[Savage520]

Hey everyone! I've lurked these forums for awhile finding advice on fixing friends bimmers. but seeing as i found myself with a 2007 328i sedan project sitting in my driveway, i figured it was time to introduce myself! my friends call me savage, I'm from all over the world (military brat) but currently reside in Southern Arizona, USA. I know my way around a car, im a technician at a dealership, that being said i definitely don't know everything and i greatly appreciate any help i get from y'all. enough about me, let me introduce you guys to the $1500 project 328 i procured. Shes pretty much all stock except for a cat back exhaust, 135,000mi and boy does she need some love. im going to be replacing a couple broken back windows next week, along with a fuel pump. ive done all the basic things I've learned but shes still running pretty rough. shes got 4 codes at the moment. P1415 - Mass or Volume air flow too low. P0463 - fuel level sensor A circuit high input. P1407 - fuel level signal 1. and last and most annoying, P0303 - Cylinder 3 misfire. Ive changed spark plugs, nothing, swapped coil packs, still cylinder 3. now most confusing of all, i ran sea foam through her the other day and noticed the day after i sea foam the misfire disappears but then a day later boom its back for good. repeated the process and got the same results. also, im pretty sure me secondary pump is missing as theres a giant hole in the front left side of the engine bay (looking at the car) i will post pictures soon to confirm but could this be the problem? she sputters when first started then rpms jump and she runs a little better. i plan on making this car a daily driver, the interior is gorgeous and the ride is so comfortable. to do that though i am trying to get it all mechanically sound. any advise is greatly appreciated and i would be more than happy to write up any guides or updates on the car and repairs. i look forward to being a part of the forum and getting to know you guys!

[arciga18]

Looking forward to the project, but

[Savage520]

Was going to wait til morning to post but seeing as there's someone else just as ready to get started as I am I rigged up some lights and took some pics! Lmk what y'all think!

[Savage520]

my first concern is the misfire and the terribly rough idle. when started, rpms drop for about 5 seconds, during it feels like the car wants to die, then bam they shoot up and relatively normalize except for the misfire on cyl 3. the car has its days, sometimes it runs totally perfect, but majority of the time the misfire is present, sometimes in worsens. feel free to ask any questions, i dont have anyone to really reach out to where i live so any help from you guys is much appreciated!

[tlow98]

I love a good revival thread! This will be a nice daily for you. The N52 is a solid motor and the drivetrains are mostly solid, as well.

On to your issues:
1 - P1415. I don't think you're supposed to have a "secondary pump". Are you referring to the air pumps that are emissions related? Use the last 7 numbers of your VIN here https://www.mdecoder.com/ and see what engine you have. If it's an N52 then you don't have a secondary air pump. If it's an N51, then you do. However, I'm pretty sure they didn't offer the N51 until 2008.

I believe the giant hole in your case is due to the missing fender liner.

2 - MAF issue. Could this be a vacuum issue? Also, there are reports of people installing the incorrect MAF and having issues. Check your part number vs your build date here - http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select RealOEM is a great site that will give you all your build info and help you track correct part numbers.

Some people have found that if the Oil fill cap isn't on correctly the car will throw a P1415 code. Check that.

Yet others say this is an O2 sensor issue.

3 - Missfire. It's certainly odd that you're still getting it after swapping plugs and coils. Makes me think it's a fuel related issue. The N52/51 motors aren't known to have injector issues, but that's what I'd be thinking next.

The good news is I doubt it'll take more than a few hundred dollars to have this stuff sorted.

[lowrydr310]

Try to get your hands on a programming/diagnostics cable and INPA software for better diagnostics ability. I too recently acquired a e90 project car that was misfiring, and the OBDII codes read with the standard reader didn't quite correspond to the actual misfiring cylinders that DME reported through INPA. I bought my cable from bimmer software dot com and software links are available through bimmergeeks.

The N52 needs healthy plugs and coils to run well. In my case I had a horrible misfire at idle that sometimes went away at higher RPMs and swapping coils got me nowhere. I replaced all six coils and plugs and it runs perfectly smooth now. I heard Delphi coils are a better option however I got Bosch coils for $20 each. I had a combination of multiple bad coils and multiple bad plugs so I was difficult to pinpoint one single failure point, bit replacing them all fixed the misfire and now it's one less thing to worry about for a few years.

If you can rule out plugs or coils, next thing I would check would be compression and then injectors.

[E92booost]

Congrats on the e90 my brother has a white n52 330i, change that maf out with a Oem used from eBay that will make a huge difference and possibly eliminate other codes, new plugs clean vanos solenoids and you should be more than half way there good luck with it!

[Biginboca]

Just to add one more thing to the exellent advice you have already received...

Check the plug area for leaked oil. These motors are known for valve cover leaks and that oil can puddle into the areas around the plugs causing shorts and misfires. At the mileage and condition of your car there are almost certainly oil leaks lol

[tcphoto]

Who can read that post with no paragraph breaks? Plus it was edited so you must be satisfied with it. And don't even get me started on those rattle can painted wheels.

[Savage520]

thank you all so much for your relevant and constructive advice! *cough cough*
I will be following all of your suggestions and will post back with answers and updates later today. Thanks again to most all of you!

[ThugzZ BunnY]

how can someone type on a computer with a stick up their ass?

[Savage520]

anyway, did some research on the questions yall had and heres what i came up with.

the engine is an n52 so yeah tlow that rules out that emissions pump and yes both front fender liners are missing. that also worries me cause isn't there a little black module or box that connects to the front left fender liner? theres definitely a connector there not attached but i may be mistaken...

Maf sensor is on date, will post pics to be sure in a sec

the oil cap does look like it may be leaking, a thorough engine bay cleaning is definitely due... would i just replace the oil cap to remedy this?

o2 sensors could be a possibility for the maf

I will replace all the coil packs here soon just as a maintenance and see if that helps the issue, any recommendations on brands and where to get them inexpensive?

lowrydr ill definitely buy one of these cables and hit you up for help with the software

i cleaned the maf when i checked the date, is it still necessary to replace?

there was a little oil around a couple plugs but idk if itd be enough to cause a misfire? i dont have too much experience with these engines though to say

[Savage520]

Looks on date

Hope there were enough paragraph breaks... lmao thank y'all for the help I owe all of you a blunt/beer!

[lab_rat]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the car!

I retired from the military last year after 21 years; since you said are in Southern AZ...I'm guessing you're Army or AF? I was stationed at Huachuca for a while. Loved the Southwest...some of the greatest motorcycle riding areas I've experienced.

About the car:

First order of business-fix the serpentine belt & tensioner.

I noticed the serpentine belt is *ALMOST COMPLETELY* off the tensioner...if it falls off while the engine is running, it will most likely lead to catastrophic engine failure, as the belt will likely be ingested into the front/engine seal.

The complete kit is ~$120. I wouldn't drive it any more until you fix that FIRST.

If you don't have a Bentley manual, and a laptop w/the programs (INPA, NCS Expert, etc.), be sure you grab those items quickly as possible. Nearly everything (instructions, torque specs, coding, etc.), you need is contained in those.

Keep us posted.

[feuer]

On the front fender liners the tpms boxes are mounted so the plugs are for them. How is the interior? If you are going to DIY most of the work is worth the initial $1500. I wish you easy and fun times fix the car!

[nsjames]

swap the injector from cyl 3 with another. if problem moves from cyl 3 it's an injector issue, if not, probably ignition.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by lab_rat

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on the car!

I retired from the military last year after 21 years; since you said are in Southern AZ...I'm guessing you're Army or AF? I was stationed at Huachuca for a while. Loved the Southwest...some of the greatest motorcycle riding areas I've experienced.

About the car:

First order of business-fix the serpentine belt & tensioner.

I noticed the serpentine belt is *ALMOST COMPLETELY* off the tensioner...if it falls off while the engine is running, it will most likely lead to catastrophic engine failure, as the belt will likely be ingested into the front/engine seal.

The complete kit is ~$120. I wouldn't drive it any more until you fix that FIRST.

If you don't have a Bentley manual, and a laptop w/the programs (INPA, NCS Expert, etc.), be sure you grab those items quickly as possible. Nearly everything (instructions, torque specs, coding, etc.), you need is contained in those.

Keep us posted.

This is a fantastic catch! This must be addressed ASAP. If the belt slips your motor could be toast.

Also, second the recommendation on the cable.

Order of operations:
1 - Belt/tensioner as soon as humanly possible. I’d even pay dealer prices if that’s the quickest parts source.
2- new cable/INPA
3 - further diagnosis

For parts I just use the better brands on Rockauto. A lot of people also like the re-seller that has the lifetime warranty on parts that’s currently slipping my mind... someone will fill in

[alfazrus]

You can download the Bentley service manual online free. BMW E90/91/92/93 2006-2010.
Good luck with your project.
http://www.georgebelton.com/335i.tech/bentley.php

[Savage520]

ight! happy monday everyone! i managed to obtain a diag cable from work, im hoping itll be compatible with INPA...

my fuel pump and windows come in today or tomorrow and its payday so ill be ordering that belt kit soon...

thanks again yall! updates soon!

[Bimmer Pleaser]

What do you mean by “oil cap leak”? Are you talking about oil filter housing? If OFH gasket is leaking it has to be replaced right away. It leaks on serpentine causing it to dislodge and get sucked into engine.

[Savage520]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Pleaser

What do you mean by "oil cap leak"? Are you talking about oil filter housing? If OFH gasket is leaking it has to be replaced right away. It leaks on serpentine causing it to dislodge and get sucked into engine.

Not the oil filter cap, the actual oil fill cap

[e90yyc]

FCP Euro. Recommended.

Originally Posted by tlow98

This is a fantastic catch! This must be addressed ASAP. If the belt slips your motor could be toast.

Also, second the recommendation on the cable.

Order of operations:
1 - Belt/tensioner as soon as humanly possible. I’d even pay dealer prices if that’s the quickest parts source.
2- new cable/INPA
3 - further diagnosis

For parts I just use the better brands on Rockauto. A lot of people also like the re-seller that has the lifetime warranty on parts that’s currently slipping my mind... someone will fill in