M3 Check Engine Saga

[Garrick Louie <garrickl@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks,

It's been a while since I first talked about my 98' E36 M3 check engine
nightmare but here is the history of the car.

	Bought car brand new and installed Dinan Chip in Mountain View,
CA.


CUTTER MOTORS:
	Car is fine for ~10,000 miles.  Then CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS occuers
with error 230 (O2 sensor out of range/too rich)  --Light reset
	~500 miles later, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, error 230.  -emissons recall
performed.
	~800 miles later, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, error 230  --Light reset.
This cycle repeats for about 4 timessame problem turn light off, light
turns back on, etc.


DINAN
	Took car to Dinan Engineering in Mountain View, CA.  They reset
light, error 230 and they clear adpative memory along with building a new
performace chip based on the emssions recall parameters.  CHECK ENGINE
LIGHT occuers again after ~800 miles.  This time the light was not reset.
It was left on.


And finally!  Then very upset and flat out frustrated, Dinan suggested
that I take the car out Long Beach BMW b/c they are a Dinan dealer.  I was
so upset, I was running around and no one wanted to even look at my car
and the dealer in Santa Barbara, Cutter Motors refused to look at my car
even after I changed the software to BMW stock.  b/c it was "modifed" they
said they would only look at it if I bought a new DME to put in it.


LONG BEACH BMW
	~14,000 milesLong Beach BMW is an autohrzed Dinan Dealer.  They
diagnose 2 O2 sensors before CAT.C. is bad.  Replaced.  Check Engine light
had exhibited errors 230 and 219.

So far I have about 200 miles on it since then, let's cross our fingers
that this is the fix b/c all the previous reset the lights solution was a
BS solution to the problem.  Now I am afaird to touch or modify my OBDII
car b/c I now think they are so picky they are almost impossible to
modify.

Now I can't wait to get my hands on my next project, preferably a 93' M5
that I can throw in a EVO II crank, cams, etc. I think that the days of
making major mods have changed with all these new systems.  If I had known
all about OBDII I am not sure I would have bought and 98', maybe a 95'.  I
love the handling though and now I will be content with an M3 and an M5,
best of both worlds right?  So if you see me eating little sandwiches
wrapped in foil paper at work, you'll know what I am saving my pennies
for.

I'll need ALOT of pennies!


_____________________________________________________

Garrick S. Louie
Associated Students, Main Office
University of California, Santa Barbara
805-893-2566 / 805-893-3374 FAX
e-mail:  garrickl@domain.elided

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