M42 CEL When Idle - Goes Away When I Hit the Gas

[RobertK]

My 91 318i is throwing a CEL when I sit idle at a stop light or for more than 15-30 seconds. If I tap the gas pedal or start driving again it instantly goes away.

Anyone have this issue or know how to pull the engine codes from a car with a M42?

[RobertK]

Nobody has ever heard of this problem before?

[Sam Cogley]

My 92 318iC does this from time to time. It seems to like to idle below 800rpm, which seems to be some sort of trip point for the CEL.

[kowalski]

what code does it give you?

[LovableSheep]

vacuum leak?

[SamE30e]

vacuum leak?

qft.

[RobertK]

Code 1222

I'm suspecting a vacuum leak as well.

[EN318isPDX]

Code 1222

I'm suspecting a vacuum leak as well.

Vacuum leak or running lean, check fuel pressure and inspect the hoses around and under the intake.

[Sam Cogley]

I can never get my codes to come up.

[RobertK]

Found it, valve cover vent hose was leaking.

[EN318isPDX]

Found it, valve cover vent hose was leaking.

Word, these motors are very temperamental. I had to replace basically everything from one side of the intake to the other. I tell you the car runs a lot different once all those cracked hoses are gone

[Sam Cogley]

Mine seems perfectly happy idling at 700rpm instead of 800, so it's not at the very top of my "to fix" list yet. I'll get around to tracking the leak down sometime.

[monoblanco]

pictures please

does anyone have pictures of their intake hoses please?
i started replacing mine and screwed it up so bad.

now my car revs up high when i get it started.

i'm still stranded.
thanks in advance guys.

[Sam Cogley]

does anyone have pictures of their intake hoses please?
i started replacing mine and screwed it up so bad.

now my car revs up high when i get it started.

i'm still stranded.
thanks in advance guys.

Make sure you didn't dislodge the outer casing of the Bowden cable for the throttle. If the cable gets caught on the bracket, it will idle around 1500-2000 rpm.