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Problem solved!
The rough idle and loss of power was definitely caused by the excessive oil in the spark plug wells. Taking the oil out, replacing the valve cover gaskets and plugs did the trick. The car is running silky smooth again.
The smells is of unburned fuel and it is quite strong, which had led me to believe it is a misfire or even several across more than one cylinder as it was suggested earlier.
Therefore, the last couple of days I started poking around the ignition system and I found out that the spark plug wells of cylinders 5 through 8 on bank 2 where filled with oil. The same was true for cylinders 3 and 4 of bank 1. So in fact the car was running on 2 cylinders instead of 8… I ordered a pair of new valve cover gaskets, a set of spark plugs and 8 new ignition coils and went to business. I just finished everything today, but couldn’t actually start the car, because my battery ran flat. I forgot to disconnect it, silly me… I have left it charging overnight.
I will get back with an update tomorrow. Hopefully the problem will be fixed.
Hi Eric,
I have an intermittent problem with my BMW e46 328i (EU – spec, 12/2000, 5-speed manual, 120000 miles). Long story short, it is difficult to put the car in gear, especially reverse, 1st and 2nd after cold starts in the winter. After cold starts during the summer when it is generally hotter outside there is no problem at all. Basically, whenever the temperatures are below 50F it is a nightmare to get the gear lever to go in the desired position. It requires so much force that I feel like I am going to actually break something… What I have been doing is either leave the car running for like 10 min and then drive, since then the problem is not as pronounced, or shift in 4th or 5th first, and only then without taking my foot of the clutch put it in 1st. Both of these tricks do the job. It should be pointed out that this problem goes away entirely when the engine reaches operating temperature, which usually happens after 20min of driving. Initially I though it was old transmission fluid. Therefore, I got it changed, as well as, the oil in the diff with the appropriate ones at the BMW dealership and the problem still persists. While there, I asked the mechanics about this and they said that it is probably normal and there isn’t anything obviously wrong with my car. Still, somehow I doubt that, as when I got the car about 6 years ago something like this was never a problem. This thing has been happening and has become worse since the past winter.
PS: I also performed your clutch slipping test and the clutch seems fine… There are also no check engine lights and no strange noises come from the transmission either.
In reverse the problem doesn’t occur. But I will make sure to jack up the car and get someone to put in second so that i can see if there is any play in the u-joint. The sad thing is that from what I read u-joints on my car are a non-serviceable part as they are welded in place, meaning I will have to buy a new driveshaft or at least a reconditioned one… Anyway, I will keep you posted on what happens.
Did you find the missing peace of chain guide? It could be jammed in there and preventing the engine from rotating properly. Also check the chain tensioner it could be overextended?
Check the idle control valve. I had a similar issue when the car is idling. Turned out that it was staying open all the time, thus not regulating the air, causing the car to vibrate when in idle.
My car does not have a separate relay for the starter, but rather it is called “main relay” and it also controls a couple of other systems. I checked the voltage going to the ignition switch and it was fine, but long and behold after the switch, the yellow/green wire which is going to the starter has a voltage which is considerably lower than what it is supposed to. I cleaned the ignition switch by taking it apart and the car started, finally. Conclusion is a faulty ignition switch. Anyway, at least I got my car running after all. 🙂
All ground connections seem fine, I still did clean them up though hoping that it will make a difference, but still nothing.
A little update is that I got a brand new battery from a friend. He has like 5 so it’s not a big deal. Still no crank at all. So I decided to test the old starter and solenoid assembly. I hooked it up the external battery and it worked just fine, so it is safe to assume that the new one does as well, and there never was a problem with the starter itself. What is left now is ignition switch, wiring from ignition switch to the starter and possible EWS problems.
So the plot thickens… The click that have been hearing before and after the replacement of the starter is not coming from the solenoid. This is a bust, because I changed an already working starter for a new one… silly me… Still this points to the right direction, as there is no power going to the solenoid at all. As I am not that good with electronics and wiring diagrams I have booked an appointment with my local mechanics for next week. His best bet after hearing my story and findings is the ignition switch, but I am beginning to think otherwise as I have had no problems with the radio and climate control which seem to be linked to ignition switch and tend to play up if the switch is on its way out.
Anyway, we’ll see when I get the car back.
I will do that next. I just check the battery, it is sitting at 12.8V and still nothing. My best bet is ignition switch, but will check if there is power going to the starter first.
I forgot to mention that there is none. It was removed years ago as it pisses me off. The car is now able to start without pressing the clutch at all.
[quote=”cam0888″ post=164400]You are not an “energetic driver” but an idiot driver running at over 90 mph in an old car as well as putting your passengers in harms way. Any monkey can do that.
Keep your speed down and magically the vibration you complain of will go away.[/quote]
I am not here to hear complaints about my driving habits and I would appreciate if I am not called a monkey… Secondly, my car might be old, but believe me it, aside from a worn out clutch, which is my list of things for next month, everything else is in absolutely perfect condition. Also I live in Germany and here 90-100, even 110mph isn’t really going fast, if anything is quite slow.
Now that you mention that, I did rotate the tires a couple of weeks back, but I completely forgot about the subsequent change in tire pressure. This is most likely the source of my problem. 🙂
I found that the problem of jerking around is caused by a clogged ICV that did not always close properly causing poor idle and cylinder misfires. Although it is usually considered a part not subject to maintenance I managed to break of the metal pin holding the both parts together and opened it up. After a thorough cleaning of the ICV, the car is as good as new.
The battery on the other hand is completely f*cked and I will be buying a new by one the end of the week.
Today I went again to try and bend back the shield, this time with a hammer and long, thick socket extention, becuase I was not in the mood for taking off the wheel again. Through the spokes of the rims I hammered it nicely and took the car for a test drive. From what I heard the noise is gone, but it was raining outside so I am really not sure. I will take it for a drive one more time once the rain stops.
Edit 1: I went for another test drive, there was some scraping and I bent the shield a bit more and voila, the obvious scraping sound is long gone. I sprayed a bit of brake-clean all around just to get rid of tiny bits of rust or other particles stuck in there. However, now with the car quiet as a wistle I did manage to hear some barily audible whining noise, but it is so quiet that I can’t figure out where it is coming from. It seems to be coming from the engine bay and it does increase consistently with speed, but it doesn’t sound like a worn bearing, at least I think so. Anyway, I have to figure this next.