Help! Can't rev past 4300

[spooledtt]

I have had my 84 318i for about 6 months now and i am a pretty conservative driver, i dont beat on her too bad. But today i decided to go a little further than normal in 2nd, but when i got to about 4300 rpms the rev limiter kicked in. I found that odd so i went to a parking lot and just revved it and the limiter still came on at 4300. Any suggestions??
Thanks, Josh

[spooledtt]

Help pleaseee anybody

[Jean]

Check timing?
Check fpr/vacuum lines?
Check fuel pressure?
Fuel filter?

[Holland]

Maybe someone thought it was an ETA?

[MattsBMWs]

I have had my 84 318i for about 6 months now and i am a pretty conservative driver, i dont beat on her too bad. But today i decided to go a little further than normal in 2nd, but when i got to about 4300 rpms the rev limiter kicked in. I found that odd so i went to a parking lot and just revved it and the limiter still came on at 4300. Any suggestions??
Thanks, Josh

How high do the numbers on your tach go? One of my 318s has an eta gauge cluster in it and redlines around there. If you have a tach that only goes to 5K, it's the wrong cluster. Otherwise if you do have the 7K tach, it may have the coding plug from the 6 cyl. Where does it show the idle at? Hope you can figure it out. Those 318s need to be revved, it's a bummer if you only could go to 4300, that's just where the power is.

Cheers,
Matt

[achillies]

Car will NOT run normal!!!!

I have an 84 318i and I have replaced the coil, wires, plugs, cap, rotor, O2 sensor, have set the timing with a light and had it checked by an idependant that I trust. The cat has been replaced and the distributor does NOT move up and down. This covers pretty much everthing that searching reveals. It still will rev fine until it gets to normal temp and then limiter sets in at 4300. All that I can still think of is the Air Intake temp relay and the AFM (it has never been opened). I really need some thoughts from someone with M10 experience. These are not 6 cyl and do not have Motronic.

Thanks
Bob

[spooledtt]

Yay some replies!! I know the timing is good, and all vac lines are in order. Fuel filter/pressure might be the problem, but would that cause the rev limiter to come on?? And the tach is a 7k one... Thanks for the replies guys

[MattsBMWs]

I've had a bit of experience with the M10 and the L-Jetronic system. Both of my last cars were 318s. I've never experienced that problem of the lack of rev's per se. I have experienced many other strange drivability issues. They can be rather temperamental creatures. Today I just drove the ol' 318i to your neck of the woods, Josh. It was great going there, started having issues about the time I hit Highway 99 coming home. Do change your fuel filter! It's helped on every vehicle I've owned, BMW or otherwise. When it hits the "rev limiter" do the RPMs flutter like the fuel cut at the actual redline, or do they hold steady? As for you, Bob, I would suspect AFM issues. They are notorious on these older 3ers. Especially if you don't know the last time it was changed. I have replaced relays in my cars over the years, they are culprits especially when the problem is random in it's manifestation. I do think some of my unresolved drivability issues are related to ambient temp. That's strange that your car does rev until it warms up. Very odd. Both of you guys should also rent / borrow a fuel pressure gauge. Run the test at idle, and if you have enough lines, route it so you can see it with the hood down, test for fuel pressure drop on acceleration. You may have a bad in tank pump. There are two fuel pumps on these early models. If the in tank one goes, the main pump will suffer and will become noisy, like a loud gurgling noise from under the driver's side door. Sorry I can't help more, I've been wrestling with issues with the 318s for years now. They can be tempermental. Good luck!

--
Matt

[Zachary]

how fast are you going in second at 4300 rpm?

i believe it may be alot simpler then you think... my 318i also limits at about 4300 rpm - atleast thats what i thought... but my tacho was out (and speedo fine)!! you should be hitting about 80km/h in second (like 50m/h i think)

[achillies]

That is an interesting post from Zachary. I notice that when the car is cool it seems to rev "normally" and my speed/rpm is correct according to my gear chart. But after it gets fully hot and hits the "limiter" at 4300 the spped/rpms are wrong according to the chart. THey are at least 900RPM to low and the gap seems to get bigger the greater the spped/rpm. Any suggestions as to verify the tach is the problem? Thanks

[spooledtt]

how fast are you going in second at 4300 rpm?

i believe it may be alot simpler then you think... my 318i also limits at about 4300 rpm - atleast thats what i thought... but my tacho was out (and speedo fine)!! you should be hitting about 80km/h in second (like 50m/h i think)

My speedo usually doesn't work When it does i will check it out though. Thanks

[Zachary]

My speedo usually doesn't work When it does i will check it out though. Thanks

it works sometimes? lol random. M10 engine does some funny things eh :P

[MattsBMWs]

it works sometimes? lol random. M10 engine does some funny things eh :P

My 318i has gone through 3 gauge clusters or so. It currently has one the last owner pulled out of an ETA. My tach works but the scale is all wrong. The other 318i I had, the speedo would randomly work. The E30s had notoriously bad solder joints in the cluster. I'm stoked that the 84 325e I just bought has the original gauges - all working - including the SI board! Zachary, I'm jealous that you most likely have euro bumpers . I've heard that you RHD guys got screwed by BMW because they set the car's weight balance for LHD and didn't change anything. I'd still like to drive a RHD E30 someday. Being right handed myself, I'm not too coordinated with my left hand to shift.

[Zachary]

My 318i has gone through 3 gauge clusters or so. It currently has one the last owner pulled out of an ETA. My tach works but the scale is all wrong. The other 318i I had, the speedo would randomly work. The E30s had notoriously bad solder joints in the cluster. I'm stoked that the 84 325e I just bought has the original gauges - all working - including the SI board! Zachary, I'm jealous that you most likely have euro bumpers . I've heard that you RHD guys got screwed by BMW because they set the car's weight balance for LHD and didn't change anything. I'd still like to drive a RHD E30 someday. Being right handed myself, I'm not too coordinated with my left hand to shift.

well if youre right handed the only advantage i can see in rhd over lhd is you have more control as you shift? lol, you just get used to one way or the other i guess.
As far as i can tell the bumpers are the same, nothing special, chrome bars with black strip. (atleast its chrome steal not chrome paint like toyotas :p)... i used to own a few pig toyotas, the bmw is much nicer and feels ALOT more balanced and rigid... but the m10 engine is a bit of a pain... you know, sometimes it goes pretty well and other days it just feals dead - i dont understand why.
oh... and my bonnet release is on the passenger side >.<

[achillies]

I hooked up an external tach and the car says 4300 but the external tach reads 6100. The error starts at 100 RPM at idle and goes to 2000 RPM at redline. So it seems the car runs ok but the tach or wiring is bad. I guess that is good news but now I need to chase an electrical problem. Do I just send the cluster out or do I attempt to find the problem in the wiring. The Gas/Temp seems to be ok and the speedo seems ok except when I depres the clutch all the way to the floor...the speedo quits but restarts when I slightly let out the clutch (1/2 inch). Any suggestions about the tachometer? Thanks