a.> 88 325iX cold start valve?

[jkerouac@xxxxxxx]

Dave,
    The 88 325i, iX, etc does not have a cold start valve.  In fact it
was the first use of Motronic 1.1, with one of the new 'features' being
the elimination of the cold start injector.  Instead, the ECU would
generate longer injector shots and control a cold start mode.  The 25i
was a federally approved powertrain, BMW would not have type certified a
whole different powertrain just for the limited production run of the
iX.
    After a service campaign or two, eventually BMW got the system to
work right.  Before that, many customers complained of long cranking
before the engine would start.  That service campaign was worth having
performed even if you did not have the long cranking problem, since
after the campaign the cars performed a little better overall.
    As for a fuel smell, on a 13 year old car, it might be prudent to
replace all high pressure fuel hose under the hood just for a general
safety measure.  Also, check the fuel pressure regulator, that might be
leaking at the O ring that snuggles into the fuel rail.
    The charcoal canister also might be clogged.  As a fuel line goes to
it [I think from the gas tank], that could be routing vapors from the
tank right to under the hood.
    With any fuel smell, it certainly is the kind of problem to find and
fix, since letting it go to see what might happen if its gets worse
could have some firey results.
I hope this helps.

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