E30 Zone

Hi all,

Just changed the head (recent rebuild brought from a zoner), headgasket, injectors (refurbed by injectortune) and ICV, dizzy cap, HT leads and sparkplugs on my 316i and now I can't get the bloody thing to start.

The engine turns over nicely and I've double checked the timing is correct.

I got it to run once with a touch of throttle but as I let it drop to idle it just cut out and ever since it just doesn't want to know. (I'm gutted as it sounded absolutely fantastic whilst it was running)

Can anyone give me any help with this as after all the hard work I've done over the last couple of days I'm absolutley crushed that it's now not starting.

When I turn it over it seems like it wants to start but it's just having none of it.

TIA

Ant

PS, fuses are fine and there's definately fuel being pumped to it.

charge the battery right up?

sorry i'm clutching a bit but i had one that would crank enough i thought to start but wouldn't fire up.

hope you get it sorted after all the work m8.

sounds like electrical/spark kinds issue if fuel is on the way in- low voltage connections to coil?

are you gettng fuel in?

check everything on the low tension side, from the coil right to the battery. Also make sure all connectors are clean and correctly attached for all engine electronics. air flow meter etc.. ensure no vacum leaks. if all else fails rung the AA.

Cheers Mick. The battery is on charge as I type so I hope it is something as simple as that. I'd pretty much sucked it dry trying to get it running and to be on the safe side I'm discharging the ECU capasitor/memory jobby at the same time in the hope that it's just having issues after dealing with a knackered and warn head for so long.

I'm 99% sure fuel is going in as when I first tried it I had a slight leak where I'd not tightened the incoming fuel line tight enough. The injectors had sat for a while though so I'm starting to wonder if they've seized or summat.

E30_fred wrote:check everything on the low tension side, from the coil right to the battery.

What things should I be checking mate? All the connectors are good as I cleaned them as I went, bit anal like that.

Could an incorrectly set throttle stop cause this? Does the butterfly need to be partly open? (like a tiny fraction? The throttle body's had a fairly thourough cleaning an I'm just wondering if maybe I've altered this stop...

butterfly will open with a bit of foot pedal action so i'd not bother with that until it's fired up and if it won't tick over etc.

do you have a blue spark at the plug?

can you hear the pump prime when you turn the key?

Banjo1981 wrote: What things should I be checking mate? All the connectors are good as I cleaned them as I went, bit anal like that.

A couple of years ago my 316i wouldn't start after doing some work on her because somehow a small bolt which was securing a connecting wire on the battery terminal had losened off slightly, i had disturbed it while disconecting the battery. The cure was half a turn with a small adjustable spanner but i spent hours trying to figure out what it was.

I'm not sure about a spark as I'd run the battery down before checking this. Is it just a case of taking a plug out and earthing it on a rocker cover nut? It'll be one of my first checks in the morning.

Do you mean the fuel pump? I've not checked it but since I had fuel leaking under pressure I would assume all is good from that end? The relay clicks as the ignition's turned on if that's any help?

It's alive!!!

Swapped the HT leads for the old ones, swapped the sparkplugs for the old ones and she's running. So chuffed, think I shocked half the street with my cry of "YES!!" when it finally ran on it's own.

Couple of additional issues though:

1) Smoke from around the exhaust manifold when it warms up. It's not exhaust so I'm happy it's not leaking. I think it's probably a mixture of copper slip and WD40 plus whatever general crap from my hands has got on there in the last couple of days but I'm obviously worried that it could be oil seeping through from the head. Any advice on how I can tell please?

2) I've got a rather nasty squeal from up front somewhere (like a slipping fan belt) I've checked the tension on the altenator belt and the PAS pump and both seem fine could this be an over tensioned timing belt or something else?

Thanks in advance

A very smiley Ant

good news m8


the smoke will go away after you've burnt all the crap off.

i'd say the squeal is one of the belts.

Cheers mick,

Yeah think it's all the grease and grime cooking off, smells like doughnuts

The squeal seems to be coming from the water pump pully so I'm gonna strip it back tomorrow and rebuild it from there. I have a spare water pump if need be though.

Congrats mate, glad to know you got it going

Cheers Raj, and thanks to E30-fred too. It's a comfort to know that there's always people willing to offer help when things aren't going right.

OK, this is getting to me now.

Everything is now running like a dream (although a little rich) until it gets to a certain point and then all of a sudden I get a churping, squealing sort of noice from the front of the engine and it starts sounding rough and a badgers ball sack.

The noise definately sounds like belt squeal but as it's not there at start up I suspect it's something else.

Could this be the waterpump bearing on it's way out? Viscous fan unit maybe? Any hel appreciated as this is the only thing now stopping me driving the thing.

Yeah if the waterpump is on its way out i.e siezing then that squeal is the sound thats made.

Bit strange that it's not there at start up as I thought normally once they're gone, they're gone?

Did you try a spare water pump?

well done on getting it started Did you put that waterpump in that I gave you??

Cheers Sam and Dink

I was going to change the pump over yesterday as part of a "what the f@%k is wrong with this thing" fact finding exercise but managed to snap the head off the timing belt tensioner stud (like a tard I had the rachet set the wrong way!) as part of my "investigation".

Anyway, £5 (£5! For a 3 inch long piece of metal!) and a day later and i've put the new (ish) water pump in and the new stud (£5!!) and found that the noise was actually caused by the lower timing belt cover bolt rubbing on the back of the cranck pully!

I guess it was either the bolt or the pully bolts were a little loose and causing it to twist on the shaft due to the additional load when the fan clutch kicked in.

Just fired it up again and all is working as it should and it's purring like a good'un. Still a little bit of smoke around the exhaust manifold but nowhere near what it was when I first got it started.

I'm actually going to take it for a test drives and a petrol fill as what with the various little leaks and idling periods I'm a little low. First time in nearly a week!

Fingers crossed I don't now crash it!

Well, it survived it's test drive, a nice little 3 mile circuit to the petrol station and back, couple of inclines to break it in gently and I have to admit i can really feel the difference with the new head, so much more responsivce and willing. Very, very happy.