My 93 318i is having electrical oscillation issue, PLEASE HELP!! - United Bimmer Community

**JoshsE36** · 02-04-2009, 10:47 PM

Ok, so I bought the car used at 73k miles about 3 years ago. The car I guess had the head worked oin due to blowen the headgasket. About 3-4 months after I bought the car I noticed the the car sometime had an electrical oscillation issue. What I mean when I say "electrical oscillation", I mean that all the cars lights, fog, headlight, inside, dash, dome & even the enginel oscillates when driving at any speeds. The issue, is that this occurs intermittently & stops or starts with no warning. I've already replaced the Battery, alternator, DME, Spark plugs & still nothing. I have taken the voltage when it's "oscillating", & the voltage drops to ~13.1v & goes up to ~16.3v. I've checked the negative ground cable in the trunk & it's in there tight. I'm wondering if maybe the DME relay may be the cause, or maybe the engine grounding strap. The thing is, I have NO IDEA where the hell is the engine ground strap/s are locted. I've used the Bently service manual to help me locate it & still nothing. Does anyone out there have any idea why my car is doing this & where the heck is the engine ground straps.

The car does have the original coil packs from Zundspule, which some were found to be defective, but I'm not sure if this would cause my issue. The DME was also replaced due to the famous flooding in that compartment.

Any help, would be VERY MUCH apprciated!!

By the way love the forum!! Only the 2nd time posting.

Oh, & all belts have been replaced with no change.

motorwerks · 02-10-2009, 10:15 PM

Check the infamous trunk harness for wear.

If that doesn't work...

Did the new alternator come with a new voltage regulator, or is that something that you swap between them? It really sounds like a voltage regulator problem.

Check that the DME is properly connected, and that all of the connections are clean, and free of corrosion.

**JoshsE36** · 02-17-2009, 06:38 PM

I will def check that. I think that's about the only thing that I haven't check, oh & the ground cables. I just got my car back yesterday. It was at the shop getting a new clutch, rear wheel bearings, New rear seal, input & output shaft seals. LOTS of work & of course LOTS of $$$. Paid over $1200. Now that car feels like new & way easier to shift. Now I just need a nice set of rims & tires & some COOL LIGHTING!! I'm still trying to figure out what I want. Not sure if I should go to some HIDs with some angel eyes. Anyone have any good idea which "brand" or type I should go with. Which last longer. I've seen some kits for $100-$199. What do you guys think? Pics with replys would be AWSOME!!! THX, hope to see some cool pics....

motorwerks · 02-17-2009, 07:02 PM

I have apexcone ellipsoid headlights w/ 4300k HID. Side by side you can't see any difference between the apexcone, and the major competitors (depo,zkw) Apexcone uses a slightly less brittle plastic than the depo's so the tabs are less likely to snap off while installing. ZKW's are the best, but you pay a premium for them.

I recommend DDMtuning if you don't want to pay too much, but I'm probably the only one on this site that does. If you want some less biased reviews head over to bimmerforums.com, and you'll get a more well rounded review.

**JoshsE36** · 02-17-2009, 07:38 PM

43k lights, are "standerd" color right? I'm deciding if I want the whitish look, blueish or the purple. I think I like the 8k type, want to see the "HID" diffrence if I'm gonna pay big $$ for some lights, ya know. lol I'll check that forum out, thx for the input.

motorwerks · 02-17-2009, 07:43 PM

4300k is stock on bmw. Bluish you'll want to no less than 6000k for blue and 8000k+ for purple. I highly recommend the 55w ballasts, because they will provide a noticeable increase in light output. You'll especially want 55w if you go with 6000k or higher.

**JoshsE36** · 02-18-2009, 03:24 AM

Cool, Thx! I was wondering wish ones to go with. I will look for the 55w type.