Some or much of this noise may have always been present. These 4-cyl E21's are buzzy little cars, and the engine noise increases greatly above 3500 RPM. Freeway driving in 5th gear is much quieter than in 4th gear (older manuals) or 3rd gear (automatic transmission). The soundproofing in your engine compartment may have deteriorated. On my 1981, the rubber or tar-like blanket that covered the firewall became brittle and fell away. Also, my foam insulating blanket under the hood has deteriorated. This should be pretty easy to replace. One possibility to explore is to spray foam under the dashboard up against the inside of the firewall.
© 1997 -
2008
Jump Internet Inc. All rights reserved.
