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BMW 320i Car Repair Questions and Answers

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Question: 1991 BMW 320i, stick shift mileage: 105,000. This car is old, but in very good shape. I have no complaint except... my clutch. The car runs great around town and on the highway, however at low speed in first gear or reverse, the clutch freezes up momentarily. For example, if I'm parallel parking, and have the car in reverse, I can feel the clutch lose pressure, and I have to use a great deal of effort to get the car out of gear. When I release the clutch, and push it back to the floor again, I am then usually fine. On rare occasions, I have stalled the car because the car acts just the same as if I slowed to a stop in gear without depressing the clutch pedal. This happens only at low speed, and almost always in reverse. It does not happen every time. It has happened a few times if I am in first gear. The car shifts and runs just fine otherwise. I have checked the clutch/brake fluid, the level is fine, and there seem to be no leaks. I have checked the brake/clutch fluid level, and that seems to be fine. Am I looking at a clutch replacement, master cylinder, or something cheap and easy? I want to know more about this subject before I bring it to the mechanic. Any ideas?

Answer: From what you describe, you are losing fluid from either the master or the slave cylinders. If the slave cylinder is leaking, the outside of the casting will be wet with fluid and you will occasionally have to add fluid. If the master cylinder is leaking it will wet the inside of the firewall at the clutch pedal linkage. Our bet is an internal leak on the clutch master allowing fluid to escape back into the reservoir. If that is the case, replacing the clutch master cylinder should fix your problem.

Question: 2001 BMW 320i mileage: 59,000. The normal temperature of my car is about 80 - 90 degrees. When I use the air-condition system and especially when I am in the middle of a traffic jam the temperature rises a bit higher (95 -100 deg). Is this normal? Some told me it is normal, some told me I need to change the thermostat (I live in Cyprus and it is really hot in the summer), and some told me there might be a problem with the cooling system. What's your opinion?

Answer: The temperature fluctuations that you describe while driving in traffic are normal. Your car is at an age where it would be a good idea to have the cooling system serviced, flushing the radiator, replacing the thermostat and adding new coolant.

Question: 2004 BMW 320i mileage: 38,000. I have been experiencing problems with my check engine light. I have had the engine codes looked at and it was diagnosed as the 02 sensor. So, I have replaced it. Since then, I have also replaced all of my spark plug wires and my breather tube. I am currently at a loss. The light comes on about every other day and when it does come on the engine loses acceleration power and shutters lightly. It is drivable but the problem is very noticeable. It seems to me when it all goes wrong the fuel mixture is off so the engine over compensates and is either letting too much air in or it is letting too much fuel in. Any Suggestions? What do you think is the next best step?

Answer: Rescan the computer for fault codes. It appears that another component may have failed.

Answer: Check the catalytic converter to make sure it is not plugged or restricted. If a major tune-up has not been done recently, this could be the cause of your problem. Replace the spark plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filters, etc. Also, replace the oxygen sensor. In addition, service the fuel injection system. Clean the carbon deposits from the throttle bore and idle passages.

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