Not really sure where to go with this next... (intermittent no start/power loss)

[Redline]

update in the last couple months. Been busy.

So CEL and EML light came on for throttle position sensor. The one on the throttle actuator had a dead spot. Replaced both with genuine bmw sensors (replaced with VNE OE sensors last time from fcp euro which you could see the bmw logo scratched off, did a warranty claim and upgraded to genuine) must have had a faulty one from the start that was just ok enough for the DME to be like “meh it’s fine I guess” and never threw a code until now.

car rips now and hasn’t driven this good since all the shit started....except one issue.

IT STILL HAS THE DAMNED HARD START ISSUE. Other than that it’s perfect. I’m living with it at this point. I give up on the hard start/dies/starts second time BS lol.

[DropTopKingM3]

Mine wasnt starting on the first crank.. it would always start on the second crank when the car sat for a while. One time it even shut off. I replaced my fuel pump and holy shit the car literally rips. So far so good with the cold starts. Have you tried replacing the fuel pump??

Im glad you got the other problem sorted out.

[DropTopKingM3]

update in the last couple months. Been busy.

So CEL and EML light came on for throttle position sensor. The one on the throttle actuator had a dead spot. Replaced both with genuine bmw sensors (replaced with VNE OE sensors last time from fcp euro which you could see the bmw logo scratched off, did a warranty claim and upgraded to genuine) must have had a faulty one from the start that was just ok enough for the DME to be like “meh it’s fine I guess” and never threw a code until now.

car rips now and hasn’t driven this good since all the shit started....except one issue.

IT STILL HAS THE DAMNED HARD START ISSUE. Other than that it’s perfect. I’m living with it at this point. I give up on the hard start/dies/starts second time BS lol.

Any luck? The fuel pump didn't help me after all. I also replaced the crank and camshaft sensors along with the fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter, had my vanos rebuilt with Beisan, and still having this problem.

I may do fuel injectors next. My buddy Pat who did all of my work thinks there's an issue in the evap system that's causing me to lose pressure overnight.

[sapote]

IT STILL HAS THE DAMNED HARD START ISSUE. Other than that it’s perfect. I’m living with it at this point. I give up on the hard start/dies/starts second time BS lol..

Can you post a video of the hard start?

[DropTopKingM3]

Can you post a video of the hard start?

Here’s mine.

https://youtube.com/shorts/u7dSCgxHYAA?feature=share

[Redline]

Here’s mine.
https://youtube.com/shorts/u7dSCgxHYAA?feature=share

my does pretty much this. It starts like it’s starving for fuel or misfiring/stumbles like you pulled a coil during startup and won’t fire or it it does runs real sh!tty for just a sec and is fine. Or fires up like normal. Driving it’s either shredding the tires or feels like the vanos is locked on it and lost all low end power.

I gave up. No codes anymore or showing up either.

on my 3rd thermostat and still running a bit cool and in 60° weather it’s between the first dot and 210° on oil temp/closer to first dot when colder amd cruising on highway…even beating on it (once warmed up past first dot) and takes forever to warm up the oil on it closer to 210. So it’s running cold and rich and shows every sign of a sticking thermostat but the thermostat isn’t sticking open. Something is causing it to run rich/cold. No idea what.

I don’t get it. Nobody does.