E30 Zone

i need some advice before i go to a garage and get ripped off? as of yesterday my 1993 316 tourings engine is losing power? i have checked spark plugs, leads, distributor and timing. What is happening at 3,500rpm it miss fires and won't go any faster than 65 mph? and fuel consumption has inceased dramaticly? I guessing it may be a value or the lifters?? can any one give me some guidience, or have suffered the same problem cheers A

a bit mre rattle than usual.. and a bit lumpy at idle.. drives ok under 3,500 rpm no miss firing or lose of power?

I am actualy an Aussie living in Holland.. but all forums here are in dutch and i have had no reply to my english requests.. thanks i will have a look is it an easy fix for a home mechanic, or is sit an expert type of job??

have you checked the ht leads for any splits ? i had a similar problem with my e36 where it was fine until you put it under load then it played up coughed farted and spluttered changed the offending leads and hey presto sweet again

checked the leads plugs and ditributor, getting good spark, but did not check underload, how did you check this without going to buy new leads at 225 euros a set?

it sounds like the ignition circuit could be breaking down under load but is it the primary or secondary circuit... i.e coil or plugs etc.

it is very hard to describe noises but would you say the the tapping is metallic or just the rattle of the engine running rough.?

usually if a follower cracks it will misfire all the time

i know you checked them, but for a few quid, maybe try replacing the dizzy cap and rotor?

willnz wrote:Is the engine noisy on the top end?

Loss of power as you describe it is often the cam/followers being worn, but is normally accompanied by a noisy top end.

Yeah, I'd go with that. On M40's the cam lobes wear down so much that you dont get full lift - the poor thing just runs out of breath. You need to get the rocker cover off and have a mosey. We had a 518i E34 a few years back with this issue, but it wasn't noisy as such. However, some clown had fitted eight new rockers and left the old cam in - must have been 2-3mm of wear on the lobes!

thanks all for advice will go through your check lists. as i am in holland prices here are stupidly high, anyone recomend a parts supplier in UK or germany