E60I

Guys, thanks for your help!!!

I cleaned the MAF sensor and all related parts. Unfortunately, the engine will not run unless the MAF sensor is disconnected.

I ordered this tonight: Brand New Genuine VDO Primary Mass Air Flow Meter Sensor MAF for BMW 3 5 Z4 | eBay

According to their website, this is the same exact part sold at the dealership.

Happy thanksgiving to everyone!!!

E60I

I am very curious how the mass air flow sensor could have got damaged. With the exception of pulling the electrical plug (not bent nor broken) off it , it was never disassembled from the unit (air duct?) that is connected by two torx screws.

I do remember accidentally sprayed either simple green or brake cleaner into the hose (see red arrow from the attachment) and not thoroughly dried it (I figured it would evaporate). If there was any liquid left between the ridges of that hose, could that liquid evaporated or flew into the sensor and damage it?

Thanks for the education and all the help, guys!

In conclusion (I hope), as impossible as it may sound, a starter can be replaced without completely taking the whole intake manifold off the engine; as long as you can remove the part of the hose that is connected to the valve cover. Let this thread be fair warnings and a good education to those who wish to take the challenge. ;-)

pcy

I actually replaced the starter with intake manifold moved to the side. AFTER I was done replacing the starter, I decided that I might as well replace the oil separator and related hoses as a preventive maintenance. That's when I needed to remove the intake manifold from the car.

To replace the starter with out removing manifold completely, like you said, you'd need to disconnect the oil separator hose that connects to valve cover, remove the intake manifold bolts and have someone hold the manifold pushed towards the fender while you remove the the starter bolts and replace.

As for the MAF, all I can tell you is that it's a delicate part and can be damaged if not handled properly, even if unintentional.

Anyway, have you tried cleaning the MAF with MAF_cleaner?

(I will be offline for the rest of the day, I need to drive from Boston to Michigan and we are expecting bad weather along the way)

E60I

Have a safe trip, Pcy!

I cleaned the MAF sensor and got no positive result. I hope to receive my new sensor soon.

E60I

Hey guys,

My car engine is now running, after I installed a new mass air flow sensor.

Now I have the following problem:

1. SES keeps popping up. It says cylinder #4 misfire. I switched spark plug and coil from cylinder #2 with cylinder #4 and the problem still persist. I Changed the oil and oil filter today and that didn't make any improvement either.

Is there a way to check if fuel injector #4 is fouling? What else can cause cylinder #4 to misfire?


The car is running rough and lost acceleration power. I didn't have this problem before I changed the starter and took the intake manifold apart. I checked the hoses and wires and they seem to look okay.

The engine idle fluctuates up and down by 1 or 2 millimeter. I had this problem before I installed the following parts:
1. new starter
2. oil separator,ventilation hose and the two hoses for the valve cover and oil pan.

Thanks for reading and sharing some inputs.

In the meanwhile, I will continue to search for answers to fix this problem once and for all.

Have a great day!




.

pcy

I am glad to hear your car is running now. Coil pack is around $30 on amazon, if you haven't already bought it.
On to next project - water pump and thermostat replacement. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

pcy

Without looking at the relevant parts, I am guessing here...
If the wires to ignition coil 4 are damaged, then the problem will persist even if you put new coil and new spark plug in #4. Since the problem persisted on #4 even after swapping coil and spark plug, we need to identify part that is specific to #4 cylinder.

If you are absolutely sure the wiring to #4 is ok, then, as you were thinking, injector may be going bad.

E60I

The condition of WIRES for the coil harness has not changed. They are still insulated and repaired like before. The only thing that changed is the condition of how the engine is running (rougher and weaker) after all the parts (starter, oil separator assemble, MAF sensor, gaskets) are installed.

I think I will eventually take it to the shop. The simple problem (car starter) is turning into major stress and waste of time.

Thanks for your time!!!

pcy

What's the status of the car now?

E60I

Hey Pcy!

Hope all is well with you.

Even though the car idles (not bad) like it was before I had the starter problem, it runs noticeably rougher. When it is in R (reverse) or D (drive), I can feel it vibrates harder. It is definitely losing acceleration power; running like it lost one cylinder.

I keep getting SES light, telling me cylinder #4 is misfiring. I ordered a new fuel injector this morning from www.getbmwparts.com and will install it as soon as I get it. If that does not fix the problem, I will take it to the BMW dealership. This guessing game is getting costly.

Attached is a picture of the what fuel injectors look like while the car was idling.