Never ending idle/MAF issues

[hlenoble]

OK, this is my never ending story of my poor '95 325i. I replaced the head due to my son's money shift, and I can't make it run right. The car wouldn't idle right and I was getting a MAF code, so I troubleshot the system with your help. I found and fixed a vacuum leak, but the car still wouldn't idle or run right at low RPMs. I cleaned the ICV and the MAF, but that didn't help. I gave up and replaced the MAF today and it still isn't right, and the check engine light came on again with a MAF error. It idles OK, but if you rev it a bit it stalls or nearly stalls when you let off the gas.

I'm getting frustrated and am thinking of giving up and bringing it to my local mechanic. He's not a BMW specialist but it one of the few mechanics around here who will even work on the car. Before I do that, can anyone think of anything I'm missing?

Thanks.

[flyfishvt]

I have the same car. I had idle problems that turned out to be a combo of the boot from the MAF to the throttle body plus the ASC hose that connects to that boot was cracked as well plus there is a very small vacuum tube that runs from the back of the fuel rail to the under side of the intake. That was toast as well. I also retightened the clamps on that elbow boot and found I had air leaking by the clamps. It sounds like unmetered air is getting in somewhere unless someone has another idea.

Fixing those things solved my idle problem.

Have you changed your fuel filter lately?

[restricted]

If you can find a smoke machine to use smoke testing would tell you exactly where the leak is

[hlenoble]

Thanks for the very specific ideas, I'll check them out tomorrow. Otherwise I may be posting in the for sale section... Nah, it's just getting annoying...