Engine losing Power - ECU Problem?

Post Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:04 pm

HELP......

I am having major problems with my car at the moment, the engine keeps losing power while driving and it seems to be getting worse and worse.

The problem happens throughout the gears and normally happens around 3-4000 revs. I am accelerating as normal and then the revs just start to drop, however if I then stop accelerating for a few seconds and try again it works again.

It also brings up some warning lights on the dash, the oil light, the ABS light and the Battery light flash and the car tries to stall.

A friend of mine thinks that it may be a knackered ECU but is not really sure, so any other suggestions would be most welcome!!

It has just had a full service (inspection 2) with Munich Legends about two weeks ago but they could not tell me what was wrong.

It is a 1985 E30 Alpina C1 2.3 (BMW 2.3)

Cheers for your time.

Post Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:17 pm

i'll tell you what
i bet it all on the fuel pressure regulator, try and mesure the pressure.
the lights come on because the engine stops.

Post Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:26 pm

michael24m wrote:i'll tell you what
i bet it all on the fuel pressure regulator, try and mesure the pressure.
i can't explain the warning lights tough.

Warning lights come on because the revs drop so low. Effect of the fault, not the cause.
Don't know much about stuff as old as this, but ECU is a long way down the suspect list.

Post Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:38 pm

brian, i just figured out the lights then i seen your quote:D

recently i had fitted a FPR but with lower pressure. same sympthoms as yours but it didn't stall on me because the FPR was good except it was for a diffrent engine type. anyways smimilar, your case looks like a drop of pressure in the injection system, maybe even a cracked fuel line, again, check the pressure.

Post Mon Feb 27, 2006 3:53 pm

I'd stump for a duff fuel pump, certainly has all the symptoms of one on its last legs

Post Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:09 pm

The car has stop working at all now, the car has 1/2 tank of fuel but just doesn't want to turn over!!

I have just replaced the fuel pressure regulator however has not fixed the problem. Looking at my prevous receipts from the previous owner, both fuel tanks (July 2004) have been replaced in the last 2 years along with the fuel pump (May 2005).

The fuel pump is not pumping any fuel when it is in place, however when removed and powered up, it was pumping fuel with no problems!!

Could it be a blocked fuel tank or fuel line??

The previous owner said that he used standard unleaded petrol with an additive, and I am using Super unleaded, could this be part of the problem?

Again, any help would be appreciated.....

Post Sun Mar 05, 2006 11:26 pm

Foxbrown wrote: The fuel pump is not pumping any fuel when it is in place, however when removed and powered up, it was pumping fuel with no problems!!

Fuel pump relay? dont think these are expensive

Post Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:39 pm

I am not sure that it is a electrical problem, as the problem has gotten progressively worse, i thought that a relay would be either on or off? When the pump is in place it sounds as though power is getting to it, but nothing comes out. But then it worked fine when taken out of the car!