advice required for novice!

[jaxon]

hi all,

i'll try and give as much detail as possible here on a fault that has just occured on my beamer in the hope someone can help.

i have a 1988 320i se, it's been running fine recently but the other day having just driven 25 mins home from work it wouldn't start. the engine turned over slowly and there was then just a clicking from the starter motor. i got it started easily via a push from my mate but after a short drive it started overheating with the needle way up near the red (it's usually around a quarter of the way up the dial) however the coolant wasn't bubbling or boiling and when i switched the engine off and then turned the ignition on again straight away the needle only went to quarter of the way up. i also noticed whilst the engine was running that using a power window or switching headlights on caused a rapid jump of the needle towards the red. driving at a decent speed in low revs does nothing to help the cooling.

the battery is pumping out a healthy 12.3 volts and the alternator seems to be working fine once the engine's running but once it's stopped it will not restart without being bump started.

sorry for the long post but i wanted to get plenty of detail in there, any ideas guys?

cheers,

lee

[bazza93]

this sounds like one for brianmooooore ! he will prob answer this soon as he see's it

[abelai]

Check the earth strap to the engine

[Nelly]

New battery (12.3 is ok but should be in the 13's) and tighten up the nut on the back of the temp gauge on the back side of the cluster.

Now the cold weather is starting to roll in, it likes to kill batteries!!!!!

[abelai]

The fact that you say it was slow to turn over is why I suggest checking the main earth strap to the engine located on the N/S of the engine to the chassis leg under the airbox going to the sump.

[jaxon]

cheers guys, i'm not braving the weather tonight to poke around the engine bay but i'll check those things at the weekend when there's plenty of daylight!

forgot to mention i tried starting it by putting a jumper wire across pins 11 and 14 of the diagnostic plug and got no joy either. i may try jumping it from a mates car to rule out the battery.

do you think it's possible the two problems are linked? they occured at the exact same time and seem to be connected, ie. the surge in power affecting the temp reading.

[Brianmoooore]

this sounds like one for brianmooooore ! he will prob answer this soon as he see's it

I would, but abelai's beaten me to it!

[jaxon]

right finally had another look at the car tonight and still no joy.

i first tried jumping it from another car to make sure the battery wasn't at fault. didn't work.

checked the earth strap from the chassis leg to the sump and that seemed fine, both nuts nice and tight.

i'm beginning to think the starting problem could be the motor itself, it barely manages half a turn before it starts just clicking, ideas???

now the overheating problem is not actually an overheating problem atall. i took it for a nice long drive before (having push started it!) and it ran fine despite the temp needle being pegged right over in the red. i kept pulling over and checking under the bonnet for signs of actual over heating and all seemed fine. again when the engine is turned off and then the key turned to ign on position the needle reads correctly at a quarter of the way up. as soon as the car is started (by rolling down a hill) it jumps over into the red again. bizarre.

any more thoughts on this one?

[Brianmoooore]

Check the engine earth strap! PROPERLY!

[jaxon]

haha cheers brian the connection onto the sump turned out to be loose, she's running like new again