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Thread: M54 running rich

  1. #1
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    M54 running rich

    Hi, my e46 with M54B22 was runing rich lately and actually had stalled couple times. No errors, no CEL. I'm using INPA cable to diagnose so LTFT are -4 on both banks.
    I've changed fuel filter, fuel pump, air filter, intake boots and MAF. All with the OEM parts. O2 sensors jump between 0.1 - 0.9. VANOS seals and DISA are ok
    The car barely moves at lower RPM.
    i took it to the shop and the guy said it's intake lifters got stuck that's why it runs rich. Can it run rich because of that, even tho engine does NOT make any rattling or ticking sounds?
    Can you guys help me? What test should i do next. I can upload live data of sensors if you want.
    Last edited by freestyle31225; 06-16-2018 at 01:40 PM.

  2. #2
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    Hi freestyle, and welcome to this forum.

    Why, exactly, do you believe that the engine is running rich?

    You've stated that "the car barely moves at lower rpm". The fact that the engine computer is subtracting 4% at cruise does not indicate that the car's running rich, especially at low rpm. This figure is well within the normal specification, and would indicate correct function.

    O2 sensors jumping between .1 and .9 would be fine....except that maybe this engine should have wide-band primary sensors? I'm not sure, maybe Abel or Darin or Martin will check me on this?

    You should just stay away from the guy that's saying your lifters are at fault.....that's very far-fetched, at best. I'm not even going to try to figure out how that would be possible

    While INPA should have seen a fault, personally I'd wonder whether you've got (a) a large intake leak, or (b) a failed DISA valve. If you brought the car to my shop, I'd first do a smoke test of the intake system, and second, use a stethoscope to listen to the DISA, for signs of trouble.

    I understand that it might be difficult to find a professional smoke machine, where you are, even though Baku is a large and advanced metropolis. (I have friends in London who can't seem to find a shop with a smoke machine there, either). Still, I'd smoke test the intake system, and do a crankcase vacuum test, if you brought the car to my shop with this issue.

    What sparkplugs are you using, by the way?

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    Air fuel spark. If it is running rich you have too much fuel or not enough air. How is the air filter? I did not see that on your list. Never mind see you did do that. Did you knock a hose off? Injectors dirty or stuck open? Dirty in ejectors would most likely be a lean not rich. What makes you say rich? Is the exhaust darker? I like the previous post on checking the DISA
    ME:"I want to make my car faster and lighter"
    THEM:" Get out and let someone else drive"

  4. #4
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    Thank you guys for your replies.

    I meant the car won't coast when i release the brake pedal (btw, it's auto). I have to give some gas to get it moving. It's not normal as you can feel the massive power loss even for 2.2l engine.
    I've smoke tested it but no vacuum leaks. And removed DISA to check, it holds the vacuum, does not rattle and the pin that holds the plate was firmly in place. I even checked whether electrical part works and flapped couple times until vacuum lost. So i think DISA is in good condition.
    I've replaced crankcase 2 years ago. Also i don't drive it often so it has 47k km on the dash. Spark plugs were ok last time checked even tho i think bad plugs would cause misfires or wouldn't cause rich condition on both banks.


    Quote Originally Posted by Cobra1956 View Post
    Did you knock a hose off? What makes you say rich? Is the exhaust darker?
    Which hose?
    The car was hesitating while driving so i checked for the problems in INPA and found fuel trims negative as in attached image (screenshot was taken after 10 minutes of driving after adaption values were reset. Now it's -4 on both banks).
    The exhaust is normal.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
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    -4% LTFT is not at all unusual, and is well within adaptation limits. When you see ~25%, the DME can no longer adapt enough. Subtracting 4% doesn't mean the engine's running rich, it means that the engine would have been running rich if the DME hadn't subtracted a tiny bit of fuel. However, your issues seem to center around operation at idle, and just off idle....which is governed by Short Term Fuel Trim. Your STFT is zero....which might just indicate that mixtures aren't adapting in off-idle conditions.

    Although your crankcase venting is new, I'd still think you should test crankcase vacuum. It should be ~7.5 to 15 cm of WATER. Similarly, you might find information by checking the manifold vacuum; see the value at idle, and whether it's constant, or shaky.

    Since you have INPA to erase the codes you'll cause, try unplugging the MAF, then starting the engine, and driving it. Does it still act the same, or is it improved? (This is NOT a test of the MAF.)

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  6. #6
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    My main problem is that the car stalled couple of times while coasting and hesitates while accelerating. Also definitely loss of power at lower RPM.

    Can i use this method found on youtube to check cranckcase vacuum?

    Unpluging MAF seems to improve driveability a little bit but becomes jerky obviously. Can you please explain what are we testing with unplugging MAF.

  7. #7
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    The symptoms sound much more like an intake leak than an overrich condition.

    That method of testing crankcase vacuum really tests only whether you have direct manifold vacuum on the CCV system; it does not tell you whether there's a leak in the system. 7.5 to 15 inches of water is a very small amount of vacuum, pretty much impossible to judge without a gauge. You can actually rig up a simple crankcase vacuum tester with a length of clear hose, a modified oil filler cap, and a tape measure.

    Unplugging the MAF forces the DME to run the engine in open-loop, using stored maps for fuel delivery, based entirely on engine rpm and temperature. If the symptoms immediately go away, you'll know that the MAF measurements of airflow were incorrect, most often due to an intake /ccv system leak.

    Was your smoke test done with a professional smoke machine? That's the only thing capable of holding the pressure and volume of smoke necessary to test the entire system.
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 06-17-2018 at 09:54 AM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  8. #8
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    Smoke test machine definitely was not professional as you already mentioned it's impossible find a professional one where i live.
    I'll try to find or build crankcase vacuum tester. And i think i'll reset adaption values and drive w/o MAF just to see how it behaves.

    Here is the video of how fuel trims change after reseting adaption. I start driving after 3rd minute. You can see it sometimes bounces to positive 3-5 and sometimes to negative 20
    https://youtu.be/25Wt7ZcHZRI?t=3m15s

    So you think it's an air leak that causes negative trims?

  9. #9
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    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...lacement/page8

    See post 185 for how to make your own ccv testing tool.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  10. #10
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    185? Are you sure?
    I was planing to use this method just to be sure but i highly doubt it's air leakage problem. Cause i've had CCV torn before replacing it and car was driving fine. Also my intake boot had large tear (aprox. 4 inch) which made it run jerky and even made transmission kick sometime but compared to this situation it was a racecar.

    There is one more thing: when i try to hold RPM at 1k in neutral it bounces down and up. Don't know if it's releated or not.

  11. #11
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    Oops, 183....

    But, have you had the oil return hose torn inside the webbing, and leaking air? That's a very different thing than a torn diaphragm.

    When I get a car which I suspect of having a fuel/air mixture issue, I smoke the intake / ccv system, then check crankcase vacuum, and then do a fuel pressure test and watch live data for the MAF.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  12. #12
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    OK, so i did the test and it sucked 9 cm (3.5 inches) water and it was stable. Is it OK? What to do next?
    Last edited by freestyle31225; 06-20-2018 at 03:03 AM.

  13. #13
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    Anyone? Any ideas?

  14. #14
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    What are the codes. What tool are you using to scan the engine computer?

  15. #15
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    No codes, just negative LTFT. i'm using INPA compatible cable.

    Car hesitates when accelerating and barely moves when letting off brake. It even stalled couple of times while braking.

  16. #16
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    Did your symptoms begin before or after - (I've changed fuel filter, fuel pump, air filter, intake boots and MAF) ?

  17. #17
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    I bought the car changed the fuel filter then it started to hesitate like not reacting to accelerator pedal but was fine at low RPMs.
    Next i got head gasket oil (and air i guess) leak and got boot torn which made the car jerky. So replaced intake boot and new head gasket. After this it began to run rich and the problem when it does not wanna move when coasting occured.
    Then i got car stalled again and fuel pump became noisy. Changed the pump: no noise but stalled again. And lastly new MAF with new air filter was waste of money.

  18. #18
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    Make sure you installed fuel filter in correct direction,
    as there is an input and output port,
    also is regulator integrated with the filter?

  19. #19
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    I think you forgot to mention that you'd done a head gasket job on an M54 engine, and that this began right after that. That's not good.

    M54 headgasket jobs often end very badly. Did you send the head to the machine shop for milling? Did you replace the bolts, and did they each achieve the correct angle torque? A leak down test, engine hot, is second on the menu.
    First is a smoke test of the intake system using a professional machine for at least ten minutes.

    I have seen this advertisement....cheapest smoke machine by far. Of course, it's cheap Chinese crap, but it will likely act as a pro machine, until it breaks:

    http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBa...34853000&ver=0

    All said, y

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  20. #20
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    Fuel filter is integrated in one and was replaced at the shop so i think they've installed it correctly but i will check it just i case.

    Sorry for my bad explanation. I meant i replaced head gasket seals and then after 1-2 month found out intake boot was torn so replaced it. Did NOT do milling on the head. Replaced robber washers but bolts.

    "A leak down test, engine hot" don't know what that means but no oil leak at all.

    Buying a smoke machine will be a problem here because of shipping and currency ratings. But if you think it's an air leak issue that causes engine to stall while braking i will start looking for air leaks until i find one. Also why it's not running lean if there is a leak?
    Last edited by freestyle31225; 06-22-2018 at 02:23 AM.

  21. #21
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    UPDATE:

    It seems the problem occurs after engine is hot and when it does it the steering wheel stiffens and the brake pedal becomes hard as rock. Also when the rpm drops while coasting at low speed and turning steering wheel drops it a little bit more so the car stalls (i guess). So i start to think there is vacuum leak in brake booster or something but why the steering wheel hardens?

    ps: Also i cleaned ICC but it made no difference.

  22. #22
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    Let me start with "head gasket seals" I believe that maybe, just maybe, you're referring to valve cover grommets and gasket?
    This:
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_2172 (part 1)


    or this:?
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_2169 (part 4)


    Now: Steering wheel stiffens and pedal becomes hard as a rock:

    You don't have hydro-boost brakes, so these two items really don't have much in common. These two facts together point to an engine that's stalling.

    The fact that the brake pedal becomes hard as a rock that quickly indicates failed vacuum reservoir or the one-way valve in the hose to the booster (vacuum reservoir ). The steering pump is a load on the engine, and will help to stall it.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  23. #23
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    I replaced this one: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_2172 , number 16 (rubber seals)

    The brake pedal starts to harden when this "power loss" problem happens in other words after the engine becomes hot. Can it be sucking jet pump problem? Cause it connects brake servo and F connector to intake manifold. And how can i test them?
    Last edited by freestyle31225; 06-25-2018 at 01:56 AM.

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