E46 320d 2001 136hp not starting after stalling

[zicha12]

Note that the car can start even if the solenoid with the bare wires is not operating. The car will just sound like a tractor and wokn't accelerate, that is what I read on some other website.

so the background on my car is : it was driven , the car had full power
no stuttering at all , the car was parked and later the same day it would not start

my question is why is there no pressure when we did the finger on the injector pipe test ? there is no way that mechanical failure happened without the car loosing power , or stuttering

i Had the same error as you

70 Control unit Injection pump (communication)

Error frequency: 33
Engine speed 211.50 [1/min]
Fuel temperature Injection pump 0.00 [Grad C]
Betriebstundenzaehler (translated to hour meter) 6502.40 h
Engine speed 6502.40 [1/min]
Fuel temperature Injection pump 6502.40 [Grad C]
Betriebstundenzaehler (translated to hour meter) 6502.40 h
CAN-Bus Reception fault
Error currently not available
Errorcode: 46 08 21 09 28 45 F3 00 00 00 00

This error did not reappear when i cranked the car


my bottom line is , what is the reason for the pressure loss ?
and that the pump lost COMs at the time of failure ?

i got my money on those bare wires that me and you both have ,


"Have you checked voltage at the wires going down to the metering solenoid when the ignition is turned on?"

ill borrow a O-Scope and capture the current drawn
https://autoditex.com/page/vp44-fuel-metering-valve-31-1.html


Do you have any idea where I can purchase a working metering solenoid?
ebay ? i wonder if there is an aftermarket one

 

[Buck Rogers]

zicha12 I am glad you and I are in the same boat. My car also ran fine even with the shorted wire. She did sound a bit like a tractor when idling. My wife had an identical car and hers never made so much noise and had better pull and fuel economy.

I bet yours also has a failed metering solenoid.

I did mention in a previous post that I indeed have almost 12v voltage at the wires that go to the metering solenoid. Without that solenoid working, you will have almost no pressure.

I do have an oscilloscope but not sure how to hook it on to confirm operation. As far as I know the engine should be running when running the oscilloscope test, how else will it generate an oscillating pulse?

When the solenoid coil collapses the car simply dies. It is the same effect as when the PSG5 control unit on top of the pump fails. Apparently the PSG5 control unit is pretty robust and doesn't fail as often as claimed

As to where to purchase the metering solenoid, I contacted a few places today and ended up with Bosch in Potchefstroom. The guy told me they sell them loose, he just needs the part number to verify the price. They range from R1500.00 to R2500.00. I was so glad to hear that.

Have a look at this site:

https://m.ebay.com/itm/BOSCH-VP44-D...e&pageci=0d4614c0-f416-440a-95ac-b12e20c7b3fe

This guy is from Bulgaria and claims he can repair the coil. Follow the 12 pictures he added to his ad. The coil seems very simple to remove. If he could do it so can I. He replaces the coil wire with same gauge wire and adds epoxy and bakes the solenoid at 80C for six hours.

 

[zicha12]

I do have an oscilloscope but not sure how to hook it on to confirm operation. As far as I know the engine should be running when running the oscilloscooe test, how else will it generate an oscillating pulse?

you'd use a current clamp to see the current draw

As to where to purchase the metering solenoid, I contacted a few places today and ended up with Bosch in Potchefstroom. The guy told me they sell them loose, he just needs the part number to verify the price. They range from R1500.00 to R2500.00. I was so glad to hear that.

This is good to hear that bosh stocks them

This guy is from Bulgaria and claims he can repair the coil. Follow the 12 picture he added to his ad. The coil seems very simple to remove. If he could do it so can I. He replaces the coil wire with same gauge wire and adds epoxy and bakes the solenoid at 80C for six hours.

i guess its the Wire Gauge and the coil turns that would matter
looking at the pictures , it could be done

but i would rather head to bosh and buy a new one for 2K

 

[zicha12]

I got time to do the tests with an o-scope and current clamp
Looks like my ECU and transistors are all well

This is of the Metering Valve

This is the Timing Valve

current clamp is set : 100mv = 1Amp

I phoned around to find out where to buy the valves
they will invoice the solenoid but only sell them with the ECU ?

did you start with replacing the coil yet BuckRogers ?

 

[zicha12]

I got a Donor pump that has been lying around a workshop for some time
I used this to make a Test setup to verify if the Solenoids are working

It is difficult to determine the TOP solenoids condition since it actuates a Plunger/valve inside the pump and is not audible

This is the TOP Solenoid

[video=youtube]

This is the Bottom Solenoid

[video=youtube]

This is the Test setup

Driving voltage would be 12V , The TOP Solenoid Uses a high initial current Draw so i Used a Battery as my voltage source

Here is the Arduino Code
VP44 Test Solenoid Code



I shared this in case someone else is interested in Testing the Solenoids

 

[[email protected]]

Hi guys i have the same problem with my 136hp 320d it just died but when you tow it, it ran but didn't want to rev past 1000 rpms would just start knocking and gave a error for needle lift. And the only way to Start it was to pull it. But now if does not want to start if you remove the injector pipe and you leave the key on after a bit the diesel starts flowing out but if try starting it there's very little diesel coming out and you can keep the pipe closed with your finger i want to tow it tomorrow and see what happens any ideas what must i do?

 

[Chinhoedwin]

Hie I I'm h

Hi guys i have the same problem with my 136hp 320d it just died but when you tow it, it ran but didn't want to rev past 1000 rpms would just start knocking and gave a error for needle lift. And the only way to Start it was to pull it. But now if does not want to start if you remove the injector pipe and you leave the key on after a bit the diesel starts flowing out but if try starting it there's very little diesel coming out and you can keep the pipe closed with your finger i want to tow it tomorrow and see what happens any ideas what must i do?

I am having same problem with u .did u manage to sort the problem and how .

 

[zicha12]

Hie I I'm h

I am having same problem with u .did u manage to sort the problem and how .

Hi

Its been long since i have been on here 🙃
Mine is fixed, I got a recond pump from a guy that salvages parts, it was a drop in
i think that will be your best bet, my original pump was sent to a Bosh Service Centre and the guy said the pump was mechanically sound, it was the ECU that was defect and wasn't giving COMS out of the pump,

if you consider removing your Pump, remember the Locking Pin on the fly wheel ( a friend of mine turned one on the lathe) and the locking on the pump itself

Ask away for Pointers, it was a wild ride and in the end it was a new pump and WD40 that got her running again

 

[Chinhoedwin]

Hi

Its been long since i have been on here 🙃
Mine is fixed, I got a recond pump from a guy that salvages parts, it was a drop in
i think that will be your best bet, my original pump was sent to a Bosh Service Centre and the guy said the pump was mechanically sound, it was the ECU that was defect and wasn't giving COMS out of the pump,

if you consider removing your Pump, remember the Locking Pin on the fly wheel ( a friend of mine turned one on the lathe) and the locking on the pump itself

Ask away for Pointers, it was a wild ride and in the end it was a new pump and WD40 that got her running again

Hie I cdnt solve problem yet.my problem is here all diesel service centre said they can't do any service repair for my type of pump saying the don't have spare parts for it.a reconditioned pump is costing USD $1100-00(R17 600) of which I found out it's too much for a reconditioned.is there anywhere I can have it serviced .I'm in Zimbabwe .

 

[zicha12]

Hie I cdnt solve problem yet.my problem is here all diesel service centre said they can't do any service repair for my type of pump saying the don't have spare parts for it.a reconditioned pump is costing USD $1100-00(R17 600) of which I found out it's too much for a reconditioned.is there anywhere I can have it serviced .I'm in Zimbabwe .

Hi @Chinhoedwin sorry to hear about your problems, I got the same response
If you can give some info on what the car did before it broke down or what you have tested so far to determine that it is infect the VP44 pump

I can give you some input

 

[Chinhoedwin]

Hi @Chinhoedwin sorry to hear about your problems, I got the same response
If you can give some info on what the car did before it broke down or what you have tested so far to determine that it is infect the VP44 pump

I can give you some input

The car just stalled wile driving and the eror code was EPROM .so how much did Bosch service centre chaged on your pump and the cost of the control unit on the pump .

 

[Chinhoedwin]

The car just stalled wile driving and the eror code was EPROM .so how much did Bosch service centre chaged on your pump and the cost of the control unit on the pump .

How much is a second pump I think that best I can di

 

[Chinhoedwin]

How much is a second pump I think that best I can di

Sory recond not second

 

[zicha12]

How much is a second pump I think that best I can di

To fix your original Pump can be anywhere between 15k - 25k that is if you only bring in the Pump to them,
this was not an option for me because of the cars retail value

I ended up by luck finding a guy that had a Second hand pump that he stripped from a Scrap Car, That cost me 12k The Removal and install was Performed by myself, Very Critical to use the Correct Tools for the Job so that you keep the Chain in Place

The best advice I could give you is to leave your Number at Diesel Pump Service Centers in case a BMW VP44 shows up,

Just as a side note, i did not want to give up on my car and had it standing for 2 Years Before I got it running again

 

[PsyCLown]

Hi

Its been long since i have been on here 🙃
Mine is fixed, I got a recond pump from a guy that salvages parts, it was a drop in
i think that will be your best bet, my original pump was sent to a Bosh Service Centre and the guy said the pump was mechanically sound, it was the ECU that was defect and wasn't giving COMS out of the pump,

if you consider removing your Pump, remember the Locking Pin on the fly wheel ( a friend of mine turned one on the lathe) and the locking on the pump itself

Ask away for Pointers, it was a wild ride and in the end it was a new pump and WD40 that got her running again

Did you ever try replace the transistor?

The VP44 seems to be be quite a problem unfortunately, glad you came right and got your car running again.

 

[Buck Rogers]

Good day everyone. It's been over five years since I started this thread and it's only fair to give feedback.

In March 2020 (1 year since the car broke and trying all sorts of stuff) I got this Englishman (true Brit) from Randburg. He knew what he was talking about and said the bare wires at the back was the cause of the problem. He had a spare PSG5 control module and was coming to me to do installation. I had to pay R8000.00. Later he needed an additional R1200.00. Long story short, I chucked R9200.00 in the water, had an SAPS case that as expected did nothing to get my money back. The dude worked at a reputable dieselec in Randburg, but he was a drug addict and sleeping on the streets and possibly had other diseases. Anyway he disappeared off the map after begging me to have the bank account I paid the money in unfreezed as he got threats from the owner of the account.

During the COVID 19 lock-down period of 2020 I was deployed in Mafikeng and ended towing the car there for the six months I was there. It stood in some BMW scrapyard at a place where the owner said he would have it fixed in no time. I was full of hope, purchased two VP44 pumps from him for R4000.00 a piece (none worked). I realised the guy and his "technicians" had no clue how to fix this as he said the pump did not have to be in timing, probably confusing it with the facelift common rail injector pump.

I sent all three VP44 injector pumps to a dieselec in Springs, Gauteng via Postnet on advice from an old army buddy. One of the pumps was reconditioned and repaired. The PSG5 control module was shot (as was expected) and there was a rotor or some internal mechanical part that had to be imported from Germany. The reconditioning job on the VP44 pump cost me just over R27 000.00. That is correct. Twenty-seven thousand rand!

It was a difficult decision to make to repair or scrap the car. I am a very sentimental person and I love the car so opted to cough up the dough.

The pump was collected by my friend, I purchased the pump removal tool and had the locking pin to lock the engine at TDC machined at at engineering shop in Mafikeng.

We proceeded to install the pump and the car was running in no time.

After that the ex-wife bought a prefacelift 320D as well. It ran a couple of days and BOOM!!! Same problem. The car stood a couple of months and she sold it to a Zimbabwean as a non-runner. He eventually showed up with a used VP44 pump he got from a scrapyard.

I told him about my experiences and the first thing I checked was the two wires that went to the bottom solenoid. They were naked and there was no sign of insulation.

Anyways I insulated the wires, got the pump zeroed (keyway at approximately 11 o'clock position) (its timing position was not locked) assembled everything, put the pump back in and cranked the engine with no luck.

I held a cloth sprinkled with petrol at the intake to let it start and run a couple of times and after numerous tries the engine started coughing and I knew something was coming alive.

The car started running and I was as shocked as everyone else. I told the Zimbabwean he was one of the luckiest people I have met. The car still runs very well today.

Quick recap. My car stopped running in March 2019 with 399849km on the clock. I got it back running in November 2021. It stood for over two years. It was like a high tech paperweight for me. But I was so happy when it ran again. It is such a nice car.

Fast forward to the present. On 02 October 2024 I went to visit the same friend who helped me fix the car (with the same car). Came back home after just over 600km and using less than half a tank of fuel (I got 5.4L/100km which is about 18.5km/L)

Two days ago my daughter wanted to borrow my car. She drove it to her house and parked it. The next morning the car just cranked. Towed it back home and first thing I did was run INPA to get a diagnostic. The first thing I suspected was the last thing I hoped for... the dreaded "70 Control unit Injection pump (communication)
Error frequency : 17
Engine speed 188.00 [1/min]
Fuel temperature Injection pump 0.00 [Grad C]
Betriebstundenzaehler 6502.40 h
Engine speed 6502.40 [1/min]
Fuel temperature Injection pump 6502.40 [Grad C]
Betriebstundenzaehler 6502.40 h
CAN-Bus Reception fault
Error currently not available"

This confirms for me that the damn PSG5 control module has died again???

It hasn't even lasted three years and just over 32 000km since it was repaired.

I cannot tell you the feeling of despair I currently have.

For anyone ever ending up with this problem, before you clear the errors from INPA, take a picture of it since once you have cleared the errors the injector pump error will not reappear. The injector pump communication error only appears under shadow error.

I don't know if this may be related, but it seems things started getting strange after I replaced the difficult left acoustic cover at the engine (oil filter side) last week that was sitting in a cupboard for five years. The red engine oil lamp illuminated a few times while driving. After getting off the road, switching of and on again the light went out normally. Then after some time it will reappear and I repeat the exercise.

After the weekend's trip the red oil light went totally dead, only the battery light with the other lights switch on. Red oil light totally dead (the yellow oil level light still comes on for 15 seconds as usual). I don't know what could be the cause of the dead oil light and if it may somehow be related to car not starting anymore.

Just to add, when my daughter towed me home I did get the engine to run, but very erratically and no revving when pressing the accelerator, making me believe it is the PSG5 control module which is dead AGAIN.

I also had "air mass meter", "boost pressure sensor" and "Electric fan" error. All three ended the same with "Signal open circuit or KS after B-" and I wonder if somehow these things are not all related? And perhaps related to my dead oil light?