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Conference terri::cars_uk

Title:	Cars in the UK
Notice:	Please read new conference charter 1.70
Moderator:	COMICS::SHELLEYELD

Created:	Sun Mar 06 1994
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2584
Total number of notes:	63384

2479.0. "Cold weather blues" by TRUCKS::PARTRIDGE_J () Mon Dec 11 1995 12:48

    Well winter has arrived again with sub-zero temperatures
    and the resulting problems.
    
    I'm having trouble with my BMW 318i during the cold mornings.
    It starts fine and runs fine for 5-10 mins then starts cutting
    out intermittently but not stalling.
    After 5 mins of this kangaroo impression it runs smoothly again.
    
    Could this be :
    1) the injection jets freezing up
    2) choke problem
    3) damp electrics problem
    
    Any suggestions appreciated.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2479.1	EMS	WOTVAX::HILLN	It's OK, it'll be dark by nightfall	`Tue Dec 12 1995 18:41`	5
	I'd guess there's a problem with the engine management/fuel injection software. It can't cope with the cold, humid and therfore dense air and starts worrying about it. Nick
2479.2	Run it at a little higher RPM until car warms up	TUXEDO::RAHMAN	Mustafizur Rahman	`Fri Dec 22 1995 21:59`	24
	> Well winter has arrived again with sub-zero temperatures > and the resulting problems. > I'm having trouble with my BMW 318i during the cold mornings. > It starts fine and runs fine for 5-10 mins then starts cutting > out intermittently but not stalling. > After 5 mins of this kangaroo impression it runs smoothly again. I've had this problem on my U.S. spec '92 318is just once and it never happened again. I usually run the car at 2.5-3k RPM until the engine warms up. Never had any problems otherwise even at < 10F. Also, check with the dealer to see if there was an update for your model. BTW, when was the last time you got an oil change? Do you have the right grade for the winter? Happy motoring. - Mustie -- Mustafizur Rahman E-Mail: rahman@tuxedo.lkg.dec.com DCE Development
2479.3	.1 had the answer..	42054::JASPER	Stuck on the Flypaper of Life	`Fri Dec 29 1995 19:34`	26
	I've never owned a car like yours, but a 1988 Vauxhall Carlton (aka Opel Omega) I owned had a very similar problem. It was a 2.0 litre i with Bosch Motronic Fuel Injection, which may be the same as on your car. It would start ok always, then after about 2 minutes it would misfire & lose power totally. It would tick over, but as soon as I pressed the pedal, it would stop. Ten minutes later, all was ok again. Does this seem familiar ? I overcame the problem by allowing the electronics to warm up for 15 minutes before starting the car. All I had to do was to leave the ignition switched on to allow the 12 volts circuit to warm the computer. If I was in a hurry, I'd put a hair-dryer on it before starting the engine. The fault would only show itself after the car had been parked overnight in a temperature of less than zero degrees Celsius. I tried heating various parts of the cars anatomy before discovering this. It was only the cast-metal case which contained the electronics which affected the fault. Here in England, the temperature only gets that low for 3 months, so I never went to the outrageous expense of getting an expert to troubleshoot it. For the sake of 15 minutes on cold mornings I'd rather have the money & keep the car available. Tony.
2479.4		TRUCKS::PARTRIDGE_J		`Wed Jan 03 1996 12:43`	8
	Thanks for the replies. Sounds like an electronic problem and, like you say, they can be very costly to diagnose. Maybe I just need to clear out the garage to keep the the car warmer over winter. I'm surprised that Bosch components can't tolerate sub-zero temperatures though.
2479.5	similar problem	IOSG::TYLDESLEY		`Thu Nov 21 1996 15:25`	15
2479.6		WOTVAX::STONEG	Temperature Drop in Downtime Winterland....	`Thu Nov 21 1996 15:47`	5
2479.7		IOSG::TYLDESLEY		`Thu Nov 21 1996 16:19`	2