Hey Guys....Anyone Experience Ths before?

[MrRiegers]

it happened after i drove my 1996 328is (auto) through one of those watersprays (kinda like a cheap version of an automatic car wash system), afterwards, when i tried to drive off, the car felt like it was studdering, the feeling like not enough fuel is getting to the engine. I turned off the engine, tried to start it again and then it felt like the battery was dying (car studdering, the lights on my dash turning on).

i let the car sit for a few minutes, started it up and it was fine..but when the car changees gears, for a second, it feels like the car wants to stall, then returns to normal

oh yeah, and my traction light is permanently on now...

anyone have an idea what's going on? could the water have done anything, and would it be fine after a while?

[James]

Cranshaft Position Sensor went bad. It's common with automatic car washes for this to happen.

[MrRiegers]

thanks
is this problem permanent? of would it be ok when the water dries off?
and any idea how much to replace, and if i can do it myself?

and i just realized i posted this thread in the e36 m3 section, oops...

[James]

Hmm - as far as I know - its not a question of the part drying out, it just needs to be replaced. I am fairly certain you can replace it yourself but don't have first-hand experience doing so. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance!

[MrRiegers]

thanks james...
car runs fine now as if the problem never occured... i'm gonna hold back on replacing it for now

[gixerdave1983]

Hold your horses guys!!!! crank sensors failing just make the car cut out, the car either runs or dosent, dosent sound like that kind of problem.....another common fault which can occur from car washes is water ingress on the ECU. if you are standing in front of your car with bonnet open you will see a metal panel on the bulk head just behind the fuse box on the right, this is where the ECU lives, E36's suffer from the seal going around the plate and water going straight behind it off the windscreen...by the way you have described dash lights and all sorts of other weird problems id say it was that! might be worth whipping the plate off and lookin for signs of water and replacing the seal...will only cause you more probs later!!

[Xear0]

Originally Posted by gixerdave1983

Hold your horses guys!!!! crank sensors failing just make the car cut out, the car either runs or dosent, dosent sound like that kind of problem.....another common fault which can occur from car washes is water ingress on the ECU. if you are standing in front of your car with bonnet open you will see a metal panel on the bulk head just behind the fuse box on the right, this is where the ECU lives, E36's suffer from the seal going around the plate and water going straight behind it off the windscreen...by the way you have described dash lights and all sorts of other weird problems id say it was that! might be worth whipping the plate off and lookin for signs of water and replacing the seal...will only cause you more probs later!!

i concur, sounds like water in the ECU bay. Better to fix the seal now and be done with it, than to have it short out or fry the ECU (expensive...very)

if im not mistaken theres also the transmission computer in there too (in autos). never priced but i imagine also expensive lol

[RacerJames666]

+1 on water intrusion. Very common on pre 94 cars.(before the improvement on the "rain gutter piping")