My Cheap BMW 850i Is Unfixable-- But I Love it Anyway
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- Опубликовано: 25 янв 2018
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My father was the original owner of this car. I have so many memories driving with him in this 850. I was the 2nd owner. Thank you for putting in the effort to bring her back up to snuff. So cool to see this video!
As an 850 owner of 12 years, the drain problem solution is literally a 30 second google search away, and would cost you 10usd in capacitors, 15 minutes to remove unit from the car and 30 minutes with a soldering iron.
This car CAN be fixed, but not at a shop as they are useless on old cars like these. Get on the forums where the real knowledge is, there are people on the forums who have owned these cars for 15+ years, and there is NOT A THING that the community don't know how to fix.
And if you can't work on it yourself, alt least you know what to tell you mechanic to fix.
this guy is on it..... the caps swell up on the PCBs ... replace all Capacitors not just the ones that look or test bad.
shops dont do componenet level repair anymore...got to DIY
Hehe, I don't thing a euro car is more prone to gremlins than any other 25+ year old car, regardless of origin.
It's a well known issue with the GM2 and RM5 modules on these cars.
The caps dry out and change their value just enough for the car not going to "sleep" after 16 minutes. You are left with a 4-500mA drain instead of a 50-60mA. leading to flat batteries in 7-10 days, rather than 4-5 months.
In very rare cases there has been a drain from the one of the door locks too.
30 second google search an a DIY pops up.
Owning a car like this means you are more lightly to get help in the community than in a shop, heck, most BMW techs have never seen any of these cars.
the big question is will he read this and fix the car
WPWBigCheese probably not. To busy making videos, doing his day job and searching for useless techs ro waste more money on scans and quasi-diagnosis that don't lead anywhere. Some people think that because AutoZone does free scans then so do techs.
I had a 1999 850 before that drains the battery as well, had trouble with the electronic windows and interior lights. The culprit for all those issues was the computer module ll which was an easy fix. After repairing the module, it never had any battery draining issues, interior lights and electronic windows issues anymore and was trouble free that I used it for daily drive. It was a reliable car, very comfortable and beautiful.
When he was standing there with the dog and dark glasses,i thought he'd gone blind
1) PLEASE don’t ever jump this car from the batteries again. Sure fire way to cause electrical damage. only jump it from the terminals under the hood.
2) your electrical draw issue can likely be resolved for around $100. It is the capacitors in the general module. They need to be replaced.
3) Did the mechanic test the seat motor to ensure it’s actually the motor itself? Often times the cables get out of whack on the seats and prevent them from moving properly even though the seat motors (which are very robust) are actually working. There are replacement cables available for under $200.
We have to remember these are 25 year old cars that very few people know how to work on now because of their rarity. However, there is a huge group of enthusiasts that k ow how to fix them and are willing to help fellow owners.
If you are interested in more details on how to get her completely healthy, feel free to reach out to me directly.
We need more of this guy!!!
Hey Hoovie, did you take this man's advice? If not, see if he is right. If you did you should at the very least acknowledge his post!!
Much disappointed in Hoovie.. I get that he doesn't have time to reply to 2.3K posts. But this is the highest rating, smartest, and the most helpful.
I cringed as soon as he started walking to the back to jump it and said out loud to my wife, "That's why he has electrical issues."
Please explain why jumping from the batteries is a bad thing?
"Unfixable" translates in mechanic-speak to "unprofitable".
what do you mean?
Yeah, he even said that at 8:00
All his cars he eventually gets a return on. Fixing this = no bueno
Well, typical for BWM workshops is to repair nothing but to replace any possible and impossible part for at least €400.00 each. We had that for months until we sued - and won.
benjamin israel
it means that mechanics say its unfixable because its too much work to do for the pay and time needed to put into it
For me, probably the most beautiful coupé ever.
Simple job to install an amp meter to monitor the draw, then disconnect each component till the draw is found.
Hoovie is single-handedly paying for his mechanic's kids' university degrees.
Bingo
We have two 850's in the stable and have experienced two of your issues.
For the Seat, your issue is most likely a stretched cable that is no longer engaging. The symptom is commonly known as a "twisted seat" as there is one motor in the front that drives two cables and when one or both begin to fail the seats tend to twist. The fix is simple, and I would look for a new set of cables from a member of the community called "The Seat Guru" (no affiliation just a fan of his products) which are simple to install.
The battery drain in these cars is most likely due to a failing capacitor in the general module. This fix requires the use of a soldering iron and may be something left to a pro. There are a few repair guides out there so just do a quick google search. Fixing your existing GM will save you the hassle of getting a new replacement programmed to match your car.
Best of luck
David Friesner neither of those problems sound insurmountable. (EE here;)
No car is unfixable just got to know what your doing
Yeah, it's called doing an LS swap...
Wu Tang I’m planning to get one and LS swap it😂😂😂
@@wutang9068 nah i dont like breaking down
@@NiggaGang69 I thought you died?
I dream about this car.
Same
This car keeps me up a night 😳
Glad I’m not the only one
Your sweet dog earned you a thumbs up.
What breed is that?
the E31 was one of my dream car and still is. most of the 90's BMW has electronic issues which you will have to rely on forums and BMW communities to figure out the problem, but almost everything is fixable. at the end of the day, it is one of the best looking GT coupes ever made.
Dude that's an awsome lovable dog!!!
I've had an 840 for 7 years and 80,000 miles, mainly long distance transcontinental drives. These are complex cars but as long as you look after them they are reliable. There are excellent support websites in the USA, UK and Germany. Once you know how to fix things , they don't cost much. EG the last thing to fail on mine was the heating controller. A new one is mega bucks but thanks to online help it just needed 4 transistors soldering in the circuit board for less than 10 pounds / dollars / euros. They all drain current as the alarm runs all the time. In Europe we are not allowed guns so we need car alarms :o) , so in Europe the advice is keep it on a trickle charge. In the USA you can add a battery disconnect. If the battery is low you will have problems like limp mode... keep them charged up. I've never had a problem with engine electrics. The only time it failed to start was a blown fuse for the fuel pump. My only problems have been cooling system as it is made of plastic which becomes brittler with age.
your dog is such a good boy
Petting the dog mattered to me more than anything else in the video
install a toggle switch to disconnect the battery after every drive, low tech fix?
Had that in my old 91 Fleetwood deville, worked like a charm
Pure classic beauty. Both the 850 and the 635 CSi had (and still have) the most elegant, streamlined shape of all (recent) BMW. Gorgeous coupé.
Funny couse I owned the 1995 bmw 840 and the 1985 635 as well from Modesto CA 😢😮
@@adrianespinoza1561 Excellent taste. I almost got myself an 850 but I was already happily married with an 82 Lancia Gamma Coupé and a 78 Montreal and thank God my common sense prevailed over my heart. Needless to say, my wallet was thankful for that decision. I gifted my foster son an 88 325 Convertible when he got 18, though. A win-win move - I prevented him from buying a suicidal little turbo and I got myself a lovely open car for that occasional sunny ride.
I wonder if Hoovie's neighbors ever look out their window and wonder who the hell he is talking to...
goodgollyjosh or wonder what new hoopty he wasted his money on now
I suppose his neighbours never heard of RUclips...
His neighbors are probably well aware that this idiot is constantly mumbling to himself in his driveway. Nothing unusual. It's Hoovie.
Just imagine Scotty Kilmer's neighbors as he shouts half of a sentence at a camera, moves the camera, and shouts another half of a sentence.
djcha2305 😂 😂 😂
Your dog is like your car.. first it looks at you in complete astonishment and then it totally ignore you
I love these cars. I bought one a couple years ago. And yes it has problems but I love it! Definitely not a daily driver. Sure they cost some money to keep running but they are beautiful and nobody in your town has one and that's cool, not to mention it's by far the most gorgeous BMW ever made!
I love how pretentious he is, and self deprecating at the same time. And he always speaks of the trade offs he is willing to make. The car is a "gentleman's lounge" while still being a "complete dumpster fire". Having seen my parents 1980's 533 BMW electrical system fall apart after 5 years, I resolved the cars were just not worth the money, to buy new. As usual however, you have to pay to play. Recently I have been missing my 1971 Olds Cutlass, with its long wheelbase, effortless power, and comfortable highway ride. Along with its under the steering column A/C vent, which Hoovie would probably love. Not so much the gentleman's lounge that car, but just a great relaxing ride on the highway.
The seat headrests look like they’re floating
mupet00000 It is. Its BMW technology invented in 1987 and never replicated by anyone. Its called suspended seat technology
They are, ... it is new.
It is held from the side
The thing has been in an accident. Paint mismatch rear left fender.
The BMW Gentleman's Briefcase had me on the floor. 😁
Love Dino too!
The newer ones come with a fire extinguisher... Hey Hoovie, our 7 series AC would not command on from the DME because the auxiliary fan in front of the radiator was dead. Changed that out and voila AC again. Also the noisy AC compressor could have been simply overcharged and getting slugs of liquid refrigerant and causing a banging noise from the compressor vanes.
Great videos, I have been doing some binge watching of your channel the last few days.
Shoulda called M539 Restorations. He lives for these!
Hoovies garage. Single handedly keeping the car wizard in business since whenever he started
Gotta love that German over-engineering. Why use a simple switch when two microprocessors and 10,000 lines of code works best for the glovebox light.
Edward Cullen the cars are overly complicated even to support riding on the autobahn. Take that car to the USA, and it is just utter over engineering. Heck, a v8 auto from the '90's is overengineered. I should know, because I own one. It's an American Cadillac, and although there is nothing wrong with it, the poor Northstar doesn't get opened up, and exercised enough, and as such, it would develop sticky rings, and gummed up valves. The solution is just to take it out every few months, and ride it hard like I stole it. All we need in the USA is a simple computer controlled 8 valve 4cyl sfi engine.
Any car can become a money pit. Most American cars from the 70s through to the 90s, for example.
Bob Builder I think that the British are second germans third and italians first
@@gogogomes7025 Of course if its Lucas Electronics the Brits may snatch it back from the Germans. They are made common use of the Postive Grounding System...
I had to wait until the last second of the video to see it with the lights up, but it was worth it.
One other way to see whats drawing is to remove each fuse one at a time til you find what's drawing down the batteries, use a test meter attached to the battery, when it reads 0 you found your draw...
I love my 1991 850i. It's true there are little mechanical things that bug me and it's waaay slower than my Corvette, but it's just a completely different experience. It feels good. It looks good. And I'm going to find a way to hack that car phone back to life!
How's your car doing?
@@FroschBube I sold it a couple years back. I miss it. I wish I still had it. I'm in LA now and there's just not enough parking for multiple cars :(
@@rickdellis_ F
If it’s a battery draw issue Hoovie then just put a quick connect kill switch on the negative terminal. I did the same exact thing to my 85 Corvette last night because it has a slow draw and if you don’t start it within a day it’ll die. So now I just pop the hood, flip the switch attached to the terminal and I’m good! No more jumping or hurting my battery.
Sir, that is one gorgeous vehicle. Timeless, too.
0:18
Hoovie - ''I'm starting to adopt the BMW owners lifestyle'
Dogo - 'I'm out'
During the intro, if you blur your eyes just right the rear of the car seems to have an awesome spoiler provided by the rear panel of the Jeep c pillars. Anyone else see it?
Yea, I see it....Wish I hadn't had the 2nd look now... LOL
That bummer looks great for the age. Wouldn’t think it was nearly 30 years old.
A great job hosting this. Very funny!
Glad to see im not the only one who talks to his dog like that! :)
Install a Battery Kill Switch. My dad had the same Problem on his Peugeot 205 Gti, we installed one, and now you just have to flick a switch before you go out and drive. And that's way better than having to jump the car every time you want to start it ;)
for anyone wondering why the headrest is floating...
the headrest is mounted from the side of the seat rather than from behind or above.
HoLDoN4Sec i
No shit sherlock
You know what other car had that insane luxury space age design? The 1987 FWD corolla hatchback.
Install a kill switch for the battery, and ignore all the other problems, oh and just pull the seat apart enough that you can crank the height down to a driveable location. That car has timeless lines!
I cant believe I didnt notice that!
*because there is no b pillor (i don't know if i wrote that right)
Dino is so cool, he is like"what ever, just scratch my neck would ya?"
the backseats joke was funny. you make good vids.thanks!
Is it just me or do I feel like Im watching the titanic of car owners, "its not sinking, its just floating a little less, onwards and upwards"
I love your dog! You should feature him more!
David Keleshian what breeed is dino?
He's not my dog...He looks like a mix.
Love the Briefcase bit!!
LOL good stuff bro! Just found your channel today and am enjoying the content. I look forward to following you moving forward. 👍
Battery disconnect switch... FTW!
Yep - people don't understand that cars designed for comfort are just better than "sporty" cars (what "sports" are people expecting to do in a diesel Audi with 20" wheels?).
People are idiots.
never change, hoovie
Hoovie: buys an 8 series
Wizard: buys a house
I own a 1991 850, my dad owned it before as a project and just didnt have time to keep working on it. Long story short, iv learned a lot about this car trying to bring it back to drivable state in the last year of ownership. I can tell you that a lot of the problems are E31 specific. Iv spent hours on forums, talking to other E31 owners, online research and found a few E31 specific groups on facebook and some of the members are long time E31 people who know the car like the back of their hand. Its fixable, trust me. Just need patience, and a wiring diagram. lol
Mainly here for that adorable doggo...
Also, the t-shirt and sport coat look made me think you were rob spighetti.
The dog was looking like he loves that damn car more than me😂😂😂
***Pets the dog..
** Completly forgets he's recording a video..
Parasitic Draw...sounds like one of my old girlfriends.
arsenio ovs
Damn old people, old people do have sex, never talk about it!!!!!!!!
I'm glad you made it out, comrade. Some unlucky chap after you probably didn't.
LoloL
Temporarily...Add a switch to disconnect the battery, when not in use...Turn the switch on, and then start the motor when you wish to drive it.
This car is awesome when it is in good hands!
great review, thanks
When the dog is only there for the shot and you run out of treats.
put in a battery kill switch
"gangster's pose" ... so funny. thanks for this video. Thoroughly amused.
It’s more like the sealed battery in alarm siren, or bad light module. Could be blower resistor toward rear passenger side. Do a draw test and see what system drawing current. I had to dump 4K into my 7 series to get it close to 100 percent. Did the work myself had to pretty much replace all gasket and plastic parts when rebuilding motor and transmission. One of the nicest feel ride once issues are corrected. I just wish BMW used better plastics that didn’t deteriorate as bad.
A high performance EV conversion of one of these is the perfect update to it.
Damien macguire, the most boring interesting man on RUclips, recently did this with his panzer project, using a Tesla power unit for that sweet torque.
Dino was like "fu*k this i'm out" lol
I had a dark green 850i,,,loved it
Welcome to the world of classic car ownership. Your 850i looks wonderful.
Hopefully you will persevere and ultimately get all the issues solved.
The major problem with repair and servicing of cars of this age and complexity is finding a knowledgeable specialist.
Most technicians will either have never been trained or worked on vehicles of this age ir haven't worked on them in decades. Finding a specialist is key, my suggestion would be internet owners forums are a source of information.
Hoovies garage is turning into an animal channel
Try replacing the ignition switch to fix the battery draw.
Hey hoovie I love your channel !
I remember getting into one of these at the dealership when new. I was like 14 but they were awesome then and still so cool. I don’t hate BMW’s but don’t love em either except this one.
check the grounds for the batteries and chassis grounds. I had similar issues, nothing a scuff pad and time can fix. hope this helps.
also Erasers for the electric connections, as Brass Erodes, you cant see it but it does, and gets like a slick on it, had it happen on of all things the connections to my computers old router, just rubbed it down and it gave a noticeable difference in the quality of my connection.
and if it works on that, god only knows what it would do with a BMW like that, just make sure its unplugged first! lol
Dino seems like an awesome dog. A credit to his human =)
he seems very intelligent
between that and the the vantage damn man you got a couple of really impressive coupes...
Love this car ! Thank you !
You need to find my old 1977 Mercedes 6.9 you two were made for eachother. Dont worry I already put $50,000 into repairs for it so you just need to cough up the rest :-)
there is a module to regulate between the two batteries one of the batteries is deep cycle and not for starting the car.because most car sales guys are dumber than a box of hammers they head straight to the battery to jump start car instead of positive post in the engine bay.the resulting spike will damage module and maybe others further up the chain like lighting or heating module causing strange faults and current draws.pinched wiring looms can have same effect.
love the levitating headrests
7:22 "Wha- oh you're talking to the camera... *Walks away*"
mabye you should have an easy access kill switch built into this car for the battery energy draw lol
You should take it to Tavarish
Love your style. Good video 😊.
The engine is 2 engines in one. However the m70 and m73 are both considered very bullet proof … added complexity requires replacing some items down the road. These are like an airplane that periodic maintenance should be expected especially on higher mile examples…the engine usually is not the problem…it’s rather the electrical convenience of all the goodies. Rubber, plastic, suspension … buy the best quality batteries.
Old cars…stuff brake .. GOT TO LOVE THE TOURQ AND SMOOTHNESS!
WHAT! FLOATING HEAD RESTS
Love My old e34 525 Always starts after 340000km
Only setback is the rust, always a struggle on the vinter, holding it nice from the salt on the roads...
The dog said well i see where this is going 😂
Best part other than the ride of course, was the precious puppy!...... Good puppy....
The BMW briefcase had me laughing the entire video so I have no idea what you said
If you can unbolt your drivers seat for access to the bad position motor you can manually lower the position with a torx driver as a temporary fix to get you in a more comfortable spot.
I’m sure it’s gone by now but I would love to sort this car mechanically out if I could afford it, I’m nerding out on this car it’s so beautiful. Alas hoovie wouldn’t have kept this hooptie so long so now I will cry myself to sleep watching Car Issues on demand. Great video? Great car.
That’s the nicest dog I’ve ever seen.
Is the headrest floating ?
Wow, Dino is a cute dog. Loved seeing him.
Cars like this have so many electronic modules that develope cold solder joints in side, especially bad solder joints where the harness connectors attach to the pc boards. Go through every module and check/resolder all the connectors..and things will work like magic!
motors are very reliable. if you get the voltage issues fixed, the car will be really enjoyable for you to drive. i daily my 750 with the M73 and it's been great to me. pretty fun to work on, rebuilt the top half for preventative maintenance and did all the ignition parts. only time it left me stranded was when the alternator failed.
You're never suppose to jump BMW's from the trunk, they all have jumping points in the engine bay. Probably ok on one this old, but still not a good idea. I do not buy the 'car is unfixable' line for one second. Take your car to a highly recommended specialist, not someone who calls themselves a 'wizard'. Every BMW is fixable unless the body/frame is literally falling apart. Pretty much every other part is replaceable, name something that is not.. The electrical problems you're describing (new battery going dead in 1 week) can only really be caused by a parasitic draw (which is very common especially on vehicles from this period which often had aftermarket alarms installed), or a shit alternator. Missing relays could also be the cause of 'electrical gremlins' or things not working properly, again something you should have a specialist look at. Depending on if you're willing to put the money into the car, and take it to the right people, every single thing you described is 100% fixable. The other issue you mentioned about the A/C also sounds like you got 100% ripped off. He basically just threw every part at it (stealership tactics) and on top of that fucked something up so badly it didn't even work after. Wiring diagrams for these cars are available, he just wasn't able to find it. You're literally describing a bad mechanic, not a bad car. Everything described is as if you took your cars to any general mechanic who works on whatever comes through their doors. Take it to someone who only looks at BMW, and knows these cars inside and out
Bmw Fanboy comment. Yes any problem can be fixed but a bunch of minor issues eventually add up to be the price of the car or better when your purchasing on the used market. I like BMW they're Nice cars but they're built for the design not the wallet or for a easy cheap repair. Not the fault of the brand just what you get when you want everything in a small form and to be powerful both mechanically and electrically. He also hasn't taken it to "the car wizard" yet, Listen and he says he brung it to another mechanic. Not every car is worth the repair, Thats why you see these cars along side mitsubishis and hondas on the used market for just a few grand in nice shape. You can take care of them all you want but somethings going to go wrong either way, just how luxury cars work. I know people who bought them brand new and upkept it yet still had major $1000+ bills under a year in and less then 100k miles. Again, Not saying its a bad car, Just not everything is worth the cost to fix. if you dont believe me look on craigslist you find them either under 100k miles because theyre trying to recoup some money or just over 100k with some problems and beyond that is a mechanic special. Even mustangs and corvettes can be found running strong at 200k but to see a bmw that isnt trashed by then is someone who really loved the car and didnt mind the wallet being empty to keep it living.
Anything can be fixed, except for the hole in your wallet...
BMW Australia and its dealers have a unique procedure to repair of any issue. Just exchange used parts for new until the issue or issues are resolved. Than present the customer with an invoice that exceeds the cars value by 200 % !!! .BMW is another manufacturer of complete irrelevance.
bpastorb n
You are correct. The problem is, there were very few of these sold(compared to other series), so only a limited number of BMW certified mechanics "studied" the 8 series maintenance.
However, this car is a piece of art and so these are the three things that Hoovies should do:
-Fix it
-Detail it
-Preserve it
Don't worry about the turn signals, they never worked anyway.
Love that front end. Not a Beemer fan, but that one is really sharp.
I am a simple man. I see an 850i, a doggo and a blazer, I hit like