93 e36 all of a sudden runs like crap

[crazeetowntatto]

i have a 93e36m50 325is that has been a very good running car up to this problem, i have 332000 miles seriosly it ran great. it overheated for about 2-4 minutes as i was idling it never did that b4, i turned it off opened the hood and let it cool off for a while. i left drove about 15 minutes to home sat for about 2-3 hours went back out started it and drove about a block and the check engine light came on i drove about 5 mins on thr highway, turned the car off and to back on to see if the light went off and it wouldnt start after that. i broke the starter trying to start it, fixxed that now it starts and runs like crap( popping in intake manifold. i replaced the mass air and it still runs like crap. please help!!!

[crazeetowntatto]

can i please get some suggestions

[coolbear1]

I Have one of those cars with 270,000 miles. same year, bought it new. not the best year/model they made, but they will work.

How bad did you over heat it? any oil in coolant or coolant in oil? that would indicate a blown head gasket.
Did the engine stop on its own when it overheated, or did you notice it and shut it off yourself?
Mine has been overheated many times, but not to the point of shutting off and not starting.
My wife even recognizes the smell of hot coolant['; before she even notices the gauge.
Is it still overheating?
Did you get the top of the engine wet at all, at any time, during or after the overheating?
If you blew coolant all over the top of the engine you need to clean your plugs, coolkant gets down into the spark plug wells and shorts the coils out. the heat evaporates the coolant, but not before fouling the heck out of the plugs.
Have you inspected the plugs?
They will tell you alot.

If the check engine light is on, see if you can find someone to read the fault code.

[crazeetowntatto]

originaly i was sitting in at a idle and watched the temp needle go from norm to red then light up. as soon as it lit i turned it off. so no coolant ever spilled or blew out any where. i think it is some sensor or something. i put new plugs in anyway.originaly the temp was normal when i left and the check engine light came on, i shut the motor off as i was driving 60mph, it never started. i pulled off in a p-lot and tried over and over to start it with bad results. the starter broke and a piece wouldnt let the flywheel turn. i fixxed that easy, got it started (ran like crap). a buddy said the mass air sensor so i replaced that. lil better but i dont think it was the problem. i checked to make sure i dint disconnect or forget something during starter replacement. i havnt driven it at al since it broke down a month ago. the oil looks good and the coolant looks normal smells normal too. the idle now is up and down like crazy (about 500 - 1200) and it just dies. also ive charged the battery and it is just dying while it sits if it is hooked up. "Could it be a problem with the vanos thing or the alternator. or a sensor. wheres the place to go next..............

[coolbear1]

The idle up and down is most likely an air or vacuum leak, could be the idle control valve sticking.
Look at the rubber elbow attached to the throttle control valve.
Under it are two hoses.
One goes down to the idle control valve.
The other goes to the crank case vent, aplastic thing that snaps into the side of the valve cover just behind the vanos.

If ether is leaking the car won't Idle or run good.

There are two hoses on the crankcase vent, a big one and a little one.
The little one connects under the intake manifold.
It is a vacuum line, make sure its not bad too.

If all looks good you may need to remove your Idle control valve and clean it.
It is under the intake manifold, hard to get to, but it is low and oil and dirt settle in it.
It is a major culpret of what you discribe.

[crazeetowntatto]

are u talking about the piece on the front into the valve cover where the two hoses go in and it is just a plastic clip, or the sensor that screws into the inside back under part of the intake manifold with a thin hose going to the fuel line? its late in bmore im gettin up early and hittin the bolts ill let you kno tommorrow how its lookin. please oh pleas let me figure this out. feel like my car's in shock trauma.

[coolbear1]

The plastic thing. That is your crank case vent. It needs to be tight.

The big rubber ell on the throttle control valve and hoses under it need to be tight,
No cracks in the elbow. Any air leaks will cause all sorts of trouble.
The other side (air out of the valve) of the idle air control valve connects to the intake manifold just under and behind the throttle control valve. You can't see it have to feel it.
It snaps into the intake manifold. it has to be tight also.

[crazeetowntatto]

i found the idle control valve pulled it and it was real dirty and it was stuck in the open position. i cleaned it now im waiting for a hot shot. ive taken the car apart four times already. ill let you kno when hot shot gets here. thank you. check my work out www.myspace.com/crazeetowntattoos

[crazeetowntatto]

YES its fixxed it runs great but its dependant on the battery i disconnected the neg while it was running it immediatly shut off. where next. feel like im trying to land an airplane without knowledge. thanks so much

[coolbear1]

Don't ever disconect the battery on a BMR running. You can kill the engine controler.
Why do you want to disconnect the battery?
Put it back togther and drive it.
Batry too!

[crazeetowntatto]

damn my self if i pop start it it runs great now when i tell the starter to start it wont do anything(the starter) the car started like normal and it shut off after like 3o seconds at first then i went to start it and now the starter dont react. i looked at the red wire running from starter and it's all good. i just put the starter in new so thats not the problem. ny cousin suggested a fuseable link or something. sorry about the negative removal thing but im pretty sure that isnt this problem. i assumed it should stay running providing the alternater is operating right. i just now put the battery back in with a full charge, turned the key and it wont function. any suggestions where to start and true or false about the alternater keeping it running after started?? and man thanks so much your a great mechanic fixxin stuff through other people.

[coolbear1]

If it runs you didn't hurt it.
The idle control valve is right on top ofd the starter.

you probably pulled something loose.

Let me think on it a min.

[coolbear1]

Check your fuses and starter connections.
Make sure you did not unplug, or forget to replug anything under the intake man.

[coolbear1]

The starter solenoid is on the starter. does it click when you try to start it?
Do you have an electrical tester of some sort?
See if you are getting 12 volts to the sol. when you turn the key.
You can also run a jumper to the sol from the battery remote battery terminal under the small plastic cover behind the driver wheel well.
Forgot, you have a convertable the battery is not in the trunk is it.

[crazeetowntatto]

no the battery is in the trunk. its a 325is. no clcking or noises to indicate problem areas. its like you turn the key through the acc, on and starter engage with pressure and it doesnt respond. i read in a haynes manual on my model there is a relay under the driverside dash. could that be the problem or if that was bad would nothing in the ignition work? (ie; the dash lights etc..) i have a lifetime warranty if that is the problem im pretty well schooled on taking that in and out. i done that process like 3 times nowchecking to make sure i didnt leave something unhooked to have caused the idle problem. icv cleaned it runs mechanically correct. thanks

[coolbear1]

The starter solenoid should click is why I asked. If it is not that indicates it is ither bad or it is not getting a signal to engage the starter.
A meter will tell you if you should back up and look elswere.
If you don't have a meter, Thats the reason I asked avbout the battery, all of the coupes and sedans have the batterys in the trunk, only the cabolet has the battery under the hood.
So anything other than what you have, you have to go another route to get to a good 12 volt source to do what I am about to suggest.
You can test the starting system by CAREFULLY jumping from the positve on the battery to the connection on the starter solenoid positive, the starter should engage. if it does not, and does not click, the solinoid is bad. if you jump directly to the starter motor. and it engages, the solenoid is definatly bad. If they both work, its the relay or the ignition switch or a fuse or a wire.

[crazeetowntatto]

now i tried jumping the starter to no help also now when i turn the key to the on position and leave it at on not start every like 30 sec. i hear this humm noise like a moter or pump in the drivers side of the dash. i just bought the starter and put that in it was tested when i bought it to make sure it worked before i got it in and figured it out the hard way. now when the original "break down" happened i tried and tried to start it and the starter housing busted and the end lodged between the flywheel and crankcase i believe its called. it broke clean, one piece. i put new starter in and fussed with it for the past couple weeks trying to figure out that the idle control valve was stuck. as the current prblm happened after fixxing the icv i started it it ran normal then i cut it off went to start it and nothing......hey coolbear where i go now? right now all i have is a haynes manual until i get extra loot for the bently, of the four posts on the starter solenoid what should the power amount and sequence if you know what im trying to say? i can pop the clutch start it and it runs fine just if i turn it off i cant keystart it.

[coolbear1]

If it is just a very low hum behind the dash it is normal.
Give me an e-mail address as a private message and I will send you a free Bentley Manual in Adobe format.

In the mean time, I hope you can read this;

[crazeetowntatto]

i dont kno if it is related but the sunroof and my auto up driver side window dont work. the window goes up but not auto-up. it still dont start plus when its running its running just off the baterry. it dies the car dies. found that out the hard way but at least these cars are light and push easy. bout 3 blocks from home. im getting that test thing tommorrow. think my alternater is bad or does that point to something else? sure aint like the easy to figure out ford contour i had before this'n, but i love this car my e36

[crazeetowntatto]

is a beemer that differant to where you cant test the altinater by disconnecting a wire from the battery whil it is running cause that's what i think is wrong with some of my car