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car runs but wont drive. not tranny...

3K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  Toad21 
#1 ·
so i was driving down to a meet today in pittsburgh and im sitting at a light. the light turned green and i started to move through the intersection and then nothing...literally nothing. i had no throttle response. the car is an auto. it will not rev at all. i have literally no throttle response. no codes at all. the car did not stall it just wont drive. i was thinking the accelerator module? any other ideas? its sitting at the shop now because i leave for vacation on monday and cant leave it in my condo parking lot.

Ari
 
#4 ·
yes the car will still move but it only drifts. i think its the cable but i dont know what else it could be. its not the shift linkage but that was out right away because it wouldnt rev. i just want to expedite the process at the shop.
 
#10 · (Edited)
ya, in Pir4t's pic, that "open tube" under the "box" (DISA) is the intake boot. through that tube is the throttle body. if you can take off your air filter, MAF, and the intake boot right after your MAF you should be able to start the car and try to physically push open the valve with your fingers (the valve will and should open if you push the top of valve) while your engine is idling to see if it responds. I don't really know how mechanically inclined you are (not meaning any offense) but if it's not revving in neutral or Park when you push the pedal and there's no codes and you say you feel that the pedal is ALOT lighter than I bet your cable snapped. Any competent indy shop or mechanic should be able to spot that REALLY easily
 
#11 ·
I don't wanna be hatin or something but i would never stick my hand near the intake tube of the car , that **** is scary :lmao:

On the side of the TB there's a mechanism that allows the wire to open the throttle, i feel alot safer twisting this than putting my hand in the intake xD
 
#12 ·
im pretty mechanically inclined . this is just the first vehicle that i have ever worked on. i have done some minor stuff but when this happened i was under the impression that all e46s were drive by wire. after a bit of research i came upon the fact that that was only the case on the 2001 and up models. im going to go to the shop today and pop the hood and check it out. hopefully i can diagnose it as just the snapped cable and save myself the diagnostic fee at least. thanks for the help guys.
 
#15 · (Edited)
im pretty mechanically inclined . this is just the first vehicle that i have ever worked on.
Those two things do not go together. :shhh:


The throttle body is $650 new, $250 ish used. If you had the time and a garage, this could be a DIY.

If you can bring your own part into the INDY shop, you would save $300-400

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E46-Throttle-Body-323CI-328CI-328I-528I-528IT-Z3-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem255b7749acQQitemZ160448334252QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
 
#14 ·
got a call from the shop today. not what i wanted to hear while i was sitting on the beach. he claims that the throttle body went as well as the cable. $1138 of work to be exact. is it possible for the throttle body to go without throwing a single code?
 
#16 · (Edited)
Wait, I just remembered.

When I first took my car in to the BMW Stealership for a checkup the day I bought it. They wanted to replace the Throttle Body becuase of a throttle body stuck error code.

Turn out all it needed was as cleaning! I took it apart and cleaned it with some throttle body cleaner, and the error code went away.


So, just get the cable replaced, and clean your throttle body. I guarantee this will work. Dont listen to them, you donot need a new throttle body, there really is nothing that goes wrong with them.



Think about it, it was working fine right? Then all of a sudden, snap, throttle cable breaks, and it stops working. JUST REPLACE THE CABLE 1st!! Could save you alot of money that does not need to be spent.
 
#20 ·
If they did the work without the go ahead from you, demand they put the old one back and that your not paying for it. Throttle bodies DO NOT GO BAD. (99% of the time). All you needed was a cable and a throttle body cleaning, thats it.

But because you were a stranger from out of town with a sob story, they are sapping you for everything you are worth. Plus its a bimmer, people assume we are rich.

BULLSHIT
 
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