Cylinder 1-3 not working

[Chippie]

I don't have the equipment unfortunately. Can probably borrow it from someone.

I doubt you will have compression issues on all 3 cylinders to cause them to fail at the same time.

Willing to try anything at the moment. I think it's unlikely that all 3 have gone at the same time, but at least it rules it out

Have you seen if the plugs are sparking when cranking?

 

[LittleZ4]

I did try but I don't think I had somewhere with a decent earth whilst I was cranking it over. Will need to try again later. I'm struggling to believe only the front three would fail......

 

[enuff_zed]

Where does the fuel rail feed from?
Does it come in from the back or the middle?
Just wondering if there's a blockage in it stopping much fuel getting to the front 3 cylinders?
The plugs may still be wet though if the fuel is dribbling in?

 

[j3nks79]

Are you able to do a compression test?

I don't have the equipment unfortunately. Can probably borrow it from someone.

I doubt you will have compression issues on all 3 cylinders to cause them to fail at the same time.

Unless the headgasket has failed between adjacent cylinders

 

[Chippie]

I don't have the equipment unfortunately. Can probably borrow it from someone.

I doubt you will have compression issues on all 3 cylinders to cause them to fail at the same time.

Unless the headgasket has failed between adjacent cylinders

3 inline cylinders, unlikely, no water in cylinders and not overheating.

 

[Jon2215]

Without checking a wiring diagram I would suppose the ign coils have 3 wires on each plug?
Common live
Common earth
Switched supply from the ecu.
Do you have access to a multi meter?

 

[j3nks79]

I doubt you will have compression issues on all 3 cylinders to cause them to fail at the same time.

Unless the headgasket has failed between adjacent cylinders

3 inline cylinders, unlikely, no water in cylinders and not overheating.

Huh? Not all headgasket failures cause over heating or water oil mixing.
Headgaskets can fail just between the cylinders.

 

[enuff_zed]

I think at this stage we just need to lay out all the possibilities for the OP to work through, from simplest to most complicated.
Nothing that has been listed so far is outside the realms of possibility.

 

[Rockhopper]

These engines are so bomb proof it must be something very "left field" to be causing this. In the absence of a compression tester take the rocker cover off and see if both cam shafts are turning along their whole length.

 

[enuff_zed]

These engines are so bomb proof it must be something very "left field" to be causing this. In the absence of a compression tester take the rocker cover off and see if both cam shafts are turning along their whole length.

Oh hell! that would be a big fail!

 

[enuff_zed]

I was assuming this was an N52 for some odd reason, but now I'm thinking it is actually an M54. Is that correct?

 

[smorris_12]

I thought of that but since the cam chain is at the front, you could only lose cylinders 4-6.

Coils have their own ground for the LT side, the HT side ground through the block and, again, that's a single lump of metal rather than being split.

I'm coming round to the idea that it could actually be a fundamental failure of the DME.

 

[enuff_zed]

I thought of that but since the cam chain is at the front, you could only lose cylinders 4-6.

Coils have their own ground for the LT side, the HT side ground through the block and, again, that's a single lump of metal rather than being split.

I'm coming round to the idea that it could actually be a fundamental failure of the DME.

If it is the DME, do not despair!
I know a man who can code in a new one ([ref]bigwinn[/ref])

 

[Rockhopper]

Yes, mine was a daft idea given that the shafts are driven from the front .
I do think a compression test would be worth doing though.

 

[LittleZ4]

So the car is going to be looked at at a mates garage on Wednesday, fingers crossed it's nothing serious. I'm going to drop off a spare ECU however it will probably need the ews coded/mapped out of it to get it to work. Unfortunately I have a shed load of extra work this week soy time to look at the car is somewhat limited.
I'm still going to try and do some of the suggestions before it goes if I can though

 

[enuff_zed]

I'm going to drop off a spare ECU however it will probably need the ews coded/mapped out of it to get it to work.

That is actually very easy! Says the IT luddite, having watched bigwinn do it

 

[LittleZ4]

I'm going to drop off a spare ECU however it will probably need the ews coded/mapped out of it to get it to work.

That is actually very easy! Says the IT luddite, having watched bigwinn do it

Haha......pop round with a laptop......I'll put the kettle on

 

[enuff_zed]

I'm going to drop off a spare ECU however it will probably need the ews coded/mapped out of it to get it to work.

That is actually very easy! Says the IT luddite, having watched bigwinn do it

Haha......pop round with a laptop......I'll put the kettle on

Gonna need a bigger kettle. :roll:

 

[LittleZ4]

Currently looking like the injector on cylinder 2 has failed and stuck open on ignition. Also apparently the spark plugs supplied by ECP were s**t!
Injector on order, another set of plugs on order. Hopefully this will sort it. It's at a mates garage now.

 

[Mike6]

I wrecked a car with spark plugs from ECP. The internals of one plug broke up and shreded the engine. I never get anything from ECP now. Think they buy dodgy parts. Now go to AutoDoc but have to wait a while for delivery.