No power to coil

Post Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:53 pm

I have no power to the coil and also the injectors don't seem to be working,
Have tryed direct power to coil but to no avail, not sure where power comes from but I'd like to get the thing running today

I have been turning it over a lot but the plugs don't have any fuel on them so assuming there not working as yet

Any ideas?

Thanks rob

Post Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:03 pm

What car/engine?

The link below will help you troubleshoot...
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... oubleshoot

Post Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:05 pm

320 89 cab pain in the arse atm!

Post Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:09 pm

Was the engine running and now it won't? Have you done any work on it and now it won't start?

How did you test power to the coil?

Post Sun Aug 16, 2015 2:24 pm

Power to the coil, which also switches the engine ECU on, comes through the plain green in the C101 engine plug, which in turn comes from the immobiliser socket behind the glovebox. Check out this socket, and if anything other than a loop of wire is plugged into it, check whether there is power on both pins.

Post Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:13 pm

Thanks for the help! I got called out to a job so had to stop working on it! Will have another go at the weekend so will update then

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:04 pm

Ok a little bit of progress, I now have spark! There was no green loop inside the car, now I just have no injectors working!

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:14 pm

willnz wrote: The feed to the coil goes directly from pin#7 of the C101 to the coil so it is most unlikely you will have a fault in this section,

It did when it left the factory, but never underestimate the ingenuity of alarm/immobiliser fitters. On the red touring in my sig., whoever fitted the immobiliser had carefully intercepted the green wire in the engine loom on its way to the coil, after the branch to the ECU.

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:17 pm

Orangecab wrote:Ok a little bit of progress, I now have spark! There was no green loop inside the car, now I just have no injectors working!

Most unusual to have sparks but no fuel injectors. How do you know that the injectors aren't working? Are you listening to them, or just going by lack of fuel being injected?

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:18 pm

I've had the car turning over quite a lot and the spark plugs are never wet! Nor do they smell of fuel!

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:51 pm

That might be because there's no fuel pressure. I.e. Fuel pump not running.
You need to check if it's running when the engine is cranking.
So what was connected to the plug with the two green wires?

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:57 pm

Nothing was connected to green wired so I've looped them for now, I have got a fuel pump with a fuel can in the engine bay so I am bypassing everything! Have just taken rail out, put all injectors back in fuel pump on and the dont squirt any fuel out!

I have the old dizzy engine if that helps!

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:58 pm

Does the ecu tell the injectors or something else?

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:01 pm

I have a feeling the fuel pump I have is not man enough!

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:04 pm

What have you connected the fuel pum to on the engine?

Post Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:10 pm

Direct to the fuel rail!

Post Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:24 am

Think I've sorted the problem, I've ordered the wrong fuel pump! Ment to be a 3.5+ bar pump but it turns out I have a 3.5-4.5 psi pump!! Haha, could of got it done for Santa pod if I realised this a month ago!

Post Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:07 pm

Yes, That will do it, the other pump is a carb fuel pump designed to supply carbs.

Do they even do a carb pump that fits in take for the E30?

Post Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:32 pm

Not an in tank pump! It's an inline pump, I think at some point one of the previous owners put an early engine etc in the car, it's been a pain from the word go!

Post Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:34 pm

I ordered an aftermarket inline pump so I could locate the tank and pump etc in the boot and thought it'd be easier to add another pump when I upgrade the engine

Post Mon Sep 21, 2015 1:14 am

That would explain it then, did seem odd an 89 car with a carb pump as only the early 316 came with a carb pump.

External pumps are indeed cheap and easy, a friend just picked up a proper bosch motorsport unit for about £100 that is capable of fueling up to about 600hp.

Post Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:12 am

I am hopefully picking up a pump in the week so hopefully I can get the thing started for the first time in years!