This is my first post, I am stumped by this car.
So original issues; car wouldn’t accelerate past 3000rpm, runs and drives under its own power, idles a little lumpy.
What I have done;
1. Scan the car;
-2B63 Crankshaft sensor, exhaust
-2A67 valvetronic,actuator motor:activation
-2F44 EWS preventing manipulation
-29CC Combustion misfires,several cylinders
-29CD Combustion misfires,cylinder 1
-29CF Combustion misfires,cylinder 3
-2A6B Valvetronic,power limitation
-2A63 Valvetronic,actuator motor:monitoring sluggish movement,direction of rotation
2. Notes
-The engine bay is very oily
-The valve cover was leaking
-The sump was leaking
-The solenoids at the front are also leaking
-I haven’t, as of right now, changed anything besides the spark plugs
2. Ruling things out
-Valve cover removed
-Timing checked -off by about two teeth maybe one - exhaust side as per DTCs
-Fuel pump fuse pulled
-Compression test prior to anything
Cyl 1: 10 bar
Cyl 2: 7 bar
Cyl 3: 9 bar
Cyl 4: 9.8 bar
-Oil is fairly old hasn’t been changed in a while
-Slight mayo but not a crazy amount (less than a teaspoon)
-Eccentric shaft sensor connection had oil inside - removed, cleaned, blown with compressed air - reinstalled
-With the valve cover off, I connected the valvetronic motor, and not the eccentric shaft sensor
-Tried to use the scan tool to realign the valvetronic to see movement, no movement as expected
-Connected the eccentric shaft sensor, aligned, movement as expected
-Checked the valvetronic motor using a multimeter - doesn’t short out (ohms wise)
-Then in the interest of not throwing money at the car, retimed it using the current timing chain, (working on cars is my therapeutic escape - time is plentiful)
-Pin in the flywheel, camshaft locks on, vanos bolts loosened, tensioner removes, impulse sending gears locked in place, pre tensioning tool installed, everything tightened up, tensioner reinstalled, timing tools removed, engine rotated twice, checked timing again, all perfect
-using the same parts the valve cover was put back together, the coil packs have been numbered
-started the car similar issues
4. After retiming the engine scan
-29CC Combustion misfires,several cylinders
-29CE Combustion misfires,cylinder 2
-29CF Combustion misfires,cylinder 3
-Car still wouldn’t rev past 3000rpm
-After throttling several times it wouldn’t really rev past 2000rpm
-Fuel pump fuse pulled
-Compression test post-timing
Cyl 1: 10.5 bar
Cyl 2: 11 bar
Cyl 3: 11 bar
Cyl 4: 10 bar
-Changed the spark plugs with new
-Similar issues - cyl2/3 misfires
-Swapped coil packs over cyl 2 to cyl 1 and cyl 3 to cyl 4
-Same issues
-I briefly watched a video on how the o2 sensor graphs work pre and post cat and deemed the catalyst to not be blocked, I also compared (unconventionally) the exhaust air pressure on my hand from this 318ci to another working 318ci - no difference. I saw the pre cat o2 sensor fluctuating and the post remaining steady
-The intake air temperature sensor was showing -40c however that may be the MAF sensor unplugged (I am assuming it’s built into the MAF on the N46)
-The car idles okay, sounds lumpy on max rpm whether that’s 2000rpm or 3000rpm, after the new sparks it briefly got to 3500rpm
-If I try to wide open throttle it the car sounds horrible at its limited RPM and dies
-Throttle body hasn’t been touched? Diagnostics did show it opening 100%, the accelerator pedal was also fine too
-Vanos solenoids untouched too
-MAF sensor was disconnected/connected with no avail to higher revs
-Battery removed for 30 mins again to no avail
-Codes reset etc, held down the accelerator with ignition on for 30 seconds then held the brake and started the car, still no improvement
-below 2000rpm it revs fine, it does struggle to move under its own power, this makes me wonder whether it even is a leaking injector
-Valvetronic lifts seem okay according to the computer 0-7mm maybe more
5. My verdict
-It’s not the spark plugs
-It’s not the coil packs
-I haven’t checked the engine harness
-I’ve seen the valvetronic move and realign and the codes also didn’t come back, I also used the computer to realign this after each tinkering session
-After revving the engine because I didn’t seal/replace the valve cover gasket quit a bit of smoke comes out the rear side of the engine closest to the driver position (RHD vehicle)
-The last point could also be the vacuum pump seals leaking
-Not much variation in the DTCs, but I’ll happily take anyone’s suggestions on trail of thought/diagnosis
-I might just pull the engine after another project is finished because all the seals do require attention and then it would be easier but if I don’t have to I’d rather continue tinkering haha
-I have a smoke leak detector that I’ll try use in the near future also
6. What do we think? All the gear but no idea hahaha
-Massive vacuum leak?
-Stuck open injector?
-Throttle body sticking?
-Valvetronic issue somewhere?
-Vanos solenoids?
-Oil change? - with engine flush?
Any insight appreciated, if it isn’t clear I’m only a hobbyist and not a mechanic but I know a few things, and I don’t know a lot of things Hahahaha
Glad to be here, thanks in advance!
H
So original issues; car wouldn’t accelerate past 3000rpm, runs and drives under its own power, idles a little lumpy.
What I have done;
1. Scan the car;
-2B63 Crankshaft sensor, exhaust
-2A67 valvetronic,actuator motor:activation
-2F44 EWS preventing manipulation
-29CC Combustion misfires,several cylinders
-29CD Combustion misfires,cylinder 1
-29CF Combustion misfires,cylinder 3
-2A6B Valvetronic,power limitation
-2A63 Valvetronic,actuator motor:monitoring sluggish movement,direction of rotation
2. Notes
-The engine bay is very oily
-The valve cover was leaking
-The sump was leaking
-The solenoids at the front are also leaking
-I haven’t, as of right now, changed anything besides the spark plugs
2. Ruling things out
-Valve cover removed
-Timing checked -off by about two teeth maybe one - exhaust side as per DTCs
-Fuel pump fuse pulled
-Compression test prior to anything
Cyl 1: 10 bar
Cyl 2: 7 bar
Cyl 3: 9 bar
Cyl 4: 9.8 bar
-Oil is fairly old hasn’t been changed in a while
-Slight mayo but not a crazy amount (less than a teaspoon)
-Eccentric shaft sensor connection had oil inside - removed, cleaned, blown with compressed air - reinstalled
-With the valve cover off, I connected the valvetronic motor, and not the eccentric shaft sensor
-Tried to use the scan tool to realign the valvetronic to see movement, no movement as expected
-Connected the eccentric shaft sensor, aligned, movement as expected
-Checked the valvetronic motor using a multimeter - doesn’t short out (ohms wise)
-Then in the interest of not throwing money at the car, retimed it using the current timing chain, (working on cars is my therapeutic escape - time is plentiful)
-Pin in the flywheel, camshaft locks on, vanos bolts loosened, tensioner removes, impulse sending gears locked in place, pre tensioning tool installed, everything tightened up, tensioner reinstalled, timing tools removed, engine rotated twice, checked timing again, all perfect
-using the same parts the valve cover was put back together, the coil packs have been numbered
-started the car similar issues
4. After retiming the engine scan
-29CC Combustion misfires,several cylinders
-29CE Combustion misfires,cylinder 2
-29CF Combustion misfires,cylinder 3
-Car still wouldn’t rev past 3000rpm
-After throttling several times it wouldn’t really rev past 2000rpm
-Fuel pump fuse pulled
-Compression test post-timing
Cyl 1: 10.5 bar
Cyl 2: 11 bar
Cyl 3: 11 bar
Cyl 4: 10 bar
-Changed the spark plugs with new
-Similar issues - cyl2/3 misfires
-Swapped coil packs over cyl 2 to cyl 1 and cyl 3 to cyl 4
-Same issues
-I briefly watched a video on how the o2 sensor graphs work pre and post cat and deemed the catalyst to not be blocked, I also compared (unconventionally) the exhaust air pressure on my hand from this 318ci to another working 318ci - no difference. I saw the pre cat o2 sensor fluctuating and the post remaining steady
-The intake air temperature sensor was showing -40c however that may be the MAF sensor unplugged (I am assuming it’s built into the MAF on the N46)
-The car idles okay, sounds lumpy on max rpm whether that’s 2000rpm or 3000rpm, after the new sparks it briefly got to 3500rpm
-If I try to wide open throttle it the car sounds horrible at its limited RPM and dies
-Throttle body hasn’t been touched? Diagnostics did show it opening 100%, the accelerator pedal was also fine too
-Vanos solenoids untouched too
-MAF sensor was disconnected/connected with no avail to higher revs
-Battery removed for 30 mins again to no avail
-Codes reset etc, held down the accelerator with ignition on for 30 seconds then held the brake and started the car, still no improvement
-below 2000rpm it revs fine, it does struggle to move under its own power, this makes me wonder whether it even is a leaking injector
-Valvetronic lifts seem okay according to the computer 0-7mm maybe more
5. My verdict
-It’s not the spark plugs
-It’s not the coil packs
-I haven’t checked the engine harness
-I’ve seen the valvetronic move and realign and the codes also didn’t come back, I also used the computer to realign this after each tinkering session
-After revving the engine because I didn’t seal/replace the valve cover gasket quit a bit of smoke comes out the rear side of the engine closest to the driver position (RHD vehicle)
-The last point could also be the vacuum pump seals leaking
-Not much variation in the DTCs, but I’ll happily take anyone’s suggestions on trail of thought/diagnosis
-I might just pull the engine after another project is finished because all the seals do require attention and then it would be easier but if I don’t have to I’d rather continue tinkering haha
-I have a smoke leak detector that I’ll try use in the near future also
6. What do we think? All the gear but no idea hahaha
-Massive vacuum leak?
-Stuck open injector?
-Throttle body sticking?
-Valvetronic issue somewhere?
-Vanos solenoids?
-Oil change? - with engine flush?
Any insight appreciated, if it isn’t clear I’m only a hobbyist and not a mechanic but I know a few things, and I don’t know a lot of things Hahahaha
Glad to be here, thanks in advance!
H
