Subject: Another set of questions from UK Author: aaronmccuk : member since May, 2009 : 2 posts Posted on: 2009-05-31 10:51:49

Hi all,

I'm counting my lucky stars that I've found all the invaluable information provided by Loach & Rajaie, and in this forum.

I have a '99 520i se (1991cc) with 120k miles. I've had a number of problems with the car over 4 years of ownership and I'm now wondering if these problems are caused by the Vanos issue.

The first problem is that the car sometimes drops a cylinder when its idling. This seems to happen when the engine is warm. Restarting the engine solves it for the duration of the journey. I left the car with my mechanic and he said I should live with it because the problem would likely be very expensive to identify and repair. I had him check the O2 sensor but he reported that it was fine.

Lately, the revs drop to just below 500 when its idling and I get the feeling that its on the verge of stalling. Acceleration is lumpy from 500 to about 1500. Above 1000-1500 revs, the car runs smoothly, except that it feels like it doesn't have the power it should. This idling issue started around the same time when I noticed that, if I park facing downhill, the car badly jumps and jolts for about the first mile of driving.

I also have the cold-start idling symptons described by Loach & Rajaie. The car idles slowly for a while, then gives a "clunk" before idling fast.

I know I'm going over old ground with my tale of woe, but I'd appreciate any views or feedback. Is this the Vanos problem? Which kit do I need (I think my engine is a M52TU)?

Thanks to everyone for providing all the info in previous posts.

-Aaron

• Another set of questions from UK - aaronmccuk 2009-05-31 10:51:49 (458 views)
  • Re: Another set of questions from UK - Rajaie 2009-05-31 16:30:52 (429 views)
    • Re: Another set of questions from UK - aaronmccuk 2010-02-09 05:29:14 (265 views)