iX down for the count

[Drewskiii]

I don't know if this is in the right spot, if it isn't let me know and i'll post it elsewhere.


So here it is everybody. About 5 days ago my master cylinder decided to start taking a crap. I was going through a drive through and started slowing down and my brake pedal went to the floor. Cool. Bumped the person in front of me, a girl I go to school with, no damage, NBD. brakes worked after that but I was very cautious and downshifted as much as I could to slow myself down before applying the brakes. Got home from school and parked it in the garage where it has been since. About 2 days ago I decided since I was waiting for a new MC I would clean the ICV and get a new air filter/see what the AFM looked like to see if it would clean up my almost unnoticeable idle problem. Unplugged the AFM and the ICV and removed both. Cleaned them both up, and put in a new air filter. I put them both back in and plugged everything back in as it was, don't recall messing with anything else. Today I decided to start her up and see if my idle problem might be diminished and it's worse. It starts up and idles pretty well but when I touch the gas it bogs down and almost stalls. If I try to accelerate pretty quickly it does the same thing. Only under a slow, gradual acceleration will it operate normally until it gets higher in RPM's. when it hits about 2500-3500 it sounds like it misfires once or twice. The other thing is when I put it in gear and try to accelerate it drops to about 200 rpms and tries to stall. CEL is on too. I am completely at a loss for what might be wrong. ANY advice or help would be extremely appreciated. Car is a 91 325ix 5spd if it counts for anything.

Thanks a lot,

Drew

[scottinAZ]

sounds like a massive vacuum leak. If you messed with the intake tubing its almost a given that something in the area is bad. Check intake boot for cracks, as one may have gotten worse with moving it....

[Drewskiii]

that's the thing though, I checked it before I put it back on and it looked fine. Could wiping the inside of the AFM out with a rag have anything to do with it?

[scottinAZ]

that's the thing though, I checked it before I put it back on and it looked fine. Could wiping the inside of the AFM out with a rag have anything to do with it?

not likely but if in doubt, its bad. Check ALL vacuum connections in the area, something is likely loose, or obviously bad, as your symptoms are classic HUGE VACUUM LEAK.


Jlevie reccomending smoke test in

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[EThirty318i]

its a vacuum leak more than likely just like scottinAZ stated.
Make sure the plug to the AFM is plugged up. If not pug it up.
If it is plugged up, turn the car on, and let it idle for a second, unplug it, it might turn off. turn it back on with it unplugged then re connect it

[downforce22]

you could try the stomp test for the CEL and that might give you a clue as to what else it might be.

[Drewskiii]

stomp test isn't working at the moment? thinking this is a long shot but could the master cylinder have anything to do with why it won't? Stomp test has worked before, I've done it a couple of times. Now it won't..

[downforce22]

when my buddy's ix had a bad alternator the car wouldn't idle and would just die and that caused the stomp test to not work. Once we swapped it out and charged up the battery the stomp test worked again. That might be something to look into.

[dannyyisntt]

Where in Michigan are you at?

Try a stomp test and see what happens

[mujjuman]

I was going to suggest vac leak as well (I was going to use the words "massive vac leak" exactly haha) especially since the intake area was last moved around. I also suggest re-installing everything.

[Drewskiii]

Where in Michigan are you at?

Try a stomp test and see what happens

Good ole Muskegon

when my buddy's ix had a bad alternator the car wouldn't idle and would just die and that caused the stomp test to not work. Once we swapped it out and charged up the battery the stomp test worked again. That might be something to look into.

do alternators squeak when they start to go bad?

I was going to suggest vac leak as well (I was going to use the words "massive vac leak" exactly haha) especially since the intake area was last moved around. I also suggest re-installing everything.

took everything back out last night, checked it and it all looks good, put it back on and made sure everything was tight... Still does it.

Is there any way to test the AFM (besides getting a new one) or any other possibilities it could be besides a vacuum leak? all of the rubber I took off or moved to do this checks out fine and is back in the right place. Car solidly ran before the whole air filter replacement, save the dying master cylinder.

[supernaughtIX]

if the stomp test isnt working, its possible your throttle cable might be stretched or your throttle is not able to open all the way when you put the throttle to the floor. Try opening the throttle at the TB by hand to activate the stomp test. If it works you might need to replace your cable(try having a friend put the pedal to the floor and try to open the TB further by hand).

[Drewskiii]

if the stomp test isnt working, its possible your throttle cable might be stretched or your throttle is not able to open all the way when you put the throttle to the floor. Try opening the throttle at the TB by hand to activate the stomp test. If it works you might need to replace your cable(try having a friend put the pedal to the floor and try to open the TB further by hand).

I had my mom sit in the car and stomp the gas while I stood with the hood open and the throttle looked like and does the same thing as when I do it by hand. I'm uploading a video I took of the engine running and what I'm trying to describe as the problem. It's not the best but I hope it gives everyone an idea of what I'm dealing with. I'll post it when it's done.

[Drewskiii]

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLW6Vs87moA&feature=plcp&context=C35a6ce3UDOEgsToPDskLg8e7jJXsqq7j1sQ6hdYd5

Here's the video, hopefully it'll help explain even though its a crappy cell phone video.

[Earendil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLW6V...sqq7j1sQ6hdYd5

Here's the video, hopefully it'll help explain even though its a crappy cell phone video.

I'd be very interested in what is causing your off idle hesitation. My car does a similar thing, but not nearly as bad. A buddies ix had the same problem as you, but the severity was somewhere between yours and mine.