Need help - Suddenly running rough and "Service Engine Soon" light came on.

[VCOUI]

Was out running errands around town today, when I made a right turn at a stop light, and suddenly it felt as if I was in 4th gear when I was in 2nd. I was down on power and I then noticed the "Service Engine Soon" light had come on and the car was running rough; almost like a missfire or a dead cylinder.

The car is a 2000 323ci with 112k on the ODO and manual transmission.

Im thinking possibly a bad injector or coil that suddenly failed. Is there a way to check fir fault codes without a scan tool like on the older models? I.e, pumping the gas pedal 5 times, etc..

Any other thoughts on the possible cause?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-V

[Pelican Parts]

Since your car is OBD2, a tool is required. You can likely take it to an Autozone or a similar place and get the codes read to give you a place to start troubleshooting.

[Honolulu]

Or... you could get under the hood and look for the obvious things like a hose that's busted, which is what I think you'll find one way or another. The E46 does not do the "stomp test" like earlier models.

[VCOUI]

Took the car to Oreily's and got the codes read; it appears the #2 coil has failed and I also got misfire codes from cylinders 1 and 4. Are the addition of #1 and #4 misfire codes signs of a potentially bigger problem or likely a none issue?

As for #2, I've heard worn plug connectors are a common cause of coil failure codes on these older, higher mileage BMWs. Is there an easy way to tell if it's the connector and not the coil pack itself? i.e. Testing with a multi-meter or obvious visual cracks, etc...

[MarcoZandrini]

Swap the #2 coil with another coil to see if the problem follows the coil. Yes, the "boots" that connect the coil to the spark plug can and do go bad with time and repeated heating/cooling cycles. You probably should replace all 6 boots.