How NOT To Fix A BMW
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- Опубліковано 23 січ 2024
- In today’s video, I beat my head against the wall and question my life’s decisions.
Thanks to an awesome viewer and friend @robsweekendgarage , I found new hope in the E30 build.
We kick things off my shotgunning some parts in the car and play around with timing, only to have it backfire in my face.
I hope you enjoy today’s video!
The big project reveal is coming soon.
If youd like to support the channel, consider becoming a member!
/ @dayoffdiy
Or if Patreon is more your speed, we have one of those too!
/ dayoffdiy
Tools used:
Timing Light:
amzn.to/3FzOp4T
Thanks for the shout out my friend! Glad I could shoot ya some parts to rule some items out.
Man, you started the vid so excited and up beat - then just saw that excitement chip away as it wore on you.
Good job on figuring out the mechanical timing. I could tell it was way down on power. Was so zippy before then just dog butt slow.
I’m sure you’ll figure this out. You’re very systematic in verifying and ruling causes out.
Did the coolant temp sensor test ok? I saw you checking for connection but not sure if you tested it. Should be test info in the Bentley.
Cheers Alec! Looking forward to the big reveal!
dude i know... I felt it! that was over a 1-2 week span in this video. its just wearing me down everytime lol
yeah theres got to be a middle ground in the timing somewhere, this old distributor is noticably worse than the new one i installed so i think it still needs another dizzy...
one day we will figure it out!
i did check the coolant sensor, it tested okay and resistance was within range, still skeptical of it though...
youre the man rob, thanks again!!!!
Good morning kid. I don’t know a thing about BMW but when I was a kid I built VW and Porsches. I would always replace the stock vacuum advance distributor with a centrifugal advance unit. They were much more responsive. We always used the Bosch 009. Don’t know if there is a centrifugal advance model that would fit but if all else fails you may want to look into it. Love you, pops.
thats a great idea pops. Bummer this $250 distributor took a shit... the old one sounds terrible but at least I got spark. Ive seen talk of the centrifugal advanced dizzys online, i think they switched to them either before or after this model distributor. Im definitely going to look into that one.
Cheers pops love ya!!!
26:00 this is what pain looks like. keep up the great content my friend. This car is absolutely phenomenal and to see you fixing it is really good because you cant find any videos on those anymore. Much love from Bulgaria brother.
Bulgaria! Amazing!
Thanks for the kind words friend. Trying my best here... had no idea what i was getting into when i bought this thing lol
Good troubleshooting techniques here. You say that you aren't a master mechanic, but troubleshooting properly is one of the core skills you need to address almost any problem in life. Kudos!
thanks a lot! Im trying, hard to showcase in videos when im figuring it out myself... but i apprecaite the kind words my friend!
Great channel. Great energy. Even when things are not going smooth. I also share your affinity with bmw’s. And the struggle when they aren’t cooperating. Keep plugging away and you’ll get it going.
thank you! ill keep trying on this one, should be makin some more progress this month now that the giveaway is revealed :)
this car just want to stay with you, doesnt want to be with a new owner
hahahah seriously! its got attachment issues lol
Missed the videos, cant wait for February
i missed you guys grant! cant wait to reveal it
I've been watching your videos for a while now and they're great!. I love your whole philosophy ( adittude ) for working on cars. I have an e46 and an e21 ( m10 engine ) and had a similar issue years back on the e21. It turned out to be a worn nut on the throttle butterlfy that was casuing the throttle to be loose and flap around in the throttle body. This caused a high idal and high emmisions. Anyway keep the videos coming they are awesome.
It’s been a great learning experience for me just watching the process on all of these videos on the e30.
thanks! glad you enjoyed it!
Alec: Do you have a wide band UEGO air fuel ratio sensor? I think you have two issues combined: spark timing and air fuel ratio. My best guess is that the mixture at idle is too rich leading to high idling speed. You could bring the idling speed down by retarding the timing but it makes the car gutless to drive. Check the air fuel ratio at idle. It should be leaner than stoichimetric. Use the UEGO sensor to check.
Buddy… good to see you back! Can’t wait for the next one!
im back! and im not leavin. new video is releasing in a few days! cant wait to share it. Thanks for the support James, means a lot!!!
E30 owner here ✋🏼
Idk if you’ve done this but e30s have what’s called an idc valve
It opens during idle and closes during driving, but being a valve and being almost 40 they get super dirty and don’t open and close properly.
you mean the ICV? Idle Control Valve? if so, yeah ive cleaned and tested with a spare unit, no change so far
Man, you're realy persistent, a true champ, keep the good work
Man, some fantastic troubleshooting done in this episode. What a pain in the ass that car is though! Stoked to see the project 🤙
a pain in my ass is right Liam lol
thanks for the support as always dude, cant wait to show you what ive been working on
@@DayOffDIY Hell yeah man, can't wait!
Love this channel! Trouble shooting problem after problem sucks. Went thru hell for 2 months with my 2011 335 trying to solve a rough idle and electrical issue.
yeah this one feels like purgatory. thats brutal, hoping to have this one wrapped up soon, ill be back on it after my next video release
The man is back! Glad to see you doing well 🤘
Franky! im back, its been too long my friend. hoping to change that from now on
Great to see your community helping you out! I hope I can reach that point aswell in my journey :) great vid
the community is the best part of this channel! thanks for the support friend
Looking forward to seeing what’s next!!
When I was growing up, one of my teachers had a similar car. The nostalgia ended once I saw you trying to smog it. Brutal, but a good watch.
Great channel. Looking forward to see the next project. Cheers Lars from Denmark
Had a on going e30 project for a good few years now, life gets in the way and motivation is hard to come by but watching you work on your e30 has really give me a little boost to get cracking with mine again, so Thankyou for that mate, look forward to seeing more videos on it
Now ill be using this comment as motivation to get back onto my e30 :)
@@DayOffDIY haha love this reply, go get after it mate 💪🏻
Slap a turbo on this bad boy
Finally a new upload, what a headache this car has been. Looking forward to see your next video/project, I think I saw a e90 in the background 🤫😁
I can neither confirm nor deny what you saw :)
such a headache... still hopeful, but very eager to move onto new projects.
This video is part of the “that escalated quickly” series 😅 old bimmers are something else good work man,keep it up
22:50 Alec buddy, I am so glad to hear that this video that I’m trying really hard to finish is not the one that we’ve been waiting for!
lol Im glad to hear that too. It wasnt my proudest work but I needed to get an update out to the gang because ive been in the dark for so long. not for much longer, the new project will be posted in just a few days, it even includes some golden bear butts from the klamath river bridge just for you!
I would love to see them again, Alec!@@DayOffDIY
Nice content,cant wait for a new project
Late night episode!!😎👋🏽
yeah i didnt realize it would upload so late! was going off upload analytics
Alec, I finally did it! Success after falling asleep several times I finally finished this video. It wasn't as if it wasn't any good, it was just that I don't have any experience with these vehicles and I had no suggestions for you. I am looking forward to the next project in a few days from now.
Keep on keeping on!!!
Thanks Gary!!!
Keep it up man. Glad to see you’re back:)😊
thank you my friend! really appreciate it
@@DayOffDIY and of course this nice 🐶😁😁😁 she is so nice !
First time in the comments but I have seen most of your videos a twice. I have a 2005 325CI and thanks to you I’m able to do everything by myself. Thank you from Puerto Rico and I’m glad to see you back.
Hi mate, I also bought an E46 a few months ago, mine's in pretty rough shape but Alec's E46 videos have helped me do lots of my own work too!
i bought mine in June from a friend. She was told that the computer was bad but when I scanned it it was a bad mass flow sensor. The car was on a garage for 6 years. I change the sensor, rack and pinion, battery, cleaned it and 4 new wheels. I also had to change the stater and the ac evaporator core, I had to remove the dash for that one. It has been fun so far and I have done it all by myself. That’s how I found Alec. Keep making progress in your E46, you will enjoy it!
@@Yomyjomo wow fair play man, there's a couple of big jobs in there! I've mostly been fixing oil leaks so far, done the thermostat & metal water pump upgrade. Bought mine cheap from a auction so I knew she would be a bit rough around the edges! Gotta do engine & transmission mounts, as well as oil pan gasket next!
Jomar! Appreciate the support my friend! That is so awesome to hear, e46s are the perfect chassis to learn some repairs. Let me know if you ever have any questions!
Also, Puerto Rico! That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to vidit
You’re awesome Ross, so cool to see these success stories about E46s getting saved all over the world, let’s keep it rolling!!!
Thanks for the great content 🙌🏼 can’t wait to see the reveal
youre a legend! thank you for the tip my friend! cant wait to show you guys what ive been working on, and thanks again for the support, really means a lot
@@DayOffDIY anytime brother 🙏🏼 we need more UA-camrs like you
means the world to me !!!@@ericksonmoreno6029
The trial and error method is great to watch.
glad youre enjoying it jeff!
Really learn a lot from you!!
Thanks Stephen!
Thanks!
Ivor! How are you! Thanks for the support my friend.
Just a few more days and the new video release will be out. I might try to do a live stream during the premiere, we will see. February 1st I hope!
Man, I feel for you and your project. I can relate to this when restoring vintage instruments. Parts are not being manufactured anymore, meaning hard to get and expensive. Trial and error, with a lot of error. Ended up selling the piano in a broken state, didn't want to spend time on it anymore.
Good luck on this one. Once you finally find the issue, you'll see it was something simple. That's the story of my life at least :D
Love your videos. Hopefully, you can get some content out more often. I think it would really up your subscribers.
I agree! i should post more often even if i havent made as much progress as id like. been working in the background on my new big project reveal, put a LOT of time into that one, itll pay off very soon I hope
Keep up the good work Alec you got this yah Mon 🇯🇲
thank you my friend!!!
I know it's not necessarily within the intent of this project but at this point it may have been cheaper and quicker to just install a megasquirt w/ wasted spark. It would pretty much eliminate all the components and variables that you have been messing with. Just did it on my 325 because to me it simplified and gave me more data to troubleshoot any future problems. That being said, you, and we through your videos, are learning a lot and hopefully that's worth it.
glad someone is learning something, i know i am too for sure. thats a great idea, i was talking to rob about that, he brought it up, im not familiar with the megasquirt systems so ill have to look into it.
After 300k miles my Nissan's EGR is fine. But I found lots of guys had EGR problems with Bimmers. They end up deleting it, and so far don't suggest cleaning, which is more normal. Its very possible cleaning it won't fix it. Its possible the spring inside anneals with the heat over time and gets too weak to close it properly. A rebuilt one would only work if the spring was replaced. It could look fine and seem ok but not work. Also a used one would be the same. The wandering idle may indicate its not clean, but if the spring was weak it might only work a short time or not much better, after a clean. To best diagnose the idle issue, you still need to block the EGR and test. EGR is still the most likely cause I can think of. A weak spring would allow low flows to make the very deposits that would make the EGR sticky, and give the high and wandering idle. And higher idle would advance the timing, increasing the EGR activation and vacuum advance coming in, which in turn would advance the idle more, giving more timing and EGR, so it could compound to the ridiculous 2k idle when the timing is actually good, and everything else is working fine.
Another banger per usual
just wait til the next one, itll blow your socks off
Mate, this E30 looks so frustrating! I can't believe how difficult it's being. I might have just missed it but have you tested the vacuum advance relay to see if it's bad?
Excited to see the new project, glad to see an upload as well! 🙂
I havent tested the physical relay, and ive been wondering that all day today! Planning on digging around the internet for a replacement, last time i searched the part number the internet was a ghost town, no known searches... I think it might be though because according to other comments, vacuum advance should not be engaged at idle...
The new project is just a few days away! almost there. cannot FREAKIN WAIT!
I had the exact same car and model, but as i remember my car did not have this ingition advance controll rely. I had the Euro-spec model. The vacuumhose was connectet directly to the inlet manifoil. And it should not be timed to TDC, but 5 degree before at idle. I never timed the M10-engine with higher revs, but on idle. Thats why it have two marks on the flywheel. And on old cars when there will be some waere in the engiene, the timing maybe have to be timed a little off. Its all about feeling the power and torque. If the car feels strong and tourque, then its right set. Old mecanics don't use timing tools, but hearing, feeling and the smell on the exhaust.
And to rev out this car, select gear manual. Put it in 1'st, rev it up to 6k and the push the gearlevel to 2'nd and then D.
And then the idle should be adjusted on the MAF. I'm curious about if this Jetronic have an Idle-switch, but i guess you already checked this.
i read online yesterday that some people just bypass the vacuum advance valve completely, and i might have to give that a try! its running way worse with the old dizzy in it. idle feels more surgey. ill play around with timing some more this week, i agree with timing it at idle, all the other write ups ive seen online refers to people timing it at 2200-2300 rpm, but i play around with it at idle too. I timed it to be strong and torquey but the exhaust smelled so rich afterwards, maybe theres a middle ground to find, but i think it still needs another distributor, this old one is SO noisy!
as far as the MAF goes, i didnt notice any change with adjustment, ill have to try again. Not sure of an idle switch, ive adjusted the throttle position sensor which recongizes idle or wide open throttle and i have it adjusted to specs
@@DayOffDIY The other MAF you got to test with seems old (i guess all of them are old today) and over time the valve-spring inside will loose it strengt. That meen the valve will open more than what it should do. And that will cause the ECU to add more (to much) fuel and the engine will run rich. If you can find MAF that is not in use, try to open it and see how the spring kan be adjusted.
This was done to my car when it failed the smoke-test and it totaly change the engine to run better and with lower fuel-consumption and cleaner exhaust.
The adjustment on MAF is just a air-bypass-valve. More loose then it let more air around the valve og then idle should go down.
Hey Alec. Have you tried checking the resistance on the plug wires?
Had the same problem with my m10 e30.
Check the brake booster if its cracked.
Could take air from that thing.
Remove the o2 sensor, mine has one.
And buy landba sonde, its a mixture tester.
And open the airflow box remove the platic on top by prying with a flat screwdriver.
And adjust the mixture first then timing.
After that chase other things.
Mine had extremly rich mixture and i tryed everything like you but nothing works
i havent smoked the brake booster yet!
Great information, ill be poking around more this week after my new video releases and I will definitely be referencing your comment
Don’t worry y’all. If Alec takes to long to put out a video, I’m all over it😂😂😂. He’s the homie. 😊
The chickens are chickinig😂😂😂
shes right, no one is more on top of it than Brandi!
thanks for the motivation to keep going and to get another update out :)
Hey man i had two quick questions. 1. I replaced coolant reservoir on n52 and the bottom hose had a slight leak at the connection now. Did you know the part # to try and put a new o ring in there instead of replacing whole hose.
2. I changed the ofhg but cant hit the bolt under the intake manifold with the specified torque before it slips off. Got to about 16 lbs before it slips off. Is that good enough or can i take an 8mm long wrench and tighten it by hand a little more? Thanks. Your video saved me so much time on the ofhg.
Have you replaced knock sensors? It may be a longshot but my audi coupe GT had corrosion on it's only knock sensor and one day it ran really well but overnight or in cold weather I wouldn't have the guts to move up a hill. Woudln't rev past 4k floored because of how much timing it pulled until I replaced it with a knock sensor off a VW. 1 bolt on the intake side of the engine and a drop in sensor fixed it for me! Good luck buddy!
ill need to look into that, havent even found a knock sensor on this thing yet! lol
@@DayOffDIY I was in a similar position where there wasn’t even a check engine light on the dash to illuminate so I really was on a wild goose chase figuring that out. I went through 2 years of daily driving it like that before figuring that out.
Welcome back !
thanks jack, its good to see you guys in the comments again, its been too long
yoooo ! I am back and supporting the channel!
Ivor thanks for the support as always. Great to see your name in the comments
I've been following from Nairobi (Kenya)👌👌👌
appreciate you!
Some advice from experience, price it to sell, not for what you have in it, learning costs. Cut your losses. Stop the bleeding.
I totally agree, im willing to sell it for a loss, but the title transfer is still incomplete due to inability to smog. Id love to get rid of it for a loss right now, just having a hard time coming to terms with listing it in the current condition...
@@DayOffDIY I'm an older CAT who has rebuilt a few projects, I enjoy your content and will say this to you. Everything unsavory eventually becomes just a distant memory. Too many "WINS" await you to get held up
That's weird, looks like the vaccum advance is reversed ?
ive checked the diagram and it all looks correct, i might just bypass it completely and go straight to the intake manifold
you got tdc.....then air flow to base rpm, then..afm the more timing.. also kind of sus about the distributor clocking, as in tripple check the no.1 /tdc and rotor/// r close to # 1 tension wire. afm on my e21 and e24 have been on LSD OR MUSHROOMS BEFORE. I would be interested , if the bodywork js reasonable....my wife sez 7 are too much but i think 8 is better than 7...right?
Ill be tearing back into this thing in a few days after my new video release, im getting pretty damn close! ill have to double and triple check timing next time i tear into it. 8 is better than 7 in my opinion. Thanks for the comment
Have you checked to see what the timing marks would look like on a manual transmission vehicle? Possibly it's a replacement motor out of a manual car and they had different markings?
the trans was replaced at the dealer some time ago, so maybe they swapped the flexplate when they did it....
I'm no so sure but maybe you can plug in a scanner tool into that old OBD port in engine bay. There is a cheap one called ANCEL BM700. You also need an adapter to make it work with the E30 chassis. I'm really hoping to see you fix the idle issue for good! Cheers!
not a bad idea... ill have to look into that. didnt think these e30s had any connectability as far as pulling codes is concerned
i'd be shocked if the two can communicate. that port probably only works with old bmw software, if there even was such a thing.
Try the idle air control valve
ive tried it, i have a spare now
@@DayOffDIYWould you be interested in selling? I tried cleaning mine but it’s just busted and am struggling to find one. As you know parts for these old m10’s is super rare.
another episode 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Man I feel your pain. I’ve had my fair share of issues but with an N53. I think you don’t get them in the USA. You should send it to bmw as a video see what they make of it 😅
I’m not sure on this BMW in particular but most older cars have unnecessarily complicated vacuum systems which can be deleted. Might be an option, the vacuum could have you diagnosing all sorts of silly issues that aren’t actually there.
Timing chain tensioner(s) worn or partly gone? Or may be a stretched chain? Might be worth checking.
havent checked the chain yet! but its not a bad idea. ill have to look. ill probly pull the VC and check it for slack from up top
To correct myself; I wrote tensioner(s), but actually meant the chain guides. If possible try to do a visual of the guides. I had one partly broken, not enough to slacken the chain as the tensioner compensated for that, but enough to mess with the timing. This was a newer N46 with all its differences, but I can relate to the symptoms. @@DayOffDIY
Nice to see you again
It's probably the ICV.
ive tried 2 different known good ICVs as well as two different idle control modules that work with the ICV.
@@DayOffDIY I have seen the ICM's and ICV's, and I made a mistake, the pert I think is wrong it's called the additional side air valve or auxiliary air valve. it's a problem, most aren't good and new ones are very hard to find since they aren't manufactured anymore.
Sreten starts to talk about it after minute 24 in part 3 of the e30 series. Same exact problem.
You are back! Sorry, it’s after midnight and it’s past my bedtime. Alec, I would like nothing more than watching you from my bed, I had better not try it. Goodnight my friend!
Mitchell! how are you my friend! im back finally... its been too long. great to see you
You should try to get a collab with Pine Hallow Auto Diagnostics to figure it out, he's a wizard when it comes to electrical diagnostics.
Im going to look into that today! good to see you LT!
Good call on PHAD, Ivan's diagnostic skills are insane. However he also doesn't like working on older cars that don't have obd. They take a long time to diagnose. The work he did on that Audi was incredible, so he might be able to figure out this E30.
Hi, don't know about this idle RPM issue, but you should have a look to the visco coupler of the engine connected fan, if there is. Hearing this wind/truck noise in the video when you revv the car while the engine is not warm makes me think it is toast, and this is bad.
ahh the fan clutch? it seems okay, not too stiff so its probably worn, but if you heard the noise after I installed the old distributor, its making a racket. super noisy and i dont think this old one will last much longer. part of the reason why i replaced it in the first place.
@@DayOffDIY can't tell, indeed, it's at the end of the video. At 3:24 it sounds ok, at 29:49 when you revv it, you can hear a windy woooosh that is a little bit delayed wrt to the car actually revving, while just before, at 29:31 I can see that the car is not up to temperature.
Alec, I'd almost bet thats not the stock flywheel. Has the car ever had the transmission or engine out of it for any reason? I ran into a similar issue on on old Ford truck once. I couldn't get it to run worth a shit until I figured out the timing marks where wrong.
My thought exactly. He replied to one of the earlier comments saying the dealership replaced the factory trans at some point in the past.
I was thinking the same thing, seems unusual for an automatic though right?
@@rossparkes they could have swapped an engine from a manual and not clocked the flexplate right, that's my best guess
Time to move on from this one. Thanks for sharing your learning process with us! You’re a great mechanic but there’s always that one car that is a pain in the butt! Go get some tacos on me today!
Da Big Six! Thank you for the tacos. I am heading there now
You’re a great mechanic ! That car has me upset . Junk it or sell it as is ! Move on !
I hear you Alex, its got me upset too lol, should be dealing with it more this next week after my new video reveal is up! :)
Add some e85 to fuel and it's gonna pass with flying colours.
you think?!
@@DayOffDIY I do. Definitely. Plenty of videos about it to research. I've personally done it only once and used 1:1 ratio with no ill effects to driving. Passed with better values than factory. Depends on the car. 1:3 should be safe for pretty much any petrol car. Atleats from the 80's and naugties.
advancing the timing is needen when the rpm goes up. should not advance at idle. it's kinda in the words.
the internet is all over the place with this engine, i wasnt sure, i think the relay could have failed
lol your intro 😂 you should know that bmw is the brand of the two joys: the joy when you buy it and the joy when you sell it.
Ive never heard that before but I love it! I want to put that on a sign and hang it in my garage lol
@@DayOffDIY LOL 😂 here in Portugal we used to say that for Alfa Romeo and Fiat but today, it fits like a glove to Bmw :D
werid recommendation but make sure the driver floor mat is not adding any force to gas pedal which could cause high idle
im pretty sure its free but Im definitely going to take a look at that
rob is a real one
Rob is the realest! Dont forget to check out his channel
i am sad to have watched this whole series only to see you sell yours it made me sell my 1985 318i sedan spare e30 to focus on my 325ix e30😂 i also have an e34
i am sad to have watched this whole series only to see hate yours it made me sell my 1985 318i sedan spare e30 to focus on my 325ix e30😂 i also have an e34. honestly id also look into AC aux fan too that could be causing the issue my e34 idles low when the ac aux fan is on...
Its pretty obvious, that your problem is excessive vacuum advance (within dist) at idle, and/or excess flow through the IACV (when hot). :)
11:40 but do you know that? vacuum advance optimizes idle power lowering fuel consumption if idle speed is correct. here dropping that vacuum retards spark and lowers the idle. goal achieved but are you creating a problem that offsets another problem? Advancing the spark for power just increases the idle RPM, and its still high.
Is the vacuum advance (thinkbox that signals solenoid) triggered by RPM? If it is, then its piling on more RPM by assuming you are off idle. In this case it is not the problem. IF NO, you are getting too much air or fuel or both. The IACV (idle air control valve) might be sticking and this could contribute to high idle when warm. It may be unrelated but wouldn't hurt to clean the operation of IACV. Keep in mind unless it is exposed to crank air it won't be designed for oiling and some very light powder dry lube may work. If it does get oily air, then it certainly will have crud that could be cleaned out. This is only likely to help out, but isn't the only source problem.
Fast Rust made a video about his Bosch Distributor
ua-cam.com/video/gkMLNRARGUE/v-deo.html
Before getting into this timing issue, when going through diagnosis, note when its rich, or normal vs. extra lean if you can tell. You can already tell rich, and you will get better until you are almost as good as a smog checker. I went crazy learning on a dual advance arm plus vacuum dist some years ago and got pretty good. That is probably right where you are. You can also "hear" the advance on an engine, in addition to smelling the fuel/air ratio. Fuel/air is primary when tuning carbs, where the sound is primary for working timing issues. Near the end of this video, you seem to already have the problem boxed in. You are getting too much advance at idle, and maybe too much air as well. You need to get the RPMs to 1000 or so, and retarding below 1400 (ceteris paribus) is retarding the spark for driving, giving terrible power and performance, and killing the fuel eco if you test that. (This screams "too much vacuum advance" as well)
When I swapped a distributor in a 289 4V, the new one (NOS) had a pair of generic springs installed. One was too loose, allowing some slop in the idle below 500 just from jiggling and missing. 2nd they were the same spring tension, when the two springs were intended as fine tuning with one continuing a little advance up to 5k. The bad news is, I don't know anyone who still has a running Sun distributor tuning machine, with varieties of springs to swap to get the curve perfected. The good news is, its not hard to do, it just takes a few hours of tweak and test, rinse repeat.
The issue of when the the vacuum solenoid should engage is specific to the model, and I don't know if it should be open at idle or what RPM or when. It is probably working fine, and from a brief reddit check, here are a few things. Start tuning with the engine warm, just any normal range temp, but not cold. Suggested primary tuning is 2200-3k RPM, and there is an "oblong hole" which displays the timing mark. You will end up doing this by ear, so that may not matter. Set the timing for good power in this range, and verify proper idle after. If fine, then check startup when cold.. yada yada, so it doesn't idle right? Ok, the IACV might be sticking, especially if its picking random idle RPMs at different stop lights. Let's say its not. Ok, the Vacuum advance valve may be opening because the engine assumes load condition when the RPM is already WAAAY TOO HIGH. Generally, it should NOT be giving vacuum advance at idle (old cars had a separate port ahead of the throttle butterfly specifically for vacuum advance so it doesn't advance at idle.. worth checking). But here, even disconnecting the vacuum line (put a nail in it tho so you don't leak back, this can affect stuff) was leaving your idle still 1000-1400. Kinda OK, but then its got no power. So far you did all this. I never heard if the vacuum advance solenoid was closing off when the RPMs were dropped by disconnecting the line it controlled, so I have to make assumptions and move on. Its really important though, unless proper idle (800?) vacuum is low.
What this is telling us, is that your distributor is already quite advanced at 1100 RPM. If you scribe colored lines onto your crank pulley to note timing, or otherwise read the teeth in that "oblong hole" you can determine how much advancement you get from the weight(s) in the distributor as rpms change. Its possible it doesn't have any springs but I thought all HEI dist's did, as all points dist's do. The springs can be swapped, as can the weights that pull them. You have to disassemble the distributor to swap or check the springs. (In Fords, you can bend the spring mounting tabs too.) I found a single BMW advance chart from a points dist, that suggested full mechanical advance was reached by 2k RPM. Some designs may include spring slop. By 720 RPM its turning 6x per second, which is enough to take up slack unless engine is missing extremely bad. (Under 400 RPM, missing will physically shake the advance if springs have slack in antique V8s). Finally, the rebuilt distributor vacuum advance may have a limit adjustment accessed through the vacuum tube port, which usually takes an allen key. If its coming open at idle, this may not help, as maximum vacuum is achieved by dropping off throttle at revs. However vacuum at 2000 is much higher than at 800.
Now some random thoughts:
From what I saw, the cold start fuel supply was only momentary and can be ruled out if it isn't flowing once fully hot.
*Can you choke or limit the IACV to less flow using a smaller hose somewhere as a test?* Have a nylon pincer? (Also see if it is sticking) It may also have excess leak flow, or high minimum flow.
Can you compare the advance curves of the distributors you have? Did the old one advance better? Compare without vacuum connected in this case.
>>Before swapping springs or tweaking the dist, try setting the timing with the vacuum advance hose blocked. It might even pass smog this way. Unfortunately, there is no way to "ratio" down the vacuum advance if it is too aggressive (that I know of). You could swap the old vacuum advance on, but adjusting for a hyperactive vacuum advance does retard timing severely whenever you give it more than slight throttle input (you did this).
It is possible the rebuilt dist has a one-size chinesium vacuum advance module. Rigging a Y-hose to both old and new distributors' vacuum advances, taking their tops off, and using a hand pump, you will see how they compare in travel. More is not better in this case. (not sure tho if the old one is OEM, and this problem has been around for years).
I wrote a long note to fix this issue. Apparently UA-cam didn't like it. Its gone.
The short is, after a week, it came to me that the EGR is probably sticky. Its possible that the spring in the EGR is failing. Deposits are making the EGR stick in slight open positions. You can remove and clean it, but if the spring is weak, it still won't work (or won't work long). A used one will likely be as bad or worse, even if clean.
You don't get all the theory or check lists. Blame UA-cam. The rest basically amounted to finding vacuum leaks and qualifying the IACV. Let's check out the EGR first, and not waste too much time on timing until you identify what is letting all the air in, especially find the cause of the wandering idle.
Hate you having to go through all that junk to get it right , I’m sure the lack of internet info is probably this era there was not any internet car forums etc not a lot documented I guess. Hopefully you get her sorted . What’s the asking price on it . I remember when you picked it up from that lady it’s been awhile it seems . I’m like you I’m lost with timing and vaccum advance etc .
Hey Chad! Yeah it’s been an ass kicker but now that the giveaway is revealed, it can get back to work on it this month
Better for it to be gutless than not to pass smog and run too rich.
This is an underpowered car why do you want it to be zippy when jt’s not supposed to be.
i agree, but when i said it was underpowered, i was foot to the floor everywhere. I gotta find the sweet spot between the two i think
Stupid idea but...Why not make it run gutless but pass smog testing with it and then you can drive it legal while sorting the issue or sell it gutless and explain it to the buyer but it will be road legal at least. In the meanwhile, until it sells, you can still try to fix it.
yep, that's the ticket.
I think thats the best idea, problem is that the car runs significantly shittier with this old distributor in it, and is so incredibly noisy, its hard to get good timing with the old one. Apparently the vacuum advance should be off at idle too, which it isnt, so that system is still flawed... This will be the plan though once i can throw some more cash at it or get it to run smooth again. once my new video is out ill be back on the E30, just a few more days
@@andrewgarcia3136 Actually I know the problem with your car.. Go to M539 Restoations page look for his E30 Project Marbail part 3 and go ro minure 24:20. T'HAT'S' ALL YOU HAVE TO DO 1 MINUTE FIX
Hey Alec, it’s Chris. My first car was a VW super beetle. I converted the distributor to a centrifugal-advance distributor. I wonder if they have an aftermarket option like that for these motors? Or if it would even help.
You really should invest in a smoke machine.
I got a gang of em! 4 different ones lol, ive smoked it multiple times, first showed a vacuum leak at the vacuum advance diaphragm at the distributor, replaced that, smoked it after and only seeing a small wisp from the throttle body which isnt enough to make any change i dont think. should be in previous videos on the car
@@DayOffDIYI've seen many older Hondas with surging idles that were sucking in air through the throttle body because the butterfly shaft bushings were worn out. A new throttle body fixed those cars. I would try testing the throttle body again.
Only one solution. Ls swap it
lol not a bad idea
Would you be willing to sell this car? If let me know!
i am! email me at dayoffdiy@gmail.com if youre interested :)
@@DayOffDIY got it, I’ll be emailing soon
recomended new car ha......
Hahahah straight ip