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M20 Won't idle, VERY hard to start.

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    M20 Won't idle, VERY hard to start.

    Hey guys, got a 325i recently and it won't idle to save it's life. Also, it is very hard to start and needs a lot of throttle input for startup. If you get it running, it will rev and run perfect as long as you keep the rpm off of idle. If it gets too low, it gets stuck in a bogging situation and will not come back out of idle and dies off a couple seconds later. Spark looks great and fuel pressure is perfect. Any chance it could be the ECU? It has a new ICV, new AFM, new TPS, tried a couple of Ref sensors, and I tried it with the 02 sensor connected and disconnected to make sure it wasn't throwing some crazy mixture. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I first thought it may be the ref sensor or crank pulley delaminated but it runs great once it starts. Mind boggling, any ideas?!

    #2
    There are several possibile causes, but intake leaks are at the top of the list. Have a shop run a smoke test on the intake.
    The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
    Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

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      #3
      Sounds like intake leak like jlevie said. Is the afm connected, cause one time I disconnected mine the night before and forgot to connect it the next day and had the same symptoms.

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        #4
        Yes, it's connected and I even tried to check if it was unplugged because that's how it runs. I will spray the intake gaskets today and see what I can find. The more I think about it, that sounds very probable! Checking it tonight, hopefully ordering all those gaskets ASAP in the morning!

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          #5
          Soaked the bottom end of the breather tube from intake to block and it seems to make it idle. Got it all apart and going to change the intake gaskets, both o-rings on the tube, and the bottom washer was missing so I found an extra one I had. Cross fingers that all these gaskets and o-rings fix it early next week! I will update as soon as I have anything. Throw any other ideas at me too, it can never hurt!

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            #6
            Okay, so all intake gaskets and breather tube o-rings are replaced. Still ran bad so back to the drawing board. Got it running and it runs normal when there is no 02 sensor connected. Connect it back in and it runs horrible again. Looks like I'll be running no 02 since I have no inspections anyway here in FL! Time to put some miles and see if it's truly fixed.

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              #7
              go to a shop and have them do a smoke test.
              AWD > RWD

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                #8
                No leaks found. Great, another non-resolution test. Compression test next. The person before me did one and got about 130 on all 6 cylinders. Drove it tonight and it runs smooth and normal but man is it dog slow!! Guessing compression and going to check that the timing belt didn't jump a tooth as well.

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