Stalling, rough idle, but good power, too many codes

[smc1018]

Hi, I'm new here and I tried to search for this but I doubt I'm the best at searching just yet and I need to find a fix for this soon... problems seem pretty distinct so I was thinking someone with uber e46 knowledge could help me quicker than me trying a bunch of things from various threads. I just need it to run reliably for a dd.

So.. I just got this car 2003 325ci, with 180K on it. It has definitely been driven hard and put away wet. It runs strong with good torque, but it has a hard time idling and stalls from time to time... it also sporatically cuts power while driving and then kicks back in... not in an abrubt way, almost like fuel loses pressure and then comes back... but no misfiring.

I got codes P1071, P1074, P1083, P1085, and also P0720 (which I think is unrelated). Does anyone think they know what might be going on?

Of note: I saw where it looks like someone put gorilla glue on the intake tube "Throttle Housing to Air Boot" I'm assuming to cover a leak... I ordered a new one off of PP but it won't be here for awhile.... looking for things I can do in the meantime... thinking maybe camshaftps, crankshaftps, or tps?

Thanks!

Unrelated... my brake lights stay on constantly. I changed the switch under the dash on the top of the brake pedal and now my cruise control isn't working either... maybe this deserves its own thread?

[TonyAngel]

Welcome SMC. I am NOT an E46 expert, but do have some experience with engines in general. It seems to me that the first 4 codes you posted, when taken in light of each other, would indicate an air leak. If you can see a Gorilla Glue repair, odds are that there's a bunch of stuff that you can't see. I'm sure that someone is going to hop on and suggest that you get a smoke test done to identify all of the leaks.

If you are serious about getting into and staying with this car, you might want to get a scan tool that reads BMW codes. Either a laptop with INPA/ISTA or a handheld, like a Foxwell NT510 or the Schwaben unit from ECS. Those "P" codes can be rather vague and can have you tearing your hair out. As for the 5th code, google shows that to be a speed sensor. I think this could be the culprit with the power cutting out as you describe.

Bottomline is get a real scan done with something more than a generic OBD scanner.

Now for the bad news...considering the Gorilla glue repair, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that your car hasn't been maintained at all. Once you get the above sorted (or maybe before), you're likely going to have to do a complete cooling system revamp. The whole system is made of plastic and becomes suspect at about 50k miles or 5 years. The plastic just plain gets brittle. Figure 5-$600 if you're gonna do it yourself. Radiator, water pump, thermostat, fan clutch, pulleys, expansion tank, expansion tank thermostat, hoses, etc. Then you're likely going to have to tackle at least the front suspension. Control arm bushings are known for going bad, as well as ball joints and rod ends. Control arms with bushings and ball joints attached can be had for around $150 each.

From the E46s that I've looked at while shopping, you kind of have to count on spending 1-$2k to get them right. I also have yet to see one that has been maintained as it should have been. I recentlly bought an '01 325i and it only had just over 70k miles on it. It NEEDED all of the stuff mentioned above, plus shocks, an oil change, plugs and a couple of things I'm forgetting.

Is yours an auto or a manual? If it's an auto, changing the fluid at this point might be iffy, if it's never been done. Speaking of fluids, it's usually a good idea to change everything that is liquid. From the oil to the brake fluid.

Still, if the body and interior are in good shape, the above work will likely be worth your while. Driving an E46 is a downright kick.

[smc1018]

Welcome SMC. I am NOT an E46 expert, but do have some experience with engines in general. It seems to me that the first 4 codes you posted, when taken in light of each other, would indicate an air leak. If you can see a Gorilla Glue repair, odds are that there's a bunch of stuff that you can't see. I'm sure that someone is going to hop on and suggest that you get a smoke test done to identify all of the leaks.

The Gorilla Glue repair is very scary... are you suggesting that I get a smoke test done or saying that someone will suggest it, but its not really necessary?

If you are serious about getting into and staying with this car, you might want to get a scan tool that reads BMW codes. Either a laptop with INPA/ISTA or a handheld, like a Foxwell NT510 or the Schwaben unit from ECS. Those "P" codes can be rather vague and can have you tearing your hair out. As for the 5th code, google shows that to be a speed sensor. I think this could be the culprit with the power cutting out as you describe.

Bottomline is get a real scan done with something more than a generic OBD scanner.

I plan on getting one soon, just don't want to drop the $150 right now if I don't have to... although I understand it could save me time and money in the long run... if I can figure it out with the generic codes I'll be okay for now.

Now for the bad news...considering the Gorilla glue repair, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that your car hasn't been maintained at all. Once you get the above sorted (or maybe before), you're likely going to have to do a complete cooling system revamp. The whole system is made of plastic and becomes suspect at about 50k miles or 5 years. The plastic just plain gets brittle. Figure 5-$600 if you're gonna do it yourself. Radiator, water pump, thermostat, fan clutch, pulleys, expansion tank, expansion tank thermostat, hoses, etc. Then you're likely going to have to tackle at least the front suspension. Control arm bushings are known for going bad, as well as ball joints and rod ends. Control arms with bushings and ball joints attached can be had for around $150 each.

From the E46s that I've looked at while shopping, you kind of have to count on spending 1-$2k to get them right. I also have yet to see one that has been maintained as it should have been. I recently bought an '01 325i and it only had just over 70k miles on it. It NEEDED all of the stuff mentioned above, plus shocks, an oil change, plugs and a couple of things I'm forgetting.

Is yours an auto or a manual? If it's an auto, changing the fluid at this point might be iffy, if it's never been done. Speaking of fluids, it's usually a good idea to change everything that is liquid. From the oil to the brake fluid.

I'm planning on getting all the CEL's off first, then going to doing a tune up... oil change, plugs, wires, fluids, air filter... then moving on to some overdue maintenance like you mentioned... I need to keep in mind that this was supposed to be a cheap alternative to my truck... but still want to keep it maintained.

Still, if the body and interior are in good shape, the above work will likely be worth your while. Driving an E46 is a downright kick.

I got it with 180K on it, zero rust, leather good, other interior 7/10... for 2 grand... so I feel like I'm ahead on it for now... but I definitely agree it has been very fun to drive so far... and I can only imagine that will get better as I start getting it back to full functionality. Thanks again for the feedback, hopefully once my Gorilla glue free air duct comes in the leak will go away.. not holding my breath though...

[smc1018]

So, as an update, I found that the link for the blade on the DISA valve had broken and there was a direct hole into the intake manifold through the DISA valve because of this. Question... I see there are a bunch of kits for repairing the DISA valve... there is one that is made out of aluminum instead of plastic... would this be worth paying extra for? What would the pros/cons be?

[Eaglesail]

From my experience as a Marine diesel, gas, engine mechanic, ..mine only, I use regularly a propane torch...unlit of course, and wave it around all vacuum intake hoses. If the running engine jumps up rpm around any certain hose, this may be where a vacuum leak may exist. If it is that your problem is related...and as mentioned above from other posters here, there may be other issues, or combined issues.