BMW Repair: Rough idle and low rpms, 2001 330ci, proper attention

Question
Hello Paul

I must say i got goose bumps when I read your profile, and it said that you've worked for bmw for 5 years.

I said to myself this man is the only one that can help me.

I am the owner of a 2001 330ci (automatic).

My car has a very rough idle whenever I put my shifter in the "D" or "R" position, and my rpms would drop to 500. In "N" rpms are at a steady 700-750 rpm and very smooth. By the way, what is the spec idle rpm for a 2001 330ci?

If I'm at a red light, the vibration is so bad  that I sometimes put the shifter in "N" just to get some relief. The idle would also get rougher if I was to turn the steering wheel or turn on the heated seats, wich in turn would cause the rpms to drop another notch below 500.

The dealer reprogramed the ECM with version 37, and changed my plugs, and that only stoped the stallings that i used to have.

I remembered a TSB about Bremi coils being defective, but i was told that it does not pertain to my model or year, and that not only is the car not showing codes for bad coils, the car is not showing any codes at all.

I'm currently living with very rough idle on cold starts too, wich BMW also as a TSB about.

I have to admit that I hate going to the dealer, i always get the impression that my car is not getting the proper attention it deserves since it's under extended warranty.

I plan on changing dealers for my service needs, but first I want to see if it's something i can repair myself.

What can possibly be the problem Paul? And is it something I can fix myself? unless the problem is ECM related.

I also read somewhere about a version 38 software, can that be the cure for my car?

Please help me Paul, for $40.000, I'm starting to feel a little cheated here, compared to the trouble free $20.000 accord I owned previously.

I thank you in advance for your response

Gerard330@optonline.net


Answer
Do you have any check engine light? I doubt it is anything that can be repaired without the BMW diagnostic machine as it is probably something electronic or a calibration. Did the car always have a rough idle or did it just start? how many miles on the car? This may take some time to figure out, so bear with me. I think this engine still uses an idle valve which can cause stalling and poor idle quality. there is a trick to check this. the idle valve is located under the intake manifold runners(tubes) and is a silver cylinder with a 3 pin connector on one end a 2 1 inch diameter rubber hoses on the other. If you get a long, sturdy screwdriver and rest it on the idle valve, tap the end of the screwdriver with a hammer. if the idle valve is stuck, this may free it. you need to do this with the engine running so be very careful. let me know what the outcome is.