I hope this is the right place to post this..... If it isn't, someone please redirect me.

My friend told me he drove a 5spd '87 BMW 535i and was in the market for a replacement, so I let him drive my car ('95 SE 5spd)..... and he stalled it a LOT. Each time, starting it back up, he didn't keep the starter on quite long enough, so the engine *barely* shuddered to life. When he did have it going, of course, it jerked and juddered violently (n00bish throttle control).

Needless to say, I smelled burning clutch, but the clutch feels fine now (30 mins later, almost all of which have been spent driving home). The engine, though, is really weak at low RPMs. It also shakes below 2000rpm, especially when I have it in a higher-than-normal gear and try to accelerate.

HELP ME!! Someone tell me what's wrong! Just knowing will make me feel better, cuz this is me right now:

 

Okay I know no one really wants to look at this thread, but I really really need help here! I need my car by the end of the week and I can't get a mechanic to look at it until Thursday.

Several hours from my last post, the engine sounds and acts fine above about 2,000 rpm but it definitely shakes below that, and the exhaust kinda goes "putt putt putt putt" at idle. Could it just be my mounts, or is a cylinder not firing or what?

Please, somebody!

 

Plugs or Coil packs i dunno. Sorry.

 

sorry to hear about what happened, its weird that he can drive a 5 speed but when he drives your it seems like he forgot, but thats not the point.

how much milage is on your current clutch. I could have burned up someof the clutch but that shouldnt casue shaking under 2k. check for cel, and hidden cel codes, check under hood make sure everything is connected,

So it shudders only under 2k but above 2K its perfectly fine?

if you have an old clutch maybe he took the remaining life out of it.

hope something I said iis beneficial







Maybe he F**ked up that gear, is it at low speeds? or under 2K in any gear?

 

If the engine backfired during a start, it may have blown off a vacuum hose, which would explain poor idle and low rpm operation that clears up at higher rpm. I had an Explorer that would do this every now and then.

 

Wow, thanks for the responses, guys!

It's definitely a pretty new clutch... Exedy OEM replacement bought new when I got my 5spd swap, which was less than 3500 miles ago. Plugs are also very new Denso Iridiums. The car ran *sweetly* since the swap.

I'll check the hoses. In the meantime, any other ideas? Could it be something more serious, like a timing chain?

 

You'd hear some serious valvetrain noise if there was a problem with the timing chain. I seriously doubt this is where your problem lies.

Your best bet is the check the ECU codes like MDeezy said. It could be a number of different sensors. Also, check your throttle body, I had a winter where my car would run rough for a minute after starting in the cold, I cleaned the TB and haven't had a problem since. Because there isnt any fuel mixed in with the air in the TB and manifold, dirt can sometimes build up in there.

Maybe this is why your friend is in a market to replace his Bummer?

 

And if your car suddenly needs expensive repair work to restore what's there before, make your friend pay for it! If it was me, as soon as he stalls it the first time, I'd give him one more shot and if he blows that one, I'd take the keys away from him!

 

He did say that his family ditched it cuz it needed a new clutch, which would have costed them $1100....

Just got it into the shop, and about to go pick it up. More soon....

 

omfg.... It was a damn ignition coil!

Is this what I get for running Denso Iridiums?

I'm also left to wonder how that abuse caused the ignition coil of all things to fail....

 

dont know if its directly related or just a coincidence.

Our Cars done need iridium I dont know the effect (up or down) of running them but I know we need NGKs plat or copper and thats about it, maybe the boosted (and seriously boosted) need the irdium for good power but if your car is stock or just bolt on I'd advise ditching them and getting some NGK coppers should cost you about $15 total.

 

It was just a coincidence.