Phantom Misfires

Ammonia · 11-26-2012, 02:02 PM

Okay, did a search and couldn't come up with anything quite like this:

I had the standard misfire issue happen to me twice over the past week or so. I'd go WOT, and the Service Engine Soon light would illuminate, and the car would shake when the pedal was down. Stopping for a few, or turning the car off and then on would clear the issue as if nothing had happened. Classic case of the misfire.

Anyways, I go through the standard steps. I read the code with my JB4. 29CD or something like that. The code for misfire in cylinder 1 basically. I get to the coil packs, I swap out coil pack 1 with the coilpack from cylinder 2, and reassemble everything and go.

Either one of two things should happen. The code should switch to cylinder 2, if its the coil pack, or remain on 1 if its the sparkplug.

Well I duplicate the conditions and nothing happened. Car runs great. I destroyed the world with my tires. I went Tokyo Drift. I went WOT until I almost peed myself. It was glorious. I was yelling "WHY WONT YOU BREAK DAMN YOU" while leaving "11"s all over the road.

So wtf do I do now? The car runs fine. I'm scared. Its like the car wants to lurk and strike at the most inopportune time. Anyone experience this before? Is it indicative of a different issue?

Freon · 11-26-2012, 02:45 PM

Sounds like you already know what you're doing, but you may consider replacing all 6 plugs while you're at it, then also consider the injectors--not just the coilpacks.

No magic wand here. If it doesn't reoccur there isn't much the internet can do for you. Perhaps just pulling the coilpack out and putting it back in fixed the problem for you.

This topic seems to be brought up almost every week, so searching for misfire or stuttering will yield a lot of threads...

gdub · 11-26-2012, 03:47 PM

mine does this too but it's not always the same damn cylinder, then when the car is warmed up it is fine. I did just replace the low pressure fuel sensor, and it seems the issues is slowly going away and away, which makes me think it's just some bad gas. On saturday it was doing it at 4k rpm and stuttering real bad and popping codes misfiring on multiple cylinders, then i'd clear it with my accessport. Now i just feel a little bit of stutter when the car isn't fully warmed up yet. But when it is warmed up it doesn't stutter at all and drive real good, and is quick as shit.

Ammonia · 11-26-2012, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freon

This topic seems to be brought up almost every week, so searching for misfire or stuttering will yield a lot of threads...

Yea couldn't find anything explaining my situation, but I did find the information required to figure out how to move the coilpacks and diagnose the issue basically.

Just wanted to see if anyone has experienced a similar situation to mine is all. I guess I might as well change my sparkplugs anyways, as I am just over 40k miles.

renesis27 · 11-26-2012, 10:07 PM

I'm having that issue now except mine is only in cylinder 5 and I changed my plugs a month ago. Might be just a dumb plug that was crappy from factory. For me personally if its not that then has to be injector. Be thankful you haven't replaced your valve cover seal. Just did mine this weekend lol

gdub · 11-26-2012, 11:22 PM

my injectors have been replaced twice since i've owned the car (1 year, about 5k miles, car now has 35k on it), it's a very high possibility that it's the injectors. i believe these are on a recall warranty much like the hpfp.

and it only started with the cooler weather.... it's quite bizarre it's been happening so much recently. i smell another fuel related recall coming up

Ammonia · 11-27-2012, 07:18 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess the only thing I can do is hold pattern until something concrete diagnosable (sp?) comes up.

11-26-2012, 02:02 PM	#1
Ammonia Captain 37 Rep 747 Posts Drives: 440i GC Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wilmington NC iTrader: (4)	Phantom Misfires Okay, did a search and couldn't come up with anything quite like this: I had the standard misfire issue happen to me twice over the past week or so. I'd go WOT, and the Service Engine Soon light would illuminate, and the car would shake when the pedal was down. Stopping for a few, or turning the car off and then on would clear the issue as if nothing had happened. Classic case of the misfire. Anyways, I go through the standard steps. I read the code with my JB4. 29CD or something like that. The code for misfire in cylinder 1 basically. I get to the coil packs, I swap out coil pack 1 with the coilpack from cylinder 2, and reassemble everything and go. Either one of two things should happen. The code should switch to cylinder 2, if its the coil pack, or remain on 1 if its the sparkplug. Well I duplicate the conditions and nothing happened. Car runs great. I destroyed the world with my tires. I went Tokyo Drift. I went WOT until I almost peed myself. It was glorious. I was yelling "WHY WONT YOU BREAK DAMN YOU" while leaving "11"s all over the road. So wtf do I do now? The car runs fine. I'm scared. Its like the car wants to lurk and strike at the most inopportune time. Anyone experience this before? Is it indicative of a different issue?
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11-26-2012, 02:45 PM	#2
Freon Major 81 Rep 1,051 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (3)	Sounds like you already know what you're doing, but you may consider replacing all 6 plugs while you're at it, then also consider the injectors--not just the coilpacks. No magic wand here. If it doesn't reoccur there isn't much the internet can do for you. Perhaps just pulling the coilpack out and putting it back in fixed the problem for you. This topic seems to be brought up almost every week, so searching for misfire or stuttering will yield a lot of threads... __________________ 2009 BMW 135i 6MT Sport, AFE intake, Cobb AP, Apex 18x8.5+9.5, 255/275 PSS
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11-26-2012, 03:47 PM	#3
gdub Private First Class 18 Rep 144 Posts Drives: none Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: dfw iTrader: (0)	mine does this too but it's not always the same damn cylinder, then when the car is warmed up it is fine. I did just replace the low pressure fuel sensor, and it seems the issues is slowly going away and away, which makes me think it's just some bad gas. On saturday it was doing it at 4k rpm and stuttering real bad and popping codes misfiring on multiple cylinders, then i'd clear it with my accessport. Now i just feel a little bit of stutter when the car isn't fully warmed up yet. But when it is warmed up it doesn't stutter at all and drive real good, and is quick as shit.
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11-26-2012, 10:07 PM	#5
renesis27 Private First Class 29 Rep 143 Posts Drives: '08 135i Coupe Black Saphire Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Philadelphia iTrader: (0)	I'm having that issue now except mine is only in cylinder 5 and I changed my plugs a month ago. Might be just a dumb plug that was crappy from factory. For me personally if its not that then has to be injector. Be thankful you haven't replaced your valve cover seal. Just did mine this weekend lol
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11-26-2012, 11:22 PM	#6
gdub Private First Class 18 Rep 144 Posts Drives: none Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: dfw iTrader: (0)	my injectors have been replaced twice since i've owned the car (1 year, about 5k miles, car now has 35k on it), it's a very high possibility that it's the injectors. i believe these are on a recall warranty much like the hpfp. and it only started with the cooler weather.... it's quite bizarre it's been happening so much recently. i smell another fuel related recall coming up
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11-27-2012, 07:18 AM	#7
Ammonia Captain 37 Rep 747 Posts Drives: 440i GC Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wilmington NC iTrader: (4)	Thanks for the replies guys. I guess the only thing I can do is hold pattern until something concrete diagnosable (sp?) comes up.
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