BMW Repair: 92 BMW 318i dash warning light meaning, bmw 318i, cylinder cars


Question
Hi Josh, ok I purchased a 92 BMW 318i roughly 2 months ago. Prior to that I had knowledge that it needed an oil change, new tires, and an allignment. Well, the problem is all of those things have been done and yet this warning light has stayed on. I bought the car without a spare tire or a Manual (which clearly I needed) and i can't figure out what the warning light means. It is a circle with dashed lines surrounding it and I thought it might have been a small picture of the oil filter, meaning the oil needed to be changed. But, obviously not. Also, when I start my vehicle in the mornings or after it has been sitting a while it will start very roughly and sound like something is rattling when I bring up the RPMs, but after it goes past 3000 RPMs it goes back to sounding smooth again. My shop teacher told me it might be I need new sparkplugs and wires, is he right? Might the firing be off due to faulty plugs and wires? Oh yes, and when I start the engine the RPMs will bobble at first going from 1500 to under 1000 for mabye 4 to 5 seconds, may this be associated with the rough sounding problem? I don't know what it is and I would most appreciate it if you could get back to me as soon as possible with what you think these problems could be. Thank You very much for your time.
                                  Sincerely,
                                   Patrick


Answer
Patrick,
 Unfortunately I dont have much experience with this car/engine combination.  I'm only familiar with the older, 6 cylinder cars (for the most part).

 As far as the dash light, YOU DO NEED A MANUAL.  Call a dealership and they should be able to tell you what this light is, or at least sell you a replacement manual.  I doubt this light is for the oil, as there is a universal sign for oil with a "tea-pot" looking symbol.  You car might tell you when the oil is supposed to be changed, but that should be with a "service" light.

 As far as the car running rough, it could be a number of things.  If could be the plugs/plug wires as your teacher suggested, but it could be dirty injectors, bad fuel pump, clogged fuel filter... and a ton of additional things as well.

 I suggest you join one of the online forums that are dedicated to your vehicle.  If you've paid attention to other BMW's and noticed the numbers on the back of them.. you will notice that a 325i has been made since 1987 all the way through 2006 (with a few years being the exception).  Also you will have noticed that a 2006 325i looks quite different from an 1987 325i.  In order to tell these different "body-styles" apart BMW has E-codes.

 These E-codes are for the platform or Body-style of your 3 series, with no relation to the engine in the platform.

 1984-1991 (1992 convertible) 3 series are called "E30"

 1992-1998 (1999 for coupes) = E36  This is your car

 1999-2005 (2006 for coupes) = E46

 2006- +   E90.

 So when you are looking to join a forum, look for an E36 forum.  They should be able to help you far more than I can.

Here's a few:

www.bimmerforums.com
www.roadfly.com

 Hope this helps,
 Josh