Ticking.... when under load. New O2 sensor sort of fixed it...

[txtorquemade]

,.,,then it started doing it again. Just as bad.

Here are my suspects at this time:

1. Fuel pump... leaning out the mixture. Ticking sounds like its coming from the valve train though.
2. Pre-fuel pump, in the tank, cause my gas gauge is flaky. Varies up and down a 1/4 tank at times.
3. Valve lash

Any other ideas?

[xwill112x]

maybe its pinging?

[txtorquemade]

Well..that what it sounds like yeah. So whats the cause?

[xwill112x]

low compression, bad spark plugs, or maybe somethings fucked in your ignition :crazy:

put higher grade gas in your car as well, if that stops the pinging, then you just needed more octane (chip, etc)

[txtorquemade]

I am trying 89 octane ( midgrade) seems a little better but still "pings".

So what are some options here?

MarkD chip?
New injectors?
Fuel pump(s), filter, FPR?

Help me out here

[e30drop]

I am trying 89 octane ( midgrade) seems a little better but still "pings".

So what are some options here?

MarkD chip?
New injectors?
Fuel pump(s), filter, FPR?

Help me out here

We Own a Shell gas station. The "Midgrade" Is all a bunch of bullshit. It has very little super mixed in with it.

You either use regular or Super (91 or 93 like we have). Dont use the midgrade, Its completely pointless.

[txtorquemade]

I usually use QuickTrip. Tier 1 product. So I should use 93 octane?

[e30drop]

I would suggest using 91 or 93.

Are you using a chip?

[xwill112x]

sounds like you have a chip already and have been running 87 octane. get some octane booster.

[txtorquemade]

No chip. I had been running 87 octane without issue. Should I try 93....really?

[xwill112x]

that or put octane booster in your 87

[txtorquemade]

Ok..... update.

I ran the Peake tool on my 87 325is. Cleared the code. The only code that output prior to my reset was OA, or lamda code. I just replaced the O2 sensor, remember!?

CEL stayed off until I reached operating temp, then CAME ON AGAIN!

So now what?

Anyone familiar with the Peake tool and what else could be throwing the code?

The PO told me he had a lower temp thermostat installed. Being as the DME runs off the coolant temp sensor at start up, until warmed up (this is correct isnt it? help JLevie); could that be causing a false lamda code?

Or what? <dammit>

The pinging is still there but improved. I filled up from 3/4 tank to full with 93 octane and will run this out and refill with 93 octane to see that thats the problem there.

I believe though the two problems must be related somehow.

[xwill112x]

o2 sensor working properly?

[txtorquemade]

Its brand new, why wouldn't it be? Might not be inserted fully, from the looks of it. I tried to do it, couldnt get it in all the way. Shop couldnt either. Might be an exhaust leak from there ...maybe.

[jlevie]

A Lambda fault could be from a bad O2 sensor, or it could be from anything that upsets the A/F ratio. Since the useful life of an O2 sensor is not more than 100k, I'll bet that it was overdue for replacement. So that wasn't a wasted effort/expense.

The O2 sensor should thread all the way in until the shoulder of the sensor is against the bung. If that isn't happening, pull the sensor and run a tap in to clean the threads. But even if not all the way in I doubt that the sensor is the cause of your fault code.

The odds are that you have one or more intake leaks, that there is a fuel delivery problem, that the AFM is bad, or that the ignition wires, plugs, or distributor are bad. Any or a combination of those can masquerade as a Lambda fault. The first thing to do would be to have a smoke test run and fix all intake leaks found. Then run the fuel pressure and delivery test suite in the Bentley manual. Unless recently replaced, new ignition wires, plugs distributor cap and rotor are called for. Use NGK Z6R5A plugs as they are the closest to the Bosch W8LCR plugs which are NLA. And adjust the valves.

Unless a chip has been installed, or the head is heavily coked, or the wrong plugs are used an M20 won't ping with 87 octane fuel. If the DME is still sealed, there's little chance of there being a chip. A compression test is usually a good indicator of a heavily coked head (the numbers will be much higher than normal).