running problem

[djscottfree]

Hi all not been here for a while, hope you all had a merry xmas and a happy new year !!

on with the issue. I have 325i on a d plate, Ive noticed under load when giving it the beans mainly in 2nd the car revs drop suddenly, then straight away the car comes back to life throwing me forward, it doesn't do it when i drive the car normally. the car idles and revs fine when stationary, also the problem seems intermittent. Im thinking it could be fuel related !! any clues anyone ? cheers

[mongomushroom]

if the instrument lights go out when it happens, could be buggered or loose battery terminal connection or if you have battery in boot conversion you will have terminal connections on the engine bay bulkhead that could have worked loose.

if lights stay on when this happens fuel pump wiring connections is a good place to check as well. if you have an in-tank pump (think you will on a d plate but could be wrong), you will access it under a cover under the rear seat. you will see 2 connectors, 1 for level gauge, 1 for pump. make sure clip isn't broken causing a loose connection when hammering it (couple of cable ties should hold it tighter if required). if not you can check the wiring from the fuel pump housing to the pump which will mean removing the pump. this involves disconnecting the electrical connections and fuel lines, 4 bolts (8mm) for level sender, then pull level sender, rotate housing anti clockwise and lift out. a little carefull jiggling may be required and take care not to drop O ring or knock off filter on the bottom of pump.

if you have an external fuel pump then f*ck knows where it is and i've just wasted 15min for nothing.

good luck

iain

[Grrrmachine]

This can be a number of issues, and often gets referred to as Kangarooing. Once you know that, you can search for it, and get this thread:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ght=kangar*

It's a fairly common complaint, but has a number of possible causes. So read that thread, check the info and then report back please

[djscottfree]

cheers guys

[djscottfree]

ok read the thread, when the engine cuts out the revs drop to 0 and in split second they shoot back up to 5000 or however many revs im giving the car, it doesn't stall and no lights come on the dash, its only happens when i boot it. I have experienced stuttering when driving at normal speeds this doesn't happen all the time for some strange reason!! i also get kangarooing sometimes ! when crawling along in idle, when i touch the accelerator pedal slightly it stops.

[mb15]

Could be a frayed crank position sensor wire, runs behind the water pump belt which can rub against it. Worth a check, could be sending an intermitant signal.

[mongomushroom]

if your revs counter falls to 0 then ecu is loosing power or rev signal is lost. earth for ecu is a good place to check (although i cant remember where exactly it is). DME relay (engine management) is the white relay under a black plastic cover beside airbox (with 1 or 2 orange relays beside it) check for loose connections on the wiring leading to it.

is rev signal from cps or from the coil/ht lead anybody?

if from cps then as above as well as sensor cleanliness. if its covered in crap it will be erratic as well.

[hongkongfuey]

also could be the airflow meter

[mongomushroom]

how would the air flow meter affect the rev counter? would it not just run a poor mix rich/lean?

[mongomushroom]

just thought as well your kangaroo antics and cut out could be caused by 2 different problems. if your idle is a little rough then you could have a leak in the inlet. check the black rubber pipe between air flow meter and throttle body for cracks or misalignment at the flanges. I find it easiest to do the AFM side first. anyway and let us know how you get on with it.

iain

[djscottfree]

hi thanks for your replies, been out in the car, i made a mistake the revs they dont drop to 0, they drop to around 1.5 to 2, car idles fine not lumpy, it idles at 1.5 when cold and drops to just below 1 when warm, the car never has a problem starting always 1st time even in the cold

[hongkongfuey]

inside the afm there is a track, electrical connection, if that is faulty it can have all sorts of problems

to mongomushroom if you connect an afm without the airbox on, start engine, move the flap on the afm and watch the engine speed go up and down, so afm is important to check

[djscottfree]

thanks i will change the afm asap it can't be that difficult and report back, sounds like it could be the culprit now you explained the speeding up and slowing down. but as i said it happens mainly underload

[mongomushroom]

I agree it can affect the revs but not the rev counter loosing its signal. If you move that flap in the afm by hand,the ecu will read a false signal and adjust the fueling to suit thus changing the revs of the engine. if the afm was dead the fueling would be all to fook causing rough idle, miss firing etc. you can check the adjuster(8mm allan key i think) on the afm to see if it is dead or not but remember the position it was in before.

personally i think it will probably be something to do with ecu earth, crank position sensor, DME relay or spark pick up on ht lead (although not sure if thats where the rev signal is coming from). I would check contacts for each of them, clean and carry out any required repairs. a spray can of electrical contact cleaner or brake/clutch cleaner is always handy for that kind of job. check the afm contacts as well if you like but i personally dont think thats the issue here.

plugs for cps and spark pick up are both the same type and can be found under diagnostic plug (big round thing on passenger side of cyl head).

lots more info can be found on here with the forum search

[mongomushroom]

also wiggle and shoogle some electrical connections about when the engine is running to see if it misses or dies

[Speedtouch]

Another problem with early 325i is that they have two crank sensors, one of which is on the flywheel, activated by a pin which commonly drops out and into the bellhousing!

So, if all else fails, check that sensor.

It could be worth disconnecting the battery or ECU to reset it, leave it for an hour or so then reconnect, let it idle for at least 10 minutes to allow base idle settings to be learnt, then take it for a drive using all the rev range in all gears.

[djscottfree]

@ speedtouch, i have had this problem, but have been upgraded to motronic 1.3

[Speedtouch]

Cool. Still worth trying an ECU reset though, and also check engine earth strap, etc.

[e301988325i]

I remember something similar being caused by the fused link of the batery in boot kit.

There are two wires running from the battery forward and close to the battery the smaller of the two wires contains a fusable link which can crack due to fatigue and cause intermittent problems. (I think I remember the larger cable is just for starting and the smaller to feed the fuse board, don't take this as gospel)

With the car idling try moving this wire around and see if it kills the engine.

Thinking out loud, this is more likely a mechanical issue casued by the high G-forces generated at peak power in second. Possibly a loose connection in the DME relay / Fuel pump relay. A zero RPM signal indicates a complete loss of electrical power.

[Speedtouch]

I had that problem with a BMW E34 535iSE. Look for a flat section in the thinner power cable from the battery + terminal.

[djscottfree]

thanks for all your replies, car is now for sale

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0657203447

[mongomushroom]

mate your f*cking mental. thats a f*king good base car you've got. if you need another form of transport, get yourself a good cheap van and use that for a while as you fix the car up and upgrade it. get yourself good upgraded engine with good mounts clutch etc wont set you back much, lsd/welded diff, good used suspension, go over the wiring with a soldering iron, multi tester and spare loom from a 320, smaller steering wheel, (eventually interior, stereo, bodywork etc), quicker rack from an e36 or e46 and have fun while fitting it (highs and lows obviously). your giving up an opportunity here with a weekend warrior and to enjoy life. maybe you were dropped on your head as a baby but thats no excuse not to get your act together and sort that defeatist attitude out. if you need money, pimp out some hookers, give up grass, do some over time, sell your wife, marry a Vietnamese hooker for up front cash, find free porn, deliver pizzas or whatever. grow a pair of nuts, seriously man you are annoying me. get your act together

sorry for speaking so harshly but my friend you need an education. gumtree, ebay, small ads and the forums are full of bargains if you keep your eye on things, do some reasearch and BE careful not to buy sh*t you can have a mission in life that will put a smile on your face. these cars are easy to work on, everything is simple. no fancy emmision control crap. i,ve had an engine out out from driving the fucker onto my driveway to having it sitting beside my house in 90 minits. I'VE EVEN DONE IT PISHED. jesus if i didnt have to go for some drink right now i would keep on with this encouragement.

OK GOOD LUCK FIXING YOUR F*CKING CAR

[hongkongfuey]

I would agree with some of mushroom said,

Its been converted to motronic 1.3 ? What ecu has it got? Are all the wires ok?

If you want, get it to portsmouth and ill take a look at it for free, i have a few spares to try if needed, but seriously reconsider selling until someone has had a look, ill pm you my number

[djscottfree]

ecu is a 173 theo from the zone did it

[djscottfree]

@ mongomushroom damn you you making my head spin lol, i see how the auction goes i won't let it go for nothing I don't think she would make it to portsmouth the clutch is bad and i don't want to destroy the flywheel.