E30 Zone

i posted a while ago about my 320i not starting, the smptoms were it would crank over but wouldnt ever fire up. i changed the plugs, air and fuel filters etc, checked for spark to each cylinder which is strong etc.

got it pretty much diagnosed as the fuel pump and got one ordered up, had a bit of a delay getting it through so was gunna try and bodge it temporarily with an inline pump that i was gunna use to suck fuel through the 'broken' intank pump.... so i refitted the old pump and put it all back together (at this stage it was all back together std and the inline pump was still in the garage) thought i'l just try it and see if it works. she fired straight up!! now the cars always had a delay in starting up, cranks for a short period and then kicks over but not this time, she fired straight up on the old pump. i turned it off and back on and it wouldnt start, same symptoms as before..... just crank for ages without firing up.
anyway still put it down to the pump being faulty and the startup being flukey.
decided not to bodge anything and just wait for the replacement pump.
got the replacement through and fitted it this morning and it fired straight into life again. thought brilliant its all fixed but didnt want to push my luck, turned it off and back on again and exactly the same as before. wouldnt start again with exactly the same symptoms.

im stumped now..... any ideas?? where is the fuel pump relay on these cars? im guessing its in the relay box under the bonnet?? but what position number does it sit under?

any ideas... please lets hear them.
cheers. paul

someone's got to have some ideas????? please!!!............ its my daily drive and at the moment im riding to work and we all know what the weathers like outside lol.
cheers.

I belive the fuel pump relay is either the white or orange one under the black cover near the inlet rubber elbow.

Hi mate
The fuel pump relay on your car will be under a black plastic cover between the afm and header tank.
There should be 2 relays under the cover (which just pulls upwards) 1 will be white and this is the DME relay and the other is the fuel pump relay.
Either could be your problem but i'm sure Brian will elaborate.

excellent, thanks for the info guys!!
here is a pic of my relays.... the relay in the middle slot is the fuel pump relay then, and the one on the right is the dme relay.

out of interest what does the dme relay do?? whats dme?? sorry to sound stupid, ive not come across dme before.

also is there supposed to be a relay in the left hand slot?? nothing silly has happened and the relays been put in the wrong place has it?? i guess if it had then the circuit wouldnt work right???

also heres the rest of the other fusebox.... does anything look wrong here..... the a couple of relays missing, should they be there??



thanks.
pauly

The easiest diagnosis for a fuel pump fault, is to listen for the priming pulse when the ignition is turned on. It should buzz for about 2 seconds.

From your description, I'd have expected the engine to have restarted even with a dead fuel pump, and run for a few seconds. If you pull the fuel pump fuse from an idling engine, it will take a few seconds at least before it dies.

How long was the engine running before you switched it off? It is possible that you've flooded it.

Try cranking it with the throttle WIDE OPEN, and for a good 30 seconds if your battery can take it. It sometimes helps to have an assistant, so you can have the pump fuse out until it catches, then pop it back in. Worth trying, and will cost you nothing.

DME = Digital Motor Electonics.

The spare relay holder is for, i think, CAT equipped cars...

brilliant, thanks guys!! got a few things to try now!!

Connect a small 12 volt bulb or LED across the fuel pump connector, and another one from the ignition coil + terminal to earth.
The second one should light as soon as you turn the ignition on, and the first one should light as soon as the engine is cranking.

cheers guys will be out there again tonight!! 'heyho' which fuse is the fuel pump fuse in the pic of the fusebox please.
thanks. paul