325E Smoke at Startup/Rough Running

[Simontibbett]

Bought a 87 325E yesterday, runs good for the most part, when you first start it after getting cooled off the car smokes bad for a minute and runs rough, seems flooded almost, then after you get going it clears out.

Then occasionally while driving the car will stumble and miss as if it's running out of gas, still runs and drives, just misses.

Any ideas? PO said he replaced the cap and rotor. Also the cold start injector.

Could it be a fuel pump? Injectors? Filter?

[jlevie]

What color is the smoke?

[Simontibbett]

Can't tell I've only started it at night, looks gray though, doesn't smell like oil either.

[7pilot]

Two suspects:
1, Bad valve stem seals if oil smoke.
2, Head gasket failure if acrid white smoke. (specifically a pressure differential leak from a coolant passage into a combustion chamber when the engine is off)

m

[Simontibbett]

OK now the car won't start.

Drove it Saturday and it ran fine, didn't start it Sunday or Monday, today I try and nothing, turns over but doesn't even sputter.

The only thing I touched was making a catch can for the valve cover to TB tube, I can't see that making it not start.

Where to start? It's dark so haven't checked spark/fuel yet, one note I also don't hear the pump priming. I did find two sensors loose, the one under the throttle body was actually off and DRENCHED in oil.

I also noticed the air filter box came loose and two pins are undone, would that effect it at all?

[jlevie]

You did plug the inlet for the breather hose in the throttle body, right?

You won't hear the pump prime, because an E30 doesn't prime the pump. The pump only runs when the DME sees timing data from a rotating engine.

Check for spark, fuel pump operation, and for correct fuel rail pressure. If you have those three, the next candidate is a largish intake leak or a bad AFM.

[paperplane94]

Could it be a fuel restriction. i.e. fuel filter.


Its important that you check the rail pressure properly, you WILL find what your looking for if you do.

[Simontibbett]

I did plug the inlet.

I'll check all the basics tomorrow I got home too late today,

[Simontibbett]

OK so just went out to try and start it and it started, took a few tries but it puttered to life then ran on its own, it was missing bad at idle but I didn't have to keep it running.

Any ideas? It was quite cold last night, could that have messed with it?

[Simontibbett]

SO...got the car started again, first try, rough idle, cleared it out and ran well, drove it a while, then it started missing, got on it a little, then BAM shut off, no start, wouldn't start with a push either.

Oil has cream in it, blown head gasket or is it from my recently made catch can?

[delatlanta1281]

Check your main ground maybe?

[Simontibbett]

Where is the main ground?

Checked coolant tonight and it's clean.

Will dig into it tomorrow.

[FLG]

If the oil is white and milky you going to need a new head gasket.

[Simontibbett]

If the oil is white and milky you going to need a new head gasket.

Not always true at all...

It wasn't white either, just a few swirls, which is very common sometimes depending on your crankcase ventilation.

[FLG]

Not always true at all...

It wasn't white either, just a few swirls, which is very common sometimes depending on your crankcase ventilation.

If you pull up the dip stick and the oil is white and milky you will never convince me that its normal.

Example

http://www.motorcycleforums.net/forum/attachments/marauder-m50-secret-hideaway/20098d1251759515-oh-horror-milky-white-gear-oil-img_1671_edited-1.jpg