M50 Still Missing?

[dacoyote]

I just stuck the new coil boots on, and I think she is still missing. I am not sure however, it could just be that I am listing so hard for it to miss or idle werid that I am picking up things it did before.

I only stuck about 15 miles on her with the new boots and stopped at work real quick to post this (Internet at Home down).. I left it running so I will see how it idles when I am back out there.

Do anyone have any more idea's? or could do a third party test drive and let me know if I am smoking something?

-Charles
Cleveland, OH

[smcgowan]

If you replaced the coils and it's still missing.. I had the same thing happen and tracked it down to the number 1 coil( I pulled the #1 coil off and the car ran the same.... I switch that coil with the a replacment and got the same result. So here's the bad part... When the coil went bad it smoked the DME for the #1 Cylinder. I had to replace the DME to fix... about $800 after searching the internet for a replacment.. Hope to heck it's not the DME... For good measure after replacing the DME ... I replaced all other coils for good measure.... If you see carmel on the coil stop now... Do not risk running or you could smoke the DME.....

[632 Regal]

it could be the coil packs getting weak or maybe a few injectors are done. The missing game sucks sometimes. At least you started at the least expensive part and are assured that it isnt something stupid...I did it in the reverse order and spent a ton of cash to find it was the boots.

[dacoyote]

Didn't replace the coils just the coil boots.

I don't see any carmel on the coils, however never seeing it before it's hard to tell.

I drove it about 60 miles today and here is the current knowledge I have

without AC on it idles fine, with the ocassinal "hickup"
with AC on at idle it "hickup" a lot... prop every 5 - 10 seconds.
from about 0 - 25 or so it feels like it it is missing... it barley shakes the car
once I get about 25 its fine.. right till about 2500rpms... right there the car shakes...
at freeway speed if I floor it.. I can count to about 4.. then the car shifts (I think) and the it starts to shake like it's missing.
so to me that screams missing to me, any other car at this point.. I would start thinking that maybe the missing ruined the cat or something...

I don't have any idiot lights on other then the srs light (and I know why its on) I tried the stomp test and couldn't get it to work... (5 times gas petal to the floor and the light never goes off)

so far we have
replace plugs
replaced coil boots
replaced oil / filter
replaced valve cover gasket (at least it doesn't leak)

This last start was off a unhook the battery and connect a wire between the two leads.. it was like that for about 24 hours... now... it didn't reset the inspection/oil indicator.. all I needed was the radio code..

It was down to about the last 2 gallon of gas so I stuck another 8 gallons of 93 in it... it never has ran really good low on gas (but not as bad as it does now)

I am getting to my wits end on this and I just about ready to take it into the the guys a kolla to do a look over. So one question is... is it worth the money to take it in and have them tell me whats wrong.. or is a indy going to be in the same boat as me?

Lets see... to finish off my novel, everything was stock on the car untill I started working on it expect for the push button start I installed about 14 months ago now, I haven't pulled it apart but I doubt that the reason why (it's a long story, but thats why the srs light is on)

-Charles

[smcgowan]

At least that's good news...

[dacoyote]

Whit,

I will give Brett a call in the morning, at the very least I would owe you all a cold one...

Thanks

Charles

[brodee]

My car was doing the same thing. Swapped the coils from the touring and it ran perfect. Bought 6 coils off ebay for $9 and I'm up and running find again.

[dacoyote]

Well called KMS and will be bringing it in later today in the afternoon, It looks like it's a little west of 306 on 87, can someone please confirm that.

Wish me luck, hopefully the computer will have something insightful to say (with my luck it will run fine there... and run fine at the shop.. then die on the way back :-(

-Charles

[dacoyote]

Yeah.. there is a full set on ebay now..... they end in about 12 hours.. so will get them tonight... between 12 coils at least six should be good....

[brodee]

Yeah.. there is a full set on ebay now..... they end in about 12 hours.. so will get them tonight... between 12 coils at least six should be good....

That's what I figured. I was lucky enough to have a good set on the touring to test with.

FWIW - I had two bad ones and neither were leaking or showed any signs of being bad. Neither gave a code to the computer either.

[dacoyote]

How did you find they where bad, I did the multimeter test on the pins and they all came back within spec

[632 Regal]

multimeter test isnt real accurate testing a part that generates more than 40k volts. the only thing left is the injectors.

[dacoyote]

Maybe I will just luck out and I will have a couple that are weak...

What is a good way to test them?? start swapping them out??

[632 Regal]

I would swap em all out and see what gives, number the old ones from the front before you take them off just for reference. did any of the plugs look any different when you changed them out?

[dacoyote]

Yeah, 3 of them looked like the car had been missing... at it had been from the oil in the plug wheels.....

so it could be the back 3 would be what I think.....

I will see what KMS comes up with...

[dacoyote]

my poor baby.. has the windows down about an inch.. and the sunroof cracked..

It's pouring on the South West side of Cleveland,, by Hopkins....

[632 Regal]

at least it wont float away like a boat?

[dacoyote]

Well.. good news?

Took it to KMS and it typical Charles Fashion had missed the fact we where missing tubes....

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HD63&mospid=47404&btnr=11_1284&hg=11&fg=15

In fact we got new parts 1, 2, 3, 5 from that pic from the stealership.

Now my question is, part 5 plugs in way under the intake, I stuck my hand back there when I got back to work (stupid and burned myself for my trouble)

It is a very tight fit and I wasn't able to hold my hand down there long enough to get it in, does anyone have anything insightful to say about getting it on there.

Car is cooling as I do some more work, have the battery unhooked and plan on going out there and doing the swap in the next hour or so, then let it sit for a couple more then give her a try.

BTW.. thanks Whit

Charles

[dacoyote]

No Dice, car sat without a battery in shotgun reset for about 8 hours and it still feels the same. Going back out to KMS. Also to make everything better, I didn't win the coils.

-Charles

[dacoyote]

Ok, so here is the latest in the saga.

Car will still running bad after I stuck the new tubes in it.. took it back out to KMS, computer still isn't showing anything...

The idea that the cat could be bad was thrown out there, in that car the cat is one solid piece almost all the way back to the headers. I pulled it off there on the word that if it was a bad cat it would run better with it off.

It's the same as before other then now I can really heard it miss, so it looks like it's new coil's time.

Does anyone in the greater Cleveland area (IE past Chagrin Falls all the way to North Omstead or futher) have a set of known good coils that would work on a M50 that they would either let me test with or buy of them. (I would be willing to pay for the right to test the car on good coils)

Please PM me here.

Thanks

Charles

[Jean@MtMiguel]

Might be one of your coils, this happened to me 5 months back,no CHECK ENGINE LIGHT to tell you something is amiss. Did replaced the gas filter, fuel pump, did a Shogun reset, still missing after those procedure and expense, finally my brother and I did the old timers mechanic of taking off the spark plug wire one at a time, found the bad coil in #2, replaced it,(top of the coil looks normal almost like brand new,no carmel on top) now it's running good. It didn't hurt the DME either. Just be careful when taking off the wires from the coil pack wear thick gloves .

[dacoyote]

Jean,

Yeah, I have another set of coils on the way and a new fuel filter, so I am going to cross my fingers that gets it working, it's going to be next weekend before I have a chance to work on it again, right now driving my minivan (93 Dodge Grand Caravan SE(It's for sell btw))

-Charles

[Nick.Hay]

A Missing M50??

Did you check under the hood?? Thats where they usually hang out!! :D :D


ahhh.... Sorry ;)
(Someone had to say it)

[brodee]

A Missing M50??

Did you check under the hood?? Thats where they usually hang out!! :D :D


ahhh.... Sorry ;)
(Someone had to say it)

I've been waiting for that one. Everytime I read the thread title that's what pops into my head.

[dacoyote]

BEST POST EVER....

That made my day... (and its been a bad one so far)

-Charles

[dacoyote]

Well, I have found my m50... looks like a bad coil at number 3

The new coils I got from vines are not nearly as clean as mine, if I didn't know better I would say that two of them are leaking candy.

http://www.duncanctodd.com/images/PIX__42.jpg

Sorry for the low quality.. thats the best I can get right now.

-Charles

[Jean@MtMiguel]

I'm glad you did! It reminded me before mine started missing badly, as if there's someone playing with the exhaust notes,puff/puff sound, then it started missing, replacement of the coil returned to it's purring exhaust notes. Recent trip gave a 24mpg and dare to be different has Bosch platinum Plus 4 plugs, K&N air filter, Voll synthese oil, Jectron fuel injector cleaner, Ventil sauber valve cleaner, 35PSI fronts and 34PSI air tire pressure.

[pyro]

Did you chekc your FPR mabe its not keeping the fuel pressure up to par?

[dacoyote]

That was going to be one of the next things I checked, however the car is running fine now. Well other then the exaust sounds like its still open front (not as loud as open headers) and then getting the rest of the car stuck back together.

-Charles