If you are with a recovery company (RAC/AA etc) they can test the car at home/the roadside, just a thought.
Help, Stalling and Cutting out Issues!?
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2015
- Points
- 74
- Location
- Telford, Shropshire
- Model of Z
- 3.0 Roadster + *cough* MX5 project
I've just read through the comments and I don't think this has been mentioned. My 1.9 developed over time a rough idle issue and it was cutting out and very down on power, almost like limp home mode but you could tell it was not electronically induced.
For me it was the crank case breather hose, if it is an M44 engine it is at the back right of the engine at the top (obviously as it's the crank case) and it runs under the intake manifold and back round into the throttle body. If this is blocked or split it will cause all kinds of problems. It does not like it at all!
Mine was fine when it was cold, as soon as it warmed up it started doing it and it was because the hose was old and when the heat expanded it must have had hairline splits in the rubber. Anyway caused havoc and was a cheap fix so worth a look.
For me it was the crank case breather hose, if it is an M44 engine it is at the back right of the engine at the top (obviously as it's the crank case) and it runs under the intake manifold and back round into the throttle body. If this is blocked or split it will cause all kinds of problems. It does not like it at all!
Mine was fine when it was cold, as soon as it warmed up it started doing it and it was because the hose was old and when the heat expanded it must have had hairline splits in the rubber. Anyway caused havoc and was a cheap fix so worth a look.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2016
- Points
- 231
- Model of Z
- Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
Where you been?
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2015
- Points
- 74
- Location
- Telford, Shropshire
- Model of Z
- 3.0 Roadster + *cough* MX5 project
Update*
Thanks for the suggestion nodzed, I have had a look today and it seems to be in very good nick.
So since my last update I have bought a cranks sensor from BMW 100% genuine as a last attempt (£100). I put it on today the car seemed to be working okay then it started doing the usual cutting whilst revving, currently it's sat in my drive and has been ticking over for 2 hours (no stalling) but as soon as I rev or revs come down from high, it will splutter and cut out.
I have spent way way too much money on this car and will probably have to save up for a while to take it to a BMW specialist, so I'm afraid it has beaten me and will be parked up now
.
Thanks a lot, for all your help guys!! Just cannot possibly think what else could be wrong with it!!
Regards,
Rob
Thanks for the suggestion nodzed, I have had a look today and it seems to be in very good nick.
So since my last update I have bought a cranks sensor from BMW 100% genuine as a last attempt (£100). I put it on today the car seemed to be working okay then it started doing the usual cutting whilst revving, currently it's sat in my drive and has been ticking over for 2 hours (no stalling) but as soon as I rev or revs come down from high, it will splutter and cut out.
I have spent way way too much money on this car and will probably have to save up for a while to take it to a BMW specialist, so I'm afraid it has beaten me and will be parked up now
. Thanks a lot, for all your help guys!! Just cannot possibly think what else could be wrong with it!!
Regards,
Rob
Hi thanks for this, I HAve had a look today and doesn't seem to be that hose it seems to be in really good condition
Hi Rob, just been reading through you're posts is seems I have the same frustrating issue with my 97 2.8, just wondering if you managed to find a solution ?Update*
Thanks for the suggestion nodzed, I have had a look today and it seems to be in very good nick.
So since my last update I have bought a cranks sensor from BMW 100% genuine as a last attempt (£100). I put it on today the car seemed to be working okay then it started doing the usual cutting whilst revving, currently it's sat in my drive and has been ticking over for 2 hours (no stalling) but as soon as I rev or revs come down from high, it will splutter and cut out.
I have spent way way too much money on this car and will probably have to save up for a while to take it to a BMW specialist, so I'm afraid it has beaten me and will be parked up now
Thanks a lot, for all your help guys!! Just cannot possibly think what else could be wrong with it!!
Regards,
Rob
Welcome
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Points
- 178
- Location
- Newport, South Wales,UK
- Model of Z
- Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
No one has yet suggested disconnecting the plug on the Maf so the car runs on defult settings, try that and see if it makes a difference. If it runs better then replace the Maf for a oem part, expensive but will work out of the box, cheap ebay ones are a waste of money they seldom work correctly or work at all. Also be an idea to smoke test to find any air leaks you can't find visually. If that reveals leaks then replace the problem hoses/pipes that show up. The idle control valve can be taken off and carb cleaner srayed into it to clean it out, they do gum up after time. Once cleaned if you shake it you should be able to hear the flap inside opening and closing freely.
A bad Maf will not always set codes but will have a massive effect on the fuel trims, if its under reporting the air thats passing through it the ECU will be seeing what it thinks is a lean mixture being picked up in the exhaust and start adding more fuel to compensate. It will keep doing this and add up to 20% more fuel until it decides to give up and set the EML on the dash. With good diagnostics kit you can read the fuel trims to see what they are doing. High readings will point to air leaks or a duff Maf. Without specifice codes you can be led in the wrong direction and end up throwing parts at the car that don't need replacing as the problem is elsewhere and upsetting other sensors.
A bad Maf will not always set codes but will have a massive effect on the fuel trims, if its under reporting the air thats passing through it the ECU will be seeing what it thinks is a lean mixture being picked up in the exhaust and start adding more fuel to compensate. It will keep doing this and add up to 20% more fuel until it decides to give up and set the EML on the dash. With good diagnostics kit you can read the fuel trims to see what they are doing. High readings will point to air leaks or a duff Maf. Without specifice codes you can be led in the wrong direction and end up throwing parts at the car that don't need replacing as the problem is elsewhere and upsetting other sensors.
Hi Colb, my z's issue is that it starts fine but as soon as the temperature gauge hits normal running temperature it cuts out and won't start again until it has cooled down, at first I thought fuel related so I cleaned and inspected the MAF & hoses which seem fine but still cuts out as before, i then changed the fuel filter just incase, I also tried as you suggest to unplug the MAF but the same, it was at this point I noticed that the cutting out seems related to temperature, I've tried it a number of times now and I can now almost predict when it's going to stop, I'm now thinking Temperature sensor but before I go chasing the issue I hope to have a diagnostic done, I did purchase a reader but keep getting the Link Failed message, the reader was only a cheapo though, by any chance though have you come across this issue.
Cheers
Barry
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Points
- 178
- Location
- Newport, South Wales,UK
- Model of Z
- Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
Is it a wifi or bluetooth code reader or a cable handheld one? If its wifi or bluetooth then if it keeps Link Failing I would suspect it is faulty.
There must be a member near to you with a known good code reader, lets see if anyone comes forward and offers to help you with theirs.
Shame your so far away from me as I have laptop and handheld diagnostics, best hand held I found is a Creator 310+ but its circa £50.
Still think you should smoke test the engine just to prove the vaccum system is intact, plenty of places that you can't see visually that can develope air leaks.
There must be a member near to you with a known good code reader, lets see if anyone comes forward and offers to help you with theirs.
Shame your so far away from me as I have laptop and handheld diagnostics, best hand held I found is a Creator 310+ but its circa £50.
Still think you should smoke test the engine just to prove the vaccum system is intact, plenty of places that you can't see visually that can develope air leaks.
Thanks for the reply, the one I have is a cable feed & there's a guy lives opposite with a similar one both failed to link, I have a mate who has a far better one which we will hopefully try this weekend, I reccon what you say is a good call as I did notice a split on the end of one but was able to trim it off & re connect it, as you say though there are a few hidden ones that could also have maybe perished, where there's one there could well be others, If time allows I might drop the inlet manifold off to get a beller look & while there change the temperature sensor at the same time as it will be more accessible 
Barry, where are you plugging the reader(s) in. If you're using the round connector under the bonnet, try a spray of electrical contact cleaner before inserting the plug.
Tony.
Tony.
Hope it helps mate, it certainly has on the last 2 x Z3 I have plugged into.
Tony.
Tony.
It was worth a go but tried cleaning OBD connectors & still not linking, in the past I have had issues with a couple of split breather hoses (the ones you can get to) they did give similar issues, my line of thinking now is two fold, recurring breathing issues to those pipes etc that are tucked away and temperature sender unit, will wait till the weekend now & see if another OBD reader throws anything but if not I'll drop the inlet manifold which should give access to both, any thoughts appreciated guys.
Hi Barry
Welcome to the forum.
You have an interesting problem. A car that starts fine when cold, but cuts out and stops when hot. It could be lots of things.
In the E46 world, I do a lot of engine problem diagnostics over the internet. It requires a scanner log of engine signals that I run through a spreadsheet. The equipment that you need at your end is cheap, I think its something like less than 50 pounds. Once you can get a scanner connected and talking to the engine computer (DME), give it a try.
Equipment needed:
Run the cold start log until the car warms up and cuts out. Logging until the engine cuts out is where the main clues occur. Load the CSV log file into a file share service like DropBox and post a link to it here. I'll have a look at the data and see if the problem is related to the normal engine signals/running.
This is probably one the the best free internet diagnostic services around for our BMW cars. Go over to https://www.e46fanatics.com/forums/e46-general.4/ Do a search for "NZ00Z3" and you'll see the sort of work I do. Here is a recent one: https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads...ling-my-hair-out.1294456/page-2#post-18960862
Regards
Murray
Welcome to the forum.
You have an interesting problem. A car that starts fine when cold, but cuts out and stops when hot. It could be lots of things.
In the E46 world, I do a lot of engine problem diagnostics over the internet. It requires a scanner log of engine signals that I run through a spreadsheet. The equipment that you need at your end is cheap, I think its something like less than 50 pounds. Once you can get a scanner connected and talking to the engine computer (DME), give it a try.
Equipment needed:
- OBD2 wireless module (EML327). Many different ones on the market, most work. WIFI for Apple devices or Bluetooth for Android devices.
- The OBD Fusion smart phone/device app.
Run the cold start log until the car warms up and cuts out. Logging until the engine cuts out is where the main clues occur. Load the CSV log file into a file share service like DropBox and post a link to it here. I'll have a look at the data and see if the problem is related to the normal engine signals/running.
This is probably one the the best free internet diagnostic services around for our BMW cars. Go over to https://www.e46fanatics.com/forums/e46-general.4/ Do a search for "NZ00Z3" and you'll see the sort of work I do. Here is a recent one: https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads...ling-my-hair-out.1294456/page-2#post-18960862
Regards
Murray