E46 330ci Fault.

E46 330ci Fault.

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Discussion

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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Had a strange problem with my car this evening. Cruise controi at 40mph through the Huntingdon roadworks on the A14. when i suddenly lost cruise control and got a brake, traction control and tyre pressure warning lights come on. The cruise control switched back on and worked fine and the lights are probably a wheel speed sensor or ABS ring. However i also have a missfire. No engine lights but it's as flat as Holland and has a rough idle. Tried switching it off and on again and it took alot of cranking to restart.

Any ideas?

d_a_n1979

8,093 posts

71 months

Sunday 4th August 2019
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Issues, like this, can sometimes be simply down to an old battery not doing well.

See how the battery is doing (ie battery heath check at your local battery specialist or Halfrauds) and that should give you an idea.

If not that, then yes, could be an ABS issue and really, you need to get the codes read to pinpoint the issue.

Re the starting, could be the cam/crank sensor on its way out and like with any sensors like this, stick to OEM BMW and don’t go after market. They’re generally crap and don’t work very well from the off

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Monday 5th August 2019
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I had similar on my 530 touring, kept dying on my for a split second, dash lights all lit up and then fine. Happened a few times over 6 months.
New battery and sorted for about two weeks, then starter motor went on me.

I didn't think the dying was anything to do with the starter, but after I popped a new one in it never happened again.

Probably the battery.

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Monday 5th August 2019
quotequote all
Took it in to have it looked at this morning, started, ran and drove fine with no lights. Got 5-6 miles, it coughed and lights and misfire returned.
Code reading shows crank position sensor, MAF and timing faults. As well as ABS fault.
The code reader also showed the battery at 12.07v.

So dead/dying battery? But it still cranked over well, sounding strong and not at all slow.

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Monday 5th August 2019
quotequote all
Sounds like a single, partially-duff cell dropping the voltage.

Does the E46 have a smart alternator? I assume you see > 14V with the car running?

Either way, worth sticking a new battery in I'd imagine...

d_a_n1979

8,093 posts

71 months

Monday 5th August 2019
quotequote all
Cledus Snow said:
Took it in to have it looked at this morning, started, ran and drove fine with no lights. Got 5-6 miles, it coughed and lights and misfire returned.
Code reading shows crank position sensor, MAF and timing faults. As well as ABS fault.
The code reader also showed the battery at 12.07v.

So dead/dying battery? But it still cranked over well, sounding strong and not at all slow.
Was that voltage with it running or engine off?

Running; it should be somewhere between 14-15v; engine off it should be above 12v, ideally around 12.4-12.8v

What voltage does it read when you crank the engine?

It still sounds to me like it needs a nice new battery; the big No.19 Yuasa from Halfrauds or Bosch S14 battery from ECP are perfect for this car (if I remember correctly); Halfords are generally cheaper when it comes to batteries, ECP tend to take the pi$$ with their prices, even when using the discount code, they come out expensive

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Monday 5th August 2019
quotequote all
Borrowed a shiny new 100ah Varta battery from work. Will sling that on tomorrow and see what’s what...

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Tuesday 6th August 2019
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Chucked the new battery on. 12.8v with ignition off, 14.7v running. Went for a quick round the block test run and 5 miles in all the lights and misfire return.
Plugged back in and all the same codes are back.

frown


d_a_n1979

8,093 posts

71 months

Tuesday 6th August 2019
quotequote all
Cledus Snow said:
Chucked the new battery on. 12.8v with ignition off, 14.7v running. Went for a quick round the block test run and 5 miles in all the lights and misfire return.
Plugged back in and all the same codes are back.

frown
Did you clear them after you fitted the new battery; or before fitting it?

Try clearing them again and then unhook the battery for 30mins, gives the car a chance to 'reset'; reattach battery and then go for another spin, see what it does.

If the codes come back; then you deffo have issues with those sensors, unfortunately

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Tuesday 6th August 2019
quotequote all
Started fine this morning, no lights and ran fine. Swapped the battery and still had no lights/issues. Took it for a run, did about the same distance as yesterday and all the lights/runnings problems reappeared. Plugged in and got the same current faults as with the old battery.

d_a_n1979

8,093 posts

71 months

Tuesday 6th August 2019
quotequote all
Cledus Snow said:
Started fine this morning, no lights and ran fine. Swapped the battery and still had no lights/issues. Took it for a run, did about the same distance as yesterday and all the lights/runnings problems reappeared. Plugged in and got the same current faults as with the old battery.
Do as I've suggested above; read codes/reset codes/unhook battery/leave unplugged for 30 mins or so/reconnect/go for drive and see if codes come back.

If they do, you have those specific issues

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Tuesday 6th August 2019
quotequote all
d_a_n1979 said:
Cledus Snow said:
Started fine this morning, no lights and ran fine. Swapped the battery and still had no lights/issues. Took it for a run, did about the same distance as yesterday and all the lights/runnings problems reappeared. Plugged in and got the same current faults as with the old battery.
Do as I've suggested above; read codes/reset codes/unhook battery/leave unplugged for 30 mins or so/reconnect/go for drive and see if codes come back.

If they do, you have those specific issues
Shall give it a whirl tomorrow.

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Wednesday 7th August 2019
quotequote all
Ok, codes cleared last night. Battery disconnected and left over night. New battery fitted. And it’ll still only go 5 miles before it all fails again.
Crank sensor changed and wouldn’t start at all. Second new sensor delivered and fitted and it now starts but with the same faults although the MAF fault has gone away.

This is what is on the code reader





Answers on a postcard to...

d_a_n1979

8,093 posts

71 months

Wednesday 7th August 2019
quotequote all
Was the sensor a genuine BMW one, or aftermarket one?

The ABS issue could be the ABS pump itself, or one of the sensors, which are on each wheel. They're cheap to replace and easy enough to remove and clean, to check them over before you do replace them. }You'll find they're full of crap (brake dust, dirt etc)

Do you know anyone with INPA; that'll give you a much better clue to what the issue is rather than the generic code/issue that's being displayed

Cledus Snow

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

187 months

Saturday 10th August 2019
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Right then. I have the car back, i’ve Spoken to a local specialist who has suggested either vanos failure, a stretched cam chain or both. irked

Which is fair enough, it could be. However the interweb seems to think M54 chains could lift a super tanker’s anchor and the vanos is fairly sturdy too. And it still doesn’t Explain the wheel speed themed Xmas lights on my dash.
I guess he must be pretty good as he can’t look at for a week...


Obison

156 posts

82 months

Saturday 10th August 2019
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I would bet a battered sausage its the crank and or cam sensors failing, does it crank for a bit longer than normal before starting again?

naturalaspiration

639 posts

82 months

Sunday 11th August 2019
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Did he read out the DME error log and confirmed to you there is nothing there?

Touring442

3,096 posts

208 months

Sunday 11th August 2019
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d_a_n1979 said:
Was the sensor a genuine BMW one, or aftermarket one?

The ABS issue could be the ABS pump itself, or one of the sensors, which are on each wheel. They're cheap to replace and easy enough to remove and clean, to check them over before you do replace them. }You'll find they're full of crap (brake dust, dirt etc)

Do you know anyone with INPA; that'll give you a much better clue to what the issue is rather than the generic code/issue that's being displayed
E46 ABS sensors are rarely easy to remove - despite being plastic, the iron hub rusts around them and they require serious beasting to remove and never go again.

Touring442

3,096 posts

208 months

Sunday 11th August 2019
quotequote all
Cledus Snow said:
Right then. I have the car back, i’ve Spoken to a local specialist who has suggested either vanos failure, a stretched cam chain or both. irked
Sounds like bks. M54 cam chains never break/stretch and the vanos will eventually show a code of its own.

naturalaspiration

639 posts

82 months

Sunday 11th August 2019
quotequote all
Touring442 said:
Cledus Snow said:
Right then. I have the car back, i’ve Spoken to a local specialist who has suggested either vanos failure, a stretched cam chain or both. irked
Sounds like bks. M54 cam chains never break/stretch and the vanos will eventually show a code of its own.
This. Swap your local specialist for a BMW specialist if you cannot read the error log yourself.