Bunch of codes, System too Lean, Misfire During Start,

[rufryder]

2002, e39, 130k miles. I rec'd below codes and after changing Spark Plugs & Position Sensor and clearing the codes, about a day of driving, got back all the codes except P0369. Originally car was a shaky a bit during stop, however after changing spark plugs, there is a major difference.


Current Fault Log
------------------
P0171: System too Lean (Bank 1)
P0174: System too Lean (Bank 2)
P0369: Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit Intermittent (Bank 1)
P1083: [BMW] Fuel Control Mixture Lean (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P1085: [BMW] Fuel Control Mixture Lean (Bank 2 Sensor 1)


Pending Fault Log
------------------
P1342: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 1
P1346: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 3
P1350: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 5
P1352: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 6

[MIKYZZ4]

You have fuel starvation due to either an intake leak or insufficient fuel pressure.
Check fuel pressure at rail, inspect rubber intake boot and associated hoses for cracks,
If leaks still not found, perform a pro smoke test, which will locate and verify presence of leaks.

[Ernie D]

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[rufryder]

Wow! That's a lot of checking. ) Is there any easy DIY?

(just curious... is it caused by mixed of low octane or high octane fuel)?

[MIKYZZ4]

Sorry, but those are the easy DIY checks,
the professional smoke machine & test requires a shop.
Regular or Premium is not the cause.

[Tags20]

O2 sensors bc you have 4 2 up Stream and 2 down which is before the cat and after the cat


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[Tags20]

For the misfires it could be fuel injectors being dirty


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[FelixEsq]

I'm hoping you're talking about a 530i with an M54 engine.

I just got done working with all these same codes. There are a lot of places for vacuum leaks on these older cars, and I think I had all of them. By this time in their lives, the rubber and plastic parts for the vacuum hoses are all brittle and rotted.

Here is what I replaced over the course of weeks.
1. First one attached to the secondary air valve at the front passenger side end of the valve cover.
2. A cluster of others at the other end of the hard plastic vacuum line that goes from the secondary air valve around the back of the valve cover under the back/firewall side of the intake manifold. There are three or four short lines back there that connect the secondary air valve to a source of vacuum, a check valve, and a servo.
3. Cracks in intake boots. Mine was cracked (a) in the bellows part of the forward-most boot, and (b) at the base of the small port that connects rearward boot to the idle valve. Also, when you reassemble everything, make sure to get the forward boot completely reconnected to the resonator on the air filter (two and a half inch fitting that sticks out the bottom of the forward intake boot).
4. The CCV hose that attaches to your VANOS unit gets really hot. Mine had a nasty crack in it.
5. The CCV hose that attaches from the bottom of the oil separator to the dipstick. From what I saw on Youtube, these rot away all the time because they are exposed to so much heat and oil.
6. The CCV hoses that attach to the top of the intake manifold. The first goes from the back of the intake manifold to the front hose. The second goes from the front of the intake manifold, attaches to the first hose from the back, then bends down to the oil separator valve.
7. The o-ring on the dipstick tube.
8. The o-ring on your DISA valve.

It is hard to see what you're doing when working on the CCV lines. Youtube and DIY's on this forum (to the extent there are any left with pics after the photobucket catastrophe) and diagrams are your friends. Nevertheless BE IT KNOWN that the diagrams on RealOEM.com are not always drawn accurately.

Generally speaking, I would find a rotted vacuum line and replace it. I would clear the codes and drive the car until the CEL came back on -- often within a few minutes, sometimes after a day or two. I would then inspect deeper, find another ruined line, replace, clear, drive. Inspect, replace, clear, drive. Part of the process involved use of a homemade smoke tester, which did a fair job of identifying some bad spots. Only because of the good people on this forum did I discover the bad DISA valve o-ring.

You can also get vacuum leaks from a really bad valve cover gasket.

I have a ton of extra DISA valve o-rings that I bought. They're made of Viton rather than silicone, but the oracle (meaning "a google search") said Viton is supposed to last longer while exposed to fuel.

Good luck!

-Felix

[FelixEsq]

Also, here's a DIY if you want to delete part of the CCV system, but I think this move is too risky in California.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...em-(Pic-Heavy)

[rufryder]

I'm hoping you're talking about a 530i with an M54 engine.

I just got done working with all these same codes. There are a lot of places for vacuum leaks on these older cars, and I think I had all of them. By this time in their lives, the rubber and plastic parts for the vacuum hoses are all brittle and rotted.

,,,,,,,
Good luck!

-Felix

Thanks Felix! It is the 530i M54. I'm still a newbie and learning as I go along. There was a time when I didn't know what VCG was. and now I have to learn CCV lines, DISA valve o-rings, etc.

Anyhow, I will read up on it. My assumption is that it will not do any serious damage and can wait few weeks as I continue to read up and familiarize myself with it? Please feel free to share any additional information or parts ordered. Off the bat, as I read your post, much of it didn't make much sense to me Looks like I have much reading to do.

These are the latest codes as of now.

P0171: System too Lean (Bank 1)
P0174: System too Lean (Bank 2)
P0302: Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected
P1083: [BMW] Fuel Control Mixture Lean (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P1085: [BMW] Fuel Control Mixture Lean (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P1342: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 1
P1346: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 3
P1348: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 4
P1350: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 5
P1352: [BMW] Misfire During Start Cylinder 6

[FelixEsq]

Those vacuum leaks will drive you nuts until they are resolved. When I had a bunch of vacuum leaks, I also picked up several misfire codes. When I replaced all the rotten vacuum lines, the misfire codes took care of themselves.

If you use RealOEM.com, you can get an idea of what parts you need to replace, though the diagrams are not correctly drawn.

Here is the diagram for the vacuum line for the secondary air pump. The vacuum lines are at numbers 4, 7, and 8. Number 4 will be much shorter at both ends, and number 3 in the diagram will be much longer. Hoses 7 and 8 are at the back of the intake manifold and you need to find them by feel unless you take off the intake manifold.

Here is the diagram for the crankcase Ventilation (CCV) and Oil Separator Valve. Again, the diagram lacks a lot of detail, but gives you the general idea. I replaced numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Also you can see the dipstick in the background. It has an o-ring at the bottom. I replaced that, too. Getting to the CCV hoses is a pain in the neck unless you take off the intake manifold. There are a ton of youtube videos. Search "replace CCV hoses M54."

Here is the diagram for the intake manifold and DISA valve. The DISA valve is number 7. The seal that comes with the valve will eventually become so deformed that it will leak a lot of vacuum. Before you replace the o-ring and put the DISA valve back, check to make sure it holds vacuum and that there are no broken parts on it. If the DISA is in good shape, you need to scrape away all the orange/red stuff from the old seal, and replace it with a new o-ring.

Finally, I bought a BMW-specific code reader that has more detail than your run-of-the-mill generic one that you can get from the local auto parts store. It is not nearly as versatile as the fancy ones that run on your laptop computer, but it was very helpful because the codes were much more specific as to the root of the problem.

I am willing to bet that your car runs way better after you fix the vacuum leaks.

[rufryder]

Thanks again Felix...

While I am in process of ordering parts, how do I know whether my vehicle is with 'Cold-Climate Version'?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_2194

[MIKYZZ4]

You can tell by the insulated hoses.
The 2 kits are pictured here:https://www.fcpeuro.com/BMW-parts/53...80&m=20&page=1

[rufryder]

You can tell by the insulated hoses.
The 2 kits are pictured here:https://www.fcpeuro.com/BMW-parts/53...80&m=20&page=1

Another silly question.... one can still order insulated hoses vs standard and won't be a problem when fitting/squeezing tight space?

[MIKYZZ4]

It will make fitting them that much more difficult, but they are designed to fit.
I get the feeling your going to attempt CCV replacement without removing intake manifold.
I hope you have very small hands if you're going to attempt this.

[rufryder]

Thank you for your assistance. Yes Miky... I will making the attempt to replace CCV. Just ordered the kit and will see how far I get without any leftover parts. So far, I have been pleased with some of the things I have performed without having ANY prior knowledge of vehicles. All thanks to the board and amazing helpful people who continue to encourage others.

[MIKYZZ4]

Watch as many YouTube videos as you can where they perform the replacement without removing the manifold.
With each watch you will pickup a different tip on how to make the job go smoothly, good luck!

[FelixEsq]

Watch as many YouTube videos as you can where they perform the replacement without removing the manifold.
With each watch you will pickup a different tip on how to make the job go smoothly, good luck!

+1

Youtube is your friend. When you look up engine repairs, it is usually more important that you look up the engine model (M54) rather than your chassis number (E39) or your car model (530i). BMW used the M54 in a bunch of different cars. I am pretty sure they are the exact same engine in every car they were installed, though some chassis parts and other accessories were moved around inside the engine bay to ensure that everything fit under the hood.

[nikh23]

Those vacuum leaks will drive you nuts until they are resolved. When I had a bunch of vacuum leaks, I also picked up several misfire codes. When I replaced all the rotten vacuum lines, the misfire codes took care of themselves.

If you use RealOEM.com, you can get an idea of what parts you need to replace, though the diagrams are not correctly drawn.

Here is the diagram for the vacuum line for the secondary air pump. The vacuum lines are at numbers 4, 7, and 8. Number 4 will be much shorter at both ends, and number 3 in the diagram will be much longer. Hoses 7 and 8 are at the back of the intake manifold and you need to find them by feel unless you take off the intake manifold.

Here is the diagram for the crankcase Ventilation (CCV) and Oil Separator Valve. Again, the diagram lacks a lot of detail, but gives you the general idea. I replaced numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Also you can see the dipstick in the background. It has an o-ring at the bottom. I replaced that, too. Getting to the CCV hoses is a pain in the neck unless you take off the intake manifold. There are a ton of youtube videos. Search "replace CCV hoses M54."

Here is the diagram for the intake manifold and DISA valve. The DISA valve is number 7. The seal that comes with the valve will eventually become so deformed that it will leak a lot of vacuum. Before you replace the o-ring and put the DISA valve back, check to make sure it holds vacuum and that there are no broken parts on it. If the DISA is in good shape, you need to scrape away all the orange/red stuff from the old seal, and replace it with a new o-ring.

Finally, I bought a BMW-specific code reader that has more detail than your run-of-the-mill generic one that you can get from the local auto parts store. It is not nearly as versatile as the fancy ones that run on your laptop computer, but it was very helpful because the codes were much more specific as to the root of the problem.

I am willing to bet that your car runs way better after you fix the vacuum leaks.

Did you replace the hard lines too? If so, where did you source it from?


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[FelixEsq]

Did you replace the hard lines too? If so, where did you source it from?

If by "hard lines" you mean the hard vacuum tube that goes from the secondary air valve around the back of the valve cover to the intake manifold, or the others under the intake manifold, then no.

If by "hard lines" you mean all the hard plastic pipes that connect the CCV to everything, then yes.

Generally speaking, all the narrow gauge hard tubing was in good shape, and all the wider gage pipes for the CCV, plus anything made of rubber, was trash.

-Felix

[nikh23]

Sorry should have been more specific. Meant the hard lines associated with the smaller vacuum lines. Surprising they were in decent shape considering their proximity to the exhaust manifolds and how brittle the larger CCV lines become during the same life cycle


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[rufryder]

I was able to do the entire job (CCV kit replacement), cleared codes and car has never run any smoother. I am really impressed with the feel and difference it has made and glad I did the job because those hoses were fragile.


1) There were 6 small o-rings which had come with the cold-kit, I did not know where they went, therefore left them as-is.
2) On CCV itself, I had ordered the cold climate kit, however could not install it with the jackets on, therefore removed 1 side of the jacket and left the other one on it.


I hadn't ordered the 0-ring on DISA valve; didn't know where it was first. If I have to change it in the future, it appears that job would be much easier now if anything else pops up since it doesn't require much removal. That's the only o-ring I didn't change.


Thank you again for the tips. You guys are awesome!

[MIKYZZ4]

The 6 small o-rings are meant for the air distribution piece atop the manifold.
Go ahead and save them for when you have to remove the manifold.
Glad you were successful!

[FelixEsq]

I was able to do the entire job (CCV kit replacement), cleared codes and car has never run any smoother. I am really impressed with the feel and difference it has made and glad I did the job because those hoses were fragile.

I hadn't ordered the 0-ring on DISA valve; didn't know where it was first. If I have to change it in the future, it appears that job would be much easier now if anything else pops up since it doesn't require much removal. That's the only o-ring I didn't change.

Glad it all worked out! Let me know if you need a DISA o-ring.

[rufryder]

The 6 small o-rings are meant for the air distribution piece atop the manifold.

I didn't know whether that was necessary. I had removed 4 torx screens, however couldn't pull that off; wasn't sure whether I should or not and/or whether there was another method to it since it was slightly stuck.

Glad it all worked out! Let me know if you need a DISA o-ring.

I do not think I need it at this point, but if I do, I will certainly reach out before I order it elsewhere.

Thank you again!