Car won't start after waterpump change

[ijahn2000]

Help,

just changed the waterpump on my 320i (absolute pain to do), and the car wont start now.

I have checked the spark plugs, I get sparks on all of them. I have also checked the fuel, and I do get fuel at the fuel rail and the plugs get wet after prolonged cranking.
When idling the appears to be no sign of firing....

What could it be?
I have a slight suspision that I damaged one of the two wires going across the front of the engine. I think one goes to the oil level sender, and the other to the crank sensor at the front of the engine.
Would the no firing be the right symptom for having broken one of these wires?

If yes, where can I get a replacement cheaply?

Cheers
Ingo

[Brianmoooore]

Damaging the crank sensor wire will stop the engine from starting, but you won't get sparks or fuel pump either. It's just possible the wire is making intermittent contact and generating semi random sparks.
Is it one spark per plug every two turns of the crankshaft?

[town325i]

Damaging the crank sensor wire will stop the engine from starting, but you won't get sparks or fuel pump either. It's just possible the wire is making intermittent contact and generating semi random sparks.
Is it one spark per plug every two turns of the crankshaft?

If the wire is damaged big style it could be but i would check that you have put the crank sensor and the plug sensor wire to the correct plugs under the diognostics socket first.Saying that this is if you unpluged them.

[ijahn2000]

Haven't unplugged the wires. So haven't messed them up.

How do you work out if you get one spark every two revolutions? I personally can't look quick enough....
And sparks are very regular, so don't think the wire is making intermittent contact.
Is the conclusion from the fact that I get fuel and regular sparks, that the sensor should be working fine?

[Brianmoooore]

How did you deal with the cambelt tensioner spring?

[ijahn2000]

I found it on the floor after I had removed the old water pump and didn't quite know what to do.
In the end I managed to work out that it goes between the waterpump and the tensioner and reinstalled it.

There is the potential that the belt has jumped, but I deem this unlikely, as I never pulled the tensioner back or turned the engine while changing the pump.

Nevertheless I shall check the timing tomorrow if there are no other suggestions.

[Brianmoooore]

That's what I was getting at. The cambelt tensioner should have been locked in place when the cambelt was last changed, and after that, the spring does nothing, and can be removed if required.
As long as the cambelt was installed correctly, and you didn't touch either of the bolts that secure the tensioner, there's no chance the belt has slipped.
It's quite acceptable to leave the spring and guide pin out when changing the pump but not the belt. It's extremely difficult to line the pump up, keep the gasket in place, and get the pump bolts in, with the spring pushing against the pump.

[ijahn2000]

Ok, in that case I don't have to check the timing.

Any other ideas???

[Brianmoooore]

Any other ideas???

None that are relevant to the work you have done.
What age is this car?
Remove the fuel pump relay, and link together pins 30 and 87 of its socket to check that the fuel pump is working. You should easily hear it.

[ijahn2000]

Problem has been solved...

The head gasket has gone!
Did a compression check and get between 70 and 100psi on most cylinders.

Car had a overheated at the time when the old water pump failed.
I started it to drive it off the trailer into the garage (50m and less than 20 seconds of running) on Monday, and at that time the engine appeared to be running fine.
That last drive must have finished off the head gasket. And maybe it was only running on 3-4 cylinders at that time.

Time to buy a new E30 or upgrade the engine :oD

[Brianmoooore]

Problem has been solved...

The head gasket has gone!
Did a compression check and get between 70 and 100psi on most cylinders.

Car had a overheated at the time when the old water pump failed.
I started it to drive it off the trailer into the garage (50m and less than 20 seconds of running) on Monday, and at that time the engine appeared to be running fine.
That last drive must have finished off the head gasket. And maybe it was only running on 3-4 cylinders at that time.

Time to buy a new E30 or upgrade the engine :oD

Head gaskets don't normally fail across all cylinders! This sounds more like a set of bent valves - as a result of the belt slipping a tooth or two.

[ijahn2000]

Well I checked the timing marks, and both line up.
So unless the compression tester is fubar, I am at a loss.
Ps: I only compression tested 1, 3 and 4.

I may try to start it again tomorrow after the pistons have dried out, but I am not hopeful.