[Skaufma0]

So I've searched and searched and came up with a few threads with the same issues, but none seem to have posted any final resolutions, so here's what's going on with mine.

I'm in a e92 335i, auto with paddles, RWD, with a JB+ (running 50%), golf tee mod (pulled the plug, didn't use the golf tee method), and BMS DCI. Car has just shy of 120k miles on it.

So I drove it home in the morning, everything was fine, no misfires, no codes, no lights, nothing. Everything was great. Idle was smooth, shifts were good, no issues at all. I get in to go to work in the afternoon and it's a longer crank than normal but it starts. Get about 500 feet down the road and all hell breaks loose. I've got a ridiculously rough idle, no power, a really strong gas smell, along with a slight white to the exhaust. No codes were being thrown.

I turned the car around and parked it for the night so I could check it out in the morning when I got back. I tried to start it in the morning and it wouldn't start at all. So I pulled the spark plugs and 1 2 and 3 were BLACK. 4 5 and 6 were pretty worn but they looked okay (don't know when the last time they were changed, bought the car almost a year ago and hadn't gotten around to changing them yet). So I changed out all of the spark plugs with new ones last night and the long crank is still there, along with the gas smell and rough idle. This time I let it run long enough to throw a code and it's a cylinder 1 & 6 misfire, along with something about a "diagnostic error" code. If I let it just run at idle eventually it chokes up and dies.

Anybody have any ideas? I was hoping it was just fouled plugs but it doesn't seem to have made a difference other than being able to start now. The coils have all been replaced about 4k ago. I would say the fuel injectors, but with the smell of gas I can't imagine that being the issue since it's obviously getting fuel.

Any help would be great ASAP, since I'm in desperate need of the car this weekend and next week.

[Faredo]

Are all the bank 1 plugs black again after the plug change? Could be O2 sensor, sometimes it takes a few miles for o2 codes to trip.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by Faredo

Are all the bank 1 plugs black again after the plug change? Could be O2 sensor, sometimes it takes a few miles for o2 codes to trip.

Haven't had a chance to check them, after the plugs were no success last night I called it a night and have the little one this morning so it won't be until later on that I can get into it again. The 02 sensors were replaced about 10k ago though.

[Underground6t9]

HPFP

Originally Posted by Skaufma0

I would say the fuel injectors, but with the smell of gas I can't imagine that being the issue since it's obviously getting fuel.

When these fuel injectors go bad, it's not because they stop delivering fuel...it's because they leak. Therefore, smell of gas = black plugs = leaky injector = bad injector.

I would say you def have a fuel injector problem; 1, 2, 3 would be a good place to start...HPFP might be going as well. Get the injector situation resolved and further troubleshoot from there.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

When these fuel injectors go bad, it's not because they stop delivering fuel...it's because they leak. Therefore, smell of gas = black plugs = leaky injector = bad injector.

I would say you def have a fuel injector problem; 1, 2, 3 would be a good place to start...HPFP might be going as well. Get the injector situation resolved and further troubleshoot from there.

Is the fuel injector something I can diagnose and repair myself, or is it a pain?

[speedychuck2]

I had the exact same symptoms. Mine was a leaky injector. Car wouldn't even idle it was so rough.

When you unlock the car, you could hear the lpfp prime, and you could hear the fuel going straight into the cylinder. My injector was stuck literally wide open!!!

One good way to check is if you can read from the obd port, look at your rail pressure when you shit the car down. It should take a long time to get to zero. Mine was almost straight away. Also you will probably have a fuel pump plausibility code too.

Don't forget to change your oil when you've fixed it.

Originally Posted by Skaufma0

Is the fuel injector something I can diagnose and repair myself

yes

Originally Posted by speedychuck2

One good way to check is if you can read from the obd port, look at your rail pressure when you shit the car down. It should take a long time to get to zero. Mine was almost straight away.

Results from this method of testing will vary depending on severity of the leak, as you've already found in your situation.

Agreed on changing the oil though; it's no more good after fuel gets in there.

[Skaufma0]

What would I need to be able to read the rail pressure?


Ahhh, checked my reader, it has a FRP measure on it. Bingo!

[homemade_f81]

Agree on it likely being a bad fuel injector - I had one fail on me before and it was very similar to what you describe. The only difference was that I had quite a lot of white smoke. Car was not driveable - no power whatsoever. Was good the night before and totally nuts the next morning.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by swedishpowah

Agree on it likely being a bad fuel injector - I had one fail on me before and it was very similar to what you describe. The only difference was that I had quite a lot of white smoke. Car was not driveable - no power whatsoever. Was good the night before and totally nuts the next morning.

Well i went out and took off the cowl and covers and such. Started the car and was able to get it to idle finally. I tried to listen to them with the screwdriver and sure enough, cylinder 1 isn't firing! So it seems that it is an injector. Tomorrow I'm going to get the socket I need to take them out and I'll see where it goes from there.

[limitdown]

Bite the bullet and change all plugs, coils, injectors, O2 sensors. Then log HPFP and LPFP to see if those need to be replaced. This will save so much headache and hair-pulling. I did the merry go round for many months. Swapping coils around, swapping injectors, recoding injectors, cleaning o2 sensors. It caused me so much grief and I couldn't enjoy the car.

This sticky thread has everything you need to diagnose and fix almost every misfire problem on our platform.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=631829

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by limitdown

Bite the bullet and change all plugs, coils, injectors, O2 sensors. Then log HPFP and LPFP to see if those need to be replaced. This will save so much headache and hair-pulling. I did the merry go round for many months. Swapping coils around, swapping injectors, recoding injectors, cleaning o2 sensors. It caused me so much grief and I couldn't enjoy the car.

This sticky thread has everything you need to diagnose and fix almost every misfire problem on our platform.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=631829

I've done all of the plugs, coils were a few k miles ago, 02 sensors were replaced about 10k ago. So I'm gonna suck it up and go for all of the injectors now, as much as that's going to suck.

Is there any alternative that works rather than springing for the 100 dollar cable???

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by swedishpowah

Agree on it likely being a bad fuel injector - I had one fail on me before and it was very similar to what you describe. The only difference was that I had quite a lot of white smoke. Car was not driveable - no power whatsoever. Was good the night before and totally nuts the next morning.

Might be a silly question, how can you tell the injector is bad by looking at it?

[homemade_f81]

Originally Posted by Skaufma0

Might be a silly question, how can you tell the injector is bad by looking at it?

You can't by looking at the injector. There are no tell-tale signs that would show it's stuck open. One thing you can check, turn on the ignition but don't start the car - turn it off and pull the plug from the cylinder that's suspect. It will likely be wet in gasoline and you'll have a strong gas smell. To verify, you can also pull another one next to it - if the injector is good it will be dry.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by swedishpowah

You can't by looking at the injector. There are no tell-tale signs that would show it's stuck open. One thing you can check, turn on the ignition but don't start the car - turn it off and pull the plug from the cylinder that's suspect. It will likely be wet in gasoline and you'll have a strong gas smell. To verify, you can also pull another one next to it - if the injector is good it will be dry.

Awesome thanks I'll give it a shot.

Originally Posted by swedishpowah

You can't by looking at the injector. There are no tell-tale signs that would show it's stuck open. One thing you can check, turn on the ignition but don't start the car - turn it off and pull the plug from the cylinder that's suspect. It will likely be wet in gasoline and you'll have a strong gas smell. To verify, you can also pull another one next to it - if the injector is good it will be dry.

In addition to the plugs, the tip of the injector will likely be black (instead of golden brown) and wreak of fuel as well. It's pretty easy to spot a faulty injector compared to a good one once both are side-by-side.

[speedychuck2]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

yes


Results from this method of testing will vary depending on severity of the leak, as you've already found in your situation.

Agreed on changing the oil though; it's no more good after fuel gets in there.

Mine was really bad. I took the plug out, then primed the car with the lpfp again (locked/unlocked car) and I could see the fuel going into the cylinder by looking through the plug well.

My biggest fear was bore wash given the amount of fuel being put in. I never done a compression test after, but the car has always run fine since.

When I took off my oil cap afterwards, it smelt like a petrol tank in there. Obviously you will know this, but for the benefit of the op: A lot of n54 failures, usually thrown rods, are attributed to leaky injectors diluting the oil to the point that it's useless. Dont let it happen to yours.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by speedychuck2

Mine was really bad. I took the plug out, then primed the car with the lpfp again (locked/unlocked car) and I could see the fuel going into the cylinder by looking through the plug well.

My biggest fear was bore wash given the amount of fuel being put in. I never done a compression test after, but the car has always run fine since.

When I took off my oil cap afterwards, it smelt like a petrol tank in there. Obviously you will know this, but for the benefit of the op: A lot of n54 failures, usually thrown rods, are attributed to leaky injectors diluting the oil to the point that it's useless. Dont let it happen to yours.

Noted, thanks. Yeah the new injector arrives tomorrow along with the cable to code it. Once I finish coding it I'll be doing an oil service that night.

[Skaufma0]

Anyone else have a terrible time trying to get the injector out?

Edit>>> Okay got it out and replaced it. A TON of white smoke now. Is that just excess gas burning off? I haven't coded it yet if that matters.

Edit>>>INPA is just not cooperating, anyone in the Rock Hill area feel like coding an injector?

[homemade_f81]

Originally Posted by Skaufma0

Anyone else have a terrible time trying to get the injector out?

Edit>>> Okay got it out and replaced it. A TON of white smoke now. Is that just excess gas burning off? I haven't coded it yet if that matters.

Edit>>>INPA is just not cooperating, anyone in the Rock Hill area feel like coding an injector?

When mine went, it took a while for the white smoke to clear up after replacement. Whether it's coded or not will not affect the excess burning off. I feel like the whole coding issue is blown out of proportion - it's necessary but it won't break anything if you need to drive the car somewhere to get it coded. FWIW, I drove my car for three days before coding the injectors without any issues. I'd recommend that you change the oil before you drive it though.

[Skaufma0]

Originally Posted by swedishpowah

When mine went, it took a while for the white smoke to clear up after replacement. Whether it's coded or not will not affect the excess burning off. I feel like the whole coding issue is blown out of proportion - it's necessary but it won't break anything if you need to drive the car somewhere to get it coded. FWIW, I drove my car for three days before coding the injectors without any issues. I'd recommend that you change the oil before you drive it though.

Even if the numbers are several off? I just can't figure out why INPA isn't working. I've read so many pages of DIY my eyes hurt.

It idles, is a little clumsy but no codes or misfires, and the white smoke thinned out drastically to where it was hardly there at all after a couple of minutes.