THIS CAR LEAKS OIL!!! I was kicked out of the parking garage at work because the car leaks oil all over the place. I've been told the head gasket is the problem - and it's way too expensive too fix. I inherited the car from my father who was the original owner. My mother says it leaked oil for years, but no one my dad took it to could find the problem. My mechanic found it right away... perhaps had it been discovered sooner, it might not be in such bad shape now.
It also overheats, and cannot be driven in heat waves. The scariest thing of all, though, was when there was no water in the battery - there was a horrible, electrical burning smell, that reminded me of when I was in an office once and somebody's computer was burning. I jumped out of the car and had it towed, only to find out it was such a simple thing. So if this happens to you, just check your battery.
Depsite being a leaky mess, this car simply refuses to die. It runs and runs and runs and runs - the only time in it's 19 year history that it ever failed to start was when it needed a new battery. That battery is now 7 years old and (except for the water incident) still working. I was planning to keep it until it died, but I have reached the conclusion that it just won't die, and will keep humming away from it's grave. I must get rid of it due to numerous complaints about the mess it leaves behind. I can get another car for less than it would cost to fix it... but it still feels like I'm burying it alive.
If the only way this car offends is by leaking oil, then it seems it would make more sense to spend a few thousand dollars on a new engine, rather than go into debt by ten times that much by buying a new car...
Yeah, I think you just must spent some cash to fix the oil leaking problem. As I understood, the car runs OK, except the oil leak. And it's just cool to drive such an old car, the antiquary I would say, I think it turns eyes.
BMW engine is the least oil-leaking machine known in the human history at the moment. I really doubt that it is as serious as cylinder head malfunction because this will definitely lead to oil leaking into the cylinder(s) resulting in profound smoking - blue smoke. I would strongly recommend to check valve flap gasket first.
I, too have a 1983 733i Beamer. I love my car dearly...LoL. Purchased it used 3 years ago for 3K US. Drove it for 33K miles in 10 months!!!..That's a lot of round trips from Seattle to California. Not once did I have problems on my road trips. Got screwed once on me--broken Sprocket. Changed radiation, brakes, muffler, all of which are lifetime warranty! Didn't drive it for about a year since we had too many other cars. Now I took it out of the garage this weekend and waxed the bad boy. Looks so sweet that I got it insured and grabbed my registration sticker... now it's all set again for me to drive! :)
There's currently 2 problems I'm having with it: 1.) Leaking transmission oil, which I got diagnosed and it's coming from the gearbox. 2.) My rear suspension or shock might be screwed... the car makes a "thug-thug-thug" noise whenever I'm acceleration from 0 mph. Once the car gets going tho, the noise is gone. Anyhow, I'm getting her fixed. The engine is rebuilt, but still runs extremely well. For a 20 year old car, running 120 mph constant for 15 minutes. straight is still good!
DC.
PS. BTW, how much would it cost to get a brand new engine for it? Better yet, can I just use a newer 5 or 700 series engine in it's place? Thanks!
733's have a propensity to leak oil. Sump plate gaskets are a big problem, as are engine main seals. definitely, if you do opt to fix a gasket, get as much fixed at once as you can, because its 6-8 hours labour to yank the engine out in the first place.
As for the odd noise from the suspension it may be a warped axle (unlikely, but extremely expensive), or something as simple as rubber mountings on the suspension arms - a very cheap fix.
I believe you can retrofit a 2.8l engine from 528's and 728's into these things, as well as put in differentials from various other machines.
Another area of concern is the valves, and timing belt/chain, both of which should be got on top of ASAP. Ignition leads and the ignition system are worth keeping an eye on as there are about 5 separate versions of the thing brought out depending on whether it's an american version or a european version which can make it a pain in the buttocks to get ahold of the right parts.
The auto transmissions can go, do not rev the engine in neutral, it's bad. But you might be able to slap in a 2.8i with a getrag manual on the tail of it, in that case.
How can you blame the car when it has clearly not been looked after? Old ladies need a bit of care and attention...
As an owner of several mid 80's BMW's including an 84 733i that I dearly love and drive daily, I will pass on a couple things that may help. First the oil leak. I haven't seen a M30 engine leak oil because of a bad head gasket. These cars should have the lifters adjusted yearly and many times the cover seal leaks, but I would check the oil pressure sensor. It is on the back side of the engine and I've had a couple go on me. They work, but blow oil. Mine 733i also leaked power-steering fluid until I tightened up all the hoses.
As for the vibration at startup, if it goes thunk, thunk, thunk 10-1 it is the center drive-shaft carrier bearing.
I have a 733i from 83 and I'm thinking about selling it. Only 95K miles, but I am moving soon and although I'm attached to this baby I think it's time to let someone else enjoy her. Anyone know what it would be worth? I think I'll sell her for around $1500 since it needs a new paint job.
I am 16 and I have a 1983 BMW 733i also. I had the problem with the "THUNK, THUNK, THUNK" also, but just changed the center drive shaft carrier and that fixed it right up. It runs like a charm and love it. It leaks a little oil, but nothing to worry a lot about. I ended up getting it for free because a neighbor bought a brand new 735i and didn't want the work anymore, so I decided to take it off his hands. The acceleration of this beast impressed me and the top speed isn't bad. It beats most cars off the line and easily takes them. They are impressed and i just smile. I dont think they can take losing to it! :) I have the 5-speed Manual and absolutely love it. Nothing horribly wrong has happened yet (knock on wood) but it seems like it is a well built car. Unlike my dads Acura. I don't think I would ever give this up for anything. And yes this sounds like poor care of your car.
I have a 1982 733i that leaks a lot of engine oil. It was almost totally out of oil when I first started to drive it home, after buying it used. "High mileage" oil will slow down the leak a lot. I think it is the crankshaft front seal which does most of the leaking. I will probably never fix it, because of the cost, unless they outlaw leaky cars around here! On the plus side, everything about this car seems to be built to last. I bought it used for $1000, because it needed a brake master cylinder, which cost me a little over $200 for the part. The car has plenty of power for a 6 cylinder. I can get over 20 mpg if I drive at 62 mph. All in all, a relatively cheap car to own, except with $3.50 gas I am thinking of getting the smallest car I can find.
I have just been givin a 1983 BMW 733i, the tranny is bad, I was told a rebuilt tranny would cost me around $1500, I blue booked the car, but had to enter it as a 86 because kelly blue book won't go any older, kelly says in exc condition it would be worth around $3000, and the guy who gave it to me babyed this thing, its just cherry, aside from that tranny. Its the 5 speed and I just can't wait to get her on the road. But I think I want to rebuild the moter befor I put the new tranny in, I was hoping all you owners might be able to help me find a good site for decently priced parts!
I got my girl for $500 when she was 19 and had 240,000 miles (she is an 83). She was in decent shape aside from a little rust and some a/c and exhaust problems. She had been sitting for a while and had some dried out seals. Now I drive her pretty much on a daily basis. I found a mechanic that works exclusively on BMW and with his help have gotten her back in tip top running condition (he has re-aligned the sunroof and replaced the motor and cables, replaced the secondary engine fan, fixed the vacuum system for the A/C and replaced the control board, changed the a/c to the new coolant which works great, replaced the exhaust from the motor back. I am having a little problem with her heating up on hot days when I run the A/C, but I believe this is due to the radiator being old and corroding from the inside which is slowing the rate at which the coolant circulates. Other than that she is a beauty and a dream to drive, but she is an old car and requires constant maintenance. I could probably easily make a payment on an economy car with what I spend on her and even considered trading for a newer 7 series, but was advised by my mechanic that there are many more things to go wrong on the newer models and they all cost twice as much to repair. He says this car is a tank and I will probably never send her to her grave. I am content to stay on top of the maintenance and continue driving her indefinitely. Now I just need to get off my laim booty and get her rust taken care of, she is totally worth it.
I put in the earlier comment about my 1982 733i leaking oil. I tried using the Valvoline High Mileage > 75000 oil several times. Once with regular oil, I added Bars Leaks engine oil stop leak (petroleum distillates). Now, no more engine oil leaks at all (as long as I am careful not to overfill the oil level.) So, the engine oil stop leak and the high mileage oil really can work for this car!
Hi guys, I am going to buy a BMW 728i, year 1983, do you advise me to buy it or not?
Please I need your advice before I get it, thanks.
Could you please reply to me at my e-mail address ziad82s@hotmail.com.
Thanks, guys, have a nice day.
Alright, heres the situation. There is a 1983 BMW 733i sitting in front of my house. The gentlemen who is selling it happens to be our neighbor, I am looking for some advice or maybe information on where to get some advice on these cars. If you have any information in regards to where I can find out more about these cars please comment on this page I appreciate any and all help.