Help witn my 325i Auto 1991---PETROL/FUEL PROBS

[bigSuNnY]

Hi all as above says my e30 is killing the petrol and is costing way too much , I have taken it to a few mechanics,

1st mechanic- Says no cat so needs a cat thats why its burning petrol... Do 1991 Have cat on them...?

2nd says- Change fuel temp sensor and lamdor sensor.... Does this 1991 have a lambdor sensor or is it a oxygen sensor...??



REALLY IN THE SHIT... Anybody else had any of the problems im having or know the answer to my question.. Thanks alot guys.

[kam-325i]

1st mech is talking shit.......

2nd is also talking shit......

Most uk E30's do not have a cat fitted.......

How bad is it drinking the petrol ?

What sort of MPG are you getting ?

[E30Gheko]

Er my 325 auto could polish off a full tank an about 180 miles iirc. With some spirited driving I could see less. How thirsty is your car?

[bigSuNnY]

Roughly getting about 150miles max steady driving like an O.A.P...
So what would You reccomend if none of the top...?

[kam-325i]

When was it last serviced ?

Check for a fuel leak in the engine bay.

Get the Blue engine temp sensor checked.

[E30Gheko]

Sell it and buy a 318? It sounds a little lower than where it should be but not a million miles off what I was getting. Autos are always more thirsty than manual equivalents.

Sounds obvious but it's definately not leaking petrol?

[SeymourCake]

I'm suffering the same problem but I have other symptoms too.

Can you smell petrol in the engine bay? What condition is the fuel return lines in?

Do you have any running or idle issues?

[bigSuNnY]

No petrol leaks anywhere as i park on block paving so i would have noticed it, Also no smell in my engine bay,

Somebody also said to change the spark plugs...?? but its not misfiring tho, Also would it be stuck in cold start mode so the engine is just throwing petrol and wasting it that way..?

[kam-325i]

Also would it be stuck in cold start mode so the engine is just throwing petrol and wasting it that way..?

It could be if the engine temp sensor is fubared.....

[E30Gheko]

If it's cold start is stuck on then surely once warmed up it would be running far too rich.. I hate to be a doom mongerer but I'd say there may not be anything actually amiss with it unless it's missbehaving in other ways other than just drinking shed loads of petrol? these are notoriously very thirsty especially with an auto box.

[bigSuNnY]

Could it be the ecu...? is there such a thing as a ecu with the lamdor/oxygen sensor disconnected....??

[b4gga83]

Check for Fuel lines, Blue temp sensor, sparkies, HT leads, dizzy, ICV, MAF sensor, boot (rubber pipe - 90 degree angle), fuel tank, air filter.

When my car was running rich the mechanic hooked it up to the emissions machine and made adjustments accordingly, but this was in relation to the LPG mixture - saying that in the same sentence my sparkies were completely knackered.

Now on the motorway i get 250 miles with LPG, which naturally gives less MPG to petrol - about 10-15% less. Around town I get 200 miles which will equat to roughly 170 - 180 miles.

They are very thirsty compared to manual conterparts.