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Re: Sputtering '92 325i
Sputtering problems can be very difficult to diagnose. I had a very
similar problem with my car, and after replacing many things the thing
that actually fixed was replacing all the coils. Your (our) car has a
coil for each cylinder, and they are a very common failure mode
especially on the earlier E36 models. Important: They will be bad
even though they don't "test" bad. All of mine passed the resistance
test listed in the Bentley manual, yet replacing them made the
sputtering go away.
A good place to start is checking the on board computer for a code,
your bentley will help you there.
If you don't have any code the coils are as good start, they are very
easy to replace and you can save yourself the labor charges. They will
fail sooner or later, so it really is preventive maintainence . E36's
do not have ignition wires. If you haven't done the plugs recently you
may want to do them at the same time as long as you are in there. For
me the hardest part of this job was getting the plastic cover off the
engine without breaking it. (I broke it).
Other potential sputtering sources: Oxygen sensor, oxygen sensor
connector (mine was contaminated with oil from the rear transmission
seal leaking), and the throttle posiiton sensor.
Good luck,
Hans Conser
On Friday, August 22, 2003, at 12:07 PM, bmw-digest wrote:
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 14:08:39 -0400
From: "Douglas M. Max" <DMax@domain.elided>
Subject: Sputtering '92 325i
Hope you can help me save some money and get my car going well again.
A '92 325i with 115K. Starting off after it's been sitting, it does
great for quite a while. Sometime after it warms up, I'll get
sputtering whenever it's below around 3,000rpms.
At slow speeds, it makes a backfire like noise, but don't know enough
to
know if it's a real backfire or not.
The exhaust has been getting throatier, and someone told me that a pin
hole might be causing this...though I had the beginnings of the
symptoms
when I passed inspection a year ago, so makes me think not that, or not
just that.
Coils have been suggested. Can a handy DIYer replace coils? I've got
the Bentley, but thought I'd ask. I've been suggested that it might be
the wires going to the coils (but someone said my car doesn't have
ignition wires).
Lots of advice, but nothing authoritative. I also thought maybe fuel
pump (gotta go sooner or later).
Me, I really don't want to just have some mech replace everything
hoping
he/she gets it right.
Final question: will a dealer run a diagnostic on it, knowing that I'd
take it elsewhere to get fixed--can I ask them to do this for a fee and
would it likely uncover the particulars of this problem?
Thanks a bunch whatever you can suggest.
Doug in NJ
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