[UKSID]

Hi guys

i have just joiined buying a bmw e46 318i w reg

i am having problems with the idling the management light has come on and car is not running as good as she should mpg is really pathic i would fill up 30 pounds worth of fuel would give me something like 130 miles

so i went to the garage spoke to a guy who claimes he is a bmw specialist however i did see lots of certificated from bmw that he had pinned up

anyhow i originally went to him asking to do the diagnostic check

he listened to the car and said well we will open her up and have a look sounds like a leak in the pipe

so i left the car with him and let him get on took a day n a half was kinda pissed off with that but oh well

anyway went back to pick car up he showed me the pipe which was at the back of the engine you can just about see it

he showed me the pipe and he was right it was worn and had holes in it

so he changed that and another valve that goes with it

however when starting the car the idling was goig crazy like up and down and reving at 1700 rpm

so he saidits the air mass sensor the maf will need replacing so i paid him for changing three pipes git charged me £160 for it which i think is a joke !

Anyway i paid him he supplied the parts but the car was still not running as she should

every so slight the idling would drop car would shake for a sec then back to normal but when driving the car its fine, just when it stand still

so i today changed the maf and man the car got so much power . It drives well however the mpg has gone even worse

as in i was driving around town it did about 30 miles and the needle dropped dramatically like it was noticable

any how the old maf i checked cleaned used carb cleaner and try again as maf sensors are like 200 quid

i still have to check the results if results are same will take the new one back to get refund.

I will open the intake manifold up tomorrow to see if there are any other leaks and also to check why the car running so rich

i might have to do the diagnostic check and get this sorted asap

if anyone else having this problem let me know i can guide best way forward


any way will let you know of outcome.

 

[Boostist]

You need to get a diagnostic scan done and post the fault codes on here.....
Thats the best way for us to help you to be honest.
Let us know as soon asyou have them :thumbsup

 

[bigfred09]

i own a 2001 318ci e46 and my car was the exact same with the idile but a mate of mine who works for bmw in belfast told me to replace the crankcase breather and i did and car is going like a dream and the idile is perfect again so could be an easy fix in the end and cheap as you can change this yourself without the stealer garage mate hope this is the problem and keep us informed chum

 

[Ronnie]

Otherwise it could be your Lambda sensor, it won't always come up as a fault code though

 

[UKSID]

Hi Guys Appologies for not getting back earlier so an update of what i ahve done so far

So i went ot a garage and told him about it this guy was a bmw sepcialist and thought he would know so i took it to him and he said leave with him he says one of pipe maybe leaking

so i left with hm he changed the breather pipe at the back where the air valve is just above the disa valve

showed me the pipe he was right the pipe was very soft and had holes in it.

Git charged me 160 quid for it but problem was not worted so he said the MAF sensor had gone.

he goes bring it back and i will change i wernt gona let him charge me stupid amount so i went and did my self only matter of pluging it in.

so the recognised it and i must admit was running really well alot more power but was still idling

so after that i took to a garage for the dignostic test.

he did the scan and here are what the software came up with

Cam sesnor gone
Recirculating Valve needed replaceing ? ?????
fuel filter needs changing

and thats it?

so i had changed the cam sensor and had taken apart the inlet manifold myself aint paying a garage as they would have charged me a bomb

my old man was a mechanic before he retired so we both did together and took the while thing off as i heard a rattling noise.

i then cleaned it all with carb cleaner and made sure noting was stuck or clogging anything

put it back together and guess what still the same

so what i have done is bought the carsoft diagnostic software and leads for £40 of ebay and waiting for it to come to i can check again

the car is running better then she did however still very slight idling

engine management light comes on for a period then goes off then comes back on after like 2 - 3 weeks so its not an on going problem

also fuel consmption isnt the best right now either as i would be only getting something like 140 miles for £30 of petrol i think its somethink like 26 litres?

so im just waiting for the carsoft i have read posts about the software and hoping i havnt made a big mistake on purchasing but will keep you updated.

Oh yeh one more thing just behind the radiotor between the engine and the radiator fan is some sort of vacum or something which was leaking as in sucking in air

apparently its a common fault and rather then buying a new one i just strapped it up and working perfect.

i will let you know of what the out come is as still a grey area

this site is very useful have learned so much from this so just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your support

 

[UKSID]

i own a 2001 318ci e46 and my car was the exact same with the idile but a mate of mine who works for bmw in belfast told me to replace the crankcase breather and i did and car is going like a dream and the idile is perfect again so could be an easy fix in the end and cheap as you can change this yourself without the stealer garage mate hope this is the problem and keep us informed chum

hi mate silly question i know

do you know where the Crankcase breather it is located is it back of the engine passenger side where the breather pipes are?

 

[xXNealXx]

If you say you have a problem with idling, then shouldn't you be looking at the idle adjustment unit?

 

[UKSID]

yeh true but even the garages are not looking at that also the car struggles a bit ever so slightly as if theres a leak it slightly dies then goes abck to normal this all happes ina second.

 

[UKSID]

If you say you have a problem with idling, then shouldn't you be looking at the idle adjustment unit?

by that you mean idle control valve ?

 

[UKSID]

Also does anyone know where the crankcase breather is? is there a diagram of it ?

 

[Ronnie]

Also does anyone know where the crankcase breather is? is there a diagram of it ?

#1 here http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AL32&mospid=47631&btnr=11_1514&hg=11&fg=15

It has a little triangular vent in the top, if it leaks air or whistles from there then the valve is knackered and requires a new one :thumbsup

The recirculation valve, he must mean this, #15 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AL32&mospid=47631&btnr=11_2071&hg=11&fg=45. EGR valve(Exhaust Gas Recirculation)

Idle regulating valve is here, #9 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AL32&mospid=47631&btnr=13_0402&hg=13&fg=15.

Also, can you take a picture of the pipe that you taped up and post it here? http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f71/how-to-post-pictures-and-add-signatures-or-t2682/.

All air that enters the engine should go past the airflow meter, any split hoses,vacuum pipes,induction pipes e.t.c will allow air into the inlet manifold and give the car a lean mixture.

 

[UKSID]

Ronnie thank you so much for this make it so much clearer

so the mechanic had changed the crankcase breather and the hose conected to it

its a common fault

as for the recirculating valve and the idle regulating valve once i got the carsoft diagnostic software and leads will check again before i change

thanks so much was really usefull

knew i could rely on you guys!

thanks

 

[UKSID]

Just got the carsoft software today will check after work and see if it works

fingers crossed!

 

[UKSID]

Hi guys

thought id log on and give you an update where i am on this after two years lol

well you will pleased to hear that i have now actually sorted this problem

so here is what happened after exhausting my brains on what the problem could be and after a lot of advise i decided to get a smoke test done.

And voila the breather valve was leaking and the fuel supply system was not working correctly.

bmw specialist and looked at this and could not figuire this out

so for future ref if you have the crappy PO 171 code and have done the basic changes i recommend you do a smoke test will make your life a lot easier.

smoke test cost me 40 pounds

hope this helps

 

[daringsword]

hi uksid,
just wanted to know how was ur mpg affected by this..was it still ok or gone really low..in numbers would be really helpful..thanks.

 

[daringsword]

also could you tell exactly which breather valve was not working properly and where is it located..thanks..i have the same problem, same car, and i m getting like 30 miles town driving from 10 pounds of petrol, i have also changed the CCV and hoses and stuff..any help will be appreciated

 

[UKSID]

Hi Mate soz for the late reply if you having issues i advised to get smoke test done and find where it leaking rather then start replacing parts and the part may not be faulty

mileage has increased slightly but im still on limp mode as now i have issues with the cat which im trying to sort out

 

[bmal]

Earlier you said you were getting around 140 miles to £30 which is only just over 5 gallons...works out at 27.7 mpg at 1.30 a litre which i dont reckon is too bad if thats a combined figure!

Problem is fuel has gone up so much that you dont get that much for £30 these days.
Hope you get it all sorted and well done for sticking at it for so long mate.
Al

 

[UKSID]

hi thanks i love this car as i put a lot of love to it its all blacked out like a mafia car.
cops dont like it much but i wanted that type of theme.

on the petrol your right you dont get much miles for you money anymore but i put in £40 and if i drive sensibly i will get about 160 miles can you advise what the mpg is based on that?

 

[UKSID]

one more thing at least 75% is motorway miles