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Thread: slow and sluggish acceleration (w/ surging rpm)

  1. #1
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    slow and sluggish acceleration (w/ surging rpm)

    henlo, am new! recently bought a '99 323i for $500 :) and it's had all the basic maintenance served, however rpms surge frequently when i cold start it and the engine management light comes on. when it's warmed up it idles fine, the engine management light doesn't come on and it generally just idles at 700rpm but when i rev it and hold it still it'll surge again w/ eml (i.e https://youtu.be/kKsMSvD36Ew) and under WOT the acceleration is on and off and I've noticed in first gear at 3000 rpm it kinda resists to go any higher when accelerating normally. I've changed my fuel filter thinking maybe it was a fuel delivery issue however that hasn't fixed it. i recently took out my disa valve and that seems to be broken but could that be the only reason for my sluggish and poor performance? ill be getting that replaced and getting new spark plugs next month, should i get anything else while im at it? i really wanna get this issue over and done with.

    thank you in advance! :)
    Last edited by shangri; 06-17-2018 at 10:48 PM.

  2. #2
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    Smoke test,
    followed by fuel pressure test under all conditions,
    with FP-Gauge connected at fuel rail Schrader Valve.

  3. #3
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    The first step in diagnosing a problem is to scan the engine computer (DME in BMWspeak) for codes. I’m betting you have a ton of vacuum leaks and fuel pump and/or fuel pressure regulator is bad. Scan first. Post the codes here.

  4. #4
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    i'll scan and check the codes (and report back), although obd2 wasnt apart of the regulations & requirements till 2005 ish in australia so i only have the round connector looking thing in the engine bay. im on quite a tight budget so would you fellas know what tool i should buy that will be compatible with that and will spit out codes? :)

  5. #5
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    I think every E46 has OBD2. You can't scan every car component with it on the pre-facelift, but you can scan the DME and transmission, which is what you need.

    Put your head in the driver side footwell and look up towards the steering wheel, there should be a little rectangular cover there. It should even say 'OBD'. Pop it open and voila, OBD2-port appears.

    If you have an Android phone, buy a cheap Bluetooth OBD2 dongle from dx.com and use the app 'Torque'. You can throw the codes it gives you in Google to get the exact description of the error.

  6. #6
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    Don’t buy Torque. Buy OBDFusion. Then go to E46Fanatics and search forvthreads on OBDFusion in which user jfoj has commented. He’s the guru.

  7. #7
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    unforuntely, as ive mentioned.. theres no obd2 port anywhere in the passenger side foot well, RHD car so i thought maybe it was in the drivers side foot well but after thoroughly checking it wasnt there either. this is proving to be quite a nuisance x)

  8. #8
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    Interesting.

    Two options left then:
    - if your car has OBD2 and just no socket, you can use an OBD2-cable with an adapter for the pacman plug under the hood, but I've never tried that (I have an OBD2-cable and an ADS-cable)
    - use a -real- ADS cable that fits the pacman plug and INPA. That's by far the most reliable option and allows you to scan all modules in the car, but a real ADS-cable is more expensive and may/will require a laptop with an RS232-port.

  9. #9
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  10. #10
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    okay okay i have a question can i use this http://www.foxwelltool.com/wholesale...0-scanner.html with a cheap Bluetooth OBD2 dongle as someone mentioned earlier? ^^

  11. #11
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    No, the dongle needs an OBD2 Port and a smartphone with a Diagnostic App(for example Torque)

  12. #12
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    Well then, here are some options,
    concerning diagnostic tools,

    For a good BMW scan tool, I feel you have 3 options:

    • Foxwell nt520:http://www.foxwelltool.com/search/?q=NT520
    • Carly for BMW:http://www.mycarly.com/product/bmw-app/
    • INPA software for BMW: Do a search on bimmerforums

      I recommended them in no specific order,
      as selection is based more on preference.

      INPA is an excellent diagnostic tool,
      but is a proprietary BMW factory tool.
      So all available copies are technically bootleg versions.
      This requires a copy of the INPA software downloaded into a laptop computer,
      along with the correct cables for your particular model of BMW.
      I recommend this only for computer geeks, or the mostly computer savvy among us.

      For an affordable standalone unit, Foxwell nt510(nt520 Updated version) is the preferred unit, along with required cables.
      It can scan for BMW codes, among other things, as it can communicate with all BMW modules.

      Carly for BMW is an APP,
      and as such, requires a smartphone,
      along with a connection to the OBD2 port in your vehicle,
      supplied either by cable or wireless connection via Bluetooth dongle


    Update: Now the full version is $74/year on a recurring subscription
    Last edited by MIKYZZ4; 07-12-2018 at 05:23 PM. Reason: UPDATE

  13. #13
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    hey fellas, i havent given up yet. i ended up using a pacman to obd2 adapter (thanks @raddee for the idea). i got a few error codes, i got the error codes P0173, P1622, P0505. also a misfire one but i will make a different forum for that one haha.
    Last edited by shangri; 07-24-2018 at 07:41 AM.

  14. #14
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    Remove airbox + rubber intake boots, squeeze and inspect for cracks(#3,#5) - Replace if found.
    https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=13_0643

    Remove and clean IACV(#7)
    Replace O-ring(#18)
    Remove and squeeze rubber caps(#14,#19) - Replace if cracked
    https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...95#13411744713

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