# 2006 BMW 3 Series - Idle issues **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** bmw\ **Created:** [December 22, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145 "2019-12-22T02:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JoseFlores](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JoseFlores](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoseFlores)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/1 "2019-12-22T02:52:16Z")
I have problems with the idling,I thought it was a broken hose,but everything looks normal,a friend of mine did a compression test on all cylinders and cylinder #6 only gave us 50 in pressure,he thinks is a blown head gasket,I just want to confirm if this could be the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/2 "2019-12-22T12:31:56Z")
I suppose you could use a bore scope to look inside, but doubt if you could see if the low compression is caused by a valve or ring. Head will have to come off regardless of the cause. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/3 "2019-12-23T01:40:36Z")
It could be a blown head gasket. Often a blown head gasket will result in two adjacent cylinders having a low compression, so just one being low would make me want to do some more testing before assuming that. It could be a sticking valve affecting only number 6 for example, and there might be a way to unstick it without removing the head. Is this a direct injection engine? Turbo? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/4 "2019-12-23T02:54:21Z")
Do a leak down test on that cylinder. > **[How to do a leakdown test | Mobil™ Motor Oils](https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-maintenance/car-maintenance-archive/how-to-do-a-leakdown-test)** > > Before you tear down the engine, pinpoint where problems are by using these three steps to do an engine leakdown test. At least you’ll know why that cylinder has low compression. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/5 "2019-12-23T03:09:03Z")
Could be coked up rings due to a faulty injector, so many possibilities! ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/6 "2019-12-23T08:52:17Z")
> [@JoseFlores](#): > > he thinks is a blown head gasket,I just want to confirm if this could be the problem? I can neither confirm nor deny that over the internet. Tell your friend to confirm it, rather than other thing that will cause low compression. Not that any of them are cheap tp fix either. ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/7 "2019-12-23T19:11:40Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Often a blown head gasket will result in two adjacent cylinders having a low compression, so just one being low would make me want to do some more testing before assuming that. The #6 cylinder is at the end of the block, no? So there could be a head gasket problem that would only affect the one cylinder. That said, I agree that more diagnosis is required. ---
**Author:** ![JoseFlores](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JoseFlores](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoseFlores)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 12:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-3-series-idle-issues/155145/8 "2019-12-24T00:02:25Z")
Thanks for your imput,I will do some more testing.