Re: O2 Sensor- 95 E-36 318ti

[alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx]

JHahn22@domain.elided wrote:
> Hello Folks,
> My 95 318ti (M42 motor) automatic (135k mi) has been giving me a check 
engine 
> light anytime I let it idle for more than a minute or so.  It also runs 
a tad 
> rough when it gives me the light.  Hooking it up to the computer told me 
that 
> the oxygen sensor was bad, which was what I expected, so I replaced the 
> sensor.  That may have helped out for a little while (a day or so at 
most), 
> but the situation is now the same.  I haven't checked the code for it 
again, 
> but it gives all the same symptoms, so I'm expecting the same code. 

Jake,
The new code may be different, or may point to another problem that 
triggers bad 02 sensor fault.
BTW, how many 02 sensors do you have on that car (some have up to 4).

> Incidentally, after the light has come on, even the slightest tap on the
> gas pedal makes it go away for about ten secs. or so, and then the 
roughness 
> gradually returns and the light comes back on. 

I used to get an off-idle CE light on my '95 M3 that always displayed a 
different code. No drivability problems otherwise. Long story short, the 
coils were heading south though the closest CE code I got was 'bad DME 
power supply'. Eventually, the car refused to run with warm engine and I 
found the culprit through the process of elimination. 

> Question is, what do I go after now? 

Check the lights again.

> Cat (hope not)?  Other tune up stuff? I don't know how old the plugs and 
> air filter are, so this should be addressed anyway, but what else should 
> I look for. 

If CE lights don't help, revert to common sense. 
Flaky idle is frequently associated with bad ICVs and about a million 
other causes.

alex 

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