3rd e30 - First Turbo.

[mcgillaguddy]

Hello R3v - meet Audrey.

Last weekend I traded my 1991 325ix for a Turbo 1987 325is - here are some pictures to start.











I don't know a ton about the setup at this point, and I am totally new to turbos. I have been doing lots of research in order to help me out.

What I do know...

1987 325is
Super clean body, rust free.
170k on the clock
2.7 block and 885 head installed at 163k
524td crank
shrick 272 cam
running about 9 psi
42lb injectors (seems high? I'm definitely running real rich)
Haltech Engine Management (e6x - having trouble getting logged into it from my laptop)
The knotchiest, and shortest short throw shifter on gods green earth
eibach springs
bilstein shocks
ix wheels with 15mm spacers (took them off the ix in the trade)

The car had about 8 quarts of oil in it and no spark when I took it. I changed the oil, replaced the spark plugs with some ngk bpr7es's and sure enough it started - shot out a ton of smoke for a bit, and still seems to be smoking slightly (currently suspecting valves?).

Anyway, once the massive smoke subsided I was able to drive it. Lumpy idle, but would smooth at a bit once warm - stayed VERY low though. The car pulled amazingly at first, very quick car. After day 3 I was gaining confidence in it and it seemed to be getting better every time I started it. Took it out for a drive and then when I stop my idle must have been at 2500-3000 rpms! crazy high!

Seems to be an odd icv setup that is no longer functioning - I'll add some pictures soon enough to see if anyone knows anything about it. It essentially takes the throttle body opening that would normally hold the crankcase breather hose and routes it to this device (icv) that allows it to send air to the ICV port in the Throttle body - if that makes any sense. Pictures will come. Appears a large set screw came out while I was driving that now allows the ICV port to be open to outside air. Anyway, that is fixed.. temporarily.

My idle seems to still be quite lumpy though, and I am now experience some bogging/hesitation both with and without boost. I haven't gotten a chance to look into it but will today after work.

From what I have read the 42lb injectors with only 9lb boost seems to be an odd combo? I am definitely running rich and I suspect it has something to do with my now bogging.

Anyway, figured I'd share the new car and things I have ran into so far. Any advice is always welcome and I'm sure I'll begin to be more active in the forced induction section.

Cheers,
Doug

[mcgillaguddy]

Here you go. You can see in the first picture there is one set screw missing and one in place. Anyone seen an icv setup like this? There are no markings on this piece other than a "2" on the female side of the connector.

Also, I most definitely have a cold misfire problem but the car runs like a top once warm. Seriously addicted to turbo spool now.

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[Q5Quint]

It looks like a custom solenoid based on/off icv setup.

The stock icv uses a stepper based thing and the haltech might not be able to control it.

You could just unhook the thing and turn up the throttle plate idle until you figure out how to properly adjust an icv in haltech. I bet it is just a on/off deal but it could be some kind of stepper thing.... either way it looks really 'nice' and is pulling unfiltered air into your engine from that missing screw hole. Should have a barb on there and a hose going into the intake somewhere behind the filter.

It might have just got stuck open and made your throttle stick at 2500- might want to just lube that bad boy up and it could be fine.

EDIT: nevermind, re-read your post. That solenoid opens the crank up to the atmosphere when you are under boost so you dont pressurize your crankcase/oil pan and shoot your dipstick through the hood. Then under vacume it opens the other way and allows vacume to pull crank vapor into the engine normally for emissions/better piston ring sealing. If the solenoid gets stuck half way it will make both the crank vent open and a port behind your throttle open to the atmosphere, which would make it idle high, but not really damage anything.


It is an interesting setup- most people just use a check valve instead of a solenoid thingy for the crank case, although you might be able to set the haltech to open this to the atmosphere when it is cold outside and use it for a icv at the same time as a crank boost check valve. See if you can get the haltech settings or access to the tune or something and find out?

You do not want to boost into your oil pan. Much smoke.

[mcgillaguddy]

The crankcase hose opening on the crankcase itself is just open to the atmosphere with a small breather filter. This device just loops the icv port, which runs behind the throttle opening, to where the crankcase breather hose would normally run to on the throttle body which is in front of the throttle opening. The selenoid seems to be a very simple device that either allows air to bypass the throttle body, or block that route completely.

I hope that made sense. Ha.

I believe that during my drive one of the set screws came out (assuming there were in fact two to begin with) no longer allowing it to do that job and instead made a clear opening to outside air.

I discovered today my ignition plugs are in need of replacement, so well see if that makes a difference on the misfire front.

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[mcgillaguddy]

Update:
Misfire is fixed. It was a combination of bad ignition wire and a couple leaky injectors. I have been running very rich ever since getting the car running though.

Got the haltech communicating with my PC today and started fixing the issue. Unfortunately, my engine fan chewed through a coolant hose.. New hose and an innovative mtx-l wideband gauge on its way.

Also, once being able to start digging into the haltech map, it is most definitely set up for a stepped idle control. Awaiting new set screws to get that (hopefully) fixed as well, assuming the unit itself is still working.

Learning a lot about turbo setups and tuning... May not be the most exciting progress thread but I'll keep it going. Might end up helping someone or sparking some interest.

[jaywood]

Interesting setup. It's always sketchy buying a used turbo car from someone, especially someone who put 8 quarts of oil in

The valve cover breather should either be going into a catch can or vented down to the ground (atmosphere). Having just a little filter right there has given some guys some problems.

Good to see you're making some progress on it!

[mcgillaguddy]

Got to love standalone systems!

The car is now running nearly perfect and I should have no problem dialing it in from here (though, I would like to have it professionally dyno tuned). I am not sure how similar haltech systems are to other, more common, ems systems on here but I'll go though what I did.

The issues I was experiencing and how I solved them were as follows.

1. Terrible cold idle
-adjusted coolant temp fuel map (allows a percentage of adjustment to the base map at different coolant temps)- this was the majority of my running rich problems, I have it so that it can now not exceed 10% adjustment at any given temperature. HUGE IMPROVEMENT.
2. Rough starts
- adjusted fuel priming map (essentially the start up fuel map) -it used to require that I hold the throttle open in order to start the car, which I now know was in order to get more air in to match the MASSIVE amounts of fuel being dumped into my engine. Previously the mapped had my priming injector times at about 8-10 times my standard (idle) injection times. They are now around 1.5X standard times. Car starts without any hesitation.
3. Jumpy idle/almost stalls when having to go "catch" idle from decell
- adjusted my idle control (which is now working BTW) to have more steps - previously only had 10, I bumped it up to 40, this smoothed the idle but didn't do much for the stalling. Next I adjusted the "cold minimum position" which is the minimum return position during cold idle. Previously 0% and I think I've settled with 65% now. Lastly I adjusted the "cold opening percentage" - this is the point at which the idle control will "catch" the decelerating engine to return it to idle. Previously 10% now I have it at 45%.
4. Low load lean condition, causing pulsing low rpm cruise
- adjusted base maps below -50 kPa to level off (all values lower than -50 have the same injection times as -50) instead of following the standard map format (decrease with decreased pressure) now I never see afr > 14.5 at low rpm cruise and no more cutting out/pulsing.

Overall driveability of the car is much better. Now you can just jump in and drive without any stumbling or weird engine behavior.

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