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Power loss... How concerned should I be.......?

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  • Power loss... How concerned should I be.......?

    Hello folks

    Coming home this evening there's a noticeable sluggishness to acceleration where there used to be a steady curve of power. Noticeable enough that I popped open the bonnet when I got home to listen to the engine but couldn't hear anything desperately concerning.

    I've heard the Vanos death rattle on youtube before - engine sounds ok to me although idling sound could be a little different from before.

    I've been trying to think how best to describe it... almost like it's gone from being a bouncy, spritely sprint away on toes to a speed up from a steady jog on your heels - it gets there but without the same oomph.

    It had a longish run of 100+ miles at weekend. I've just taken it on a 25 mile run this evening and once oil was up to temp tried the upper limits of legal speed to see if that cleared it.

    It gets to that speed and doesn't audibly complain but I'm feeling it's not as rapid as it was through any part of the rev range.

    It's most noticeable between 2-3k revs in all gears where previously it would cruise along and feel a hell more responsive than it currently does.

    Odd that I don't recall the problem this morning - certainly felt ok last night and it's just been in the office car park today.

    I've been running Vpower for a couple of weeks now and the current tank is down to a quarter, same tank of fuel from the weekend (same Shell station but a top up on the original tank I used for the 100+ round trip)

    I tried to reset the 'adaptive' thing on the ECU (Ignition turn 2 for 10 secs then off and start car normally?) for the run this evening.

    Any suggestions as to what to try to diagnose this further guys? Am I right in thinking it's going to be air or fuel issues? Just can't think of any reason the car would alter performance since yesterday.

    Cheers
    ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
    now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

  • #2
    I'm no technical expert (I'm sure they'll be along shortly ), but you seem to have the obvious things covered with fuel, O2 and the ECU reset.

    However, I wouldn't discount the possibility that you've had the car a few months now and 'the thrill has gone' so to speak! Don't worry, it comes back.........

    Was the car used much before you bought it? Could it be play in the accelerator cable (assuming yours is an S50)? Does it need a service? A dose of fresh oil really does make a difference in these cars - whether it's real or psychological! Checked your tyre pressures? Small things seem to make a big difference to the way the MC feels - it's just one of those cars....

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks Dr N - I'm sorry to say it's not the thrill loss thing.. it was such a distinct change in pull that I popped the bonnet as soon as I got home to see if anything sounded odd.

      Just remembered that I heard a ping like a clip going as I pulled up the previous night and thought no more about it - assumed it was something on the road. Maybe a hose somewhere is loose now.

      I've run through the BMW TIS(?) CD that I have and the symptoms all seem to lead to fuel pressure issues....Looking through earlier posts here I guess it could be lambda sensors, MAF etc. May just need to hook up to a diagnostics computer and check for errors at an indie. Just don't want it to be the Vanos .....

      The point about the oil change is well made I think - the car was sat with the dealer for a year or so with very little running. Services were all done to schedule but an oil change can't hurt. I've also run injection cleaner through the tank once but I may give that another go with the tank at less than 1/4 full to see if that flushes anything out.
      ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
      now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

      Comment


      • #4
        At the risk of this looking like a 'Yadi 'Dear Diary' there was a bit more oomph after my run yesterday with a full tank of fuel and injection cleaner but still not 100%.

        Based on the feedback here and elsewhere I've just spoken to Clive at Munich Motors about having them look the car over. The conversation re-inforced the ideas above about likely causes. He's going to take a look at it for me Wednesday week. Fingers crossed it's nothing too expensive
        ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
        now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

        Comment


        • #5
          Oil changes and using injector cleaners are all placebo changes. I find my car sometimes has really good days where it pulls much harder at the top end but I always thought this affected S50s more than S54!

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          • #6
            Don't forget that the brain adapts to your driving style. If you drive slowly a few times is thinks you are a granney and adapts.
            S54 Titan Silver metallic. Black leather, most factory options including sunroof, Becker Cascade and Becker Silverstone changer.

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            • #7
              You're in good hands with Clive - he knows the S50/S54 like the back of his hand
              Current: 2005 330i Sport
              Sold but never forgotten: 2000 Estoril S50

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks ghibbett - it was your feedback on Clive and co along with others that prompted me to give Munich Motors a call.

                Ian - I'll make Miss Daisy get the bus for a week or so and see if the adaptive thing comes good. I'd had a significant enough change to the normal weekend driving pattern that it may well be the problem although I've tried the ignition apative reset trick to no avail. Not disconnected the battery yet whilst I weighed up the pros and cons of visiting a mechanic - I didn't want to wipe out a history of potential useful error codes.

                And I agree c_w that those are likely placebos - I guess I wanted to do something that might help diagnose the problem. Ironically I started my car maintenance course recently (get parts at trade cost and use of the workshop which is a bonus) so the positive is that I'm learning about the car's working in more detail albeit at a very very basic level.

                Cheers
                ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
                now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

                Comment


                • #9
                  Update to the thread... went to see Munich Motors on Wednesday and talk through the problem with Clive.

                  When the computer was plugged in there was one repeated error related to the throttle actuator (Looks like it sits under the engine.. and the part is about £250)

                  Agreed we should change the partner switch above as well and that they'd put it on the ramp and check the various fuel connectors, manifolds etc underneath to rule out damage from a speed bump I'd encountered.

                  Got a call Wednesday afternoon to advise that having cleared the messages and taken it for a quick spin Clive couldn't recreate the error code. All the connections under the car looked good so he performed a full reset of the ECU (iirc) and didn't fit the replacement actuator.

                  I've just had a 200 mile trip today in the car to condition the adaptive element again. The response to the throttle is much, much better than it was. Fingers crossed that's all that was required long term for the fix
                  ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
                  now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Munich Motors

                    Yadi--Hope the Clive treatment is the answer-----What honesty to not fit the £250 Actuator as many service experts would have done, hope he can get a credit back on it.
                    safetyfast

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                    • #11
                      ZZZEMMCO - I suspect to his further credit he'd decided from experience he might not need the part and wanted to rule out clearing the errors beforehand in any case. I'm sure he won't have been out of pocket - and doubtless he'll be seeing the car again during my ownership at some point as a result of his approach.

                      Glad to say a week in and the car seems to still be behaving itself. In fact with the colder (denser?) air we've had the last few days it's been sounding progressively better

                      Long may it continue
                      ex- 2000 Titanium Silver S50 with AC Schnitzer road suspension, exhaust, rear wing and gear knob
                      now 2002 Sapphire Black S54 with black/red interior, S54 Bearing Shell upgrade with ARP Con Rod bolts, Cam shaft bolt upgrade

                      Comment

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