e36 major backfire, loss of power, help!! - United Bimmer Community

**ilovemebimmer** · 03-31-2007, 02:34 PM

Hi all, I have a major problem that is driving me crazy!
I was out driving the other day and I pulled up to let someone pass me. My car decided to just die! No reason at all! It had been running fine previous to this. It is a 318i on a k plate with 120,000 on clock, looked after no major problems. We couldnt start the car for a couple of hours. I managed to get a tow and whilst the car was being towed decided to turn the car over and it started first time! when we got back the car didnt want to start again it was trying ta start just wouldnt fully turn over. I had it checked out and was told that the fuel wasnt getting to the car properly, had a brand new fule pump fitted, car now starts first time just backfires really bad and wont pull away!! its become very sluggish obviously to dangerous to drive! I have had a new exhaust inclding cat and exhaust, new plugs and leads, new rotar arm and distributor cap,new fuel filter new oil filter its had the head rebuilt, I really am stuck at what is wrong with the car! I have had it put on 2 seperate fault code readers and no fault codes are found. (at least theres nothing wrong with the electrics!) but what is it? I would really grateful for any help!!

**morroman** · 04-01-2007, 09:37 PM

Ahh looks like you have a dead ignition coil. You gotta find which one isnt firing and replace it. Hopefully that will fix the back firing aswell as the inconsistant starting.

Enjoy.

**Mercenary(FH)** · 04-02-2007, 08:04 AM

yeah same thing happened to me, mine was just idling VERY rough, their usually not to expensive thankfull tho

**ilovemebimmer** · 04-02-2007, 03:05 PM

Hi coils are fine. any other ideas???

**morroman** · 04-02-2007, 07:09 PM

hrmm, the only other thing i can think of is that you bought bad fuel with too much ethenol in it. If this is the case your fuel injectors will be stuffed and need replacing, apart from that I'm running out out ideas myself. Good luck

**desperate 4 help** · 04-03-2007, 12:39 PM

how have you checked the coils? by removing one at a time to see which one doesn't change the misfire?
It is possible to have a perfectly fine coil but the signal to it (from ecu) is bad. This may explain your intermittant problem (dodgy connection in ecu.

Once I spilled 10ml of oil outside the filler cap (on my 6 cylinder) only to find it had half filled a spark plug recess causing that cylinder to misfire. Once i'd removed the oil it ran fine but a week later the problem returned as I had "surged" the ecu (with the oil) destroying the signal to that particular cylinder.

All my coils tested fine, it was the ecu that was fappin me around.

i'm inexperienced here though so I'd listen to the others.

Pete

**ilovemebimmer** · 04-04-2007, 01:50 PM

Thanks all for the advice.
my father in law is a mechanic and it had him miffed aswell. In the end it was a faulty (Brand new!!!) fuel pump! Anyway my engine has been totally rebuilt with new things in the orcess to finding this out!!! Car now runs better than ever! fingers crossed it stays that way!
thanks all again for the help