Firstfives.org

Hi Guys,

Anybody deal with this ever?

Basically, when I cut the wheel all the way right or left my idle drops a bit.

If I'm in Park or Neutral, its manageable, but if I'm Reversing or Driving (say parallel parking into a spot), the idle drops to the point where the engine nearly dies- or does die- the oil pressure light goes on, etc.

Anybody know what could be causing this?

Could it be my timing is that off?

My timing gun literally blew up on me today, don't know how.
Tomorrow I will take it to a professional to time.

But I will add I'm pretty sure my timing is not that off, the car starts right up.

Hi

Just a guess. Have you checked the power steering pump switch?

Again, just a guess. Hope my input helps.

Edit: Come to think of it, it could be that the power steering fluid. Check for that first. I remember having similar problems where the reservoir was low on fluid.

Regards.

It's kind of just what it is. While early FI, and 530i's were early FI, were a huge improvement over carbs, they still struggled with things like that. Timing is critical, even a little retarded would be a real problem, as would even just a little below spec idle speed. One longshot is you might try enriching the idle mixture with the bypass screw in the AFM. Oh, check for any vacuum leaks first, that would cause it too and any original hoses are pushing 40 by now and probably not very soft and flexible anymore.

Pretty standard for a vehicle to do that as long as its just like a few hundred RPMs and not anything alarming.

Just refresh your current PS system, filter, fluid, hoses, belts, etc. and you'll be fine.

Thanks guys.

I checked the fluid, it is full.

I know a little bit of a drop is normal- seen it on all my cars, but if my foot is on the brake and I am cutting the wheel before reversing into a parking spot, the car will lose oil pressure and die.

I will try and refresh everything and see what happens. Only other thing I can think of is my power steering pump itself is faulty.

Mike- as far as enrichening the mixture, my car is running way too rich right now- it literally stinks. I have leaned the idle mixture screw out and it helps a little, but I think I am just patching up another issue. My cold start valve works fine, all grounds are good........ will check my CTS which I just changed before the season. Injectors are new so I don't think its a leaky injector. Maybe the rich condition is causing this issue. I'll try to fix that and see what happens.

The guy who helped me time it said my car was "burping" it was running so rich. But I'm off topic here...

I know I'm off topic here... but I have a quick and maybe silly question:

If a rich condition that fouled my plugs is corrected, will the fouled spark plugs leave me running rich?

I have went through CTS, Throttle position switch, all my grounds... I checked for resistance at the ECU connector, my cold start valve runs only for half a second and doesn't weep anything, my injectors are new, I don't have too much oil in my car...

I am stumped. I can only surmise that the AFM screw being on a rich setting before fouled my plugs at idle, and now that I've leaned it out all the way I'm still running rich because my plugs are fouled. Does this make sense?

OK OK.....

THIS IS INTERESTING... ABOUT MY CAR RUNNING RICH

I had in the past purchased a remand AFM because I could not get my car to run rich enough.

It turns out when I put my old AFM back on the car, the idle mixture screw was actually able to lean it out enough- just a turn or two from the richest setting.

I'm guessing my remanned AFM spring was reset at too rich a mixture in general. How dissapointing. I got in on sale at rockauto on closeout, maybe that''s why.

So I'm back with the old AFM, and there is no more "burping", the car is running smoother now..., and not rich, I don't think.

ALTHOUGH< it still smells, and I still have the power steering power conk-out issue. I will figure that out and post here, back on topic.

Who did the reman on your AFM?

I don't remember the name of the remanufacturer that remanned the AFM.

I do remember it was the last one available from that remanufacturer on rockauto, cheap on closeout, w/ very limited warranty, came looking clean-

Also, I recall that I did recognize the name of the company and was surprised they remanned things, I think it may have been Caterpillar? Carter?

Is there a remanufacturer with a good rep?

ALSO BACK ON TOPIC: the car stalling out and dying when I cut the wheel is now a NON-ISSUE. Turned out to be an easy fix: I changed the fluid and filter {bled the air out} and bingo bango, normal power steering and no severe RPM drops. {Thanks gents for the sage advice }.

To boot, I think my idle smoothed out a bit but.... I didn't get a chance to drive much.

yes....... I'm pretty sure it was Caterpillar.

In all fairness to caterpillar however, I'm beginning to suspect something is wrong with F.P.R.