The title states it. I have cleaned my throttle body, ICV, replaced intake boots and cleaned, changed spark plugs. The dealership said the reason this was last time was because I had a bad valve cover. So I spent $500 on that replacement and it was great for months. Now it's doing it again.
I am drumming a huge youth retreat 2 hours away and had to pull over "12" times because the car wouldn't let me go over 45 mph! So I turn the car off and on again. The cel stays on but the eml and traction lights are off. Every stop sign I approach, the lights comes back!
I know there are multiple threads on this. But I am wondering if maybe y throttle body is done for or my icv.
So searching your other codes...1770 came up as a clutch solenoid issue somewhere online Not sure that's the same code for us or not.
Also...for grins, check your battery voltage both with car off and on. When I drove my car with a bad battery for about 30 miles, the first lights I had were the one's you had. I'm wondering if you're just suffering from running on a battery just on the edge of totally bad...which you could do for a while. But, if that while was too long, eventually the alt would wear down too. Easy to check...and check the cables too.
And, if you search for me and "tampa bay" you might find my post about my icv cleaning approach...which basically was to clean like a freak from every possible angle and a can and a half of TB cleaner.
So I cleaned the electrical connections on the ICV and ordered a $35 recycled one from Bavarian Recycle in Cali so I hope this solves the issue. I've cleaned this ICV 4 times already. One question. Have they cleaned the one ordered or did they just take it and sell?
The card idle was rough again today as well. So I opened the hood and hit my hand able to unhook the ICV electric plug and so I did. The cars idle seems easier but rough still obviously because it has no control. I looked to see what the dash was giving and the EML AND TRACTION WAS ON, just like it does I'm driving at the car does it limp mode. I noticed change after unplugging. So luckily yesterday I ordered an icv from Bavarian Auto for $41 shipped used. Hoping for this to all be over and to not be scared to let off the pedal and see the EML, and travtion lights.
You could cancel that order, and just buy a brand new one for $70 more, and be sure that you have fixed the issue. I don't think you will find an OEM Bosch unit for less, but I may be wrong. The pricing for these things is all over the place. The next lowest price I found was $154, and I have seen them priced as high as $255. I would be seriously pissed if I paid that much for one.
But it is an electro-mechanical part, with a valve that opens and closes to allow additional air into the intake, and a motor that controls the valve. It basically is a modern version of a choke. The motor can fail, and the valve may not move correctly over time. There has to be some sort of bushing/bearing for that valve to pivot on, so the whole thing could get sloppy and not move as accurately as it wears out. It is not designed to be serviceable at all. Since it is a sealed unit, it is almost impossible to clean the entire thing correctly, while at the same time lubricating the mechanical parts of the valve, and keeping the electrical motor clean. It is simply not possible to get a good look at the internal mechanical parts, and look for signs of wear. Who really knows what is an acceptable amount of mechanical slop in the actuation of the valve? Think about how hard it would be to verify that a DISA valve was functioning properly, if it was a sealed unit, and you could not see if the flap was opening and closing properly. That is basically what this is, only smaller.
I paid $105 for one from Amazon about a year ago. I could have cleaned mine again, but I just wanted to have a new one, instead of wondering if it really was functioning as well as it should be. If they all cost $250+, I may have cleaned it out for a while longer, but for around $100, I decided to just replace it. I really want to slice the old one open, and see exactly what is in there, and get a good look at the internals. I could not find anything like that on the Internet.
Good luck!
EML/traction/CEL light happened to me twice. your car is probably running in "safe mode" on two cylinders. do you only have like 2 forward gears and does your car sound like a vacuum cleaner thats clogged?
I talked to a local enthusiast about whether I should just use the used ICV or get a brand-new one. He did state that my car is very old and has a lot of mileage, so it would probably be worth the last cash to not spend so much money on it as I could buy a brand-new one in the future. Hopefully the company is a good company to buy from, and if not, I hope the part messes up between my six-month warranty.
Well, $70 is not that much more money, if it fixes your car. The used unit will probably be OK, but if it is not functioning correctly either, you will never know, since you will just assume that it is a different problem. I would rather be sure, but in the end, it is your car, and your money. As others have said, it may be your TB. So even a new ICV may not fix the issue, but at least you would know it would not cause you any more problems. If you are in a financial position where $70 extra makes a difference when it comes to fixing the car, then you seriously do not need to be driving an old e46. Get it running as best you can, and sell it, because this will not be the last problem you have to deal with.
I'm not familiar with the 323i but do you know if your TB is mechanical or electrical?
EDIT: More then likely it is a bad ICV but if that doesn't resolve the issue then it is either the whole EDK throttle body or the TPS sensor on the MDK throttle body depending on which TB is in your car.
Keep us informed. I have posted in 3 or 4 threads and have talked to people who all have this same problem. We scan for codes and it shows that our icv is stuck open. Some of us replaced the icv but had no luck. We are all trying to figure this one out but still cant find a solution after months of trying.
Someone showed me a thread were a member had this problem and his mechanic fixed it when he found out one of the wires going to the icv was bad.
I am currently trying to figure out if my wires are bad but not sure what the correct voltage should be..
Another question, some people may say that the throttle body would be in bad shape, but if I have not received any codes on my tool then I should be fine, correct? That is what I was thinking. The only code that I have got really is for the idle control valve.
I think everyone lost interest when you made the statement about the EGR valve. (If you find it, post a pic. To my knowledge (and per the link) EGR is accomplished internally via the VANOS.)
Maybe I get lucky... I had the EXACT same problem, I replaced my mass airflow sensor and my fuel filter. I only replaced them because I had the parts sitting around and figured I'd give it a shot. After I replaced them the problems immediately stopped. Again, maybe I just got lucky but for what it's worth it seemed to solve my problem...
I do not know if there is a spring in the IC V, but the new 1 that I received, was twice as flexible and spring way better than my old and stock 1. It must have been shot. I took it out for a ride, and so far everything seems good.
Really pissed me off tonight. One of the bolts that hold the brace fr the icv broke as I was screwing it in so it's pretty loose but won't hurt. I could tell that the car acted better. The idle is strong but maybe 2 minutes after I let it idle down, I can still feel the car jerk/bog/stutter and the rpm needle falls a bit. I've replaced all my boots. Fuel filter, spark plugs, disa o ring, crankshaft sensor. Ideas? Almost thinking fuel pump but idk the symptoms.
I feel like this is becoming true. I'm going to drive an hour to see my girlfriend in a bit, I have not traveled with it since I replaced the iCV. So we will will have rough idle though.
Funny, since I purchased my E46, the life is slowly draining out of me. No, wait...that's not my life.
It's just coolant.
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