**HELP PLEASE** BMW 316 e36 problem!

roostie

Hey Guys,

I am new to the forum side of things but I have been trying to find a solution for my problem for ages and I am not getting anywhere!!

Firstly, I dont know too much about cars. I know some basics, apart from that, not too much!

I have a 97 316 BMW and I have had nothing but trouble with it recently! Today, I was at a t junction taking a right turn and I went to take my foot of the clutch and start accelerating and the car started jerking. I didnt think much of this until it happened again a few hours later.

Now, when I stop the car and take it out of gear, the revs go down to about 1,000 or 2,000 for a few seconds and then the car cuts out? I have to keep my foot steadily on the accelerator in order to keep the car running. It also happens when I am moving if I take the car out of gear or hold the clutch in for a few seconds.

I had a problem before with the throttle housing and the car was revving up and down on its own. Does anyone know if it is a simelar problem?

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

beachlife

hi there sounds like a idle control speed issue or a vac. leak(very common)did you try to get the codes read?

roostie

beachlife wrote: »

hi there sounds like a idle control speed issue or a vac. leak(very common)did you try to get the codes read?

To be honest, I dont know what to do or what the idle codes are? It just happened a few hours ago. Is it something that is easy and cheap to fix?

Thanks a mill.

beachlife

roostie wrote: »

To be honest, I dont know what to do or what the idle codes are? It just happened a few hours ago. Is it something that is easy and cheap to fix?

Thanks a mill.

I don't know. I think i would bring it to a bmw specialist(indipendent) it might be something as simple as a crack in a rubber/plastic pipe ,or it could be a collection of sensors failing(unlikely) but you will spend alot more getting a friend of a friend to have a look at it........

JoeySully

on the right hand side of the picture here you see the big black air box where you put the air filter.

just after it, is a metal box with a sensor in it. This could be the problem.
remove the wires going into this box. It just twists off.
Take it for a drive and accellerate hard from a stopped position. If the symptoms are gone then the sensor may be at fault.
Its also a good idea to get the big rubber pipe that goes from this sensor box to the engine and check it for leaks. This was the problem when i got whats described as the "Kangaroo Effect". If you have cuts int the air pipe then insulating tape will work as a temporary fix. these are only available from BMW @ ~55€

roostie

I said it to a few of my mates today. They thought it could be the ICV. I checked on a few sites and it seems easy to fix but then I checked the hose seen in the picture below. It is cracked. That seems to be my problem. I will try and put some insulation tape on it and see if that fixes the problem. I will go and get a new hose then asap.

Thanks a million.

mick.fr

JoeySully wrote: »

on the right hand side of the picture here you see the big black air box where you put the air filter.

just after it, is a metal box with a sensor in it.

Yep that's the MAF sensor. Pretty expensive. Even on a 316i.

mick.fr

roostie wrote: »

I said it to a few of my mates today. They thought it could be the ICV. ...

The picture you referred to is not the ICV, it is the MAF.

The ICV is under the manifold on the 316i. A real b1tch to get.

JoeySully

i dont think the M43 engine has that ICV
I stripped an 1.6 M43 down and there was no ICV as shown in the picture. above

That engine is an M42 which did have an ICV there as did the M40
OP has a 1997 which would be an M43
so i think the ICV is here

roostie

It is the M40 engine. The picture that I added previously was the big intake hose. That has a small crack in it. I found a website on the following link that shows how to take the parts off to get at the ICV. I am going to replace the intake hose in the next few days and then clean out everything. This will hopefully solve the problem.

The website is http://www.bmwe36blog.com/2007/06/23/cleaning-e36-icv-idle-control-valve-diy/

mick.fr

JoeySully wrote: »

i dont think the M43 engine has that ICV
I stripped an 1.6 M43 down and there was no ICV as shown in the picture. above

That engine is an M42 which did have an ICV there as did the M40
OP has a 1997 which would be an M43
so i think the ICV is here

Yeah well you are right the T Shape one was up to 09/95
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CA72&mospid=47435&btnr=13_0390&hg=13&fg=15&hl=21

After 09/95 it was replaced by this one
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CP21&mospid=47435&btnr=13_0402&hg=13&fg=15&hl=80

Cheers

mick.fr

roostie wrote: »

It is the M40 engine. The picture that I added previously was the big intake hose. That has a small crack in it. I found a website on the following link that shows how to take the parts off to get at the ICV. I am going to replace the intake hose in the next few days and then clean out everything. This will hopefully solve the problem.

The website is http://www.bmwe36blog.com/2007/06/23/cleaning-e36-icv-idle-control-valve-diy/

No you have a M43 engine.
Unless you downgraded your engine/dme etc for a pre-1993 engine. Who knows

A small crack in the intake hose will certainly not generate the kind of issue you are having. Now fixing it is recommended anyway.

Now stop whatever you are planning to do and run a diag on your car before buying parts or taking the engine a part.

As others pointed out it could be many things, faulty maf, temp sensor, PCV, ICV etc.

Get yourself a full diag so you will save on time and useless parts.

Go to AC Car Sales or any other BMW specialist.