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8K views 63 replies 11 participants last post by  rampage601 
#1 ·
:mad:
1994 318i 5spd 139k
everything under the hood is clean
i have replaced and cleaned everything on this car
except the maf i cleaned it but i didnt look like it needed to be cleaned.
my car is still running rich at idle but ONLY at idle
so rich that with in 5 minutes it will use and eighth of a tank just sitting there
while driving it runs wonderful but i think my rpms are a little too high..when running 70 its right at 4k rpms
i also have to change my oil pretty often this running rich problem is seriously messing with it
i just want to know if there is an easy way for me to check my maf to make sure its bad without replacing it bacause thats 400$ i cant spend just yet :(
i LOVE this car and i refuse to sell it i will drive it for the rest of my life like this if i never fix it :p
im also wondering what might be going on with my front end all tires are balanced and perfect i took it to a shop for them to look at it and they couldnt find one flaw with my suspension but when im driving it wobbles when pulling to the right and when i hit a bump i damn near lose control of my baby so im thinking control arm or bushing but they look fine should i go ahead and replace it anyways?
if i need to up load a video or something of how aweful my car sounds right now if that would help then i can
sorry this is so long i just dont trust the mechanics at any shops around here :tsk:
 
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#31 ·
yes we did put it in a pot of water on the stove actually ha thats one of the first things i did after i got the car running
im worried about the air conditioning because i have two kids to haul around and its 85 degrees everyday
as for the plugs i put them in two months ago and three were fouled out so i replaced them the one on cylindar 4 still looked brand new..
 
#33 ·
Oh dude. Dude. That is. Oh man. That is not good. That sounds like one of those Top Fuel Dragsters about to take off.... Except you have half the number of cylinders as they do and you're (hopefully) not running methane.
 
#36 ·
1- check that u got ur spark in all 4 pots, just take out sparkplug and put it against the body to see is it sparking
if u are gettin spark in all 4 than its could be that the bottom end in ur engine is snapped
if u not getting spark, check/change ur spark leads,, if still same check the red plastic cover, where spark leads starts
 
#37 ·
Yes I have checked them numerous times I've pretty much knocked out all the simple stuff
Spark on all four again
Anything electrical that I can see has been checked
I've checked all the wires running from the back to the front
Nothing is corroded melted etc
Nothing seems out of the ordinary except that is uses excessive amounts of gas and goes blat blat blat.
 
#39 ·
combustion requires 3 things; fuel, air, and spark. you have the spark. what about the fuel and air? are you getting fuel in all 4 cyl?
 
#41 ·
change the ecu?
how much is one for this model the last car i had to buy an ecu for cost me 1200
as far as fuel in all cylindars i have not checked that i just assumed that if its running rich then i have no problem getting gas..
this is the first car ive ever had where it took me this long to figure it out.
 
#43 ·
i meant if u can get hands on one from one of ur friends who has one like urs or if u can check if tis is the problem before u purchase the ecu.
if its electrical problem. if mechanical, like worn/ broken piston rings and pistons with couses no compression, or broken bottom end, with couses piston stall. recently my friend had a similar problem with 3rd cyl, result was broken bottom end, car was scrapped
 
#42 · (Edited)
1) Side skirts look like they're supposed to be trim black. theres a compund you can get that dyes it back to the factory cover.
2) Get rid of the fake wood.
3) the "temperature thing" as you called it has some light bulbs behind the display that just need to be replaced.
4) the odo fix requires some soldering if im not mistaken. Look at the stickies to get info on that.
5) door panels are easier to just get used ones. preferably matched to whatever seats you plan on getting.

But all this should be secondary to getting that engine sorted. just cuz it looks good on the outside doesnt mean its looking good on the inside.
you could be only getting combusion in 2 cyl like hornhospital said. if thats the case then either the fuel or air isnt working in half your cyl. your car could be compensating by dumping loads of extra fuel into the remaining 2 cyl leading to the rich condition.
 
#45 ·
Yes all that is definitely secondary
Don't worry just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I give a damn how it looks which I don't (you should see some of my previous cars) but I have to piddle while I think. Weird I know.
As for fuel on cyl what's the easiest way to check that I've never had to do that before
 
#46 ·
Yes all that is definitely secondary
Don't worry just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I give a damn how it looks which I don't (you should see some of my previous cars)
but I have to piddle while I think. Weird I know.
As for fuel on cyl what's the easiest way to check that I've never had to do that before
??? i never said nothing:) u have to do the productivity test
 
#49 ·
but im still wondering if its throwing the lambda code could it just be as simple as an egr valve or something?
and if i take it to a shop and let them do diagnostics will their test be able to pull exactly what it is
or is it still a guessing game regardless...
 
#51 ·
It will be a guessing game regardless.. the only difference is they take an educated guess at the issue.

the car looks to be in good shape, just needs some tlc, good luck with it
 
#56 ·
hold on armando. may as well check everything first. Also you're using some lingo that I've never heard of. lambda code is O2 sensors here in the states. and productivity would be called a fuel trim test. Rampage, i know on OBDII cars you can check the fuel trim with a handheld reader. i dont know about OBDI cars such as yours. Can any of the older guys (DF, ZeGerman, Horn, any of the Chads) comment?

rampage you could take it to an independent BMW specialist for a diagnosis but it could be hit or miss. and thats assuming you have the money. we know you have spark. lets try and make sure you're running on all cyl first by checking off fuel and air.
 
#57 ·
the best way to check for proper spark is to use a spark tester. it replicates the conditions in which the coil will experience when trying to spark in the combustion chamber.

simply holding a spark plug against a block/head @ atmospheric pressure will do nothing of this sort.

you have to look at spark as being a little lazy. it wants the least resistance to ground. if it finds another way other than through the sombustion chamber, then hc will be off the charts and will run rough.

and also not fould the plug with carbon, but rather wash it very clean with fuel.


hope this clarifies some things.



as for checking the o2, the best thing is to use a power graphing meter so you can see the signal. expensive, yes, but soooo much more accurate than a dvom. even a fluke88, which is quite pricey.


ya wanna play, ya gotta pay. and with the level of "diy'ing" going up as cars have become more sophisticated, specialty tools are going to be the norm.

of course this is also why some car clubs have pooled their resources and purchased big ticket items for use with their members.


just something to think about,,,,:D




df
 
#61 ·
going to a dealer is usually not worth the extra money. if you can find a reputable indy mechanic (preferably one who specializes in BMWs) then he should be fine. Just be prepared for a long list of expensive parts. You may get lucky and it may be one cheap sensor or a few new injectors or something but i wouldnt bet on that.

so you've given up on trying to self-diagnose?
 
#62 ·
going to a dealer is usually not worth it at all as they tend to not be overtly familliar with older model cars unlike a reputable indy mechanic that deals with (usually) older cars on a regular basis. Just be prepared for a long list of expensive parts. You may get lucky and it may be one cheap sensor or a few new injectors or something but i wouldnt bet on that.

so you've given up on trying to self-diagnose?
ftfy.
 
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