# Back from dealer; still have idle problem



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

Guys,

I said I would keep the board updated in my original thread so for those of you following this issue, here goes:

I took the car (2000 328i) in for service about six weeks ago and was told that BMW was working on DME reprogramming to fix a cold idle/stall/surging problem and that I would have to bring the car back once the dealership's machine had been updated. I took it back today and they said that "the reprogramming was ineffective". Meaning that they reprogrammed the DME but the idle problem is still there. The SA said that he called BMW and they said they were aware of the continuing problem and that they were working on a third reprogramming to fix it. He said it should be ready in about a month or so (same thing they told me last time). I'm losing confidence that this problem will get fixed. They DID replace the leather cover on the passenger seat that had the black color rubbed off of the side bolster. It was a very small abrasion, I was shocked that they agreed to do it but they did. They also replaced the two trim panels around the seat belt slots (where they enter the pillar) because they were showing wear from the seatbelt dragging on the edge of the slot. In addition, they also replaced the burned out high beam light bulb and tightened/repositioned some heat shields in the engine compartment that would occasionlly vibrate. All of this was covered under warranty. The warranty expires next month. The SA assured me that they would continue to work on the problem until it was fixed even after the warranty expires since I brought it to them while it was still covered.

They seem to be trying to fix it but I wonder if they just have no idea what's wrong with it so they keep telling me about a reprogramming?????


For those not familiar, here are my idle symptoms:

1. When engine is cold/partially warm, the idle will drop to near stall and then bounce up to about 1200 RPM. Sometimes it will cycle up and down like that for a while, sometimes it just stalls when it drops instead of bouncing back up.

2. Back in the summer it did nearly the same thing as #1 a couple of times when the A/C was on and I would come to a stop.

3. The engine speed almost always drops to 300 or 400 RPM before bouncing back to about 800 and then settling at 600 RPM, even when fully warm.

Anyone with any advice here?

Todd


----------



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

The HACK said:


> Switch to Chevron with Techron, and run it exclusively for at least 5 full tanks.


Hmmmmm....I've been considering doing that anyway as I've heard that Techron is the best cleaner. Problem is, it's hard to find a Chevron around here! Any benefit from running a bottle of Techron fuel system cleaner through it? FWIW I ALWAYS use Amoco premium. I have never (well....maybe just a few gallons in an emergency) used anything other than Amoco (no off brand, cheap stuff, etc.).

Todd


----------



## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

Has the dealer checked any/all of the engine sensors? These should all show up in diagnostics, though. The engine is pretty resiliant in that failed sensors will still allow the engine to run by either substituting fixed values or calculating values based on other working ones, but because they're all less than ideal, behavior like this can occur.


----------



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

Kaz said:


> Has the dealer checked any/all of the engine sensors? These should all show up in diagnostics, though. The engine is pretty resiliant in that failed sensors will still allow the engine to run by either substituting fixed values or calculating values based on other working ones, but because they're all less than ideal, behavior like this can occur.


Well.....as with most modern machines, if the computer does not say anything is wrong, nothing is wrong  . What I mean is that they have checked for fault codes (first thing they did) and did not find any (other than the gas cap fault code from where I filled the tank with the engine still running...I assume).

Todd

PS. I guess I should have mentioned somewhere that the car is a manual and has 35,000 miles on it. Oh yeah....I was thankful for the loaner car but it was a metallic pea oldsmobuick something or other :rofl: .


----------



## eksath (Apr 4, 2003)

Havent had this problem with any e46 but I did have idling problems with a Nissan. The fault was the fuel filter....new fuel filter solved that after 2 years of diagnosis by various mechanics


----------



## routesixtysixer (May 2, 2003)

Yeah, sounds like fuel pressure regulator malfunction.....


----------



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

routesixtysixer said:


> Yeah, sounds like fuel pressure regulator malfunction.....


I resurrected this thread because I went back to the dealer again. They replaced the "Idle Air Control Valve". It had absolutely no effect and my problems continue just like the first post in this thread. If anyone has any suggestions that could be checked by my dealer, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks,

Todd


----------



## tthomasjr (Feb 24, 2004)

*Cold idle problem with my 02 325i*



toddkageals said:


> I resurrected this thread because I went back to the dealer again. They replaced the "Idle Air Control Valve". It had absolutely no effect and my problems continue just like the first post in this thread. If anyone has any suggestions that could be checked by my dealer, I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Todd


Dont know if this will help but I had idle problems with my 02 325i during the winter. When i would start it for the first time, when engine was cold, it would idle real low. Once, i pulled out of the driveway and switched from reverse to drive and the engine died. I called my bmw dealer in wilmingon, nc and they took the car in. They said they had to send the brain to bmw because the cold idle problem was such a new fix they didnt have it available at the local level. Once i got the brain back from bmw, 3 days, it run like a champ. If you need to, contact schaeffer bmw wilmington, nc and see if your problem is the same. Your dealer may not be aware or may be talking with the "wrong person".
enjoy
:thumbup:


----------



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

tthomasjr said:


> Dont know if this will help but I had idle problems with my 02 325i during the winter. When i would start it for the first time, when engine was cold, it would idle real low. Once, i pulled out of the driveway and switched from reverse to drive and the engine died. I called my bmw dealer in wilmingon, nc and they took the car in. They said they had to send the brain to bmw because the cold idle problem was such a new fix they didnt have it available at the local level. Once i got the brain back from bmw, 3 days, it run like a champ. If you need to, contact schaeffer bmw wilmington, nc and see if your problem is the same. Your dealer may not be aware or may be talking with the "wrong person".
> enjoy
> :thumbup:


Well....thanks for the suggestion. I would be willing to try another dealer but the car is out of warranty now (past 4 years, not on miles). Since the problem started during the warranty period, my dealer is still addressing it under warranty. I'm not so sure how that would work at another dealership. They have already upgraded the software once. It had absolutely no effect.

Todd


----------



## toddkageals (May 5, 2003)

The HACK said:


> Switch to Chevron with Techron, and run it exclusively for at least 5 full tanks.


I tried Chevron for 3 months or so but unfortunately, it had no effect. I also perform the "Italian Tune-up" on a frequent basis so that won't help much either. FWIW....I had to have the fuel pump replaced about a year ago because of a leak. Anthing that they could have done that would have caused this problem?

Todd


----------

