E46 2003 318i hesitation and lack of power when cold.
Discussion
Well my bmw mechanic brought it into BMW to get the ecu software updated. It turned out that their firmware/software was more up to date - and it has sorted out the problem - no more random flat spots when pulling off from a stop. I wonder what happened the original software though - did it get corrupted somehow?
JAM35F said:
The MAF has now been disconnected for almost a day. The car is running sluggishly but the drop in revs and lack of power thing didnt happen this morning.
My specialist said if the MAF had gone it would run much better with it disconnected but this isnt the case. It just runs worse, but in a different way than before. Does this indicate the MAF was ok all along?
As for the cost of the crankshaft sensor change, BMW want £390 for it, the specialist £340. so not alot in it but at least the prices I'm getting are all in the same ballpark.
Getting this done is a gamble as both BMW and specialist won't guarantee it will cure problem and if it doesnt its my hard luck, no refund and the search for the fault will continue.
The diagnostic machine not showing anything is really annoying, specialist says this engine often doesnt record all its faults in the memory which makes things difficult for him. I can't really doubt him on this, the computer showed no issue so his hands are tied abit and he has to guess/use his knowledge to diagnose from my description.
Bit torn as to the next move, could be spending £400 and not even curing the problem.
This is what I really hate about modern cars and garages these days.My specialist said if the MAF had gone it would run much better with it disconnected but this isnt the case. It just runs worse, but in a different way than before. Does this indicate the MAF was ok all along?
As for the cost of the crankshaft sensor change, BMW want £390 for it, the specialist £340. so not alot in it but at least the prices I'm getting are all in the same ballpark.
Getting this done is a gamble as both BMW and specialist won't guarantee it will cure problem and if it doesnt its my hard luck, no refund and the search for the fault will continue.
The diagnostic machine not showing anything is really annoying, specialist says this engine often doesnt record all its faults in the memory which makes things difficult for him. I can't really doubt him on this, the computer showed no issue so his hands are tied abit and he has to guess/use his knowledge to diagnose from my description.
Bit torn as to the next move, could be spending £400 and not even curing the problem.
Not many industries where you can charge someone £400 and if it doesn't work just say "oh well, let's guess at another £400 solution".
Seems the 'diagnostic systems' are pretty limited and some mechanics just are not capable of running tests to rule out issues or confirm problems.
As for the cost and lifespan of MAFs - don't get me started. Seems they are treated as a consumable these days and at £250, not a cheap one.
Hi guys. My bmw 2003 e46 318i idles sounds like its missing when it idles. It revs up to 4000 rpm with no problems, but then it battles to rev up to 6000 rpm until I decrease the accelerator a little bit and it would run up to 6000 rpm. Car is also heavy on fuel and makes no difference when I unplug the airflow sensor
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff