[feuer]

Originally Posted by buster84

Looks very similar. The only problem is that this ecu is from the same guy who send the other one that your using which was supposed to also be good?

Two issues I see. You get another damaged ecu changing random parts that will never it. Or two you get a refund and buy a new one from bmw. Or if bmw can manually test the dme outside of the car maybe pay them to check it over?

At least if you bought a dme from bmw, they should be able to help get this fixed. They didn't want to touch it last time because they couldn't rule out the dme so you left with an unfixed car.

Hopefully this dme works and it's that you needed. At least you will have replaced alot once it is fixed so maintenance wont be needed for a while.

Originally Posted by torrque

No sir, the DME I run now is off Ebay.... The DME I am getting is coming from the N54tech who does this for a living, and has been not only bench tested, but tested on the car, and actually driven.
So it's a all or nothing. If still no good, there are only 2 scenarios: a. problem is somewhere else, or b. problem is somewhere else and my car is burning ECU's due to some electrical problem, hence the second one I installed behaved the same.

We shall see.

I have no idea where this particular DME comes from. Somewhere from California I think. It's not my car. Long story short: went to Ghassan for engine rebuild, instead received used engine swap, burned the original msd80 DME on the way back from the shop. Owner cloned msd81 (by who I have no idea) and now is doing similar to what Torque n54 is doing. With DME/CAS/KEY from different n54 works fine. If this is my own car I would go to Oklahoma and chop off the tech hands as they should not be in n54 repair business, or any car repair business for that matter.

[Nexus313]

BMW has a way to test the DME.. you have to specifically request it before you go in .. there was a guy in the forum who had BMW diagnose a DME and they fixed his issue. If you want I can give you contact details to a guy who does DME for n54 for a living perhaps you can call him and explain your situation and see what happens. Don't know if that will make a difference since you already ordered a new one. So if that doesn't work .. do continuity tests, check all the wiring leading up to dme.

[Nexus313]

If your engines cutting off... Don't drive it on the freeway, super dangerous.

[torrque]

Originally Posted by Nexus313

If your engines cutting off... Don't drive it on the freeway, super dangerous.

Nah, I can drive without an engine.

[buster84]

How did the new computer go?

[torrque]

Originally Posted by buster84

How did the new computer go?

It didn't. Same thing... After it warmed up ok (was low 80's the other day when I tested it) I gave it some stick, and it started shaking and backfiring so bad, it sounded like a shotgun, engine stalled. Got a bit scared, and went very slow home, limping.

I am afraid the backfires blew out my newly installed cats, too. I now know why they were destroyed.

I dropped it to another guy which was recommended to me, he is the only BMW trained specialist apparently in our area. I am away for work for a while, so I left it for somebody else to look at it...
On my drive to that shop, it went ok with no events, as long as I kept revs at or below 2000 rpms. As soon as you put some load, it goes crazy, turbo or no turbo (did the vacuum lines test from solenoids, same thing).

I don't have high hopes though... I am still puzzled on what it could be. Still no error codes, even with the new computer.

I give this guy a chance, then off she goes to parts... I don't have space for another car, and I need to buy a car for winter before it hits.

[buster84]

Originally Posted by torrque

It didn't. Same thing... After it warmed up ok (was low 80's the other day when I tested it) I gave it some stick, and it started shaking and backfiring so bad, it sounded like a shotgun, engine stalled. Got a bit scared, and went very slow home, limping.

I am afraid the backfires blew out my newly installed cats, too. I now know why they were destroyed.

I dropped it to another guy which was recommended to me, he is the only BMW trained specialist apparently in our area. I am away for work for a while, so I left it for somebody else to look at it...
On my drive to that shop, it went ok with no events, as long as I kept revs at or below 2000 rpms. As soon as you put some load, it goes crazy, turbo or no turbo (did the vacuum lines test from solenoids, same thing).

I don't have high hopes though... I am still puzzled on what it could be. Still no error codes, even with the new computer.

I give this guy a chance, then off she goes to parts... I don't have space for another car, and I need to buy a car for winter before it hits.

Wow, that sucks! I take it reseting the adeptationa didnt fix it. The only thing left that i can thinm of is the wiring harness r a module that's broken but not enough to cause codes to pop up. Hopefully your guy can figure it out because you've been dealing with this for so long.

[musa]

Originally Posted by torrque

No sir, the DME I run now is off Ebay.... The DME I am getting is coming from the N54tech who does this for a living, and has been not only bench tested, but tested on the car, and actually driven.
So it's a all or nothing. If still no good, there are only 2 scenarios: a. problem is somewhere else, or b. problem is somewhere else and my car is burning ECU's due to some electrical problem, hence the second one I installed behaved the same.

We shall see.

Why N54tech? So he bench tested it? Is it a refurbished one sold as new or what? Is this exactly a brand new one equivalent to buying from the dealer? Why not directly from the dealer? As I pointed out to you before, you can get at whole-sale price if you buy from BMW San Diego online store or from https://thebmwminipartstore.com/. For something like DME, I wouldn't trust the item other than if it were distributed from an official BMW outlet.

...because if it worked fine in another car and his car still has issues after trying this and ~2 other DMEs, the issue lies elsewhere.

[torrque]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

...because if it worked fine in another car and his car still has issues after trying this and ~2 other DMEs, the issue lies elsewhere.

Bingo!

[torrque]

Just got the call from Revolution Automotive in Norwood; this is where my friend told me to take it. They do have more tools than the generic BMW shop, and is the only shop in MA where technicians are trained by BMW apparently (no the dealer's are not).

They found a few things wrong; firstly the voltage drop was determined to be due to the alternator dropping out/shorting when hot... I have a receipt of an alternator being changed last year, but obviously it hasn't been.

The second thing; and the smoking gun was apparently the crank angle sensor again? The sensor was aftermarket, and was installed with wrong hardware (bolt was loose) and was randomly dropping signal causing the rpm needle drop...

I am still pessimistic on this being the actual fix; I would expect a DME error when crank angle sensor is dropping like that ?

Anyway, over 2g later it is what it will cost me now (battery was also found bad; although I don't really believe or swallow this, it was holding on pretty good on negative temperatures this winter).

I can take this hit if it actually fixed the car for now. I will report later.

UPDATE: 50 miles later, and all kind of driving conditions, car is perfect. So, to recap; intermittent drop of voltage from faulty alternator, and non -genuine crank angle sensor. And stupid me I had it out in my hand, looked at it and I swear it looked original. It had "Continental" stamped on it, and speaking to BMW shop, they said Continental makes them for BMW. The one in the car now, was 2xx bucks, has BMW stamped on it and is from.... BMW

So never ever put anything but OEM in these cars, it cost me 4 months of troubleshooting just because an idiot installed a non-genuine item. And I never thought to go back at it and change it again.

[Nexus313]

Congratulations!!! Finally! Similarly something happened to my car when I installed an after market o2 sensor. Misfires and weird codes.. changed to OEM and all was good..

[musa]

Originally Posted by torrque

Just got the call from Revolution Automotive in Norwood; this is where my friend told me to take it. They do have more tools than the generic BMW shop, and is the only shop in MA where technicians are trained by BMW apparently (no the dealer's are not).

They found a few things wrong; firstly the voltage drop was determined to be due to the alternator dropping out/shorting when hot... I have a receipt of an alternator being changed last year, but obviously it hasn't been.

The second thing; and the smoking gun was apparently the crank angle sensor again? The sensor was aftermarket, and was installed with wrong hardware (bolt was loose) and was randomly dropping signal causing the rpm needle drop...

I am still pessimistic on this being the actual fix; I would expect a DME error when crank angle sensor is dropping like that ?

Anyway, over 2g later it is what it will cost me now (battery was also found bad; although I don't really believe or swallow this, it was holding on pretty good on negative temperatures this winter).

I can take this hit if it actually fixed the car for now. I will report later.

UPDATE: 50 miles later, and all kind of driving conditions, car is perfect. So, to recap; intermittent drop of voltage from faulty alternator, and non -genuine crank angle sensor. And stupid me I had it out in my hand, looked at it and I swear it looked original. It had "Continental" stamped on it, and speaking to BMW shop, they said Continental makes them for BMW. The one in the car now, was 2xx bucks, has BMW stamped on it and is from.... BMW

So never ever put anything but OEM in these cars, it cost me 4 months of troubleshooting just because an idiot installed a non-genuine item. And I never thought to go back at it and change it again.

Torrque, I opened my fridge and retrieved the coldest of my favorite beer, and then took a long swig for you... congratulations!!! I can relate how you're feeling now Wow! I bet you're going to have a very busy and fun memorial weekend

[torrque]

Thanks all, indeed a relief. I already used a couple of 18 y.o. single malt bottles celebrating with friends

I bought this car with confidence I can fix it myself... I troubleshot about two weeks, then it spent 2 weeks with BMW of Boston, 3 weeks with German Performance, and it had another month or so in the shop the previous owner took it ...Nobody but Alan from Revolution Automotive could fix it.

I've been waiting for this for months... Got eibach springs for it waiting in my shed, new carbon brakes, rear trunk wing M3 a-like front spoiler valance, black paint for wheels, etc etc.

I am now in talks with MHD to move my license to the current DME... Will post some pics when ready.