2002 330xi with LOTS of issues

**OCFree50** · 07-05-2018, 01:15 AM

So my ex sells our young daughter her husband's 2002 330xi and says there is nothing wrong with it.
Well, after sitting for three years, the e-brake was locked up so we had it drug up on a flatbed and dropped off at my place. Rear brakes redone and I try to start it. Would barely run till it warmed up. Heard air leaks and found the secondary air pump hose blown out and the mass airflow tube cracked. Got those replaced and plugged in the scanner. First code P1508 Speed control valve Opening, solenoid control open circuit. Next is P0056 - Heater Control Circuit Bank 2, Sensor 2. Next is P0102 Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Low Input. Finally, P1504 Idle Speed control valve closing Solenoid Control Open Circuit.
I take it down the road and realize the speedometer doesn't work and of course the MPG gauge also doesn't. Then there is a "sprocket" image with an exclamation point in it showing next to the shift indicator and in the center, there is a counterclockwise arrow circle with a triangle and an exclamation point in that. Brake, ABS and what I assume is the wear sensor lights are on. Service Engine Soon and "EML" lights are on. I slow down to turn around and hear the CV joints clicking and as I slow to a stop, the hard downshift from 3 to 2 then a slightly less jerk from 2 to 1...which led me here.
I have been told the battery being weak could cause problems. I have also been told that if the Mass airflow sensor isn't reading correctly, it doesn't know how I am driving the car and could throw off the shift. I have also been told the GM5L40E is a piece of $#!t transmission. I am debating if this car with 196K miles on it is worth dumping a lot of money into.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, also it seems to not start out accelerating well. As you slowly step on the accelerator peddle, it seems to do very little then it surges forward and takes off. You have to depress the peddle very slowly for it to take off smoothly.

Another thing I found odd when I first started looking into this car was the wires to the MAF sensor were cut out. The plug was there and the plastic sheath but only 4" of wire were actually attached and I then had to find where the other end of the wires were by the engine harness box. I soldered new wires in to fix this. Would someone have purposely cut these wires?

**Breeze1** · 07-05-2018, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by OCFree50

So my ex sells our young daughter her husband's 2002 330xi and says there is nothing wrong with it.

Well, after sitting for three years, the e-brake was locked up so we had it drug up on a flatbed and dropped off at my place. Rear brakes redone and I try to start it. Would barely run till it warmed up. Heard air leaks and found the secondary air pump hose blown out and the mass airflow tube cracked. Got those replaced and plugged in the scanner. First code P1508 Speed control valve Opening, solenoid control open circuit. Next is P0056 - Heater Control Circuit Bank 2, Sensor 2. Next is P0102 Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Low Input. Finally, P1504 Idle Speed control valve closing Solenoid Control Open Circuit.
I take it down the road and realize the speedometer doesn't work and of course the MPG gauge also doesn't. Then there is a "sprocket" image with an exclamation point in it showing next to the shift indicator and in the center, there is a counterclockwise arrow circle with a triangle and an exclamation point in that. Brake, ABS and what I assume is the wear sensor lights are on. Service Engine Soon and "EML" lights are on. I slow down to turn around and hear the CV joints clicking and as I slow to a stop, the hard downshift from 3 to 2 then a slightly less jerk from 2 to 1...which led me here.
I have been told the battery being weak could cause problems. I have also been told that if the Mass airflow sensor isn't reading correctly, it doesn't know how I am driving the car and could throw off the shift. I have also been told the GM5L40E is a piece of $#!t transmission. I am debating if this car with 196K miles on it is worth dumping a lot of money into.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, also it seems to not start out accelerating well. As you slowly step on the accelerator peddle, it seems to do very little then it surges forward and takes off. You have to depress the peddle very slowly for it to take off smoothly.

Another thing I found odd when I first started looking into this car was the wires to the MAF sensor were cut out. The plug was there and the plastic sheath but only 4" of wire were actually attached and I then had to find where the other end of the wires were by the engine harness box. I soldered new wires in to fix this. Would someone have purposely cut these wires?

Solution n°1 (sorry): have your daughter tow the car back to her mother's house, together with the list you mentioned above, and get her money back.

Solution n°2 (again): have your daughter tow the car back at her mother's house, without the list and without even reclaiming her money; it will still be worth it.

Solution n°3 (by far the worst one): clear the codes, now that you have replaced the MAF sensor, change the engine and transmission oil, all the filters and the coolant (check the radiator and hoses' state before and replace anything defective) and drive the car gently for a few hundred miles so that it can slowly come out of its hibernation period and see how it goes from there. Give it time to get rid "on its own" of whatever it can get rid of.

About the MAF sensor wires, it's very likely that they were cut out on purpose to have the DME run the base fueling maps and mask the MAF's issue (it does not necessarily mean that your ex's husband did it; it could have been done by a dishonest mechanic; although I'm thinking even a dishonest mechanic wouldn't have left the wires hanging down like that; he would at least pretend having tried to do something about the car's issue(s); they could also have been bitten by a rat or something, but it would show by the way the wires are "cut out" and it would probably not be the only place where the rat has fed).

**OCFree50** · 07-05-2018, 08:53 AM

Well, I haven's replaced the MAF sensor, just fixed the wires. Any explanation what the codes mean? I wrote out the words each code was associated with as I have heard the codes can be meaningless to many.

**02Pilot** · 07-05-2018, 09:13 AM

OBD2 P-codes are next to useless for diagnostics. You need to get it plugged into a BMW-specific code reader or computer and report what it tells you.

**Breeze1** · 07-05-2018, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by OCFree50

Well, I haven's replaced the MAF sensor, just fixed the wires. Any explanation what the codes mean? I wrote out the words each code was associated with as I have heard the codes can be meaningless to many.

Sorry, I was actually talking about the "MAF cracked tube" that you replaced. At this point I would do what I mentioned previously and spray some WD40 in the MAF housing (without touching the wires obviously) and in/on as much hoses/connectors as you can easily get to, following these diagrams:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_2203

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_2879

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_2885

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=11_2194

And see what happens from there. Your codes and more generally issues seem to be telling that "things got stuck" after 3 years not being used (a bit like the e-brake), and from my -limited- experience with them there are few things Bmw's hate more than sitting around.

I'm guessing that if you do this, clear the codes and give it a few hundred miles of gentle driving you'll get rid of at least part of the issues, as the car will have an opportunity to "stretch its legs" and breathe better. Money you spend on issues remaining after that will not be unecessarily thrown away.

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-06-2018, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by 02Pilot

OBD2 P-codes are next to useless for diagnostics. You need to get it plugged into a BMW-specific code reader or computer and report what it tells you.

THIS.

Please don't spray WD 40 into the MAF. You won't be able to avoid the wires, and WD 40 is an oil, and oil kills MAFs. (Not that yours is necessarily good.

The codes you read do indicate that your Idle control valve is unplugged, and that the after cat O2 sensor's heater wires or heater is bad. However, as O2Pilot says, P-codes are really terrible for diagnosing BMW's. P-codes are only about emissions-related issues, and are often GROSSLY incorrect, so they can send you chasing wild geese in the dark.

**Breeze1** · 07-06-2018, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer

THIS.

Please don't spray WD 40 into the MAF. You won't be able to avoid the wires, and WD 40 is an oil, and oil kills MAFs. (Not that yours is necessarily good.

The codes you read do indicate that your Idle control valve is unplugged, and that the after cat O2 sensor's heater wires or heater is bad. However, as O2Pilot says, P-codes are really terrible for diagnosing BMW's. P-codes are only about emissions-related issues, and are often GROSSLY incorrect, so they can send you chasing wild geese in the dark.

Thanks for the heads up bmwdirtracer, to me WD40 was a cleaner rather than an oil (the latter making perfect sense when I think about it, since it's a lubricant

) . I have personally been using white spirit to clean mine for years, and it seems to be doing the job correctly.

**OCFree50** · 07-06-2018, 08:44 PM

What do you suggest I use to clean this stuff then? Brake cleaner? Also, any idea where I find the idle control valve?

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-06-2018, 09:14 PM

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Idle control valve is a little bit hidden. Yes, I could find it with my eyes closed.....but how do I tell YOU how to find it....hmmmm.

AH! YOUTUBE !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVPV-XnmJyk

Now, for cleaning the idle control valve, I use PB Blaster, or Carb - Throttle Body cleaner. WD 40 can be used for this, but it will take ALL NIGHT. Carb cleaner or PB Blaster will do it in half an hour, by repeatedly filling it completely, shaking like mad, and emptying....until it comes out clean, and the ICV clicks lightly when rotated on its axis.

The ICV isn't harmed by any of these products, like the MAF would be. CRC Electrical Contact Cleaner is fine for the MAF, but MAF cleaner is perfect. MAF cleaner and Electrical contact cleaner dry much too quickly to be used for the ICV.

**MIKYZZ4** · 07-07-2018, 02:04 PM

Perfect for your situation:https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-MAF-T...1-Kit/36755294

**OCFree50** · 07-10-2018, 04:24 PM

What is the inside of the MAF supposed to look like? There is the screen and grid on one side. Then all I see are some tabs with two metal strips between them aboput a half inch long. Is it these two strips that I am supposed to clean with the MAF cleaner?

**OCFree50** · 07-10-2018, 05:00 PM

Wow! The fun never stops! I remove the black box I think he calls a DSA valve? and the hex shaft that connects to the spinning vein is snapped off. So this is junk. (am I calling it the right thing?) Then I look down and the idle control valve and see the wires are cut off the plug! Oh Boy! Someone has truly butchered this thing!

**Breeze1** · 07-10-2018, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by OCFree50

Wow! The fun never stops! I remove the black box I think he calls a DSA valve? and the hex shaft that connects to the spinning vein is snapped off. So this is junk. (am I calling it the right thing?) Then I look down and the idle control valve and see the wires are cut off the plug! Oh Boy! Someone has truly butchered this thing!

Yeah looks like it has received a bad treatment

Seriously man the way I see it and without offending anyone, solution n°1 or even 2 are best at this point.

I don't know how much your daughter paid for it, but it does seem like you are going to spend a lot of time and money on this thing, probably with limited success given how things are starting off.

And maybe some people here are not going to like it, but a bimmer is not a car I would recommend to a young woman, especially not a 15+ yo one. They are tempermental cars and need a lot of attention, time and care. Basically when you're hooked like many of us here are you can cope with it, but if you're not they can be a misery to live with.

For peace of both of your minds she'd better get a Japanese car. Ok I'm out

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-10-2018, 08:41 PM

Hey, I told you the ICV was unplugged, didn't I ? How good are you with wiring? What you need to do first is splice in a new plug. This means professional stripping the wires back 1/4", slipping heat shrink tubing over the wires, crimping three uninsulated crimp connectors, one onto each wire USING A PROFESSIONAL CRIMPING TOOL, then carefully crimping in the new plug. Then you pull on each wire, and see if you can make it come loose - if so, your crimp sucked, start again. Ideally, you should then solder each connection, before heat-shrinking the tubing to seal each wire.

Now, if you tell me that you can do this, or that you will have it done correctly, I'll go cut the plug for the ICV off a wiring harness of a parts car, and mail it to you. No charge. Don't say yes unless you'll actually have the repair done properly though, because I only have one spare wiring harness, and only so much good will.

Don't waste it if you're not going to do the job correctly.

As for the DISA valve, you need a new one, and you need to hope that the metal pivot pins didn't go inside the engine.

Um, if you didn't fix the MAF wires as detailed above, you didn't fix the MAF wires. The MAF is one of the most crucial sensors on the engine, and connections MUST be perfect. If you twisted the wires together and put electrical tape on them, you failed, sorry.

**OCFree50** · 07-10-2018, 11:28 PM

I have a professional Weller soldering iron with the separate power supply where you set the temperature plus I use sliver solder on all connections. I use to be a frame tech who also did all the dash work and electrical repair so no worries on doing it correct. I never use crimp connections on low voltage/amp wires. Don't need the resistance throwing things off. And the shrink tube I get from the local commercial electronics supplier so it isn't the cheap Radio-Shack stuff (yes, I know RS no longer exists). I think there is enough left on the plug where I can reconnect the wires and shrink tube them. If I'm not successful, I will reach out for your offer bmwdirtracer. The pivot pin was still in place when I pulled the DISA valve out and I have a new one on order and should be here on Saturday. The plastic hex piece that the valve plate attaches to to activate it was broken off flush. I will use my boroscope to look inside the manifold for it.
I already have the CV shaft to fix the clicking and if I can get it to run decent, I am hoping we can sell it and get her money back. I also removed the ICV and it was stuck so a little carb cleaner freed it right up and it is back in place. The hose clamp from the external tube had somehow been turned around with the screw head facing down. I bent a cheap 6 mm box end into a 90 degree and was able to loosen it and reversed it to make tightening easier/normal.
I will say so far working on this car has been pretty easy. Things haven't been too bad to access and remove/replace. The only thing that worries me is the hard downshifting from 3-2 and from 2-1. I've read a little on the 5L40E and it doesn't sound promising.

**OCFree50** · 07-11-2018, 03:32 PM

Okay, there wasn't enough to solder the plug back on. I would greatly appreciate your offer of a plug with wires. How do I get you my address?

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-11-2018, 09:15 PM

You have succeeded, via your PM. I'm excruciatingly busy at work right now, but I'll do my best to remember to chop that plug (with some wire), and send it to you tomorrow.

EDIT: I'll try to remember to include a few uninsulated crimp connectors. Believe it or not, this is now the factory required way to fix wiring, because soldering, especially without a crimp connector, actually changes the resistance far more. (Yeah, I know, I hate it too, but I have to follow the factory guidelines. If you use any solder on an airbag circuit wire, you'll screw the pooch.)

**OCFree50** · 07-12-2018, 10:51 AM

The resistance issue was why we were taught to use silver solder (as in made from silver, not the color Lol!) Where can I get more of the crimp connectors they recommend as I had soldered the MAF wires and I am getting a low reading . I haven't cleaned the MAF yet so not sure if that is the issue. On another note, they had chopped about 10 inches out of the MAF harness and I used a similar gauge wire but that might also have been an issue? Could you send that plug also? It was cut close to the plastic break-out box. I will pay you for these items to cover your expenses.

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-12-2018, 07:53 PM

The ICV plug, plus 4 crimp connectors, were mailed this morning.

**OCFree50** · 07-12-2018, 09:42 PM

Thank you!

**OCFree50** · 07-14-2018, 09:26 AM

Did you by chance see the message above about the MAF plug?
USPS says the plug you sent will be here today!

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-14-2018, 11:17 AM

One thing at a time. My boss wouldn't be happy if he knew I chopped the wiring harness and sent you that plug for free. Never mind the special crimp connectors which I just paid the tool truck guy bunches of money for...... and the postage, and the padded envelope, and cutting all that corrugated cardboard to protect the plug.

Let's see what's fixed, and go from there, okay? I don't want your money, I'm here to help, because maybe I can.

**OCFree50** · 07-14-2018, 09:51 PM

Plug came today! Yes, I can see you spent some time on the cardboard cutout! Impressive!. The DISA valve showed up yesterday.
Now looking at the MAF sensor, inside I see two metal strips in line with each other along with a plastic vane. Is that all there is to it? Are these two strips what need to be cleaned? I don't know how to post a picture here as they want it on a website somewhere but here it is posted on my FB page so you can see what I am looking at (you don't have to look at any of my other posts...Lol!).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

**MIKYZZ4** · 07-14-2018, 10:18 PM

Yes, only spray with CRC, DO NOT TOUCH THEM with any object or attempt to wipe.
Don't forget to de-energize/unplug MAF sensor,
or optimally remove from intake-clean-and replace after allowing to totally dry.

**bmwdirtracer** · 07-14-2018, 10:21 PM

I recommend you just use the spray to clean those strips; don't use any tool.

Now that you have more than ten posts, you should be able to post pictures here. At the bottom right of the box where you type your posts, you'll see "Go advanced". Click there.

Then, type your post, click on "Manage attachments", down below.

Click on "Add files", then "Browse", then click on whatever picture you want to add, hit "Upload", and you're good to go.

In fact....take a picture of your MAF plug, and post it. There are two different types, and it's no use my chopping it off the harness if it's the wrong one.