Rough idle / Multiple misfires

RATED_M · 10-07-2020, 10:38 AM

Earlier this year I took delivery of a beautiful, well-maintained E92 Comp from another member. I've done several maintenance items on it since, including a new set of spark plugs and a battery.

Recently, the car has been sporadically going into limp mode. I can drive hundreds of miles without issue and then the engine malfunction light will come on. I pull over, shut the car off, give it a few seconds and start it up and continue on without issue.

My scanner showed misfires on 3 cylinders. I replaced the battery (it was going) thinking this would solve issue but it didn't. The throttle actuators were replaced around 42,000 miles, plugs at 48,000 and battery at 54,000. Car currently has 54,xxx miles.

Am I looking at new coils or idle control valve?

Audioslave686 · 10-07-2020, 11:22 AM

i would try to swap the coils to see if the misfire will follow the coil.

Kelse92 · 10-07-2020, 01:31 PM

O2 Sensors go bad on these cars all the time and will cause a misfire on a whole bank like that.
Cheap and easy to replace, start there.

RATED_M · 10-07-2020, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelse92

O2 Sensors go bad on these cars all the time and will cause a misfire on a whole bank like that.
Cheap and easy to replace, start there.

Also to note, I have a Macht Schnell catless x-pipe and I’m not currently running a tune. Could this have anything to do with it? This is the only mod the car has.

RATED_M · 10-07-2020, 04:51 PM

The 3 cylinder misfires are cylinder 5, 6 and 8.

white_4door · 10-09-2020, 06:40 AM

you can swap o2 sensors from side to side to see if misfires move to other bank

RATED_M · 10-09-2020, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by white_4door

you can swap o2 sensors from side to side to see if misfires move to other bank

Now I got cylinder 3 to 8. Not sure if they all misfire at same time. This is just the codes I have stored.

white_4door · 10-10-2020, 08:39 AM

did you clear faults after swapping?

RATED_M · 10-16-2020, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by white_4door

did you clear faults after swapping?

Here’s where I’m currently at:

I have been running the car with a catless x-pipe for quite a bit. And this issue has been infrequent. Today I finally decided to tune the car with Alpine. After installing the tune I decided to obviously take it for a drive. First thing I notice is that the idle is rough - the car was doing this prior to tune but now it seems more pronounced. Also, when I was stopped at a light the RPMs would gradually raise without me touching the accelerator.

As I’d continue to drive, engine malfunction light comes on and car feels rough. A quick scan shows multiple misfires. This time on 2,3,4,5,6,8. I highly doubt my coils are going on all of these cylinders. Could the rough idle be pointing to the idle control valve?

RATED_M · 10-16-2020, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelse92

O2 Sensors go bad on these cars all the time and will cause a misfire on a whole bank like that.
Cheap and easy to replace, start there.

Would you recommend changing both pre-cat, post-cat or all 4?

amrazM · 10-16-2020, 05:59 AM

Chris you need to diagnose the car properly, a moving misfire like this can be hinting at a range of issues one of which being the ICV allowed unmonitored air to leak into the combustion chamber throwing the fuel mixture off......

See someone, me, with ISTA so they, me, can scan and properly diagnose the car instead of you throwing parts at it which can go wrong at this "time".

AzRiz · 10-16-2020, 06:01 AM

Did you use the standard spark plugs when last changed? Or something different?

JetBlack_M3 · 10-16-2020, 07:24 AM

Idle control valve causes idle to be rough. Since I switched from E85 to 93 octane, my cars been throwing a shit ton of codes including idle control monitor. Idles been very rough on cold start and misfires

RATED_M · 10-16-2020, 08:10 PM

Here are the codes I'm getting with the AMS reader (courtesy of Alex at Alpine). Car is going in next week to be diagnosed but I guess its fair to say the O2 sensors are a good place to start.

jeff@autocouture · 10-19-2020, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabbenda

Here are the codes I'm getting with the AMS reader (courtesy of Alex at Alpine). Car is going in next week to be diagnosed but I guess its fair to say the O2 sensors are a good place to start.

If you want we can help you out down here in NJ. People have been giving you sound advice between the plugs, coils and o2 swapping.

Kelse92 · 10-20-2020, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabbenda

Would you recommend changing both pre-cat, post-cat or all 4?

Pre-cat would be where I start

AzRiz · 10-21-2020, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabbenda

Here are the codes I'm getting with the AMS reader (courtesy of Alex at Alpine). Car is going in next week to be diagnosed but I guess its fair to say the O2 sensors are a good place to start.

I had a very similar list of codes when my car had this issue a few weeks after I bought it. When hot, it would start misfiring and go into limp mode. I would restart the engine and it was fine again.

After I went through the history paperwork in detail, I noticed that someone before me had fitted some other model of spark plug (but still NGK).

I had them changed out to the correct standard ones and the issue has never come back.

RATED_M · 10-29-2020, 02:07 PM

UPDATE:

Brought the car in to be serviced. The shop swapped the coils around and we also decided to replace both primary O2 sensors (one was apparently shorting). However, I am still getting the misfires, although not as frequent. Cylinders 5,6,8 and most recently 5,6,7,8.

Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do next? Should the gapping on the plugs be checked? They’re brand new.

GORDON.M3 · 10-30-2020, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabbenda

UPDATE:

Brought the car in to be serviced. The shop swapped the coils around and we also decided to replace both primary O2 sensors (one was apparently shorting). However, I am still getting the misfires, although not as frequent. Cylinders 5,6,8 and most recently 5,6,7,8.

Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do next? Should the gapping on the plugs be checked? They’re brand new.

If the plugs are brand new and NGK you won't need to gap them. They come pre-gapped from factory.

RATED_M · 10-30-2020, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GORDON.M3

If the plugs are brand new and NGK you won't need to gap them. They come pre-gapped from factory.

Plugs are NGK (bought from ECS) and they were recently installed. This misfire is very sporadic and seems difficult to diagnose.

GORDON.M3 · 10-30-2020, 12:24 AM

My friend Embolus*M3 had the same issue, he legit replaced every sensor in the car only to find out it was the Idle Control Valve that was causing all this problems. He ended up replacing all the parts, costly but he thought of it as preventative maintenance.

RATED_M · 11-21-2020, 01:26 PM

My local performance shop is saying that it could be a vacuum leak or possibly throttle actuators. The TAs were replaced by BMW under previous owner less than 10k miles ago in Michigan. Car is now in New York. Really not looking to spend another $2k!

Car also feels like it’s lost a little power.

10-07-2020, 10:38 AM	#1
RATED_M Major 43 Rep 185 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Comp Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Rough idle / Multiple misfires Earlier this year I took delivery of a beautiful, well-maintained E92 Comp from another member. I've done several maintenance items on it since, including a new set of spark plugs and a battery. Recently, the car has been sporadically going into limp mode. I can drive hundreds of miles without issue and then the engine malfunction light will come on. I pull over, shut the car off, give it a few seconds and start it up and continue on without issue. My scanner showed misfires on 3 cylinders. I replaced the battery (it was going) thinking this would solve issue but it didn't. The throttle actuators were replaced around 42,000 miles, plugs at 48,000 and battery at 54,000. Car currently has 54,xxx miles. Am I looking at new coils or idle control valve? __________________ Current: 2011 Jet Black ///E92 M3 Comp DCT Previous: 2017 Yas Marina Blue ///M3 \| Silverstone \| DCT 2018 Citrin Black 340xi \| Dakota Black \| 8-Speed Auto Last edited by RATED_M; 10-16-2020 at 12:41 AM..
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10-07-2020, 11:22 AM	#2
Audioslave686 Private First Class 165 Rep 126 Posts Drives: M3 E90/X4 F26 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (0)	i would try to swap the coils to see if the misfire will follow the coil.
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10-07-2020, 01:31 PM	#3
Kelse92 Major 1132 Rep 1,366 Posts Drives: Former e92 M3 Owner Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	O2 Sensors go bad on these cars all the time and will cause a misfire on a whole bank like that. Cheap and easy to replace, start there. __________________ #ladydriven Heavy-spec M3 // KW Clubsports // AA x-pipe // Gintani muffler // Macht-Schnell intake // Gintani tune // OMP Seats // Too Many Apex Wheels // Stoptech ST-60 // Cobalt Friction brake pads
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10-07-2020, 04:51 PM	#5
RATED_M Major 43 Rep 185 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Comp Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	The 3 cylinder misfires are cylinder 5, 6 and 8.
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10-09-2020, 06:40 AM	#6
white_4door Private 23 Rep 66 Posts Drives: 11 alpine white e90 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: phoenixville, pa iTrader: (1) Garage List 2001 bmw 540i [0.00] 2008 bmw 535i [0.00] 2008 bmw m3 [0.00] 2011 bmw m3 [0.00]	you can swap o2 sensors from side to side to see if misfires move to other bank
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10-10-2020, 08:39 AM	#8
white_4door Private 23 Rep 66 Posts Drives: 11 alpine white e90 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: phoenixville, pa iTrader: (1) Garage List 2001 bmw 540i [0.00] 2008 bmw 535i [0.00] 2008 bmw m3 [0.00] 2011 bmw m3 [0.00]	did you clear faults after swapping?
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10-16-2020, 05:59 AM	#11
amrazM mTekMods 2143 Rep 2,902 Posts Drives: like a granny. Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Manhatan iTrader: (1)	Chris you need to diagnose the car properly, a moving misfire like this can be hinting at a range of issues one of which being the ICV allowed unmonitored air to leak into the combustion chamber throwing the fuel mixture off...... See someone, me, with ISTA so they, me, can scan and properly diagnose the car instead of you throwing parts at it which can go wrong at this "time". __________________ 2011 Frozen Black/Fox Red E90 M3 650+WHP G-Power Supercharged First DCT to Manual Conversion Worldwide KW CS, BBS RI-A, BW Headers, Snow 2.5
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10-16-2020, 06:01 AM	#12
AzRiz Captain 130 Rep 935 Posts Drives: E92 M3 LE500 Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: London iTrader: (1)	Did you use the standard spark plugs when last changed? Or something different? __________________ Progress Thread \| Instagram: @azriz
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10-16-2020, 07:24 AM	#13
JetBlack_M3 Second Lieutenant 42 Rep 207 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW M3 E92 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0)	Idle control valve causes idle to be rough. Since I switched from E85 to 93 octane, my cars been throwing a shit ton of codes including idle control monitor. Idles been very rough on cold start and misfires __________________
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10-16-2020, 08:10 PM	#14
RATED_M Major 43 Rep 185 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Comp Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Here are the codes I'm getting with the AMS reader (courtesy of Alex at Alpine). Car is going in next week to be diagnosed but I guess its fair to say the O2 sensors are a good place to start. Attached Images __________________ Current: 2011 Jet Black ///E92 M3 Comp DCT Previous: 2017 Yas Marina Blue ///M3 \| Silverstone \| DCT 2018 Citrin Black 340xi \| Dakota Black \| 8-Speed Auto
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10-29-2020, 02:07 PM	#18
RATED_M Major 43 Rep 185 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Comp Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	UPDATE: Brought the car in to be serviced. The shop swapped the coils around and we also decided to replace both primary O2 sensors (one was apparently shorting). However, I am still getting the misfires, although not as frequent. Cylinders 5,6,8 and most recently 5,6,7,8. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do next? Should the gapping on the plugs be checked? They’re brand new.
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10-30-2020, 12:24 AM	#21
GORDON.M3 Brigadier General 1423 Rep 3,002 Posts Drives: E92 M3 • F25 X3 M-Sport Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: LAX/YYZ/NRT iTrader: (11)	My friend EmbolusM3 had the same issue, he legit replaced every sensor in the car only to find out it was the Idle Control Valve that was causing all this problems. He ended up replacing all the parts, costly but he thought of it as preventative maintenance. __________________ INSTAGRAM:* GORDON.M3 North American Mr12Volt Carplay/Android Auto Distributor DINAN \| EVOSPORT \| VAC \| ARP \| RD SPORT \| NEEZ \| EIBACH \| CSF \| IND \| BILSTEIN \| KLASSEN \| BREMBO \| ENDLESS \| BBS \| BPM SPORT \| PROJECT MU \| EVENTURI
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11-21-2020, 01:26 PM	#22
RATED_M Major 43 Rep 185 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Comp Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	My local performance shop is saying that it could be a vacuum leak or possibly throttle actuators. The TAs were replaced by BMW under previous owner less than 10k miles ago in Michigan. Car is now in New York. Really not looking to spend another $2k! Car also feels like it’s lost a little power.
	Appreciate 0 Quote