Author Topic: starting on 3cil. (Read 2445 times)

E36-italia · « **on:** May 06, 2010, 07:05:09 AM »

Hello all,

Lately i have some starting issues when i want to start my 93 318iS when the engine is cold... it is firing only on 3 cilinders... but within a minute it is running on all fours.
For example, I open my garagedoor, start the car [running 3cil]... drive it our of my garage box [still on 3cil.], get out of the car and close the garage door... coming back to the car and it is running on all 4's.

around 8K km's back it had an big overhaul and they changed also the spark plugs... and i noticed that 1 was covered in oil.
a compression test wasn't performed because the plugs are to deep into the engine.
But still today it is starting on 3cil...

Maybe the sparkwires are up for a change?

locknload · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2010, 05:01:07 PM »

Do you have a timing light? That will tell you which cylinder is missing, but i suspect it is the oily one. If you have a wet plug, it will not fire until the engine is warm enough to evaporate the wetness (if it's fuel), or enough fuel has passed through the cylinder to wash off the oil (if it's oil). try the timing light and see if you can ID the bad cylinder. Then, pull the plug and see if it's the oily one. just for grins, swap the offending plug with another cylinder and see if the problem moves with it. If not, swap coils and/or plug wires and see if it moves. If it stays on the same cylinder, it's not the ignition. Look for a problem with the cylinder, intake, or injector.

flyinglizard · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2010, 08:47:23 PM »

Leaky injector..

E36-italia · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2010, 04:33:51 AM »

Quote from: flyinglizard;92066

Leaky injector..

hmz good one.. haven't thought about that.... thanks!