Mechanical issue driving me insane.. - United Bimmer Community

**coolhandryan** · 07-06-2006, 02:45 PM

Greetings to all fellow bmw owners, im in NY and new to this site and have been reading alot of postings which are very helpful and thank you. I have a 95 M3 (97,xxx miles), car is still a virgen. I had a major tune up done a month ago. Car's idle is not steady for some reason, it holds back when i accelerate and engine light comes on for about a sec or so. Took it to my mechanic, checked everything and we couldnt do anything because with out an engine light being lit, computer won't read anything. This problem is driving me insane.... please any one reply with an answer.

Thank you

**Rooz** · 07-06-2006, 03:36 PM

Could be a lazy O2 sensor

**xsperf** · 07-06-2006, 03:50 PM

yea, 02 sensor, you CAN read the code, there is a very simple way to do it, it has to do with putting the key in the run position and pressing the gas pedal 5 times or something, i dont know the exact procedure but someone here will know how to do it

**coolhandryan** · 07-06-2006, 06:31 PM

We tried it on wed but nothing...the gas pedal 5 times, tried it. thanx dude.

**Dudesky** · 07-06-2006, 06:39 PM

^^^That works only with OBD I vehicles; yours is probably an OBD II, and that will require a scanner.

Some things to check:
Idle control valve
Throttle position sensor
Rips or tears in the intake bellows (between MAF and intake manifold)
Fuel filter
Fuel pressure regulator
And yes, O2 sensor could be faulty

**coolhandryan** · 07-06-2006, 06:46 PM

I've had 02 sensors that were messed up on my other cars, but never did i have these symptoms, but maybe with bmw's its different.. hope so, i'll look into it anyways. Guys any info is helpful ....

thanx ROOZ

**coolhandryan** · 07-06-2006, 07:03 PM

In your things to check, if any were not working, wouldn't it show on the cars computer permanetly? Will a scanner require for the engine light to be on, because i don't have a permanent engine light on. what is obdI? and obdII.

thanxs Dudesky

**Dudesky** · 07-06-2006, 07:20 PM

OBD= On Board Diagnostic, it's the system that you're referring to as the "car's computer". Changes were made in '95, going from the OBD I to the more advanced OBD II system. If you did the gas pedal trick correctly and it didn't work, maybe you have an OBD II; maybe '95 was a split year

I don't know how it records the data or if the Check Engine light (CEL) needs to be lit. But I do know that some parts can still operate badly and not trigger the CEL. And some problems can be compound. For example, I had a CEL a while back indicating the throttle position sensor was at fault. In actuality it was working fine, and it turns out the Idle control valve was at fault. But it was causing the TPS to try and compensate, thereby triggering the CEL.

I suggested that short list because it sounds like it's a fuel or air issue, but I could be wrong . .

**coolhandryan** · 07-06-2006, 07:51 PM

so would i need a scanner for the obII?? obdI has has the pedal trick and what trick does the obdII have?? thanks

**defkon99** · 07-06-2006, 09:08 PM

not sure but i do know there is a kind of pipe under the intake manifold it may be disconected or may not be in all the way.