendale
Barthel Motoren Werke in Chatsworth (Bruce Barthel)
Bimmers Clinic in Reseda
La Jolla Independent in San Diego (Carl Nelson)

I'd call these shops, explain your issue, and get their input. Even if they don't have any interest in doing it (or if it sounds like they're prohibitively expensive for you) maybe...just maybe...one of them would know an individual specialist who'd be keen on tackling the rewiring of an E28 fuse box and engine bay.
SpruceBringstien
Posts: 11
Joined: Apr 12, 2017 11:29 AM
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by SpruceBringstien »

Larry, Thank you!! this is all great info.

its a real nut-kick because, i really am so close to getting it sorted on my own.. if I were to say, put voltage on the ignition, computer and fuel pump, thing statrs right up and runs like a dream.. but when i plug those relays back in theyre just not sending power where they need to be and at this point, dicking around with this thing is actually taking years off my life!

Anywho, very helpful. thanx dude.

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

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by Mike W. »

For someone with experience with them and who can read a wiring diagram, it should be a piece of cake, unlike newer stuff it's really not that complicated. You just follow the color codes on the wires. What can get sticky is if you have an intermittent component, that can just drive you nuts.
SpruceBringstien
Posts: 11
Joined: Apr 12, 2017 11:29 AM
Location: Los Angeles

Re: Looking for specialist in SoCal area (wiring harness)

Post by SpruceBringstien »

Im pretty much down to the main/fuel/dme relays and their respective wiring, not really matching up with what I have, though I should mension that I have grafted the fuse panel from another car.. while it was listed as as 535i there seem to be some differences from my original one - the car is a 1985 and that seems to have been a year when several small electronics things changed over to newer bits mid-year some time and its been a little difficult to determine what bits are right for my car.

With all that said, if I basically bypass the relays and send 12v to all the key components, car runs and drives like an absolute champ..and damn near everything works sans the high beams and wipers... even the ac is ice cold! well, as ice cold as these ever are with converted AC systems, but, still.. helpful :)

I just have to disconnect the battery when I need to park it.. which I could live without, as Im sure you can probablly imagine.

So I suppose Ill try some of the suggested local guys that will work on e28s that you kind fellas sent over. Thanx again all for the assist!!

s
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