328i E36: engine smoothness

[B234R]

Hello, I´ve got a 1996 328i Touring. It has about 130,000 miles on the clock but after a very high oil consumption problem, last summer I replaced the engine with an used one (this has 105,000 miles).

The "new" engine doesn´t use a drop of oil, which is very nice after pouring 1 litre of 10w40 every 200 miles in my old engine. But the engine, although isn´t rough at all, I don´t find it particularly smooth or creamy. The old engine was like that, too. After years reading magazines road tests and testimonies from owners, I expected a really nice engine. Low rpm punch isn´t nothing to write home about, too.

My other car, a Volvo 850 R, is waaaaay smoother and nicer.

My question is: could it be that a defective sensor (I´m thinking about crankshaft and camshaft sensors) cause a less than the silky running I can expect from a inline six? Any typical problem with these engines that reveal this symptom? I don´t want to spend a lot of money buying the new OEM sensors at BMW to see that the engine doesn´t improve.

The "new" engine came from a May 1998 528i E39 (without Nikasil), and the engine mounts were replaced.

Thanks!

[B234R]

Thanks to everybody for your answers!

My car starts well (so it could dismiss the crank and camshaft sensors). Sometimes, at idle, RPMs can oscilate a bit, between 600-800 rpm, and a couple of times it has stalled at low engine speeds. I suspect a dirty idle control valve, but it could be an intake leak. The elbow hose after the MAF was replaced by a new one a year ago and it´s in good condition.

Performance is good, but I expected a bit better (I could be spoiled by my former cars, a 850 R and a 9000 Aero), and torque at low RPMs is a bit dissapointing.

First thing to do will be reading the codes, perhaps there could be an error somewhere. Then I´ll check air leaks, and finally VANOS seal replacement is a good idea. Does anybody sell Beisan seals in UK?

[B234R]

PaulGT3 said:

I couldn't find anyone, I paid mr vanos for some seals but for some reason just got my payment refunded? So just went with the i6automotive ones on ebay and have had no problems.

Ok, the shipment will be a lot cheaper than from U.S.

Is this kit enough to repair the vanos?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Single-Vanos-Seal-an...

Thanks..

[B234R]

BGarside said:

FYI my 328 also started well and the idle speed fluctuated, particularly when coasting out of gear, sometimes causing the engine to stall. The car was lacking power at low revs and was a bit hesitant picking up from low revs when cold. Turned out the cam sensor was goosed. Replacing it made the symptoms disappear. Sounds very much like your symptoms.

Yes, it seems the symptons are similar. I´ll take the car to the workshop to get the codes read, probably I will have to order a new cam sensor.

Original BMW part, or is there a decent (and cheaper) aftermarket one?

[B234R]

So probably it will be a new cam sensor, then.

I´ve heard than original BMW cam sensors are made by Siemens-VDO, which I could buy at half price compared to the original part at the BMW dealer...so Siemens makes the original sensor?

Thanks a lot!

[B234R]

Ok...I´ll get the codes cleared after changing the sensor.

I´ll buy the Siemens-VDO one, I hope it will work well.

[B234R]

New camshaft sensor installed yesterday and I don´t see any difference. But then I didn´t clear the codes. Until I clear them, won´t I see a difference? I´m having a bit of a hard time trying to find a workshop with a pre- OBD II diagnostics equipment.

[B234R]

Well, this morning I found a workshop that could clear the camshaft position sensor. I feel low revs performance is a bit better, and a certain ticking noise when hot seems disappeared. I don´t think the engine is particularly smooth, however. My old Volvo 850 was a lot smoother.

[B234R]

BGarside said:

Have to admit my 328 is a bit rough from cold though OK once warmed up.

There's a heck of a lot of vacuum pipework under the inlet manifold and I've got a sneaking suspicion that there might be a leak there somewhere. Also going to try some BG44K fuel system cleaner in case dirty injectors might be a factor.

Hope you fix your issue. Will let you know if I can find the problem with mine but a working cam sensor made a big difference!

I´m waiting for VANOS seals to arrive, when I got them I´ll take my 328i to the workshop to change them and I´ll ask the mechanic to remove the intake manifold and look for vaccum leaks.

After a couple of days with the new cam sensor and the error code erased, I see a certain improvement at low revs, and my idle doesn´t fluctuate. My old sensor was on the way out. By the way, I bought the VDO one, almost at half price the original BMW part.

[B234R]

Yes, my 328 had a "new" engine last summer, we put a 10w40 oil (Shell HX-7) and a couple of months later we changed the oil again (the same 10W40), filter, air filter, spark plugs Bosch FR78X, water pump and belts. Next oil change I´ll use Motul X-cess 5w40.

[B234R]

Well, new VDO camshaft sensor installed, error code erased, and VANOS seals renewed, and the engine feels transformed. It seems like there is a LOT more torque low down, throttle response has improved, and city driving is infinitely nicer. Exiting a roundabout in 4th gear at only 1200 rpm gives a very decent acceleration.
Now I see how a M52 engine really performs...

Thanks to everybody!

[B234R]

BGarside said:

Good result: driving:

Maybe I'll try new VANOS seals on mine, if I ever manage to sort a decent gearbox (now on my third).

Is the labour to fit them expensive?

My mechanic said it was a bit under 3 hours, he knows E36s very well (he owns two) and had done that job before in others 325i/328i.

[B234R]

This is been a very long story, but it´s driving me mad!!

Since I bought my 328i Touring two years ago the engine didn´t feel nice, it was a bit rough, not very smooth..due to high oil consumption I replaced the engine last summer, and although the "new" engine doesn´t drink any oil (with 5w40 synthetic), it feels exactly the same.

Resignation was my only option, I thought. Perhaps my expectations on BMW´s six cylinder were too high...until yesterday, when I had the chance to drive a 1994 525i Vanos E34. Totally different!! Smooth, gorgeous sound, no vibrations, it felt like a proper straight six. It was delicious. I got off that 525i and drove my 328i. It was like a concrete mixer in comparision.

I know the 525i has a M50 and the 328i a M52, but I can´t believe the difference in harshness can be so great.

My car goes well and mileage is good, it doesn´t stall, INPA says there is no error code and it passes "engine roughness" test well, etc...Using 98 RON gas instead of 95 makes no improvement.

I´m thinking about things that could make the engine "unbalanced" and were transplanted from the old engine to the new. Dual mass flywheel? Crankshaft vibration damper? Any way to test them? I suppose that, if timing chain or tensioners were duff, something really bad would have happened yet...

Please help, because right now I have a can of petrol and a box of matches next to my 328i...

[B234R]

ChrisDT said:

I feel pretty similar to you at present, mine has been fluctuating in idle for a little while now, replaced the Cam sensor with a Delphi part, replaced the air intake boot as mine didn't look brilliant although no holes going all the way through. Replaced the MAF (All of these came up as issues) had a smoke test carried out on it and found one of the pipes that went to the charcoal canister was letting smoke out so that was fixed.

Still running rough! Next think is to rebuild the Vanos I guess as it's showing a mechanical fault with that.

Can we share the petrol, it's quite expensive now - i'll bring the marshmallows!

Strangest thing is, sometimes engine is rougher than others.
For example, this morning I started the car, did about 50 back road miles, then I drove a bit around city, the car was more or less decent, not as sweet as that 525i I talked about, but not too bad. I parked it to do a couple of things, restarted the car, and then it was a lot worse.

But I´m not talking about fluctuating idle, shakes, stall, vibrations, lack of performance, high petrol consumption, "objetive" symptoms. My car doesn´t suffer any of those things. It´s about the engine feel. It seems heavy, truck-like, as if it has a big inertia, and coarse. That 525i M50 felt a lot lighter and more pleasant. I´m thinking about buying one and ditching the 328i...

The car was serviced not too much time ago, and had replaced: rubber intake boot, spark plugs, cam sensor, VANOS seals, DME relay, PCV system, lower chain tensioner, engine and geabox mounts, valve cover and spark plugs gasket...INPA showed no error codes and "engine roughness" test was fine. In my car I´m thinking more in something "mechanical"...could a bad dual mass flywheel, gearbox, or crankshaft vibration damper cause that coarseness?

Don´t worry, I have a lot of petrol, more than enough to torch our cars. I´ll bring the beer!