B3 3.2 Touring its suddenly getting old

[DanThe]

The engine ECU being from an auto car wont give a problem in this Andy, they are the same as the ECU from the manual versions, I borrowed Simons ECU and when compared to a manual ECU I bought later on they were exactly the same in every way

Get an old laptop and use carsoft or inpa

[Andyboy]

But it's still looking for a signal from the box....? Gearbox or trans ECU fault = limp home mode
Iirc, they are the same ECU number but with slightly different software. I had a 328i auto touring once with a multitude of issues and that was a shitload of fault codes stored, many from when the Nikasil block was replaced by BMW.

[DanThe]

Nope, the ECU is exactly the same auto or manual, there should be no errors stored for trans, I have run a clone of Simons ECU on my chromie without problems for a long time
The E39 has slightly different software

[Andyboy]

I know what you're saying, but isn't the engine ECU still looking for a signal from the box ECU? It's not CANBUS but a faulty box or ECU will still put the car into limp home mode. perhaps fitting a manual E36 M52 engine loom it will help.
I guess it depends what system it's running - later E46 ECU's are certainly different manual to auto despite similar part numbers.
I had an E36 320i once, a J reg non vanos one. It was really lively when cold but after a mile or two went as flat as a fart. My old Man wrote a chip for it, after which is was fine and went well enough. For some reason, it was just very sensitive to engine temp.

Before I forget: the 328iA that Lee bought from me went really well for about a mile and then went into limp home - turned out to be a cam sensor iirc. Brought the orange trans prog light on as well.

[Simon13]

This is a recent thing, i've run it as a manual for 25,000 miles so far with no issues.

I guess its probably something to do with the parts i've fitted or something a diagnostic check could reveal. It seems to be once the oils upto about 85-90 degrees.

[DanThe]

No E36 328i will be put into limp by binning the auto box, if you remove the trans ECU it cant communicate with the engine ECU.
A 328i engine ECU from an auto car can give faults for trans, but it wont have any effect on the running of the engine as long as the trans ECU is in the bin

These Alpina's ECU's are all the same, as I posted before, they dont 'know' what the trans is

[AndyG]

does sound similar to the issue I had with mine and that was knock sensor related.

[Simon13]

I'm not sure i concluded this? Turned out the meyle camshaft sensor i bought new wasn't very good. When the engine was warm. So i swapped the old one back in and it was ok all the time again. The flat performance was the MAF, i bought a 2nd hand one and this made a huge difference, after trying a good one from another car.

Its felt a bit flat in recent weeks and going on the dyno last saturday prooved it with a lean mixture on WOT and 242bhp. So that again points to the MAF

But i'm at a bit of a cross roads, i'm pretty sure its using coolant. Its not leaking it but its going somewhere Seems to be getting worse recently as i normally bleed it up every few months. Get the heater blowing nice and hot and off i go. It runs so well but it could still have a problem. I'm fearing the worst which means i'm not so sure about continuing with it or what to bloody do. Taking the head off again, or what. I guess an engine like this deserves to be fixed. I'd like to work out where its going for a start. Sniffer test, compression test maybe might shed some light.

I'd think about replacing it, but what the hell with, its such a good car.

[Simon13]

Hmmmm i've had an odd noise every now and then that i'd put down to a sqweeky belt, well theres always a reason which might make alot of sense now to my funny mind and its coolant related






My waterpump has totally pooed itself. Can you see all the bearings below the pulley all spraweled about! Explains alot of things like a lame heater and coolant loss. Didn't really give much warning AND i fitted this when i rebuilt the top end 3 years ago its covered just under 40,000 miles.

You'd expect a bit more out it no? (It wasn't genuine)


I'm also in desperate need of a ASC+T abs module for this car so anything off a manual e36 323/328 will do the trick.

[Blitz]

What was the make of the water pump?

[Simon13]

i struggling to think right now, it came from GSF. Maybe i'll try a ECP one tomorrow?

[Blitz]

I remember there being the cheaper Circoli and the more expensive KWP which seemed to have been superseded by Airtex. Hepu has a good rep, but its most expensive.

[Andyboy]

Got plenty of ASC+T modules here, yours should be a 34521164 094, the ABS/ASCT-ES silver sticker type. Got an E36 M3 one as well.

[Simon13]

As long as its from a manual car i think it will work ok. How much please?

[DanThe]

KWP one lasted over 100k miles on my E34

Yours probably had a cast iron impeller? They dont seem to last very long at all and usually always spit the bearings out the front like above

[Andyboy]

As long as its from a manual car i think it will work ok. How much please?

25 quid posted. But make sure yours is the same. You probably know anyway but they're the size if an old VHS video cassette and live behind the glovebox, held on with a 10mm and an 8mm.

Yours SHOULD be an 094.

[Simon13]

i shall check it and get back to you bert

[Simon13]

Right its just occured to me today this is getting old, i've a number of niggles that suddenly had me thinking that its starting to waer out in some areas

The ignition key spins sometimes so the barrel is wearing out?
Drivers seatbelt won't release easily anymore
Driver door lock and handle are getting very stiff awkard to use - it wouldn't be a problem as the alarm still functions perfectly but the fobs keep dying I've had about 3 now. Anyone have one or two spare i can program back in? Its the one with the grey/red buttons

So the first two are easy to sort out but the third one? I've no experience of pissing about with this on e36's

I'm wondering a bit how many more miles i can get out of it without lots of spanner work? Its nice to keep everything working but its the little things now that are starting to show with age and 230,000 miles and 18 years daily work. Alot of these niggles often take time rather than money to fix

[Andyboy]

Compared to fixing a rusty malfunctioning E46, these are easy!

[DanThe]

Have you tried oiling the handle/lock?

[Simon13]

I have Dan, but it seems to be ok at the moment

Anyhow the recent rolling road day revealed it was running lean. Probably the £40 2nd hand MAF i'd fitted to from a guy on the e36 coupe forum (numpty fest on there) So i've bit the bullet and bought a new one from the MAFshop in germany it came to £177 posted. I doubt i'd find it any cheaper here and is a genuine bosch item. They sell e39 M5 mafs cheap an S54 one is half the price of the S50, typical.




Upon removing the £40 old one i'd bought i noticed the bosch number was different, hmmmmmm strange as mine uses an S50 MAF and its the same one for both B30 and B32 engines. So i googled it and!!!!!!!

Its a MAF off a e34 540! or its actually for the M60b40 engine as fitted also to the e32 and e31. They're identical to the S50 ones.

I'm guessing the fueling requirements for a v8 are rather different to a straight 6! So suffice today it runs better now and certainly revs alot cleaner, probably more how it should be and i expect recovering those lost 15 or so ponies from the dyno day!






Still need to find time to sort these other niggles and maybe a wash Its a bit muddy on site at the moment

I've still not checked that ABS ECU part number Andy yet

[bss325i]

I bought an S54 MAF for my old M3 from that German shop on eBay.

[Demlotcrew]

I only buy from the maf shop, they are really helpful and by far the cheapest! Also the assurance of genuine parts which for me is crucial.

[Simon13]

Its like a new car! well engine now, much more like it

[TPS]

I only buy from the maf shop, they are really helpful and by far the cheapest! Also the assurance of genuine parts which for me is crucial.

Do they do AFMs Andrew?

[Simon13]

No phil its kind of M50 onward or anything with a MAF fitted not a AFM.

[TPS]

Thanks Simon, glad its running better

[Demlotcrew]

Phil they could probably source it for you. They gave me a price and source on an M5 maf when Simon was looking about €1000 ish. If they can source one of those they can get afm's.

[Simon13]

when were you going to share this rather helpful info Andrew?

[Simon13]

Heres another annoying fault, one of my cats is rattling its arse off so what to do? I can forgive it given the milege


I've got a spare alpina exhuast system but its off an earlier 3.0 litre car. Its main difference is at the front with it X pipe design. They're both the same bore size pipework and i'd wager the cats and rear silencers are the same also.







I'd like to think i can just swap the systems over and it won't make much difference?

[jimbom30cab]

I'd just swap them over Si, exhaust is an exhaust at the end of the day.

[Demlotcrew]

when were you going to share this rather helpful info Andrew?

You had one sorted Si, I didn't want to add to your already long list of options, I was ordering in an S50 maf so enquired at the same time.

Do you still need the M5 maf?

[Simon13]

i don't think so i picked one up off a breaker car that hasn't covered a million miles so i might be ok for now.

[Demlotcrew]

Hope it works! I was told that this model can be repaired so don't throw away your old one!

If you fit the 3.0l exhaust you will most certainly loose some torque, why not have the cats repaired or cut out from the 3.0l system to replace the collapsed pair?

I guess you want a quick easy swap, but nothing is easy.

[Simon13]

well i could fit some different cats? Or keep the shells but get the cats removed?

As its an MOT fail now if the cats aren't visible i think

i've kept the old M5 MAF, which has been rebuilt already by a place in the USA