Car died at w/e - a saga!

Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:56 pm

Hi All,

I went to see a 320 Cab at the w/e in Kent. Nice car, considered making an offer, had g/f waiting (fuming actually, we were on our way to Wales and made a bit of a detour to see the car... women, tsk!) in my '89 325i SE Auto so decided to think about it...

Got back into my car, turned key in ignition... nothing. No noises, just silence.

Sat there looking uncomfortable for a few moments then tried again... Nothing.

Rang alarm co thinking it might be immob (alarm is a Toad 606), but went through all the diagnostics with the guy and he agreed it wasn't alarm.

I sat there for a bit longer looking really unhappy (g/f boiling over nicely on the passenger seat). I put the keys in the ignition, scrunched up my face, mentally willed the car to start and f*** me it did!

We decided that the car was acting too dodgy so we'd swap to hers... drove another 50 miles around the M25 to Chingford. Stopped at hers, shut mine down, swapped stuff over and then tried to start mine again.

This time the engine was turning but not kicking in...not even sounding like it would, just the noise of the engine/starter turning over.

Fortunately there's a mechanic round the back of where the g/f lives... he's looked at it today and says it's the fuel pump, which does sort of make sense...

However, anyone have any ideas why it was dead the first time it wouldn't fire up? Also, if the fuel pump was dying why wouldn't it have cut out on the motorway (which I am so glad it didn't!).

Lastly, and more sinister... When I looked around the engine on Sunday evening I noticed that the Coolant reservoir was thick with oily gunge... I can't be sure if that's been like that since I've had the car but what could that mean? There's no 'mayo' under the oil filler cap though...

I know this is a bit of a novel but any advice appreciated.

Cheers,

DB

Tue Jun 27, 2006 3:57 pm

HI Mate

Sounds like your head or headgasket have gone and the oil is mixing with the water!

Q

Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:54 pm

hi mate, i have a 325i auto 1986 which once did the same thing, turned the key and nothing but a horrible silence. TRied about 10 times and nothing! only had the car 1 day!! phoned the guy i bpought off and he pleaded ignorance but said just make sure you are starting it in 'p' so i did and it started.

made me look like a twat but i had done nothing different?? just weird i guess. THat was 2 months ago and its never happened since.

Head gasket has gone now!! brilliant.

gonna stick to walking...

Tue Jun 27, 2006 4:59 pm

I did check what selection the gear was in and it was in 'P'. I even went up and down the selectors a few times to be sure...

I fear the HG might be about to give on me... dunno how much that'll cost. It may be better to just cough up and get a rebuild done (see my other post today)... or, maybe I'll just prize open the wallet a bit further and get my dream Cab in dolphin grey/Met blue with leather seats... Mmmm!

Anyway, mechanic is sorting out fuel pump tomorrow... Ã‚£230...

DB

Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:46 pm

Ã‚£230 for a fuel pump!!!????

Send me Ã‚£20 & I'll post you one!

Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:48 pm

Sadly it's done now... plus I need the car back tomorrow...

Cheers anyway!

Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:52 pm

at least dick turpin wore a mask and prob put robbin bastard down on his income tax returns form in the ocupation section...

Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:01 pm

DA-BEAST wrote:
Anyway, mechanic is sorting out fuel pump tomorrow... Ã‚£230...

DB

I'll do your head gasket for Ã‚£1500. Bargain at your mechanics rates!

Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:42 am

my old 316i cut out wwhen i was doing about 70 mph that was the fuel pump i was surprised it could just go like that but it did. it only cost me Ã‚£120 to sort feel robbed now tho as the head gasket went about a wek later lol

then the same thing happend to my old man in his 320ise

Wed Jun 28, 2006 1:52 am

Your head gasket / head is shot.

Basically you have hydraulic lock, that is where one or more of the cylinders has filled with coolant, therefore the engine is unable to turn over. After a while the coolant drains into the sump and the car will start!

Now't to do with the fuel pump....

Next time it won't turn over try removing the spark plugs and see if it turns over then, watch out for the potential jet of water that will shoot out of the spark plug hole!

Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:04 am

slideways wrote:at least dick turpin wore a mask and prob put robbin bastard down on his income tax returns form in the ocupation section...

lol he sure did

Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:21 am

My father inlaw was quotes Ã‚£240 for a fuel pump change on a 1998 Rover Ascot (a rebadged metro) suffice to say the car went to the scrappy.

It is a bugger to take the fuel tank out, the garage probably said thats how they did it, but I am sure your car will have a hatch under the rear bench like my 4dr does? Fuel pump + an hours labour shouldnt cost moe than Ã‚£150

Wed Jun 28, 2006 11:32 am

To be fair the cost of the part was Ã‚£130 (I checked on Euro Car Parts website). So he's charging me Ã‚£50 for the fitting plus the VAT.

Prob is expensive but what can you do when your car is sitting 60 miles from it's home looking sad and dejected (apart from walk round it with a litre of unleaded and sparkler).

Someone in another post mentioned it could be coolant lock... If it is I'm buggered...

Oh well... I get her back tomorrow so we'll see if she makes it around the M25!

Wish me luck...

Wed Jun 28, 2006 5:41 pm

To stop this happening as a temp bodge, release the expansion bottle cap when you stop the car, give it a few mins to cool down a bit first, then leave it parked up with the cap off. Don't forget to tighten the cap before you drive off!

You'll probably find it will run for a while like this, but i reckon you had better start saving for a head job