Semi Broken Down in Needles, California

[s14pwd]

Now that i think more about it. You should have some basic tools. I'd pull the valve cover and check for a broken rocker


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Maybe, I will pull it and report back.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Now that i think more about it. You should have some basic tools. I'd pull the valve cover and check for a broken rocker


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Are you thinking about an m20 when this guys username is s14pwr?

[MoparJ]

Had something similar happen earlier this year while driving to work (e36 m3); felt like I went from 6 to 4 cylinders instantly......ended up being a blown head gasket between cylinders 4 and 5. It never overheated, but it ended up melting the intake runners for those two cylinders as well as the pintle caps on the injectors.

I second not driving it until you can get a leakdown/comp test performed....

[s14pwd]

Farbin realized before me, no hydraulic lifters. Regardless I pulled the cover to confirm/discredit oil/coolant mixing. No milkyness so no mixing. Everything more or less normal.

[s14pwd]

Plugs in the order, 4-3-2-1 left to right

[E30_Pare]

doh. yeah i'm usually stuck in m20 diagnostics mode. haha.

[RCM3]

Have you narrowed it down to the engine being the issue 100%?

I had a near identical issue with a shaking starting out of nowhere while on the highway. Turns out I had 1-2 drive shaft nuts somehow back off of the trans flange and this allowed the drive shaft to move around just enough to cause a huge shake in the car at higher speeds. Disregard if you have the problem narrowed down to the s14.

Best of luck.

[s14pwd]

Have you narrowed it down to the engine being the issue 100%?

I had a near identical issue with a shaking starting out of nowhere while on the highway. Turns out I had 1-2 drive shaft nuts somehow back off of the trans flange and this allowed the drive shaft to move around just enough to cause a huge shake in the car at higher speeds. Disregard if you have the problem narrowed down to the s14.

Best of luck.

I just checked, I can't see the drive shaft without lifting the car, so that will have to wait until morning. But I noticed 2 important things:

1)The bolt/nut holding the steering column tight on the the splined part of the steering rack has loosened, which could explain the vibration I was getting on the highway.

2)The back of the lower oil pan has a fair amount of oil on it, this is odd because every time we stopped I checked for leaks under the car, so this is new.

[E30_Pare]

The rear of the oil pan? Near the bell housing? Maybe rear main seal, or simply the pan gasket blew out.

[///schwartzman]

Be very "sterile" replacing the valve cover gaskets... They can and will leak oil into your spark plug holes.

Rockers haaaa! It seems like you've covered your bases, sounds internal. Head gasket & piston rings is a good place to start.


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[russc]

Double check the plug wires, IMO. I had a cylinder die on my friend's m42. The plug leads would all spark when held against the valve cover, but with a spark plug attached, one of them didn't work.

[QUKBMER]

Shant called me yesterday to see if i knew anyone with a trailer. I do but was in use at the time. Shant said there was a u-haul near by in Needles. Renta trailer and truck and tow it to Socal and have somebody down this way look at it for you. Play it safe. I would come and help you with my 200 miles free towing AAA but my wife would have blown her top at me. Wish i could have helped more.

[s14pwd]

Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. After looking at all of my options, what I ended up doing is renting a uhaul and taking the car home. I'm gonna continue my road trip from the other hand now and in a different car. I will start a new thread in June when I take a look at my car. If any of you are ever around Calgary, let me know.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Good idea. Please be sure to bump this thread when you find out what it was, it always helps the whole site when the problem gets answered eventually. Thumbs up for being smart and doing the right thing instead of pushing it to the point where it wouldn't be repairable.

[reelizmpro]

Why not just find a local BMW shop and have them troubleshoot it? If you are headed to LA, there are several that come to mind. Then you can continue driving the M3. It could be a simple fix.