Just Passed Inspection

[L84THSKY]

YIPPIE

Finally got that CEL light out after buying Pat's CAT from his wrecked car.
Don't waste your time and money on an after market CAT, they are hit and miss, mostly miss.

The mechanic, who was in his 50's, really dug the 318ti. He was telling the other mechanic all about the mods I had on the car.

While he was loading the car in the database, he pointed out a recall item I didn't know about. He said there was a recall on the crank shaft sensor, due to cracks that develop. I had never heard of that recall.

Not sure if the previous owner ever got that replaced. Anyone else ever heard of that recall on a 1998 model?

[Maverix]

Congrats. Be sure to go back to the same mechanic next year. As for the recall, I didn't know about that. Is the recall present on 97 models as well?

[aceyx]

Originally Posted by L84THSKY

Not sure if the previous owner ever got that replaced. Anyone else ever heard of that recall on a 1998 model?

Don't know but here's where to find out:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/

[hotmilk400]

omg.. my CEL is always on. and its always for random ass codes. my last one for the airbag, the one before told me fuel inject 3 had stopped working, which it hadnt. i want to by a Diagnostic Tool to check the codes myself, and reset the lights myself before inspections (because they turn on after like 50 - 100 miles after turning them off) and its a differnt code each time,normally.. so i want the best one that reads the most BMW codes.. because i know some read alot better then others. i have a 1998. i know alot of people with CEL problems that have a 1998 BMW , weather is be a 318ti, or a Z3 with the same motor.. they all have CEL problems.

Also, my cel engine light turns itself off by itself sometimes, which, isnt suppose to happen.. so like.. i guess my car is messed up .. haha

[tiFreak]

Originally Posted by hotmilk400

oso i want the best one that reads the most BMW codes.. because i know some read alot better then others.

that would be the Peake code reader I believe

[L84THSKY]

How long has this been going on? You won't pass inspection by resetting your CEL. They can tell if it has not run enough miles to get the machine to pass. You could have the "CAT efficiency" issue I had, then your CAT needs replacing.

Originally Posted by hotmilk400

omg.. my CEL is always on. and its always for random ass codes. my last one for the airbag, the one before told me fuel inject 3 had stopped working, which it hadnt. i want to by a Diagnostic Tool to check the codes myself, and reset the lights myself before inspections (because they turn on after like 50 - 100 miles after turning them off) and its a differnt code each time,normally.. so i want the best one that reads the most BMW codes.. because i know some read alot better then others. i have a 1998. i know alot of people with CEL problems that have a 1998 BMW , weather is be a 318ti, or a Z3 with the same motor.. they all have CEL problems.

Also, my cel engine light turns itself off by itself sometimes, which, isnt suppose to happen.. so like.. i guess my car is messed up .. haha

[hotmilk400]

i only bought the car about 6 months ago? and it only started when i first got the AC working (which all i did was turn it on, the switch was missing when i bought it) every since then, the light would turn on for differnt reasons. (over the past 2 months) the first code was "fuel inject 3 is open" the 2nd one was unknown(96), the 3rd was unknown(00067), the 4th was malfunction of airbags or something, and was just reset. im not sure if there were more.. i just had the light turn on last night after getting it turned off about 70 miles before hand. the problem i am having now is related to a differnt article, where i think the wire that is wraped around my clutch pump is shorting out, and blowing my AC fuse, which is the reason my AC might work for alittle, then randomly blow a fuse.

apparently the owner before me had CEL problems, which was the reason i bought the car (it was stuck at the dealer because he would just take in the car and tell them to fix it, and they would find something wrong, and charge him alot) i only paid what he owed on it from teh dealer, and it was mine ($1500) ..

also, my CEL lights have been turning on and off for no reason.. i had a Break pad light turn on, and it had turned itself off again.. but then me CEL had turned on, and then turned off by itself twice already.

i just replaced a dead battery, and i thought maybe a voltage drop from the AC turning on was the problem at first, making Fuel injector 3 show error, but i doubt it now because of the other codes..

[1lenny]

There was a recall-level issue with the CAT converter in the 1998 ti--I had mine replaced by the dealer for free after someone tipped me to the service bulletin.
Of course they got me on a resonator replacement.

I had had similar issues with the CEL and getting odd codes off the Peake reader. I did a lot of research back then, and I didn't find anything on the crank shaft sensor.

[aceyx]

Originally Posted by hotmilk400

i only bought the car about 6 months ago . . .
i just replaced a dead battery, and i thought maybe a voltage drop from the AC turning on was the problem at first, making Fuel injector 3 show error, but i doubt it now because of the other codes..

Sounds like you've got some gremlins at work on your car.

Buy a multimeter and start checking everything.