Most Common BMW M54 Engine Misfire Causes And Fixes E39 E46 X5 X3 For Business Contact : Nathan's BMW Workshop Po Box 115 Altenburg Mo 63732 nathan.youtube@yahoo.com
one more thing! VERY often overlooked and rarely mentioned: 🤓 The hydraulic lifters OFTEN clog and cause all kinds of engine fault codes, NONE of these codes actually mention to check the hydraulic lifters, they always "blame" another part. hence you end up replacing alot of parts which are still good without getting to the root cause. Try HYDRAULIC LIFTER CLEANING FLUID first, this stuff is meant to do just that, and it often really works! this is the simplest fix for your M54 engine, and you can't really hurt the engine with cleaner lifters, even if there is another fault as well.
Great video, Nathan. I have an M54 on my 2002 Z3 Coupe. Also, the cooling system needs a refresh at 10 years or 100k. Parts for that cost me about $750 and the job was easy.
I’ve watched a lot of TH-cam videos like everybody else, and most people just go off on tangents and start talking about all these other things you stick to the subject and you get to the point thank you other people just annoy the crap out of me
Nice video! I recently had a misfire which did not throw a code. I replaced the DISA to no avail. Then I replaced the coils and spark plugs in my 80k miles 2006 BMW X3. That worked like a charm.
So I'm looking up videos for various things and I keep seeing your videos pop up and I'm watching them and I'm learning how to fix each individual problem. You get a subscriber out of me bro. Thank you for showing us. Back in the day the only way you got this kind of information was out of a repair manual. Now the encyclopedia Britannica has mutated and turned into TH-cam.
this is by faaar the best video on the subject. my readout says misfire on cylinder 5 and it's a running misfire that's worse when cold. seems like a coil issue
Nathan 1 thing I've noticed are that alot of people get a BMW they buy custom wheels , tint the windows & wax & polish it to no end. Spend the money & get it road worthy & then spend money on cosmetic choices. If you can't afford to do this then you can't afford to own a BMW. solid advice.
The best thing to do is to get an up graded scan tool. It will tell you what causes the misfire. My N55 engine is misfiring and it told me that I have multiple misfire in all cylinders and number 6 injector is switched off I ordered 6 injectors and the coil to change on number 6.
I've got a weird one ive been chasing for a week. I've got an '02 E53. I did valve cover gasket and plugs all at once. I immediately got misfires on all 6, with fuel cutoff on 2 and 3. Plugs are brk6equp or whatever oem is. Did the coil boots just in case the resistance was too high. Unplugged maf, it ran better. Ordered a VDO maf, same issue. Took valve cover off again, gasket was perfect. Did the fuel pump about a year ago. CCV and intake boot was done less than 6 months ago. Idle air valve is clean. The only thing I noticed is that the DISA valve comes out with no resistance, and I can hear what almost sounds like whistling. Ordered a new o ring, should be in tomorrow. If not that, I guess fuel filter and maybe coils? All the codes are for lean conditions.
Did you break the ccv hard line when you changed the valve cover? also if you got the plugs offline they are more than likely Chinese clones and will only misfire and cause issues
@@NathansBMWWorkshop plugs came from autozone so who knows, but I've tried 2 sets. The ccv line is good, I disconnected it before removing the cover. The weird thing is the car runs fine under load. It doesn't feel down on power really, I can drive it no problem, though I'm not because I don't want to burn a valve or anything. At idle though, it shakes and you can hear the misfire.
@@NathansBMWWorkshop do you know if there's a vacuum diagram around the internet? I found one port blocked off, one open on the vacuum cylinder thing under the DISA, and one open on the side. Two open on the back of the manifold down by the starter. It still runs like crap, shaking badly and the lights are flickering.
05 E46 M54, new fuel pump, new filter pressure regulator, doesn’t want to start but shot of ether, fires up runs great, perhaps a new video on this issue
If the Disa still holds good vacuum, the loose flap and pin can be replaced with a kit from German Auto Solutions for $70 instead of replacing the whole thing.
What about a misfire that is only triggered after a hard acceleration? I keep getting it on cyl 5 or 6, no CEL switch the car off and back on and it runs normally again? New plugs and coils too
Hey thanks for doing what you do to help the community. I'm having trouble with my e39 540i. I had 7 trouble codes. I changed all the coils and the spark plug. Dumped Lucas fuel Injector cleaner down the cylinder P1345 last code remaining. I changed the themostat. Crank position sensor. Spark plug coil and it's still having the cylinder 2 misfire code remains. Any other suggestions will be appreciated thanks 😊
Switch out your fuel injector with another cylinder, just cause you ran cleaner through it doesn't mean it is clean. You could try running cleaner through it in reverse after you pull it as well just incase a large chunk of gunk is stuck inside.
I'm very curious to a more detailed video on that. Afaik Nathan has only mentioned in previous videos that "The clutch fan, basically does nothing" while that is, either too simple or probably not true. It is true that there is redundancy in the M54 cooling system. So, when there is no clutch fan, the aux-fan will maintain a decent cooling water temperature. The other way around, with a broken aux-fan, you can experience have good temperature too (unless you run the airconditioning AND it is a hot day, and you are stuck in traffic, then not). In my case the clutch fan really has a function. Without the ABS light comes on, thus the ABS computer likes the air-cooling. My hypothesis: The engine and its surrounding (plastic! ) parts don't like too high temperature differences, especially over time. Therefor the aircooling-part is there for a reason. It's part of the design (althought the m54 was the last engine designed in this way). The clutch needs to be good ofcourse. And such a fan has some disadvantages, it takes away some power, it can explode, hard to reach the belds. I only have 5% of the experience of Nathan. Still I would not remove it for a daily driver.
Love it ! Can we suggest the problem to be camshaft sensor on m52 with crank no start (cold) and start with no issues (warm) + missfires and (mechanical) vanos problem
im getting a missfire on my cylinder 3 also cut off, code is p1347 just showed up two weeks ago, also got some lean air - fuel mixture as well.. on both banks
Question: I was driving on highway, put a little bit of load and began misfiring and got code for misfire and fuel cut off on cylinder 5. My ignition coils were not wet even though I know my valve cover is leaking. I pulled out the spark plug for two cylinders and they had oil on thread and very little pebble like debris on the tips. I also noticed a fair amount of oil through the pvc tube that disconnects from the valve cover. I don't hear any knocking, more of a hissing noise. Any ideas?
Great Video! Just got an 04 e46 2 weeks ago. Trailered it home as wasn't running. Replaced everything you just mentioned. ofhg,ccv, intake boots, disa o ring, alternator,belts, maf, plugs,coils,secondary air check valve and vacuum hoses. Runs pretty good now. Still a slight misfire on cold and hot starts for about 5 seconds. I noticed 3 vacuum ports on back of intake. 2 capped and one open. Should that be open? My secondary air check valve does not have a vacumm port and I assume that's what would go there and capped it. Was this right?
I've got a 2008 bmw 535xi that has a 3rd cylinder misfire and a terrible idle. And on hot start it run even rougher like it might not even make it home. I'm doing coil packs and plugs tonight so we'll see.
Thanks for the great video Nathan! I replaced the starter myself since the shops wanted 1200± to do it, but once I got it back together, the a/c won't turn on. I checked and rechecked the wiring harnesses. Any obvious things I could be missing?
Hi, I’m having an issue with when i start it. Dies right out. Seem to be gasping for air. When pressed on the accelerator pedal. It wouldn’t go pass 2000 rpm. When let go the gas pedal. It dies.
Hey, Nathan I have a M54 with a few codes, more recently a P0313 misfire with low fuel. Any idea where to start ? I've replaced the CCV with the kit from FCP. I do however have a mismatched coil would that effect anything ?
great vid, thanks. Question: i use WOW diagnostic on my x5 e53 3.0(m54), scannes says P1083/P1085; I`ve done vanos, ccv, valvecover gasket, no vacum leaks. Wow says bad O2 sensor, bank1/bank2. The fault on both banks came at the same time, so dont think its the O2 sensors. Could a bad Maf give faulty 02 sensor reading? Great channel, keep it up!
I’m getting 3 misfire codes - p1345 - can position sensor code -p0174 lean bank 2, p1347 fuel level sensor b cylinder 3 - no power cuts off and an awful ping once in a while - I’m going to start w cam position sensor - I’ve replaced coil packs and plugs some time ago - but the hard metal ping noise scares me to death - oil and car gage been meticulously cared for car gas 130k ( 535 m54 2001). Any other recommendations ( all boots etc we’re replaced about 10k ago )
I have an e30 M54B30 swap with intermittent misfire it seems. Happens randomly, after warm up. Completely cuts power, won’t even make it up a hill really. New plugs, injectors, and clear codes and it runs fine. Super confusing
Any help? Just this night I was out and my 1999 2.3l z3 got stranded in the parking lot with a locked steering wheel and the car unable to turn on. Just before hand everythang was working normal and earlier right as I got into the car the steering wheel locked up and I didn’t think anythang of it since all I gotta do is turn the key and wheel and it unlocks, this time it stayed locked and I was unable to unlock it because when I put the key into the ignition the first turn all I hear is the ding go off letting me know the door is open as normal and once I turned it into the next position and It felt odd, normally I should feel some resistance from the ignition but it had none and nothing happened. No lights on the dash and in the next turn no crank or anythang, just silence. I tried over and over again to free the steering wheel and turn the car on but nothing was happening. It’s a 5 speed manual, headlights and amber lights still came on so it wasn’t a bad battery, tow guy tried to still jump it and it didn’t change nothing. My thoughts was that maybe the wheel locking up triggered some anti theft system or immobilizer or is somethang do to with the ignition switch but honestly I’m clueless. Any help and information is greatly appreciated as always!
Just about 2 weeks i was ritp off for one mecanhic mobile " Blue Toro "" of Blacktown suburb near to sydney ,because i have a (" BMW") 2000 model 318i. I pay 350 dollars for nothing ,because destroy my car. !!
I have a 2005 E46 that’s runs and drives but stalls out of know where. Lights on dash come on and no power. Sometimes it starts back up other it won’t. Cranks ever time tho. Not sure what my issue is and either does two auto shops. Any help would be appreciated
one more thing! VERY often overlooked and rarely mentioned: 🤓 The hydraulic lifters OFTEN clog and cause all kinds of engine fault codes, NONE of these codes actually mention to check the hydraulic lifters, they always "blame" another part. hence you end up replacing alot of parts which are still good without getting to the root cause. Try HYDRAULIC LIFTER CLEANING FLUID first, this stuff is meant to do just that, and it often really works! this is the simplest fix for your M54 engine, and you can't really hurt the engine with cleaner lifters, even if there is another fault as well.
I'm in the throws of finishing the 2009 X3 n52b30 and attention turns to the wonderful 2004 X3 M54, . great vids and keep em coming
Great video, Nathan. I have an M54 on my 2002 Z3 Coupe. Also, the cooling system needs a refresh at 10 years or 100k. Parts for that cost me about $750 and the job was easy.
This video was just what I needed. Just bought a super clean 530i, but is hard starting with rough idle. Will follow all suggestions!
I’ve watched a lot of TH-cam videos like everybody else, and most people just go off on tangents and start talking about all these other things you stick to the subject and you get to the point thank you other people just annoy the crap out of me
Great advice on the M54 engine. I am going to follow that advice and do all that maintenance on my e46, M54 this summer.
Nice video! I recently had a misfire which did not throw a code. I replaced the DISA to no avail. Then I replaced the coils and spark plugs in my 80k miles 2006 BMW X3. That worked like a charm.
So I'm looking up videos for various things and I keep seeing your videos pop up and I'm watching them and I'm learning how to fix each individual problem. You get a subscriber out of me bro. Thank you for showing us.
Back in the day the only way you got this kind of information was out of a repair manual. Now the encyclopedia Britannica has mutated and turned into TH-cam.
He's great 😸💯
this is by faaar the best video on the subject. my readout says misfire on cylinder 5 and it's a running misfire that's worse when cold. seems like a coil issue
Nathan 1 thing I've noticed are that alot of people get a BMW they buy custom wheels , tint the windows & wax & polish it to no end. Spend the money & get it road worthy & then spend money on cosmetic choices. If you can't afford to do this then you can't afford to own a BMW. solid advice.
The best thing to do is to get an up graded scan tool. It will tell you what causes the misfire. My N55 engine is misfiring and it told me that I have multiple misfire in all cylinders and number 6 injector is switched off I ordered 6 injectors and the coil to change on number 6.
Love the M54 stuff. But, of course, I have a E46!
I just got my E39 and I love your videos. Keep it up and thank you!
Awesome stuff these kind of M54 videos you make are some of the best. Thanks for sharing your knowledge 🤠
I've got a weird one ive been chasing for a week. I've got an '02 E53. I did valve cover gasket and plugs all at once. I immediately got misfires on all 6, with fuel cutoff on 2 and 3. Plugs are brk6equp or whatever oem is. Did the coil boots just in case the resistance was too high. Unplugged maf, it ran better. Ordered a VDO maf, same issue. Took valve cover off again, gasket was perfect. Did the fuel pump about a year ago. CCV and intake boot was done less than 6 months ago. Idle air valve is clean. The only thing I noticed is that the DISA valve comes out with no resistance, and I can hear what almost sounds like whistling. Ordered a new o ring, should be in tomorrow. If not that, I guess fuel filter and maybe coils? All the codes are for lean conditions.
Did you break the ccv hard line when you changed the valve cover? also if you got the plugs offline they are more than likely Chinese clones and will only misfire and cause issues
@@NathansBMWWorkshop plugs came from autozone so who knows, but I've tried 2 sets. The ccv line is good, I disconnected it before removing the cover. The weird thing is the car runs fine under load. It doesn't feel down on power really, I can drive it no problem, though I'm not because I don't want to burn a valve or anything. At idle though, it shakes and you can hear the misfire.
@@johnspence6669 check the throttle
Body boot , might be the ccv
@@NathansBMWWorkshop do you know if there's a vacuum diagram around the internet? I found one port blocked off, one open on the vacuum cylinder thing under the DISA, and one open on the side. Two open on the back of the manifold down by the starter. It still runs like crap, shaking badly and the lights are flickering.
Omg thank you mine just started acting up.
Finally you made a BMW video
Great videos
05 E46 M54, new fuel pump, new filter pressure regulator, doesn’t want to start but shot of ether, fires up runs great, perhaps a new video on this issue
If the Disa still holds good vacuum, the loose flap and pin can be replaced with a kit from German Auto Solutions for $70 instead of replacing the whole thing.
What about a misfire that is only triggered after a hard acceleration? I keep getting it on cyl 5 or 6, no CEL switch the car off and back on and it runs normally again? New plugs and coils too
Hey thanks for doing what you do to help the community. I'm having trouble with my e39 540i. I had 7 trouble codes. I changed all the coils and the spark plug. Dumped Lucas fuel Injector cleaner down the cylinder P1345 last code remaining. I changed the themostat. Crank position sensor. Spark plug coil and it's still having the cylinder 2 misfire code remains. Any other suggestions will be appreciated thanks 😊
Check your MAF sensor
Switch out your fuel injector with another cylinder, just cause you ran cleaner through it doesn't mean it is clean. You could try running cleaner through it in reverse after you pull it as well just incase a large chunk of gunk is stuck inside.
Great video! I love the e46 & e39 content!! Question why dose your e39 not have clutch fan? Would love to see a video about the e39 clutch fan
I'm very curious to a more detailed video on that. Afaik Nathan has only mentioned in previous videos that "The clutch fan, basically does nothing" while that is, either too simple or probably not true. It is true that there is redundancy in the M54 cooling system. So, when there is no clutch fan, the aux-fan will maintain a decent cooling water temperature. The other way around, with a broken aux-fan, you can experience have good temperature too (unless you run the airconditioning AND it is a hot day, and you are stuck in traffic, then not).
In my case the clutch fan really has a function. Without the ABS light comes on, thus the ABS computer likes the air-cooling. My hypothesis: The engine and its surrounding (plastic! ) parts don't like too high temperature differences, especially over time. Therefor the aircooling-part is there for a reason. It's part of the design (althought the m54 was the last engine designed in this way). The clutch needs to be good ofcourse. And such a fan has some disadvantages, it takes away some power, it can explode, hard to reach the belds. I only have 5% of the experience of Nathan. Still I would not remove it for a daily driver.
Newer ones have electric fans or a lot of people swap the clutch fan for electric
@@RB-pr1xs thank you!!
Nathan can u tell me most common cause for DTC P1343?
Love it ! Can we suggest the problem to be camshaft sensor on m52 with crank no start (cold) and start with no issues (warm) + missfires and (mechanical) vanos problem
What would you say if turning it off and turning it back on helps a misfire that comes and goes?
im getting a missfire on my cylinder 3 also cut off, code is p1347 just showed up two weeks ago, also got some lean air - fuel mixture as well.. on both banks
Including some early e60's
Very timely as always. Thank you so much.
Question:
I was driving on highway, put a little bit of load and began misfiring and got code for misfire and fuel cut off on cylinder 5. My ignition coils were not wet even though I know my valve cover is leaking. I pulled out the spark plug for two cylinders and they had oil on thread and very little pebble like debris on the tips. I also noticed a fair amount of oil through the pvc tube that disconnects from the valve cover. I don't hear any knocking, more of a hissing noise. Any ideas?
5:15 Question , what is the ''Euro Flash'' I want to do that on my E39 530i , I have high flow 200c cats installed with SS headers
Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge in all your videos for that matter, helped me out a lot, keep up the good work! 👍
Great Video! Just got an 04 e46 2 weeks ago. Trailered it home as wasn't running. Replaced everything you just mentioned. ofhg,ccv, intake boots, disa o ring, alternator,belts, maf, plugs,coils,secondary air check valve and vacuum hoses. Runs pretty good now. Still a slight misfire on cold and hot starts for about 5 seconds. I noticed 3 vacuum ports on back of intake. 2 capped and one open. Should that be open? My secondary air check valve does not have a vacumm port and I assume that's what would go there and capped it. Was this right?
I saw online someone got vacuum leaks from a plug being cracked (maybe yours fell off?)
Ended up using that port for the pilot O2 mod. Still misfires on #5 but is better then it was.
Thank you so much, Nathan! Great info as always!
Love these type of uploads Nathan
I've got a 2008 bmw 535xi that has a 3rd cylinder misfire and a terrible idle. And on hot start it run even rougher like it might not even make it home. I'm doing coil packs and plugs tonight so we'll see.
Thanks for the great video Nathan!
I replaced the starter myself since the shops wanted 1200± to do it, but once I got it back together, the a/c won't turn on. I checked and rechecked the wiring harnesses. Any obvious things I could be missing?
Hi, I’m having an issue with when i start it. Dies right out. Seem to be gasping for air. When pressed on the accelerator pedal. It wouldn’t go pass 2000 rpm. When let go the gas pedal. It dies.
I need O2 sensor because the number 2 cylinder misfire. What sensor is it ? Please Help 04 E46 with M56.
I NEED YOUR HELP. IVE replcaed every cooling parts.. exept for radiator and thinking its a head gasket l. How do i know for aure
I need you thanks brother haha
Hey, Nathan I have a M54 with a few codes, more recently a P0313 misfire with low fuel. Any idea where to start ? I've replaced the CCV with the kit from FCP. I do however have a mismatched coil would that effect anything ?
Put more gas in the tank.
Nathan, great video
great vid, thanks. Question: i use WOW diagnostic on my x5 e53 3.0(m54), scannes says P1083/P1085; I`ve done vanos, ccv, valvecover gasket, no vacum leaks. Wow says bad O2 sensor, bank1/bank2. The fault on both banks came at the same time, so dont think its the O2 sensors. Could a bad Maf give faulty 02 sensor reading? Great channel, keep it up!
O2 sensors kinda tough, most of dtc comes from maf goin bad or dirty..😊
Ignition coils are mostly common fault
Great video
I’m getting 3 misfire codes - p1345 - can position sensor code -p0174 lean bank 2, p1347 fuel level sensor b cylinder 3 - no power cuts off and an awful ping once in a while - I’m going to start w cam position sensor - I’ve replaced coil packs and plugs some time ago - but the hard metal ping noise scares me to death - oil and car gage been meticulously cared for car gas 130k ( 535 m54 2001). Any other recommendations ( all boots etc we’re replaced about 10k ago )
My car would’ve broke along time ago if it wasn’t for this channel😂
What's a good brand when changing coils mass air flow sensor?
great content as usual!
No spark on one cylinder e46 any ideas
No mention of the stupid little hoses on the secondary air pump?
Hey, I have a 2005 x3 3.0 m54. It misfires on bank 2 only under load. What would you recommend to look at?
I have an e30 M54B30 swap with intermittent misfire it seems. Happens randomly, after warm up. Completely cuts power, won’t even make it up a hill really. New plugs, injectors, and clear codes and it runs fine. Super confusing
Uh oh Z4 guy here lol great video bro
Question. I have a 02bmw e39. I have a cold misfire only for 10/15 seconds. Then it’s good. All vacuum lines good?
Found a lifetime disa rebuild for the M54 330i but not the 325i, that’s messed up ?
I’m having a stalling issue whenever I turn steering wheel it also gives a popping noise can anyone help
Hi I have a bmw e46 330ci with 194171 miles on, and a code p1193 where do I start to fix this?
Anyone here has very rough idle and missfires cylinders 6,5,4. ?
Me, but I don't know what the problem is yet.. Do you fix the problem?
Ok it sounds like mine has the exact same problem. You said everything can run you $600. Where did you go for that?
Any help? Just this night I was out and my 1999 2.3l z3 got stranded in the parking lot with a locked steering wheel and the car unable to turn on. Just before hand everythang was working normal and earlier right as I got into the car the steering wheel locked up and I didn’t think anythang of it since all I gotta do is turn the key and wheel and it unlocks, this time it stayed locked and I was unable to unlock it because when I put the key into the ignition the first turn all I hear is the ding go off letting me know the door is open as normal and once I turned it into the next position and It felt odd, normally I should feel some resistance from the ignition but it had none and nothing happened. No lights on the dash and in the next turn no crank or anythang, just silence. I tried over and over again to free the steering wheel and turn the car on but nothing was happening. It’s a 5 speed manual, headlights and amber lights still came on so it wasn’t a bad battery, tow guy tried to still jump it and it didn’t change nothing. My thoughts was that maybe the wheel locking up triggered some anti theft system or immobilizer or is somethang do to with the ignition switch but honestly I’m clueless. Any help and information is greatly appreciated as always!
Me e46 m54 dies when rev is had any help
What about p1347 code
I have a 03 e39 codes po174 po171 p1093 po313 can you help me out..
I like you, you good guy.
i have a question
So expensive
I got code p1343 what do ido
What happened to the cool intros ?
Just about 2 weeks i was ritp off for one mecanhic mobile " Blue Toro "" of Blacktown suburb near to sydney ,because i have a (" BMW") 2000 model 318i. I pay 350 dollars for nothing ,because destroy my car. !!
So In ah way don’t buy this car.
I have a 2005 E46 that’s runs and drives but stalls out of know where. Lights on dash come on and no power. Sometimes it starts back up other it won’t. Cranks ever time tho. Not sure what my issue is and either does two auto shops. Any help would be appreciated