330 starting problems

[tomski]

Hi my 2000 petrol 330i tourer has started to play up.
Yesterday it cranked for a few goes before it started and its been doing the same since.
Everytime I get in it it will start but turns over a few times before it does.
It seems to be getting worse, last time I used it it took about 5 sec of cranking then it ran a bit lumpy for about 5 secs then it was fine
Once it starts it runs fine and it makes no difference if the car is hot or cold. I dont think its battery related as it seems to have plenty of power when its turning over.
Anyone got any ideas?
Cheers Andrew

[Mox3d]

Can't be certain but I could hazard a sensor (cam or crank) may be on its way, and/or one or more of the lambda sensors could be faulty. I could easily be wrong here so don't shoot me.

Do you have access to get a diagnostic plugged in to read any faults ?

edit: And does it have oem exhaust ?
Tailbox doesn't matter, but up to that.

[ajm-e30]

take it over to b+r to get it plugged in, might be the cam sensor or something but the ecu's are prone to being faulty on this model

[tomski]

Ok thanks. I think I will get over to b+r and see if they can plug it in. Do you know if the ecu's can be repaired or is it just replace if so how much are they? ish
Cheers, Andrew

[tomski]

Oh and its all standard
Cheers, Andrew

[Mox3d]

Oh and its all standard
Cheers, Andrew

Ok sweet. Cheaper single skin aftermarket exhausts with non platinum can play havoc with lambda readings thats all I was thinking there ;)

[ajm-e30]

it could also be the fuel pump playing up, ecu's are best left alone and replaced if faulty and i no rydale wll charge silly money for an ecu mate, it could well be lambda but that wouldnt effect starting really

[stuartgallafant]

Camshaft sensor for definate, more likely the inlet than the exhaust. I changed both on a 330i on thursday for prolonged cranking.

the crankshaft sensors very rarely go down on these foretunately, as they are bitch to get to. DME's hardly ever go wrong either.

Once the sensor has been replaced, the fault codes will have to be cleared, and the 'adaptations' should be reset

[tomski]

Thanks for that mate, the car is still playing up. I took it to my local garage and it showed no faults. Do you know if they are expensive if not I will just change it anyway
Cheers Andrew

[stuartgallafant]

IIRC the sensors are about £50+, but changing them yourself will achieve nothing. The DME will still hold the faults, so the pre-programmed values will still be active, as it will think there is still faults

[tomski]

If the car has no faults stored though does that mean it cant be these sensors.
I have discovered that if when its cranking I let go of the key the car starts straight away.
Cheers Andrew

[Ant]

check the inlet bellow for splits, especially in the lower section, bit of a pita to see, but have a good grope in that area, any splits will be easy to find.

had a couple like that of late, and one last week with a collapsed breather hose, all had poor start/restart on zero logged faults , although the split bellows should illuminate the EML lamp

check the battery charge level too, the Aux air pump canes 100Amps on startup(iirc) and the result could be not quite enough to make mimimum cranking rpms til some inertia asssits.

just some ideas outside of the diagnostic machine.

[tomski]

Thanks, I will have a good look at the bellows and hoses this weekend
Cheers, Andrew

[78dude]

Hi there,
Its an E46 and that have SW runned ingition and ECU so I think you need to go to the nearest BMW garage so they can plug in your car to a computer so they can take out a diagonstic test and check out the error codes it gives! It can have 100 reasons why you have that problem on a modern car today, so I have no idea what it can be.... But good luck, and I hope you will get it sorted!

[tomski]

Still got problems with this, the car has had both camshaft sensors replaced, a new dme relay, and it still wont start straight away.

The car sounds to have plenty of power when you turn it over but I have just checked the battery and its a 55amph, euro car parts list a 75amph for it, does anyone know if this could cause the problem.

Its been to bmw and showed no faults on the machine
Cheers Andrew

[bobafett]

Andrew, check the air leak off hose which runs under the inlet manifold cover from cylinder one to six, they can perish and draw in under metered air past the airflow meter. This could have the same effect as a split bellows would on another type of engine......good luck mate Darren.

[tomski]

Thanks I will check it out
Andrew

[stuartgallafant]

I would have thought a 330i would have destroyed a 55Ah battery within a matter of months!!

Im not convinced its an air leak problem, as their usual characteristics for air leak is hunting (when the engine revs itself up n down) and also the EML light would illuminate

When was it last serviced?

[tomski]

It was last serviced about 2000 miles ago and I dont get any hunting.

I was asking the guy in my local garage about it and he said it sounds like coil rob because most of the time if I let go of the key when its cranking it will start, thats what made me look at the battery.

When its cranking it sounds very good no signs that the battery is bad,
And the engine light has never come on.

So you think a new battery would be a good bet?

Cheers, Andrew

[stuartgallafant]

A 330i should have at least a 90Ah battery IIRC. My 318iS is supposed to have a 55Ah battery, and it doesnt have anywhere near the amount of draw a 330i does!! And even still im using a 75Ah one

try a new battery, directly from BMW. They're actually really sensibly priced and good quality too

[tomski]

Thanks for that, I have not been using the car much but last time I got in it the battery was dead.
Gsf and Euro's list a 75ah for it, I have fitted one of these and its been fine since.
Once again thanks for all the help and advice
Andrew

[stuartgallafant]

no worries bud