[Leo69]

Hi everyone, I am new to the form, its a pleasure to meet every enthusiastic here on this forum. My 330Ci Sport 2001 automatic streptonic has got a weired problem and I am not sure what to do with it. Could some one help me please to identify it. I bought this car 2 months ago, it has 4 previous keepers, i am the 5th one. I drove it home (70 miles) and the next day, I realized it would not start. I rang my friend who is mechanic (not BMW specialist though), he told me to check the battery, yes, it was a problem with the battery. I put a new one. It started and had no problems for a week or so but something new started to bother me, the car stalls (the engine switches off itself when I stop). When I drive away, and stop at the traffic light or at the roundabout, the moment when i accelerate to move the car will stall. It is frustrating and embarrassing as it happened to me the other day in the busy city center and behind me a massive row of cars. Once the engine switches off, then straight away i turn the key on and it starts without hesitation. I have tried driving it in sport mode and manual mode and still does the same thing. Now what i do is that after i stopped at the roundabout or traffic light, i leave the brake pedal and do not accelerate so the car move itself a bit and then accelerate but still it will jerk like it wanted to stall. The other thing i noticed is that when i drive it in auto mode i can feel that sometimes the gears are changing when they want to and sometimes they are fine. In sport and manual mode it does not do this gear changes ****.

Anyway, please guys help me as i am new to BMW330Ci and and i really love this car. What could be the problem, how can i sort this out, am i looking at big money worries, or i just sell the car and get rid of it???? PLEASE HELP !!!

 

[dmax]

Search cluster test and see what voltage you're getting with car off and on...s/b about 12/14 respectively.

Since new bat worked for a week and car started having issues again, I suspect alternator.

And, being fifth owner, I suspect most of the owners, especially the latter ones, did little or nothing beyond adding gas and hopefully oil!

Get into doing the basics first...

Air/fuel filter, plugs if over 100K, through some Techron in the tank just for fun and to clean injectors, and while you're at it:

Check all fluids, probably change the oil, check belts...check, check, check.

Also look for holes in intake (search 'smoking engine'), separated vac lines (as in, see any hoses just hanging out not connected? Connect them!).

I suspect your car has a number of things going on, but also, if you take it to a good mechanic, they can find out things you can't over the Interweb! They have secret mechanic ways...and those ways can often (not always) end up saving you money! It could just be a cam/crank sensor I suppose too...

Take to someplace to get your codes read and report back...but it's fine to go ahead and get started doing the things every car needs done as I've mentioned above. Also, kpeng has a great maintenance thread--don't let it frighten you!

HTH

Doug

 

[Leo69]

Hi Doug, it is so kind of you, i really appreciate your prompt reply and motivation - not to give up ! Since i bought this car, the next day i took it for a full service (oil, fuel filter, oil filter, all plugs and brake desks and pads, new water bottle next to radiator and new antifreez). Last week it went for an MOT (ministry of transport test) and it passed. The engine idle test passed and the graphs were within normal ranges. Some one said to me to put the key in and turn it to position 2 for 10 sec and the turn it back for 10 sec and it may work.....not sure of it. I will take it to a good mechanic to check for all those things you mentioned above. Thank you very much for your kind help.

Cheers !!

Leo

 

[dmax]

The 10 sec thing is coz someone suspects, I suspect, the fuel pump...as in the 10 secs. helps it prime. If it's having issues with that after fuel filter, then maybe you consider fuel pump...lots here on that.

Also, you didn't mention air filter...though it doesn't sound like that, you've had many owners and maybe not one of them ever knew what was under that black box! Car does need air to run...also a simple thing.

You can also clean the maf...costs but a can of maf cleaner (specific stuff for maf).

HTH

Doug

 

[Bimmerci330]

Ok so you have a new battery so that is not a problem and even if it was the alternator, the car would eventually not start at all. So to verify what your saying is that when you are driving and come to a stop the car stalls as soon as you stop or only when you start to move again? The stalling when coming to a stop is one symptom of bad VANOS seals or possibly TPS is bad. Do you have any lights on the dash? How does the car idle? Maybe IAC is bad.

 

[Bimmerci330]

As to clear up the 10sec thing, that is to clear the throttle sensitivity that the car has stored for the past drivers.

Can not be an air filter because if it was an air restriction you would have problems at higher RPM.

MAF would definitely cause a SES light to come on if it was malfunctioning that often.

 

[Leo69]

Ok so you have a new battery so that is not a problem and even if it was the alternator, the car would eventually not start at all. So to verify what your saying is that when you are driving and come to a stop the car stalls as soon as you stop or only when you start to move again? The stalling when coming to a stop is one symptom of bad VANOS seals or possibly TPS is bad. Do you have any lights on the dash? How does the car idle? Maybe IAC is bad.

Thank you Bimmerci330, As mentioned in the previous post of Doug about the air filter, yes in the full service they did change the air filter i forgot to mentioned it. Bimmerci330, could you please tell me what is maf stands for? sorry i am new to all these words; and what is VANOS seal where it locates and what is TPS ? There is no warning light on the dash? The car idle is fine as the other day it had a MOT test and it passed. Again what is IAC? I hope you do not mind me asking all this.

Cheers!

 

[Bimmerci330]

No problem. MAF= Mass Air Flow Sensor, IAC= Idle Air Control, TPS= Throttle Position Sensor.

OK so as I said before if your check engine light is NOT on then I am almost certain it cant be any of those sensors because the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) monitors these sensors very closely and would cause the light to come on. VANOS is BMW's name for Variable Valve Timing. This unit is located under the valve cover right at the front of the engine. You can look at this web site (http://www.beisansystems.com/) for any questions. One of the symptoms of bad seals is stalling when coming to a stop. I just replaced mine because I had a bad rattling noise and slight idle hickups. My car has 112k.

Also, does the vehicle stall as soon as you stop or only when you start driving again? Do you notice any noises between about 2-3k RPM while under light load? Any kind of idle hickups when the car is started cold?