Print Page | Close Window

Power Surge 318ti 1.9 16v

Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW 3 Series
Forum Discription: This forum will deal with any issues on the BMW 3 Series (E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, E91 & E92)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=8281
Printed Date: 15-June-2024 at 00:19


Topic: Power Surge 318ti 1.9 16v
Posted By: York318ti
Subject: Power Surge 318ti 1.9 16v
Date Posted: 09-June-2004 at 12:54

This morning in traffic I was crawling and braked to come to rest behind a Mondeo, but my 318ti strangely mis-fired and there was what seemed like a power surge.

The car came to rest some 3-4 feet later than planned, right into the back of the Mondeo.

What could have caused this ?



-------------



Replies:
Posted By: dave 328
Date Posted: 09-June-2004 at 13:31

Are you looking for an excuse for crashing into the back of someone?

A surge in power is normally caused by extra fuel. Sometimes it can jerk when crawling in traffic as the engine revs drop or increase. Or the clutch isn't pressed quick enough and the car wants to carry on even if you are braking.



-------------

328 Coupe Sport, Digital climate, full leather, OBD computer, De-restricted with M50 manifold, big bore throttle, chippeduk remap, custom cold cone intake and X-brace


Posted By: York318ti
Date Posted: 09-June-2004 at 13:52

Not looking for an excuse, I'd own up, but this time it wasn't me.

Not happy about having to buy some Ford parts for someone though !

I have been reading, could it be the idle control valve, is there one on this engine, could it malfunction like this ?

Any other suggestions ?

Btw it is an auto.

I felt a similar symptom earlier, sat at the lights on the foot brake, for one or two revs it seemed to pick up as if I had blipped the gas, but my foot was on the brake, odd !



-------------


Posted By: b318isp
Date Posted: 09-June-2004 at 15:36
I'd guess this normal. When coasting, the fuel injectors stop running until the engine approaches idle speed. This restart of the injectors will create power that may drive the car unless you push down the clutch.

There are two other possibilities:

1. You touched the accelerator when braking.
2. A sticking Idle Control Valve that might be causing a surge. I think your car has the spring return (2 wire) type which can give trouble.

-------------

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/index.html - My E30 318is Site


Posted By: pualo
Date Posted: 10-June-2004 at 14:20

One other thought - if your car has a viscous fan, as opposed to an electric one, and the engine was hot, it may have upped the revs at idle to speed the fan up, therefore pulling more air through the radiator. This was explained to me by my mechanic when I couldn't work out why the revs would go up suddenly in traffic to around 1200rpm for a while.

Being an auto, the reaction of course is to accelerate. Just a thought though....



Posted By: jonp
Date Posted: 10-June-2004 at 15:48

Out of interest is it a cable operated throttle or an electronic one?

I only ask cos me old 5 series throttle cable frayed in side and stuck the throttle full on..quite frightning on a 528 auto in town.



-------------
Autos are easy. Its the steering thats hard.


Posted By: dave 328
Date Posted: 10-June-2004 at 17:49
Originally posted by pualo pualo wrote:

One other thought - if your car has a viscous fan, as opposed to an electric one, and the engine was hot, it may have upped the revs at idle to speed the fan up, therefore pulling more air through the radiator. This was explained to me by my mechanic when I couldn't work out why the revs would go up suddenly in traffic to around 1200rpm for a while.

Being an auto, the reaction of course is to accelerate. Just a thought though....

This is very odd as if your revs are up then the engine would generate even more heat to be dissipated by the rad, so it would be pointless - you could say it would be a 'viscous' circle!!

Can't see this being true.

Do all BMWs with a viscous fan have a 2nd fan or is it just ones with air-con? As I've had mine on a fast idle and it must have got hotter even tho the temp guage was still in the middle, coz the 2nd electric fan came on - the air-con wasn't on.



-------------

328 Coupe Sport, Digital climate, full leather, OBD computer, De-restricted with M50 manifold, big bore throttle, chippeduk remap, custom cold cone intake and X-brace


Posted By: Blackcat
Date Posted: 10-June-2004 at 18:10

Nothing to do with your idle problem...sorry, but I was intrigued with jonp's 528 stuck throttle story! Do tell more, how did you slay the beast??? Oh and are you the same as jonnie p or different person?

Cheers



-------------
Burning rubber??? I prefer to think of it as scorching tarmac!!!


Posted By: Brucey
Date Posted: 10-June-2004 at 23:50

-idle speed is controlled by the valve as others have described. It works by letting more air (and more fuel) into the engine when the idle speed drops below the specified speed. The slower the engine goes, and the longer  it is below the specified speed, the more the idle valve opens. The speed of this response is tailored in a way that allows for an engine that will speed up again fairly rapidly (i.e. one that isn't, say, driving the car along at the time). If the car is crawling in traffic and the engine speed drops in the right way I can see how it might surge in exactly the way described.

The other thing that is top of the hit list are the sensors that monitor engine speed. If these go faulty (i.e. report the engine is not actually rotating any more) then the IAC valve may open itself in an attempt to rectify the situation and this may also cause a surge.

Its rough luck how it happened tho'

  



-------------

~~~~~~~ Brucey   ~~~~~~


Posted By: York318ti
Date Posted: 11-June-2004 at 13:43

thanks for the responses guys, I have enough to look at for a while

Cheers,

Mark



-------------


Posted By: jonp
Date Posted: 11-June-2004 at 14:05

Blackcat... wel to be honest it was really scarey!

If i used any more than 1/4 throttle it would stick, so kick-down wasn't used

A new one only cost £20 from BMW! It did take 2 weeks to arrive....



-------------
Autos are easy. Its the steering thats hard.


Posted By: Peter Fenwick
Date Posted: 11-June-2004 at 15:48
Originally posted by dave 328 dave 328 wrote:

Do all BMWs with a viscous fan have a 2nd fan or is it just ones with air-con? As I've had mine on a fast idle and it must have got hotter even tho the temp guage was still in the middle, coz the 2nd electric fan came on - the air-con wasn't on.

Mine has a vicous fan and no aircon and I don't have a second fan.

 



-------------
Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.


Posted By: dave 328
Date Posted: 11-June-2004 at 17:14
I would have thought yours had air-con even in basic form and not digital climate, as its an SE.

I supose mine has an added overheating precaution due to it having a 2nd fan.

-------------

328 Coupe Sport, Digital climate, full leather, OBD computer, De-restricted with M50 manifold, big bore throttle, chippeduk remap, custom cold cone intake and X-brace


Posted By: pualo
Date Posted: 11-June-2004 at 17:54
Originally posted by dave 328 dave 328 wrote:

Originally posted by pualo pualo wrote:

One other thought - if your car has a viscous fan, as opposed to an electric one, and the engine was hot, it may have upped the revs at idle to speed the fan up, therefore pulling more air through the radiator. This was explained to me by my mechanic when I couldn't work out why the revs would go up suddenly in traffic to around 1200rpm for a while.

Being an auto, the reaction of course is to accelerate. Just a thought though....

This is very odd as if your revs are up then the engine would generate even more heat to be dissipated by the rad, so it would be pointless - you could say it would be a 'viscous' circle!!

Can't see this being true.

Do all BMWs with a viscous fan have a 2nd fan or is it just ones with air-con? As I've had mine on a fast idle and it must have got hotter even tho the temp guage was still in the middle, coz the 2nd electric fan came on - the air-con wasn't on.

It is true - I do see where you are coming from, but if you are sat in traffic and you need to get the fan moving to draw more air through the rad, driving along is not an option, and as the fan cannot power itself like an electric one, then the only way to increase it is to raise the speed of the engine, but it is only about another 400 rpm over normal.

It is only the fan on the air-con rad that is electric.



Posted By: autofix
Date Posted: 12-June-2004 at 09:43

Hi Paulo,

I think your mechanic has misinformed you somewhat, but he is close :)

The reason that revs can surge with fan is as follows. When a hot engine is at idle and the fan comes in, this puts extra load on the engine and slows it. The ECU sees the engine speed slow and switches the idle valve to compensate. All being correct, the idle speed should never rise to 1200, if it does then there is a fault.

All of the above happens quite quickly when there is no fault. If you have ever seen an engine with a surge problem, you will understand this better. If the IAC valve is not flowing enough air, the idle will be too low. The ecu will switch it higher to correct this. In the case of a faulty IACV, it will often switch too high. As the revs go too high the ECU sees the high idle and shuts the IACV, but the faulty valve allows the revs to drop too much and the whole cycle starts over again, hence the surge. 

The ECU will never increase idle speed to spin the fan. When extra cooling is required the fan clutch is supposed to "tighten" the drive and bring the fan speed closer to engine speed.

HTH

Alan.



Posted By: Peter Fenwick
Date Posted: 14-June-2004 at 09:28

Originally posted by dave 328 dave 328 wrote:

I would have thought yours had air-con even in basic form and not digital climate, as its an SE.

Aircon was only an option on the 328, even the SE. Mind you mine is the pre facelift model, It might have become standard post facelift. It doesn't bother me too much though, aircon takes power and uses fuel, both of which are not good, for me anyway. I've driven cars with aircon before and can't quite see what all the fuss is about, after all it's not like the weather is that hot in this country.



-------------
Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.



Print Page | Close Window