Rough Idle... :-(

[Pink_Floyd]

Ok this seems to be the first engine problem I've had with my car... Its a '92 325i with 165,000 miles and everything works good but when I first start the car it idle pretty rough and the car even shakes a little. I guess this could be due to the cold weather since it just started a few days ago. Anyway, after I drive for about 5 minutes and stop the car and put it in park it idles OK but the initial idle seems pretty violent and is making me nervous

Any help is appreciated - Thanks

BTW: This car is my daily driver and I need it to get to school every weekday so if you think there are any simple solutions please let me know.

 

[frolf]

when you start the car on cold days, depress the clutch with gear selecter in neutral while you turn the key. The effect is that the car idles higher and higher for a little longer than if you just have the car in neutral and start it.

i think it says that in the manual somewhere.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Good tip, frolf, but I it sounds like he's got an automatic.

 

[kev415]

is it just at idle or is it running rough in general? Do you have a severe power loss? My mechanic told me that the '92's have a problem with the ignition coil-packs and that they eventually just go bad. Unfourunately, BMW recomends that you replace all 6 of them at the same time, but thats the name of the game I guess. Anyways, if you have, or have access to an infared temp sensor, or any decent thermometer, take the temp of each individual exhaust port. My bet is that you will find one or two that are cooler than the rest of them. First step, pull that cover off the valve covers and replace your plugs, specifically looking at the plugs you pull from the cooler cylinders. If that doesn't do it, I would start pricing out some coil-packs.

 

[Pink_Floyd]

Thank you kev415 for you advice I will have to look a little further into how to go about measureing the temperatures of the exhause ports as I do not even know where they are About the ignition coil-packs... shouldn't the check engine light give me a code if one or more of the packs is bad? If you look at the code readout there are seperate codes for each of the coil-packs and my car isn't giving me any errors on and of them.

 

[frolf]

its an auto?

 

[Pink_Floyd]

its an auto?

Yeah... notice I said "put it in park"

 

[frolf]

ahhhhhhhh

 

[manuel]

ive got the same problem on my 96 328, ive gotten used to it. i just let my car warm up every morning. it goes away after a couple of minutes.

 

[kev415]

are there separate code for each individual coil, or for each cylinder's total ignition? It might still be kind of firing and not throwing a code, but also not enough to cause complete combustion. It could be a weak component somewhere in the line. So a good place to start would be to take the temperatures of the exhaust ports and the change the plugs.If you stand in front of the passengers side headlight and look down diagonnaly between the strut tower and the valve covers, you should see the exhaust manifolds. If you cant see them orthey are too tough to get at, put the car on ramps (or a lift if you are lucky enough to own one) and do it from underneath.