M3 Evo do i let them take the engine apart

M3 Evo do i let them take the engine apart

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majesticproperti

Original Poster:

140 posts

251 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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About three weeks ago my 96 Evo started to play up by misfiring under loads over 5000 rpm. Then one evening as I was pulling on to my drive it was missing all the time. I got some one to come out and look at the car and they found it was not firing on all cylinders. Under further investigation we found that two of the plugs were very loose, you could undo them with your fingers and the one was out completely and the end of the plug was missing. The last service was done by a specialist in the uk and they changed the plugs.(if any one wants to know who this garage is then please e mail me. I am looking into this, as if this fault with my car turns out to be from this mistake of not tightening the plugs I will be looking at bringing a legal case.) I have never heard of plugs coming out nor has my local garage.

I then asked the garage to do a full service and of course change the plugs. This was done but we could not get the Ngk plugs and they fitted a bosch twin spark and it seem to run ok for a day or so. Having got the car back it still seemed down on power a new air flow meter cured this for again a day or so. The car has not run right since this event. The problem I have now is that,

1, it is using fuel like a thirsty hooker as low as 14 – 15mpg in town and low 20s on a run, before I was getting 21mpg in town and 30-35mpg on a run.

2 it seems to be holing back and has loads of flat spots in low revs really noticeable going up hill it seems to surge, on tick over you can hear it go from lumpy to smooth every few seconds or so.

3 tail pipes are black when normally they are white.

My Garage want to open her up as they think the one of the values has gone in no 2 cylinder. I have had the car on a Bosch computer and they have said there are no faults recorded for the compression.

I do however have the following faults

A2, 4d, A, 48, 29

Nothing else showed up.

My garage think that the very end of the plug might of got down into the engine and is stuck somewhere causing this fault. Where I went for the computer test they think that I would hear any valve problems through the exhaust and as far as they could tell the valves are not the issue.

I don’t want to start taking the engine apart until I have gone through all other routes and could some one explain the fault codes as they just gave us the list of faults above. Also any ideas of what might be causing this problem. Really would be good.

Thanks
Anthony
Spain

majesticproperti

Original Poster:

140 posts

251 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
come on guys no one can help with this.

r5gttgaz

7,897 posts

226 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
Get a leak down test peformed on all cylinders before diving in.

off_again

12,809 posts

240 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
r5gttgaz said:
Get a leak down test peformed on all cylinders before diving in.


Bingo - try others before doing anything on the head / VANOS etc... can, worms, open....

m3jappa

6,557 posts

224 months

Sunday 16th July 2006
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did you get this sorted,im pretty sure i saw this car in chelmsford going in to have work done,may not be that one but looks the same.if it is i wouldnt worry mate,they are a good place down there,mine was the silver e36 m3 if you saw that

majesticproperti

Original Poster:

140 posts

251 months

Tuesday 18th July 2006
quotequote all
No Sorry not my car as i am in Spain,
I have not got it sorted as no one can find the faults.

Vesuvius 996

35,829 posts

277 months

Tuesday 18th July 2006
quotequote all

If it was me I'd buy some new plugs (the correct sort) and change them myself. Then see how you get on.

If the wrong plugs are used and engione will run like sh1t. Especiialy if you don't screw them in.


majesticproperti

Original Poster:

140 posts

251 months

Monday 31st July 2006
quotequote all
I have now fitted the new plugs and it ran great for a couple of days, but now its back down on power rather lumpy at times and not very responsive, if i clean the plugs and put them back in it runs well but again for a few days, any ideas.

J1mmyD

1,823 posts

225 months

Monday 31st July 2006
quotequote all
The plugs very sooty when you take them out?

Vesuvius 996

35,829 posts

277 months

Monday 31st July 2006
quotequote all
majesticproperti said:
I have now fitted the new plugs and it ran great for a couple of days, but now its back down on power rather lumpy at times and not very responsive, if i clean the plugs and put them back in it runs well but again for a few days, any ideas.


Sounds like a fuelling problem to me - the plugs are gettinf fouled. Are you using decent petrol?

J1mmyD

1,823 posts

225 months