318i e36 starts and dies

[carlsberg]

Im having the similar symptom of hot startup lately on my E36 318i M43. My engine was totally rebuilt 2 years back personally. Pretty irretating so to speak. Planning to change the fuel pump and O2 sensor to test it out.

ive searched every where on the exhaust system and manifold, i simply cannot find an o2 sensor !!! ---- i have my own inspection pit here, so was able to have a very thorough look.......... im buggered if i can see it anywhere !!

 

[jarance]

The O2 sensor is located after the exhaust manifold and before the cat. see item #22


Catalyst/lambda probe - BMW parts catalog

 

[carlsberg]

thanks, i know what im looking for, its just not there, no wiring tucked to one side to indicate there was one either..... i have a cast iron manifold, then a normal exhaust..... with no o2 that i can see....

 

[carlsberg]

OK, it hic-up'd on and off all the way to butterworth from t/malim........... i took it to a bimmer shop there, the guy hooked up the reader, zero faults came up. he was as flumoxed as me, i explained all that id done, and he didnt have an answer for the issue....... he did however ask how recent the plug leads were, i explained id changed them, and still had the issue, he advised for another set...... picked them up today from A Bav........ 185rm for 4, not for the faint of heart !!!!! will install tomorrow and report back.

PS, he was adament that its not an ECU or harmonic balancer/ignition trigger

 

[carlsberg]

a few days now with no hic-ups at cruising speed, the ignition leads i bought from Auto Bavaria were different to both spare sets i have here, the new ones have a metal fitting which looks like a suppresor of some kind- anyway, so far so good.
i still have the stalling/rattle at startup after rest, i think ive narrowed it down to the hydraulic tappets/lifters sticking, and perhaps the knock sensors retard the ignition thinking the vibration is from pinking therefore radicaly retarding the timing and inducing a stall. today i going to put some additive in the oil, and next oil change i will try a semi synth...... the car was run on semi all its life, perhaps the 'dino oil' ive been using has gummed up the high mileage lifters..... any suggestion for an oil with high detergent/cleaning properties?

 

[lamer2000]

YOu can try using lambda primer (pour in engine oil cap). Pretty well known brand in germany. Drive around normally then go for an oil change. Someone over in lowyat.net is selling it. I tested it on several of my cars with good results. Not sure if it would solve your problem but its worth a try. Then u can go for a semi-syn Liquid moli engine oil

The manufacturer says it cures sticky tappet problem. After using it, can really hear less tappet sound on idle on my car.

 

[carlsberg]

thanks for the input--------i put some wynnes stuff in yesterday, id like to use seafoam, but Ace seems to have stopped selling it... will give it a couple of weeks with the additive, then change to semi synth oil.......

 

[carlsberg]

damn, wify reported 5 'hic-ups' today will cruising at 150 kph............ seems i havint found the problem yet !

 

[Ricka318i]

Hey Bro.
My ride was messing with me the same way.
Any time I rode for a while to get it warmed and then stopped just for ten minutes and tried to restart it...opss, It didnt run unless cranked it 3 times or give some pedal.
At the end of story...fuel pressure regulator was leaking fuel thru the little vaccum hose to intake plenum. The fuel pressure inside fuel rail was relieved not thru return line to
tank but thru intake manifold vaccum line.

 

[carlsberg]

thanks Ricka for that, i will check it out....... as for the hic-ups, they are still there, im thinking battery maybe, its a 2008 dated unit...... although cranking and light brightness etc etc show no problems, im wondering if its a cell issue when it gets warmed up....

 

[Game-R]

thanks Ricka for that, i will check it out....... as for the hic-ups, they are still there, im thinking battery maybe, its a 2008 dated unit...... although cranking and light brightness etc etc show no problems, im wondering if its a cell issue when it gets warmed up....

Doubtful that can be the issue. If the battery can turn the starter motor, which consumes the most wattage of all the vehicle components, then it can supply more than enough for all the electronics in the car. If you suspect voltage to be the cause, take a closer look at your alternator and it's voltage regulator. Those play a bigger role than the battery when the engine is running. And even so, turning on and off high wattage components (headlights, AC) would easily recreate the hiccups you mentioned.

Something just popped in my head while I was writing that: your car is an automatic, right? And the hiccups happen when your car is cruising and rarely at slow traffic? Possibility some communication problem between the gearbox and ECU?

 

[carlsberg]

i only mention the battery as i read ages ago that the batt needs to supply some 14 volts at cruising..... im looking at anything now ! your idea of the gearbox not talking is good, but wouldnt that show a fault when read? my car shows no fault codes... and, like today, ran to KL and back (140 kilometers) with zero hic-ups

 

[carlsberg]

the hicups are only at light throttle cruising, never at idle, never in traffic, and never when accelerating with kickdown or not...just a 'feathering' light throttle to maintain 120-130 kph.......... we ran back from betong this weekend.........from slim river to t/malim at 170-190 kph. with no problems at all

 

[jeffreyewe]

Ive managed to sort out my hot start issue. The culprit was a faulty ICV and Pressure Regulator. Now the starting issues are gone

 

[carlsberg]

i still have the same issues, sometimes it starts perfectly and settles to a smooth idle and other times it rattles then dies.......... i also still have intermittant jerking/hic-up/missfire sometimes too-------- i have changed all parts connected with this.... only ecu left to change-------

 

[lamer2000]

Have you look at the injectors. They could be clogged or faulty.

 

[carlsberg]

no, not yet, i have a spare set i may put in, odd thing is, the car shows no faults when read. and the fault only happens now and again......

 

[bmw33y]

Greetings from the land down under.

Was surfing the net and came across this website. I too had the same problems as described and I mean the EXACT same issues... No first start after driving and letting rest for 20mins or so and hicups upon light throttle at 120-140km/h or so...

Had my fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, leads and even filter cap changed to all brand new genuine parts and still no luck...

Even changed a second hand DME/ECU from a 110,000km 94 model to my vehicle still no solution...

But last week, my Pierburg fuel pressure regulator finally arrived from germany and BAM.... PROBLEMS all solved. No more hicuppings and triple starts or bad starts...

I would recommend trying a new genuine fuel pressure regulator and see if it works. After market or used fuel pressure regulator seem to either leak or not hold pressure for some reason...

My 2cents...

Best of luck and keep us updated...

Regards
Tim.

 

[BloodDiamond]

Greetings from the land down under.

Was surfing the net and came across this website. I too had the same problems as described and I mean the EXACT same issues... No first start after driving and letting rest for 20mins or so and hicups upon light throttle at 120-140km/h or so...

Had my fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, leads and even filter cap changed to all brand new genuine parts and still no luck...

Even changed a second hand DME/ECU from a 110,000km 94 model to my vehicle still no solution...

But last week, my Pierburg fuel pressure regulator finally arrived from germany and BAM.... PROBLEMS all solved. No more hicuppings and triple starts or bad starts...

I would recommend trying a new genuine fuel pressure regulator and see if it works. After market or used fuel pressure regulator seem to either leak or not hold pressure for some reason...

My 2cents...

Best of luck and keep us updated...

Regards
Tim.

Hi Tim, glad to hear from land down under. Glad to hear our forum interests you from far away. Keep it coming.

 

[bmw33y]

Thanks mate...

Good to be here.

And one more thing in regards to Carlsberg's issue, make sure to check your PCV and all hoses around the area... as it could also be a cause for the hard start ups... I've had a problem in the past with it and causes starting issues sometimes...

Good luck...

Regards
Tim.