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Thread: P1349 #4 misfire with fuel cutoff

  1. #1
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    P1349 #4 misfire with fuel cutoff

    Asking for the collective wisdom of the group here. Car is an '04 330Ci. I've been chasing a vexing problem with it since I bought it about 18 months ago. When accelerating above about 5000 RPM, it will start pinging loudly, trigger the Service Engine Soon light and cut off the fuel to #4. Rolling restart clears the fault and the light. It is not a random problem - I can cause it at will, and it *always* is in #4. Code is P1349. Other than this problem, the car runs very well.

    Further information:
    Compression is 180PSI +/10 PSI in all cylinders.
    Cylinder leak-down test shows less than 4% leak-down in all cylinders.
    I've changed the spark plug, coil pack and fuel injector, and swapped them between cylinders. The problem does not follow any of those parts.
    Car uses virtually no oil, and all plugs are clean and uniformly colored.
    VANOS unit has been overhauled.
    Cylinder head has been overhauled.

    Any constructive suggestions or experience are greatly appreciated!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson42 View Post
    Asking for the collective wisdom of the group here. Car is an '04 330Ci. I've been chasing a vexing problem with it since I bought it about 18 months ago. When accelerating above about 5000 RPM, it will start pinging loudly, trigger the Service Engine Soon light and cut off the fuel to #4. Rolling restart clears the fault and the light. It is not a random problem - I can cause it at will, and it *always* is in #4. Code is P1349. Other than this problem, the car runs very well.

    Further information:
    Compression is 180PSI +/10 PSI in all cylinders.
    Cylinder leak-down test shows less than 4% leak-down in all cylinders.
    I've changed the spark plug, coil pack and fuel injector, and swapped them between cylinders. The problem does not follow any of those parts.
    Car uses virtually no oil, and all plugs are clean and uniformly colored.
    VANOS unit has been overhauled.
    Cylinder head has been overhauled.

    Any constructive suggestions or experience are greatly appreciated!
    On mine I get p1353 and it’s the same situation except at idle. Good luck I still haven’t found anything


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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson42 View Post
    Asking for the collective wisdom of the group here. Car is an '04 330Ci. I've been chasing a vexing problem with it since I bought it about 18 months ago. When accelerating above about 5000 RPM, it will start pinging loudly, trigger the Service Engine Soon light and cut off the fuel to #4. Rolling restart clears the fault and the light. It is not a random problem - I can cause it at will, and it *always* is in #4. Code is P1349. Other than this problem, the car runs very well.

    Further information:
    Compression is 180PSI +/10 PSI in all cylinders.
    Cylinder leak-down test shows less than 4% leak-down in all cylinders.
    I've changed the spark plug, coil pack and fuel injector, and swapped them between cylinders. The problem does not follow any of those parts.
    Car uses virtually no oil, and all plugs are clean and uniformly colored.
    VANOS unit has been overhauled.
    Cylinder head has been overhauled.

    Any constructive suggestions or experience are greatly appreciated!
    You seem to have covered all of the basics/usual suspects. Was the car like this when you got it? Does the problem happen if revved past 5k with no load (neutral) or only while driving and accelerating hard? You mentioned that the head was overhauled. Why was this done? Overheated? Money shift? (Manual trans) Was a valve job done? If so maybe a valve in cylinder 4 is tight in the guide causing it to not close properly at higher rpm. Could also be a failing driver in the dme that works at lower rpm/load but can't function properly at higher rpm, load, or pulse width for either the coil or injector on cylinder 4. Since the problem is easily repeatable you could use a scope to monitor coil and injector firing when it happens. Once the dme disables the injector (fuel cut) there would be no pulse so you have only a short time to catch it. A broken wire that touches together until the engine torques on the mounts enough is possible. Coil harnesses seems more likely but it could be injector circuit too. Move the harnesses around between the engine and the e-box with the engine running to test that. If it starts to miss you found the problem. A restricted converter should effect cylinders 4-6, not just one cylinder but it could be possible, and a backpressure test is very easy on an m54. Just some ideas.

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  4. #4
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    You’ve done all the usual stuff. It could be a bad lifter but I’d check the DME for issues. The circuit that fires a coil has a metal oxide field effect transistor (MOSET) as the output driver. They do go bad. Also, get the OBDFusion app for your smartphone or tablet. Go to E46Fanatics and search for threads on OBDFusion in which jfoj has commented. He’s the guru. OBDFusion allows you to log various data streams. The logs can be exported for analysis in a computer using excel.

  5. #5
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    Thanks, Marco and Randy - I really appreciate the feedback. I overhauled the head because I had uneven compression, and had the exhaust valves and guides replaced, all valves ground, as well as the head surfaced. The guy that does my cylinder head work is an absolute wizard so I have no reason to suspect anything in the head overhaul, and the compression numbers validate that. I installed new lifters throughout when I put it back together. It has not been overheated or overrevved (yes, it's a manual - a six-speed, and that transmission is the biggest single reason I bought the car. It's a really sweet gearbox.). I'm leaning in the direction of a weak injector MOSFET in the DME as well; just wanted to poll the delegation and see if I've missed something else obvious. If it is a driver, it would most likely be the injector driver rather than the coil driver. My rationale is this - if it was a coil driver, it would misfire with a rich condition, and it's pinging like it's going to blow the head off the car, which would indicate a lean condition, pointing at the injector driver. When I had the head off I went through the harnesses carefully, and they're all fine - no cracked insulation, no corrosion or broken connectors. I've wondered about cat backpressure as well; agree if that was it, it should affect all cylinders in bank 2, not just #4. I've not pursued this further because the engine uses no oil. Randy, you mention a backpressure test is easy; would you please explain it to me so I can go do it, just for the sake of completeness? I've got a scanner that logs data, but I'm not sure of the sampling rate. My prior experience with it is that it misses a lot of the data. I'll have to go grab a fresh set of data and see if there are any clues.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson42 View Post
    Thanks, Marco and Randy - I really appreciate the feedback. I overhauled the head because I had uneven compression, and had the exhaust valves and guides replaced, all valves ground, as well as the head surfaced. The guy that does my cylinder head work is an absolute wizard so I have no reason to suspect anything in the head overhaul, and the compression numbers validate that. I installed new lifters throughout when I put it back together. It has not been overheated or overrevved (yes, it's a manual - a six-speed, and that transmission is the biggest single reason I bought the car. It's a really sweet gearbox.). I'm leaning in the direction of a weak injector MOSFET in the DME as well; just wanted to poll the delegation and see if I've missed something else obvious. If it is a driver, it would most likely be the injector driver rather than the coil driver. My rationale is this - if it was a coil driver, it would misfire with a rich condition, and it's pinging like it's going to blow the head off the car, which would indicate a lean condition, pointing at the injector driver. When I had the head off I went through the harnesses carefully, and they're all fine - no cracked insulation, no corrosion or broken connectors. I've wondered about cat backpressure as well; agree if that was it, it should affect all cylinders in bank 2, not just #4. I've not pursued this further because the engine uses no oil. Randy, you mention a backpressure test is easy; would you please explain it to me so I can go do it, just for the sake of completeness? I've got a scanner that logs data, but I'm not sure of the sampling rate. My prior experience with it is that it misses a lot of the data. I'll have to go grab a fresh set of data and see if there are any clues.
    Backpressure test is done by removing the pre cat o2 sensor and installing a pressure gauge in the o2 sensor hole. Start engine and rev it hard while watching the gauge. Normal backpressure is minimal, 1-2 psi. There are gauges available specifically for this with adapters for the different types of o2 sensors or you can make your own. I use a vacuum/pressure gauge that reads 0-10 psi and vacuum with an adapter I made by cutting apart an old o2 sensor. Maybe parts store has a loaner?

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  7. #7
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    Randy, that kind of gauge is something I can bang together out of pieces in my junk box. I will do so and see what it tells me. Thanks for the tip!

  8. #8
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    This is what I use. I never bought a specific tool like what snap on and others sell because it works. I have been using this for a long time. The threaded adapter is just a cut down and gutted old o2 sensor body that I shoved a hose in.

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  9. #9
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    Randy, built a gauge like yours out of junk box parts and it confirmed you are right - at 4500RPM, the front cat shows less than 1PSI of back pressure, but the back cat shows 7PSI. Off to the pick-your-part place in the morning to harvest a back manifold/cat assembly. Thank you for the suggestions!

  10. #10
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    Great diagnosis. I’m curious why the bank 2 car failed but the bank 1 car is fine.

  11. #11
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    That's the best bad news you can have. I'm glad you found the problem with your car and that my suggestions/ideas led you to the problem quickly without any money wasted on parts you don't need. You have done a great job of diagnosing your problem without buying parts unnecessarily. I can't explain how you only get misfire faults for one cylinder when 3 are not breathing properly but 7psi is pretty high and your car is definitely down on power at that point. I agree with you for trying to get a good used oem cat over aftermarket. They don't seem to last especially in German cars. Catalytic converter melting is usually caused by misfiring (previous valve/head problem?) If the previous engine problem was on bank 2, then It is probably responsible for the catalytic converter meltdown/restriction. I think some states don't allow junkyards to sell used catalytic converters and you are in CA, home of the emissions nazis. Maybe if you tell them that you need an exhaust manifold instead of a converter it will fly, if that is even a law there. Good luck and good job.

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  12. #12
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    This car has kind of a shady history and it is not in the greatest shape, so it may have had a problem in the past that damaged the rear cat. I'm going to build an adapter for the output side of my shop vac so that I can bench test the cats before they go back in the car - buying used parts comes with the risk of getting one that is in just as bad or worse shape than the one I'm replacing. I've never taken the cats off an M54 with the head in the car - I've always pulled the head with the manifolds/cats still on it, and then separating them on the bench. It looks like a royal pain to get them out when the engine is in the car. Factory manual says it can be done, but my experience with the TIS is that the fewer words and pictures they include in a given repair section, the more impossible that repair is to perform.

  13. #13
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    Success! Replaced the rear cat today - a full day's work that was NOT fun, but got 'er done. The difference in performance is stunning! Idles smoother, is quieter, and pulls redline at the slightest provocation. More torque, more power, more everything. The car has always been nice to drive but it's never been fun. All of the sudden it's LOTS of fun! Randy, thanks for the tip that led me to the problem. Still don't know why it would always shut off #4, but it isn't doing it any more.

  14. #14
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    Excellent! I knew when you said you had 7psi backpressure on bank 2 that once you got it fixed there would be a huge difference in performance. Besides the backpressure issue, the car only has one maf and the dme expects the total amount of airflow through the engine to be divided equally among all 6 cylinders. At wot/high rpm you had probably 75% of the airflow going to bank one and also a lower than expected maf reading. Although one bank was restricted, it still effects the mixture control of both banks. A few days of driving should bring mixture adaptation back to where it needs to be. Enjoy your new found power.

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  15. #15
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    So after driving it for a few days, whereas it performs a lot better, it still has an annoying symptom: while accelerating quickly above about 3000RPM, it has a pulsating surge in power with a frequency of 3-5 pulses per second. No malfunction light; I haven't had a chance to get the code reader on it to see if it has any pending faults stored. it is ironic that I wish it would throw a code to give a clue as to where to go to look...

  16. #16
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    Hey There, thanks for this post. I have the same issue around 4500 with my 2001 E39 530i. I get P1351 and P1349 right about 4500 RPM. Restart and the codes and fuel cutoff are reset. Car is Sluggish for the most part, I have been suspecting Cats for awhile. Recently did a compression test after I developed a hard miss and had Numbers all over the place with #5 25psi and 6 75 psi... Performed a top-end Soak with Lucas cleaner and now have 190 psi across the board. Still the cutoff codes/issues but I am betting my CATS are Plugged and the cause of the "Coking" of the Ring lands.

    I have a set headers and a ECM with post cat Delete enabled. I will post here when I have performed the Header Swap with results.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by mnewman View Post
    Hey There, thanks for this post. I have the same issue around 4500 with my 2001 E39 530i. I get P1351 and P1349 right about 4500 RPM. Restart and the codes and fuel cutoff are reset. Car is Sluggish for the most part, I have been suspecting Cats for awhile. Recently did a compression test after I developed a hard miss and had Numbers all over the place with #5 25psi and 6 75 psi... Performed a top-end Soak with Lucas cleaner and now have 190 psi across the board. Still the cutoff codes/issues but I am betting my CATS are Plugged and the cause of the "Coking" of the Ring lands.

    I have a set headers and a ECM with post cat Delete enabled. I will post here when I have performed the Header Swap with results.
    Good luck! Let us know how it goes... If "Campo" is Campo, CA and you need moral support or someone to just stand around drinking beer and kibitzing, let me know - I'm just around the corner in Ramona.

  18. #18
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    @Jackson Sure thing, I am a Pilot and I frequently Land in Ramona and on occasion drive through there. PM me and we can link up for some Suds. Mike

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    Hooked up a Pressure Gauge to my O2 port yesterday. At Idle there is no backpressure indicated which is a good thing. Took a drive under load and that's when it got a little more interesting. @2500 rpm I have 5 PSI under load, approaching 4500 rpm (where I have Fuel Cutoff codes) PSI went above 12psi and eventually blew the host off the connecter. I started wrapping my headers in Fiberglass heat wrap last night and once done I will replace stock exhaust and report back.

    MN

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by mnewman View Post
    Hooked up a Pressure Gauge to my O2 port yesterday. At Idle there is no backpressure indicated which is a good thing. Took a drive under load and that's when it got a little more interesting. @2500 rpm I have 5 PSI under load, approaching 4500 rpm (where I have Fuel Cutoff codes) PSI went above 12psi and eventually blew the host off the connecter. I started wrapping my headers in Fiberglass heat wrap last night and once done I will replace stock exhaust and report back.

    MN
    That's pretty bad. It should be easier to do on an e39 because the engine bay is wider than an e46. It was designed to fit a dohc v8 (m62,s62) which is are very wide engines. Good luck you are on the right path.

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    Last edited by mnewman; 08-04-2018 at 09:18 AM.

  22. #22
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    @randy72877 & Jackson42 --

    Happy to report my Header project install went well but with a couple issues. The Clocking of the flanges was of by 90 degrees. I just got back from a loud ride down to the Exhaust shop and the Car now Hauls ass! I had them cut the Flange and orientate the correct way. 140.00 later and I's super happy with the result bar the aforementioned issues. My Catalytic Converters were so plugged 4500 was the limit and at that RPM all kinds of codes were being thrown, related to Lean Misfires with Fuel cutoff. Car Pulls all the way to 6,000 RPM and I am astonished. Thanks for this Thread, it really helped me.

    Mike

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