Crouching Engine, hidden Lambada. Solution.

[m60b40]

This is probably very, very rare but if you ever taken your car to a mechanic/dealer to do any kind of job or perhaps got a car with the check engine code(s):

1222 Lambda Control 1 or
1213 Lambda Control 2

during the stomp test. I might have a solution for you.

First, yes. In most cases you need to replace fuel filter, air filter, clean maf, clean ICV, check for leaks, check your temperature sensors, replace oxygen sensors.

But in some cases it could be caused by this guy:

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5936/thisguyv.jpg (http://img52.imageshack.us/i/thisguyv.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Who the #@$% is that you ask? It's a piece inside your intake manifold that controls air flow.

Not only they could become loose (open your throttle body and use flash light to look inside, they could be broken and removed by previous owner or a mechanic that does not want to tell you he just broke an expensive manifold and throws the piece out.

Here, compare an intake with a misfire on right side and intake with no misfire:

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/3558/badwl.jpg (http://img821.imageshack.us/i/badwl.jpg/)


Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5088/normalx.jpg (http://img545.imageshack.us/i/normalx.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

See the difference? In the first example air does not directly flow to get mixed but wanders around. Causing a... misfire!

:)

[jehu]

Would the Engine have a hard vibration in such a case? Sound anything like this?

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/PICT0006.MOV

[m60b40]

Would the Engine have a hard vibration in such a case? Sound anything like this?

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/PICT0006.MOV (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecpkver8/PICT0006.MOV)

Honestly I'm not sure, I have bad mounts so it's pretty bad by it self.

Throttle housing covers the sides very well you can't 100% tell if you have this issue but it should be obvious if you take off intake and have a good mirror + flashlight to look inside opened throttle body.

I also did not have time to do hearing test, but if you steno-scope I would assume listening to each air channel would give you an indication that one of the channels is lacking flow compared to others.

[jehu]

I'll keep this in mind while I sort my issue out.

I just made another run in it to the store. Warmed it up driving about a Mile then when parked ran it up in the rev's..
Can't really see the tach but it was up to around 6K just below RedLine.Does it sound unusual? Bearing in mind the long running Oil Consumption issue affecting the Cat's and exhaust..
It shakes hard when idling.

The second vid is after parking at home,serious chugging and I heard the metal sound I heard the first night. It occured to me perphas its the engine banging from a totally wasted engine mount,just jumping on the frame but would the engine chug that way? It doesn't when the revs are up so Could it actually still be OK and just loose?

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/RPMs002.mov 23.4 MB

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/RPMs003.mov 15.6 MB

is this a threadjack?lol

[jbh1989]

So you're saying a plastic piece in your intake manifold that's only purpose is to direct air was causing a misfire and causing it to run lean/rich since you have lambda codes?

You may have a slight performance issue on that one cylinder that doesn't have the horn, but it's not pulling unmetered air into the engine. It'll run a little rich (minuscule amount) at low speeds since there is slightly less air getting forced into the cylinder, but it will have more air at the top end. BUT, you have lamda codes on both banks. A missing horn (that is simply designed to improve low-end torque) will not cause both banks to run lean. The horns are like the variable-resonance intakes used on later engines to improve torque, but they are fixed in one position.

Did you replace the throttle body gasket and front intake manifold cover gaskets? Those were probably your culprit more than anything.

[Binjammin]

So you're saying a plastic piece in your intake manifold that's only purpose is to direct air was causing a misfire and causing it to run lean/rich since you have lambda codes?

You may have a slight performance issue on that one cylinder that doesn't have the horn, but it's not pulling unmetered air into the engine. It'll run a little rich (minuscule amount) at low speeds since there is slightly less air getting forced into the cylinder, but it will have more air at the top end. BUT, you have lamda codes on both banks. A missing horn (that is simply designed to improve low-end torque) will not cause both banks to run lean. The horns are like the variable-resonance intakes used on later engines to improve torque, but they are fixed in one position.

Did you replace the throttle body gasket and front intake manifold cover gaskets? Those were probably your culprit more than anything.

It's possible that the trumpet was cocked in the manifold if it was loose, severely impeding airflow to that runner it was blocking, that would certainly give you a single cylinder way rich and a possible misfire.

[jbh1989]

It's possible that the trumpet was cocked in the manifold if it was loose, severely impeding airflow to that runner it was blocking, that would certainly give you a single cylinder way rich and a possible misfire.

I didn't consider that possibility. Definitely possible in that case.

Looking at the setup though, it seems more likely that it would work it's way loose then just fall onto the bottom of the manifold.

It's like the IATN post of the serpentine belt getting sucked into the front timing cover through the crankshaft seal on a late N54. I just can't see it happening.

[m60b40]

I didn't consider that possibility. Definitely possible in that case.

Looking at the setup though, it seems more likely that it would work it's way loose then just fall onto the bottom of the manifold.

It's like the IATN post of the serpentine belt getting sucked into the front timing cover through the crankshaft seal on a late N54. I just can't see it happening.

Adding to Binjammin's version, even if one is broken your air flow will be affected to that runner.

In my case I had 4 missing and each side has like 8.

When the ram is off the intake runner entrance is very sharp and has holes on the walls where ram clips on, there is great deal of pressure and I'm 100% sure even one of those ram's missing will mess up air flow to that runner and affect performance of other runners.

[Binjammin]

It's like the IATN post of the serpentine belt getting sucked into the front timing cover through the crankshaft seal on a late N54. I just can't see it happening.

Mer?

[m60b40]

I'll keep this in mind while I sort my issue out.

I just made another run in it to the store. Warmed it up driving about a Mile then when parked ran it up in the rev's..
Can't really see the tach but it was up to around 6K just below RedLine.Does it sound unusual? Bearing in mind the long running Oil Consumption issue affecting the Cat's and exhaust..
It shakes hard when idling.

The second vid is after parking at home,serious chugging and I heard the metal sound I heard the first night. It occured to me perphas its the engine banging from a totally wasted engine mount,just jumping on the frame but would the engine chug that way? It doesn't when the revs are up so Could it actually still be OK and just loose?

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/RPMs002.mov (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecpkver8/RPMs002.mov) 23.4 MB

http://home.comcast.net/~cpkver8/RPMs003.mov (http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecpkver8/RPMs003.mov) 15.6 MB

is this a threadjack?lol

I don't think two issues are related, but did you clean your ICV and adjust your throttle?

After you clean it with carb run it for a little then pull it out and try to move. If it's back to slow moving state (way different from when it moved after you ran carb cleaner in it) then it's bad. (Check ohm on it too).

(Also could be TPS sensor).

And for chugging that sounds like misfire or really bad mounts, did you pull your plugs/resistance check your coils?

Apologies if you already did all of the above, just my guesses.

(One other thing (catch 22) is to pull line to brake booster and try blowing air into it, if it goes in your check valve is bad)

[jehu]

I don't think two issues are related, but did you clean your ICV and adjust your throttle?

After you clean it with carb run it for a little then pull it out and try to move. If it's back to slow moving state (way different from when it moved after you ran carb cleaner in it) then it's bad. (Check ohm on it too).

(Also could be TPS sensor).

And for chugging that sounds like misfire or really bad mounts, did you pull your plugs/resistance check your coils?

Apologies if you already did all of the above, just my guesses.

(One other thing (catch 22) is to pull line to brake booster and try blowing air into it, if it goes in your check valve is bad)

Its been too cold to check the plugs and coils as my Whiplash symptoms have returned and my neck is all stiff and sore... weather is going to frozen hell after tonight for a while so It'll be next week if my neck loosens up but I'll try what you mention.

I actually had used Berryman's B-12 on the ICV recently. Took it off ,sprayed it and used a Microfiber towel to rubb off what i could reach.

I'll check the plugs andthe Brake Booser line and maybe grab a volt meter to test the coils.

[m60b40]

Ah I understand, I almost got a frostbite on my face working on my car. No garage equals major pain.

One thing on ICV, when you pulled it out and moved it side to side the inside impeller should be very free if it was not and you cleaned it and it became very free again.

It's good idea to pull it again after a day or two and see if it stopped moving freely, that means you need new ICV.

I had same problem with mine, cleaned it and it was super easy for impeller to move inside but I had to do something else two days after, pull it and it's hard to move just a few days after I fully cleaned it.

Had to get another unit.

[K Fox]

Wow - I find this intriguing. Below is a pic of my 94's intake from when I did the gaskets, and I had no idea there were supposed to be velocity stacks in there. That's a big deal. Velocity stacks like those will greatly improve high RPM breathing, and make me wonder if they stopped using them on the later M62's - that would explain why it's such an upgrade to use an M60 manifold on the M62's. Either way, since my car had NONE, I'm wondering if there's a separate part number for them so they can be replaced? I'm going to start looking for it in realOEM, but does anyone else know off the top of their head? Fascinating...

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1486/intakep.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/intakep.jpg/)



Fox

Edit: After a good look around I can't find anything on them at all. If possible OP, can you check the part itself for a part number to reference? I'd be willing to take my intake apart if I had one in there, but I don't. :( But if possible I'd like to get a number for these, or some more info in general. I'll probably stop by a dealership on Monday to see if there parts guy can look anything up in the microfiche. Still, if anyone knows anything about these mystery V stacks, please post it in here.

[m60b40]

Unfortunately you will have to get a new intake, the part numbers on each velocity stack are basically 'BMW' and some random 4 numbers.

I googled/binged/realoemed those numbers with 0 results.

And even if you get those things, once they fall off they will be seated very loose and I would not recommend messing around with a glue/risk of messing up your engine if they fall off and crack or whatever :\

[K Fox]

Unfortunately you will have to get a new intake, the part numbers on each velocity stack are basically 'BMW' and some random 4 numbers.

I googled/binged/realoemed those numbers with 0 results.

And even if you get those things, once they fall off they will be seated very loose and I would not recommend messing around with a glue/risk of messing up your engine if they fall off and crack or whatever :\

Yeah, I spent a bit searching for them last night and got nothing. Damn. I know how much those will add, and I can't believe some wrench monkey somewhere along the way took them out. Irritating...:mad

Fox

[m60b40]

I feel your frustration, on bright side getting those RAM's (16~ of them in your case?) would be way more expensive then used intake manifold :)