Engine Loom? Starter motor didn't help. :-(

[Davenotouring]

I'm thinking it could be the starter motor which is at fault with my car, especially with it's behaviour leading up to the 'smoke'.

I took off the inlet hose and all that try to get a better view of the starter, can't see how the f**k it comes off!!!

What is the procedure?

[Brian28]

Lots of swearing first usually helps, best to get that out of the way as you'll be doing it a lot! On the 320 its a complete pain, from under the car we drop the grarbox mounting to let the engine sag towards the back of the car to give a bit of clearance. Then about 2 or 3' of extension bars will let you get to the bolt heads. (Like inverted torx, I think size 12). The nuts, its just a matter of getting in as best you can. The lower one isn't too bad, the top one is torture, particularly getting it back on again. We usually try and squeeze up from underneath, but there isn't much of a gap. Somebody else may be along with an easier way on a while .....

Cheers
Brian

[Davenotouring]

Ah well!

Thanks for that mate.

Any easier ideas?!! Is that the best? Cheers.

[Andy325i]

Brian is right mate, they are a total B*tch to do, but not totally impossible.

The nut on top of the starter is the hardest to get exactly in the right place when putting it back together.


Andy

[A1BMW325iSport]

i paid the garage when mine went on my old 320i

i put a new starter on my 325 when i fitted the engine and box as
that is one job i will not be doing

[Davenotouring]

Just removed the starter motor from the other Touring I have. That was a pain. Everytime I work on my car I lose parts of my hands/knuckles.

Getting dark now (how shi* is this!!), will hopefully get the other one off tomorrow and new one back on.

Here's hoping.

[boybimmerm3]

you dont need to remove anything apart from the starter motor to replace the starter motor! forget undoing gearbox mounts and coolant hoses just wastes time. is easist from above for sure.

[glenn]

dave,
when you put the top bolt in,
put something sticky in the socket like window sealant or grease( not ), it stops the bolt dropping every time it touches the tunnel as you offer it up to the starter

[Davenotouring]

you dont need to remove anything apart from the starter motor to replace the starter motor! forget undoing gearbox mounts and coolant hoses just wastes time. is easist from above for sure.

Cheers for the advice mate (and Glenn!).

How do you propose I reach the torxy bolt from the top?

I can't seem to do it.

[boybimmerm3]

use a long torx spanner, snap on one is great but are not cheap, is made for the job though.

[Davenotouring]

Ooooh never seen a torx spanner!

What the f**k does one of those look like?!

Might borrow one from the lads at work tomorrow, they have all Snap-On gear.

Simon said you did his super-quick so I'll take your word for it mate.

Shame you couldn't come to Gaydon!

Ace Cafe Monday?

Nurburg soon!!

[boybimmerm3]

the torx spanner is like a double ended ring spanner but with torx shape instead.
i was on holiday so i missed the rolling road day and gaydon( bad planning on my girlfriends part). not sure about ace cafe on monday but i am up for a trip to nurburgring i so want to go there!

[jonmsm]

Just swapped the gearbox on my 320 and that involved removin the starter. I found the best way to get the akward bolts are as follows. Jack up the back of the gearbox and loosen the engine mounts so the engine moves away from the bulkhead by taking the weight off the mounts. this will give just enough room to work. get the top bolt by sitting on your intake and put the open end of your 17 spanner on the bolt with another on the nut at the other end, then with the first one, stick in a 1/2" drive extension bar through the ring end of the spanner and tug like hell, then do much the same underneath and then it should come out. be careful of falling rust when your looking up at the motor from underneath when getting the bottom bolt out... if it gets in your eye.. it f*cking hurts!

Hope this is useful

Jon

[Davenotouring]

be careful of falling rust when your looking up at the motor from underneath when getting the bottom bolt out... if it gets in your eye.. it f*cking hurts!

My car isn't rusty!!

Thanks for the advice chaps, I shall be trying that tonight.

[Simon13]

like has been said u don't need to do any of that gearbox bollocks.

I've seen it done!

Boybimmer had my old one out and new one fitted in 30mins. It was sorting the alarm out that took the time to get it bloody started!

[naylor04]

Jeeeez Dave if i can do it anyone can !!!!!!!!!

[Davenotouring]

This was one of the more difficult things I have done on my car.

Naylor, if you have done this then most other tasks are easy!

Didn't fix mine though, gonna have to delve deeper. Gutted and very fu**ed off with this now. Spent a couple of evenings sorting out and changing the starter to no avail.

As soon as you connect the battery, even with the ignition off, the fuel pump starts running and you can hear fuel being pumped into the pressure regulator.

What the fu** is going on?

Loom problem?

[TOURINGDADDY]

mayby dodgy relay

[Davenotouring]

I did think that, but then would this relay cause the other problems?

The starter motor won't engage. It ticks, but nothing more. Unless the pump is drawing loads of current and not letting the starter have enough.

Also, could this Fry the wire between the starter and the battery?

Help techy gods!

[TOURINGDADDY]

if its only clikin then there isnt enough power gettin there or its dead, check earths r tight and same 4 postive, when u put ur 2.5 in did u crush the loom runnin across the bulk head? may b damaged

[Davenotouring]

It's not just the starter which is the problem now.

When the battery is connected (no key even in ignition) the fuel pump is running.

Something is fu**ed up.

Unless someone has any better ideas, or a possible fix for this, the loom needs looking at and changing if there is nothing obviously wrong.

Cheers.

[Simon13]

buttplug to the rescue, he wants to help mate u know he does, jst ask him. He likes to feel loved

[Richy325iTouring]

id change the loom dave something has to be shorting somewhere
you wana hope nothing fried the ecu either