RE: engine cuts out at idle - e36 UPDATE

["Noordien, Igshaan" <in1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steven, Alex and Greg
Thanks for your replies..

>> Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 08:54:34 +0200
>> From: "Noordien, Igshaan" <in1@domain.elided>
>> Subject: engine cuts out at idle - e36

>> Yesterday driving home from work it started to cut out everytime I
>> coasted to a stop at a traffic light or in bumper to bumper traffic.

"Greg Steinke" <GSTEINKE@domain.elided> wrote:
> Igshaan,
> I had a problem on my 92 e36 (with m50 engine) that may be related. 
> My problem was that one (or more, don't recall) of the coils was
flaky.
> The other possibility that comes to mind is the idle control valve.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steven Schlossman [mailto:steven@domain.elided]
>
> Could be the Air Flow Meter.

I will look into the coils and Air Flow Meter - hope there are
procedures for testing in the Haynes.
Anyone out there ever cleaned out their ICV and can let me know
procedure/cautions/products used?

Last night I started working through an Inspection II and on removing
the plugs, two of them were covered in oil.  Not the actual electrodes
but the top halve of the plugs.  So I'm thinking oil is leaking past the
cylinder head cover gasket/spark plug hole gaskets and into the spark
plug holes.  Could this be causing the cutout at idle/bad idle?  

Also on inspecting the throttle body found the throttle cable to have
too much slack as well as not opening the valve fully at full pedal
depression (could be the cause of lackluster performance lately) -
adjusted as per Haynes to 0.5mm play at the valve .  The inside of the
'throttle valve air feeder hose' was lightly coated in oil - should I be
concerned?

As always TIA

Igshaan
'92 320 (e36, small six)
Cape Town 
South Africa 

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