BMW is acting up at idle + noise

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:44 pm

VK get your trash talk in soon and keep it shut

.

So on the way to the grocery store I got to the light and the car was idling low and rough....to the point that the dual mass flywheel started chattering. I was anticipating a CEL but never happened, and I drive off and it's fine. At the next light it's doing the same thing and I hear a chirping-ish noise. On the way back the chirping noise came and went so I thought that maybe a tensioner pulley was on it's way out which would explain a rough idle with no CEL. When I get home I opened the hood and the chirping noise that comes and goes is not coming from the pulley area. It's coming from either the DISA valve itself or something behind it. I put the scanner on the car and no current or pending codes.

Any ideas?

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:00 pm

Vacuum leak?

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:20 pm

It's the DISA valve (the typical failure mode of said part)....video uploading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPT_cmq4IIw

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:29 am

JamesShort wrote:

VK get your trash talk in soon and keep it shut

You guys that keep buying these German cars make it too easy for me.

Scott Lusted · **Joined:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:52 am **Posts:** 215

Had the same problem back before xmas. Bad leak around the seal and a quick spray with brake cleaner with the engine running confirmed it.

-Scott

JamesShort · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:00 pm

Scott Lusted wrote:

Had the same problem back before xmas. Bad leak around the seal and a quick spray with brake cleaner with the engine running confirmed it.

-Scott

But your issue was just the 'o ring' (ie really just a bonded gasket on later MY E46s). Did you pull your DISA and see how the actuator window was working (or if it had fallen apart)?

I just pulled the throttle body elbows off to check the ICV and it's actually quite clean in there so I'm not going to try to remove it to clean.

Scott Lusted · **Joined:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:52 am **Posts:** 215

Yes, I had a large leak at the molded oring. When I pulled it out to inspect, I found the flapper door very loose. It wasn't going to fall off but had 30deg of play in it so I replaced the unit.

I also have most of the soft connections on the vac system falling apart so there were numerous leaks there as well. After fixing all that, my long term fuel trims are less than 2%. I think over 20% (something like that...) it will set the CEL.

Sad that that rubber parts on the bmw are falling apart at 10 years and the ones on the 91 integra are still in great shape...
Oh well, it runs like a champ now and makes a wonderful daily driver.

-Scott

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:14 am

Scott Lusted wrote:

Sad that that rubber parts on the bmw are falling apart at 10 years and the ones on the 91 integra are still in great shape

The Ultimate Driving Machine doesn't come with the ultimate parts. :thumbsdown:

JohnByers · **Posted:** Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:18 am

Vincent Keene wrote:

Scott Lusted wrote:

Sad that that rubber parts on the bmw are falling apart at 10 years and the ones on the 91 integra are still in great shape

The Ultimate Driving Machine doesn't come with the ultimate parts. :thumbsdown:

The newer ones definately aren't made the way the old ones are sadly. I think that is the case in alot of ways with all manufacturers now. I recently did a tune up on a '06 Ford Expedition with the 5.4. I should not have to go buy a special socket to remove spark plugs and "pray" I don't break the tip off $20/apiece plugs that would require pulling the head off if it happens. That will prob be the "last" modern 5.4 I do a tune up on :twisted:

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:40 pm

JohnByers wrote:

Vincent Keene wrote:

Scott Lusted wrote:

Sad that that rubber parts on the bmw are falling apart at 10 years and the ones on the 91 integra are still in great shape

The Ultimate Driving Machine doesn't come with the ultimate parts. :thumbsdown:

The newer ones definately aren't made the way the old ones are sadly. I think that is the case in alot of ways with all manufacturers now. I recently did a tune up on a '06 Ford Expedition with the 5.4. I should not have to go buy a special socket to remove spark plugs and "pray" I don't break the tip off $20/apiece plugs that would require pulling the head off if it happens. That will prob be the "last" modern 5.4 I do a tune up on :twisted:

Try throwing one of those in to a turn at 80 mph.................... :roll:

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:23 pm

JohnByers wrote:

The newer ones definately aren't made the way the old ones are sadly.

We have a 2006 E90 330i we bought 7 years ago and now has 114k miles. It has been the most reliable car I've owned (driving since 1974). It's had two minor problems since the warranty ran out at 50k miles (door lock actuator on right front door, and a CPS). The exhaust camshaft position sensor never tripped the CEL, but one day the car was idling funky and down on power, but then after restart was fine. I pulled codes and it showed one instance of the CPS faulting. I probably could have just forgotten about it, but it's my wife's daily driver, so I replaced it.

Anyway, having owned the E46 for years, I would say the E90 is *much* more reliable in addition to being more robust (i.e. thrust bushings, RTAB, etc are all fine at 114k miles).

Although it's only got 17k miles on it now, my 2011 M3 has had zero problems/warranty claims since new 2 years ago (fingers crossed since Vincent probably is pulling out his BMW voodoo doll).

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:27 pm

James,

The DISA valve usually makes a horrible sound when the shaft/bearings/whatever fails...kind of like a squealing. It's one of those high mileage E46 things. Jackie's fiance's 325 had it fail at something like 120k miles, and fortunately it didn't come apart and have junk ingested. She went ahead and put a new one on her car (I think it has about 92k miles on it now) as PM, but hers was fine when removed. She said the there was no significant play in it. Oh well...

JamesShort · **Posted:** Fri Feb 22, 2013 10:13 am

It's back together....odd how it was easy to get the MAF out of the intake housing and upper intake elbox when I started removing things, but when putting them back together, it was a real PITA...almost removed the intake housing to do it. Probably that the rubber was much more pliable at engine bay temps than my interor house temps. Surprisingly the intake elbows were in perfect shape.

That damn hose clamp on the throttle body lower elbow has been moved to a better orientation but still not great....I should probably just bite the bullet and get one of those flex drivers for stuff like this.

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BMW is acting up at idle + noise

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