Slow as heck 320i auto

[lance1a]

Maybe someone can shed some light on my 1983 E30 320i Auto. It has an issue starting from cold, but once warmed up seems ok. In this regard I have checked the slide valve and the Starter injector and they all work fine. So I started looking at ignition timing. This is the very early engine with the distributor running off the block, not the cam. I did notice that the vacuum advance pipe (to the distributor)was missing so replaced it but to no avail. Looking on Realoem I can see the pipe runs from the throttle body via a valve (unknown) to the first vacuum inlet on the vacuum advance but I can't find that valve.
It seems very very unresponsive even for a three speed auto. Almost as though there is a lack of compression. I have done a check on all valve clearances (thinking that as the motor was so quiet, they may be over tight) and thay are all 0.25mm cold.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[markdas]

Check for vacuum leaks on all hoses.

Give the distributor a good dose of looking at too, check that the vacuum advance is actually moving the internals, clean them up inside and check the rotor arm and dizzy cap. Spark plugs and leads okay?

If you suspect compression, do a compression test and see what each cylinder is producing!

Good luck

Mark