Strange Fuel Leak/Stuck Injector?

[llll1l1ll]

Hello all!

Okay, so there is a fuel leak in my '88 325is. However, it is coming from a strange area: the pax side exhaust manifold.

See, the fuel starts to leak out from near the exhaust manifold and actually runs down the headers until it drips out on the ground near the bell housing. Once it gets running (as it will stutter and not run very well - even cutting out a cylinder) it runs ultra-rich. It is a hot NC day today, and there is white coming out my exhaust (not a head gasket prob btw).

I was thinking that perhaps an injector is stuck permanently squirting? We pulled the plugs and cleaned them, but it made no real difference.

Anybody have any ideas?

Best,

Pete

[KenC]

Don't drive the car. The flash point of gasoline is pretty low.

Use a screwdriver to listen for ticking from each injector. When I had one stick open there was tons of raw fuel in the cylinder.

[jlevie]

Fuel dripping off the exhaust manifold just about has to be from the injectors or fuel rail. DO NOT, repeat DO NOT, attempt to run the engine until the leak has been found and fixed. Doing so runs the risk of a major engine fire.

[llll1l1ll]

Don't drive the car. The flash point of gasoline is pretty low.

Use a screwdriver to listen for ticking from each injector. When I had one stick open there was tons of raw fuel in the cylinder.

Yeah, I think there is so much raw fuel that it causes that particular cylinder to not fire.

[KenC]

Yeah, I think there is so much raw fuel that it causes that particular cylinder to not fire.

sounds like what happened to my car when an injector stuck open.

Search for my subsequent engine rebuild thread.

[llll1l1ll]

Weak. I hope I don't have to rebuild the entire engine.

How difficult is it to remove the fuel rail/injectors? Will I need to remove the intake manifold or could I just sort of work around it?

[jlevie]

It isn't necessary to remove the intake to pull the fuel rail and injectors. Any time you pull the rail or injectors it is a good idea to have new seals on hand in case you damage one. In the case where the injectors have been installed for awhile, replace the seals.

[llll1l1ll]

Okay. I am going to test each one tonight for resistance as I do not feel like buying a whole new set of injectors.

HOWEVER, should it come to that, do I have to get the OEM ones from Bavauto or are there cheaper ones out there (50 bucks is a lot per injector)? Naturally, if I only have to replace one, I would replace the seals on each subsequent injector so I don't have to go in again.

If I can find ones for cheaper than 50 bucks (I found some for 20), then I would go ahead and replace all six.

Basically I am asking if I can go to autohausaz.com or whatever and get the cheap-o injectors or will they end up like Auto Zone and end up not working/fitting?

[jlevie]

First you have to determine whether one or more injectors are open when they shouldn't be. Then you have to determine whether that is a fault in one or more injectors, the wiring, or the DME. Obviously if the injectors are okay, you won't fix the problem by changing them. But if it is a failed injector, the economical solution is to buy one or more used injectors and send the lot off to a place that can clean and flow test them.

At this point you don't know if the problem is with the injectors, the wiring or the DME

[llll1l1ll]

Hmm, I see.

I did happen to take an ohmmeter to each one and noticed that the resistance was 16.5 on each one.

I thought that maybe some of the o-rings have gone bad on the injectors and then fuel is seeping past them but still getting in the cylinder or something of the like?

[lateracer]

I just got a set of injectors back from Mr. Injector. All of them checked out at 16 ohms and I thought the leaking was from bad O-rings. I didn't really do a close inspection because they were pretty rough looking (assumed it was the o rings). Turns out two of the cases were cracked/leaking.

I got refurbished injectors from these guys for $25 a piece
http://www.fuelinjector.citymaker.com/catalog/item/4511825/4550073.htm


Ordered on Monday, arrived in San Diego on Wednesday. Life is better now.

[llll1l1ll]

That's the thing - I honestly can't waste too much time figuring out which injector is busted and which is not. This is also the one time where I wish I had sprung for that third E30 (or never sold my first), since this is my only mode of transportation and I have limited PTO.

I am probably going to just get the injectors you posted, lateracer, as well as a new O2 sensor, since it is needing replacement, anyway. I kind of just have to play the cards I have and splurge on the new injectors, as I have limited time and funds in which to accomplish this.

Then, if the car still leaks, I know I have a much, much larger problem on my hands and will thus send my car to a shop : /

Edit: I can't get them from there as they don't offer six at a time, lol. Plus, I don't have enough time for him to fix and send back.

Back to googling...