E30 Zone

Hey peoples. Went to start my car this evening and it won't!

When I left work it started but hunted up and down at idle but I drove home okay.

When I went to go out tonight it wouldn't start - it stuttered and then stalled. Throttle made no difference, and it did this a few times.

Now it just turns over with no hint of it catching. There is a smell of petrol so I presume I am getting fuel.

HT leads all appear to be connected.

Any ideas???

Take out a spark plug and check that it sparks when you crank the engine.
Remove the fuel pump relay, and link together pins 30 and 87 of its base. You should be able to easily hear the fuel pump whining away. Can you?

Sparks all present and correct.
Is the fuel pump relay one of the ones on the bulkhead?

Found relay and there is a very faint whine - but I have flattened the battery tryong to start it.

With a booster pack still afaint whine.


This morning it started ran for a few seconds then died again and no life since.

Have you flooded the engine?

I had a similar problem a couple of winters ago and after much fannying about found the plugs were soaked in fuel. Removed all the plugs, turned the engine over without the fuel pump fuse in (number 11 iirc), wiped the plugs down and dried them with a blow torch to warm em up a bit and replaced. Turned it over again and hey presto.

WellI think i found the relay - on the bulkhead there was a white one and a yellow one. Tried the white one and got the faint noise, but on trying again I'm getting nothing. I have checked the fuse and all was fine there (and swapped it to be doubly sure).

No flooding - too the plugs out this morning and all were dry (and looked okayish)

The white relay is the DME relay, and should have five pins. Fuel pump relay has four pins, and was orange when your car left the factory.
Get the battery charged, and try 30 to 87 again.
Check fuse 11 is intact.
Take a spark plug out after a cranking session. Is the tip wet with fuel?

Charging battery but had a half full old un. Couldn't get the pump to go via the yellow relay but after a good (but slow) crank pulled a plug out and it had petrol on it (how wet should it be? it wasn't very wet but definately had petrol on it). Fuse 11 is okay.

If it's been cranked without firing, the plug should be very wet.
Time to take the rear seat base out (pull up at the front), and remove the inspection cover over the pump on the RH side. Pull the 2 pin plug off of the pump, and connect a 12 volt bulb between the two pins. Crank the engine. Does the bulb light?
Remove the pump relay again, and bridge 30 to 87. Does the bulb light?
If so, push the plug back onto the pump. If it doesn't whine, give it a smart tap with something like a long 1/2" socket extension bar, or the handle of a hammer.