I just picked up this 325ix today and need some suggestions on where to start. It has extremely loud ticking, idles rough, smoke a lot out exhaust, and loses power under acceleration. P.O. said his coworker did a quick compression test last year before he took it off the road and it had low numbers but I don't know how much that guy knew about these engines and what low means to him.
I'm afraid of running it for too long because I had a 318is with the same loud ticking and the camshaft on the m42 snapped in half eventually. Because of this I just had it put on a flatbed and brought home, I test drove it around a block to feel the power loss he described.
I pulled the plugs and 2 are covered in oil and the whole side of the engine is covered in oil, so I ordered a valve cover gasket to start for now.
Oil and coolant look fine and the smoke smells like burning oil not coolant so that lessens the chance of a head gasket id assume.
The Oil light and coolant light are also both on.
Here's a quick video, there's a lower sounding knock you can sorta hear under the loud ticking too.
I'm afraid of running it for too long because I had a 318is with the same loud ticking and the camshaft on the m42 snapped in half eventually. Because of this I just had it put on a flatbed and brought home, I test drove it around a block to feel the power loss he described.
I pulled the plugs and 2 are covered in oil and the whole side of the engine is covered in oil, so I ordered a valve cover gasket to start for now.
Oil and coolant look fine and the smoke smells like burning oil not coolant so that lessens the chance of a head gasket id assume.
The Oil light and coolant light are also both on.
Here's a quick video, there's a lower sounding knock you can sorta hear under the loud ticking too.
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