I apologise for it being a bit long winded, but the more info you have, the more likely we can come up with an answer.
There are three problems that may be related....or maybe not
Car is an 88' 320i with 151,000 on the clock.
Problem #1
Starting from cold, I have to crank the engine for 20 to 30 seconds before she slowly struggles to life.
It sounds as if she catches one one cylinder then two, three, etc but I'm having to pump the throttle as she's catching.
When warm, if I turn the engine off and restart within 5 minutes or so, she will start with no problem. Any longer than this and I'm back to the long cranking (ooer missus
)I've changed the plugs, dizzy cap & rotor arm to take care of the electrical side of things. No difference.
Thinking it may be fuel pressure related, I swapped the pressure regulator for a known good one from another engine. Again, no difference.
I've checked all the hoses for possible air/vacuum leaks and they're all sound & I've set the tappets to spec (cold).
There is a very slight blow from the exhaust manifold, but this disappears as the engine warms up.
Problem #2
When accelerating through the gears (like a normal person....not Chav style
), the rpm's 'hang up' rather than react to the throttle pedal.e.g. in 2nd gear, accelerate up to 4000, depress clutch to go for 3rd but the rpm's will stay at 4k for 3 or 4 seconds before slowly decaying.
I've played with it, and it can take as long as 8 seconds for the rpm to drop from 4k back to idle.
This happens in all gears whilst accelerating, but not if the car is stationary and I'm just revving the engine.
Problem #3
When warm, she idles and drives, nice & smooth, just as a beemer 6 pot should.
However, if I get caught in traffic (jams or lights), after 3 or 4 minutes of sitting stationary, the rpm will start hunting between 750 & 1000.
Note that it never happens immediately; only after I've been sat for a few minutes.
Anyone any ideas.....
Iain S
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