E46 2001 330ci Convert Bad Idle..and lot's of questions

Hey,



I have been reading posts on this forum and others trying to figure out my idle problem. I have a 2001 330ci Convertible with ~84,000 miles and live in the Chicago area.



A little background on me :



Over the years I have been a tech, electrical engineer, programmer, and always a gear head. So I am the kind of person who would rather TEST and then fix something, rather than just replacing it...so I want to "know" the sensor is bad before I spend money on it. I have found across my cars; GM, Honda, BMW that it is just not as simple as the old days. That's OK, I know how to read, and I know how to understand very complicated material. The problem, unlike the world of computers and software, is that genuine sources of real experts and expertise are hard to find in the automotive world. I know there are some, but in the world of computers & software the info flows like a fire hose, and in the auto world it's a trickle.



I also dislike how OBD code reading can easily point you in the wrong direction. Some of the seemingly knowledgeable guys tell you don't use ODB for BMW's, or that you need to know about how ones need to know how the whole "thing" works together as a system. But no one seems to point to where I can learn the sub-system, like it's a secret. So where does one go for the "secrets". What software do I need to buy?



About my problem:



1) I was on expressway about 2 months ago, it was about 10 degrees F outside and the engine kind of "farted" like there was low fuel pressure, or low gas. The Check Engine or MIL went on. I limped to an auto parts store and they had read a P0344 Cam Position Sensor Intermittent with one of their Actron scanner. I read up on what the problem was, or could be related to. In the past, on other cars I have chased down codes and replaced sensors and have gotten no where. I hate that. So I wanted to wait and see.



2) The problem became intermittent and I waited while to see if other codes would come up. I ended up buying the Exhaust Cam Sensor and replaced it. The engine seems to work fine for a few days. Then these codes would come. I could clear them, the car might work fine for a day, or a couple of drive cycles around town, and then bam I would get these 3 codes, OR just the last one



The codes I get now are



1 of 3 P0313 Mod $12

Misfire Detected with Low Fuel



2 of 3 P0505 Mod $12

Idle Cntrl System Malfunction



3 of 3 P0344 Mod $12

Cam position Sensor A Bank 1 Ckt Intermittent





3) For the last 2-3 weeks I have just tolerated the problem, until a few days ago, I have hard starting problems. Initially the issue was just off-idle, where I would get a stumble and acceleration was poor. But at least I could drive it. If I started in Sport Mode, at full throttle it seemed almost 100%.





4) I have the car in the garage apart with all the parts on my desk.



a) The MAF - Siemens

b) The DISA Valve, which looks the most worn out especially the main gasket

c) The IAC - I can shake it and it sounds ok. I found pictures on a Russian website of what it looks like inside. It looks like a electric motor, but it does not rotate more that 2-30 degrees...it does not look like a stepper motor, so I am unsure how how to test.





OK, hopefully I have presented enough information, so that I can continue to diagnose and eventually fix this.





Thanks,

--Steve McAllister

E46 2001 330ci Convert Bad Idle..and lot's of questions

INPA can't connect

I have a 2003 e46 that I'm trying to reset a steering angle sensor on. I bought a K+CAN cable from ebay, a white board. My laptop has a fresh install of win 7 x64.



I downloaded the old version of INPA, mounted it and installed it. I then updated it with the latest 5.0.2 installation, installing BMW standard tools in the process.



I've tried editing the EDIABAS config file and the obd file with the correct settings and haven't been able to connect to the car. I have the OBD file in the windows folder.



I have a virtual machine with easyDIS and that also won't connect, probably because INPA won't connect. I've tried using the D-CAN tool and switching between D-CAN and K-Line with no success. I can't connect on any setting. Sometimes when I start up INPA I'll have the two black dots filled in but they don't change when I turn the key and I constantly get IFH-0009. The cable shows up as a serial port, I changed the latency settings so that they are correct. It is on COM1, as the config files are set.



Any idea what's wrong here? I've tried every diagnostic thing I can think of to get this to work... I know the OBD2 port works because I'm able to read engine codes with my little bluetooth ELM327.

INPA can't connect

Starting problem when warm - Accumulator

My 88 325ic started having problems restarting after driving unless it was within 5 minutes about a year ago. Once it is in this state, it is cranking the starter 20 seconds or so to get it to fire up. Then runs fine. Now it has gotten to where it does this much more regularly.



I've disconnected the cold start, and it has no effect. Once it is running I have no problem pushing up the mountain at 120 mph, so I doubt that it is a problem with the fuel pump or filter. Injectors are cleaned by a strong Techron solution passed through and burned.



After studying the generic Bosch fuel injector manual, I think the problem is the fuel accumulator, which brings up two questions.

--where is it located?

-- who sells it? I can't find it on any of the major BMW parts sites.



I'll be in the states in a few weeks and need this for my suitcase.

Starting problem when warm - Accumulator

Been meaning to do this...powder coated my valve covers

My driver's side cover was literally crumbing to pieces. One of the screw holes for the plastic cover disintegrated, and one of the studs for the coils fell off. The metal was literally powder-izing ever time I touched it.



So I bought a new set for a steal on ebay. Dropped them off originally intending on doing wrinkle black. After looking at the textures and the multitude of colors, I decided to just go OEM look and matched something very close to the OEM paint color.



So off they went to get washed, blasted and coated.



Of course, I get a phone call the next day that says one of them is cracked. The guy says he welded it from the inside and it shouldn't leak. Ok, then.



Got em back. Not perfect, since no used cover is going to be free of surface imperfections, but boy am I happy with how they look. No more flaking paint!



And here are some pictures!











Here's the weld. The metal on these covers sucks. The weld was kinda porous looking towards the gasket surface. I put a coating of JB weld over the porosities and in the gasket channel where the crack could be seen. Kinda ghetto for my tastes, but the crack is on the top of the valve cover, so at least gravity is on my side and oil won't pool there.









Old cover:











New gaskets in place:







Driver's side together:











Time for the passenger side:















I'm glad I didn't go with the wrinkle. The factory color pops in the engine bay. I had painted my old passenger side cover wrinkle black. It just seemed so drab. The wrinkle wasn't all that significant either. What do you all think? Boring going with OEM color? I kinda like it...

















On a side note, powdercoating rocks. The surface is so tough. The old cover I had painted two months before was already flaking off everywhere. The paint didn't last AT ALL. And I cleaned the heck out of them and primed them. Oh well.

Been meaning to do this...powder coated my valve covers

radio door

I can't find anything to tell me how to remove the trim on the radio door. Please help so I can recover it. Thanks

radio door

Z3 M Coupe Clutch and Lightweight Flywheel Job - Tips, experience, part list

I recently performed a clutch job on my 1999 M Coupe and thought I'd share some of my experience. There are a lot of excellent resources out there (listed below), so this isn't supposed to be a complete DIY, but rather just some tips and thoughts about my experience. I also replaced the shifter bushings, transmission bushings, and center support bearing. I would recommend replacing your guibo too if necessary (I did mine a few months ago). Other than the flywheel which I bought directly from Gripforce, I sourced all of my parts from Pelican Parts, FCP Euro, and AutohausAZ.



The installation was pretty straightforward, however I wouldn't call it easy by any means. I was working at a DIY garage with a lift and many professional tools (bearing puller, transmission jack, air tools, etc.) at my disposal and I still ran into difficulties. I imagine without them, I wouldn't stand a chance. If you're in the LA area, I highly recommend performing the work at urdreamgarage.com. It's a great place where you can rent a lift and tools by the hour or day.



Overview

Gripforce FX Racing Chromoly Flywheel - 14.5 lbs

Sachs E34 Sprung Clutch Disc (21212226594) - 3.9 lbs

Sachs OEM Pressure plate - 11.9 lbs



The stock dual mass flywheel weighs 22.8 lbs and and unsprung clutch disc weighs 2.5 lbs so this setup contributes to about 7 lbs savings total. The chatter is barely noticeable when idling; I can hear it but can't feel it. It sounds sort of like water running through pipes on the inside of your house if you were to put your ear up to the wall. However, the noise level is minimal and you'll probably only notice it if you're listening for it.



I haven't broken in the clutch yet (500 mi) so I can't comment on the acceleration but I have noticed the car revs much more freely. So far happy with this setup.



Some install tips


Dropping the exhaust
You don't have to drop the entire exhaust, just the center pipes as per Vinci's DIY.



Infamous bitch clip
This clip was indeed a bitch to take off, however a good understanding of how it works allowed me to do it in about 5 minutes. Lowering the tranny helps give your hands clearance and a small screwdriver to jam between the "tang" will help with the job.

http://ift.tt/1N7iOpB The pelican DIY on shifter bushings also has some good advice on removing the clip.



Undoing the tranmission bolts
You will need a 2-3 foot extension, u-joints, a breaker bar, and female torx sockets for the job. Some of these were difficult to access and I ended up stripping one of the bolts. Had to replace it with a new one which set me back a day. You may want to consider buying an extra set of bolts before you start the job. You can always return them.



Separating the transmission
This was the most difficult part. It took a lot of work to get the transmission separated from the engine. Between me and a helper, it probably took 30 minutes of wiggling, pulling, and delicate prying to separate it. I cannot imagine doing this on jack stands without a transmission jack



Flywheel and Clutch install
You'll need a pilot bearing puller to replace the pilot bearing and if you buy your parts separately (no kit) make sure you get a clutch alignment tool as well. There are some tools people have come up with to hold the flywheel in place while torquing the bolts. I didn't have them and had to make due with a pry bar and an assistant. I screwed in a transmission bolt to push against with the pry bar while torquing. Remember to thoroughly clean the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces with brake cleaner immediately prior to installing. Gloves get greasy and you don't want any impurities on any of the surfaces. Since my aftermarket flywheel bolts didn't come with threadlocker on them, I applied blue loctite before installing. The sprung clutch disc has "gearbox side" printed on one side of it. Following the advice of others, I installed it backwards with the "gearbox side" facing the front of the car. I also compared this orientation to the stock disc and found it makes sense. Haven't had a problem.



Bell housing internals
I thoroughly cleaned off the inside of the bell housing with brake cleaner and installed the parts dry. After doing some research, this seemed the way to go since the moving parts other than the fork are plastic. A dry lubricant could also be used but didn't seem necessary. This step was also the step I felt least confident about, so when performing this job, be sure to take a good look the internals of the bell housing before you disassemble the parts. Also, after a lot of deliberation I decided to use a OEM plastic pivot pin instead of an upgraded metal one. I figure it worked fine before.



Seals

Other than the selector rod seal (as part of the shifter bushing overhaul), I didn't replace any of the seals since they weren't leaking and I read that a lot of people had leaks after replacing old seals with new ones. Not sure if that just speaks to a job poorly performed, but I decided to take my chances and deal with the leak when it occurs.



Shifter Bushings
This job was more time consuming than I expected, plan for a couple hours. The most difficult part was the shifter ball bushing (25111469397). I hear there is a tool to help get this out, I fought with it for a while using 90 degree pliers but was unsuccessful and ended up having to dremel it out. There probably is an easier way, but be forewarned. The carrier bushing was quite easily removed and a new one pressed in with a vice. There are kits out there but I don't recommend replacing every single part. The list below is what I replaced, got them individually from autohausaz. As for the difference, the shifter bushings definitely made operation a little smoother, and 5th is less sticky now.



Shift Pins
I decided against doing this job. Not sure what kind of improvement I'd see after replacing the shift pins, but it's shifting better than before and I didn't really have any issues previously, so I'm happy.



Reattaching the transmission to the Engine

This wasn't nearly as difficult as removing it however you'll still need helper. Also, it's good to have someone holding on the the bolts while you're torquing them to ensure they don't slip off. Lastly, bear in mind that two of the bolts screw into the starter. I had to hold the starter in position while my helper guided the bolts in.



Center Support Bearing

The bearing is a tight fit. You'll need a bearing puller kit (http://ift.tt/1N7iNlu) to get it off. Also, there's a good chance you'll screw up the backing plate while removing so I would plan on replacing that too. I also replaced the lock ring, seemed prudent. To get the bearing back on, I used a short piece of 1 1/4" PVC pipe and a club hammer. The rubber mallet got me no where.



Centering Sleeve
On a whim, I decided to replace this part as well. This is a decision I regret as I'm not sure it was necessary and it was a lot of work to get it out. Since the bushing has rubber on the inside and metal on the outside, my pilot bearing puller ended up just tearing up the rubber instead of pulling the whole sleeve out. After trying many different approaches, I ended up using a dremel to remove the rubber on two sides after which the bearing puller was able to do its job. I then used a press to get the new sleeve in. It's a tight fit!



E21 Transmission Mounts
Looking for a little extra performance, I went with E21 OEM transmission mounts. I looked at some aftermarket parts but ultimately decided these were cheap and met the performance-comfort balance I was looking for. To install these you'll need to increase the diameter of the holes in the cross member where the mounts bolt into since bolts of the E21 mounts are thicker. A drill press worked perfectly for this job. You'll also need to ensure you buy nuts and washers to fit. Lastly, the cross member has a couple of nubs for fitting purposes that will prevent the E21 mounts from sitting flush. You'll need to grind these flat using a dremel or some other tool. This mod was very easy.



Part List - Clutch

21212228289 - Sachs clutch kit (replaced the stock disc with E34 M5 disc)

21212226594 - E34 M5 Sprung Clutch Disc

Gripforce FX Racing Chromoly Flywheel

11211720310 - Pilot Bearing (I went with Genuine BMW)

07119906045 - Pressure plate bolts (you'll need 6)

11222243051 - OEM flywheel bolts (if you're sticking with the OEM flywheel, you'll need 8. My LWFW came with shorter bolts)

21511223328 - Pivot Pin

21517570284 - Spring clip

26127536563 - Flex Joint Lock Nuts (one-time use, you'll need 6)

18301716888 - Exhaust Gasket (one-time use, you'll need 2)

25111221849 - Locking pin for shift lever support arm bushing (aka bitch clip, there's a good chance you'll screw up your old one while taking it off)



Other parts to replace (while in there)

23711109173 - E21 transmission mounts (buy nuts and washers to fit)

26122227278 - Center support bearing

26111226553 - Backing plate for CSB
26123648156 - Lock-ring for CSB

26111226552 - Dust cover for CSB (I didn't replace mine, just cleaned off the old one)

26112226527 - Flex disc guibo
26117526611 - Centering sleeve (see my experience above)



Part List - Shifter Bushings

25111220439 - Plastic washer (you'll need 4)

25117507695 - Shifter bushing at shift level support

23411466118 - Shifter rod coupler bushing (pretty sure it's made of foam, you'll almost certainly need a new one of these)

25111469397 - Shifter ball bushing (very difficult to get off, I would reconsider replacing if the current one looks ok)

25111221700 - Rubber shift boot (I replaced mine, not sure it was necessary)

25111222015 - Rear shifter arm bushing (probably good to replace)

25117571899 - Shifter circlip (you'll need 2 of these, probably could reuse, but it's a cheap part)

23111204223 - Shift shaft seal (I replaced mine, not sure it was necessary)



Clutch DIY's

http://ift.tt/1eD4rtg

http://ift.tt/18f8k6S

http://ift.tt/18f8mLX



Torque Values

http://ift.tt/1N7iNlw



Shifter Bushing DIY

http://ift.tt/18f8mM0



Book

http://ift.tt/1N7iNlE



Part diagrams

http://ift.tt/18f8k6Z

Z3 M Coupe Clutch and Lightweight Flywheel Job - Tips, experience, part list

Rear view camera suggestions?

Hey fellas I'm giving my 325ic to my girl but before I do I'd like to install a rear view camera on it so she doesn't have trouble looking out of the rear convertible window and ruin some hard work of mine lol... Anyways I was wondering what everyone's opinion was on which brand of camera they have had the most success with as well as mounting points... I've seen one with a camera where the trunk lock is and like it a lot but not sure on the difficulty of moving the locking mechanism! Any tips suggestions or input is appreciated, take care all and drive safe!

Rear view camera suggestions?