M50 running problems..

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:39 pm

Was running fine, sat for 15mins after being run, then tried to start it and its stopped sparking on at least 1 cyl, and has no power, whilst backfiring..

Any ideas on the lack of spark?

Also, Temp gauge doesnt work.. Installed M20 sender, swapped the wire over but no joy

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:42 pm

Jhonno wrote:Was running fine, sat for 15mins after being run, then tried to start it and its stopped sparking on at least 1 cyl, and has no power, whilst backfiring..

Any ideas on the lack of spark?

Also, Temp gauge doesnt work.. Installed M20 sender, swapped the wire over but no joy

Rocker cover leaking into the plugs?
Swapped which wire for sensor?Should just fit the M20 sensor and plug back in.

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:56 pm

Ah.. Have to swap it on the S50.. So i'll have to swap it back, explains that one then..

Have to whip the coil packs out then, have a looksee

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:06 pm

Jhonno wrote:Ah.. Have to swap it on the S50.. So i'll have to swap it back, explains that one then..

Have to whip the coil packs out then, have a looksee

Yeah the sensor is just a straight swap on the M50

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:14 pm

Running problem is wierd, was going great guns till then.. Exhaust is a little council and anti social though

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:19 pm

Jhonno wrote:Running problem is wierd, was going great guns till then.. Exhaust is a little council and anti social though

Worth checking that rocker cover mate.
Seen loads leak around the plug holes.
Could even be knackered Blue sensor?

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:21 pm

Maybe.. Smelt of fuel.. And just began running rougher and rougher once started, ended up having no power at all

Will pull the coil packs when Im back in Col after the w/end

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:24 pm

Im sure Dan will see this anyway,he will have a better idea

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:15 pm

lambda's ?

Post Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:53 pm

Blue sensor is a good call, saw one the other day and it was doing as you explain, the warmer the engine got the worse it ran.
Do you have a fault light wired in? Worth doing if not as you will be able to see if it is running in limp mode

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:53 pm

No lambda on it atm..

Plugs 4-6 were swimming in water, 3 was damp, plug 1 was loose..

Worrying thing is, the lump appears to have been freshly serviced using BMW parts! Plugs look mint.. Oil was golden, and filter was clean when we had it apart

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:53 pm

Oh.. How would you go about wiring up a fault light? Dont think I have one wired up atm..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:34 pm

Swimming with water???

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:47 pm

Well the plug holes were..

Can anyone tell me the wire colours that go to the temp sender for the dash? I'm not sure if its working yet.. I know the stat is working ok, the rad has got warm and so has the bottom hose, but I'm still not getting anything from the dash.. Could it be the larger rad used? Cant take it for a run yet as its not legal, and its pretty noisy to leave idling

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:59 pm

If the radiator gets hot then the stat is working. The only way to test if it's working on temp is to have it in water with a thermometer. Just get that dash guage working so you feel better about it.

The bigger radiator wont cause any problems if the stat is working and it seems it is. It needs a proper run once you've got the hot running problem fixed and the MOT. That'll tell you how it is...

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:29 pm

I was wonderin if the the bigger rad was meaning it was taking alot longer to get up to temp is all.. Im happy its not overheating now, but I'm confused by the lack of temp gauge as its connected up correctly as far as I know.. Guess i'll find out when it goes for its MOT

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:35 pm

Dan have you earthed the wire out to check the gauge and the circuit?

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:02 pm

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:18 pm

You did fit an E30 temp sender right?

The temp sender to gauge wire is Brown/Purple and should be in pin No 4 of the E30 C101 plug

If you dont have a lambda fitted it will run on the default protection map (limp mode)

To rig up a fault light take the Grey wire from the ecu or X20 pin No 8 to a 'push fit' bulb fitted into the green section of the clocks, the other side of the bulb needs to be an ignition switched live (like the abs bulb) when a fault code is present the ecu sends an earth signal down the grey wire

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:31 pm

Yup, e30 temp sender fitted..

Will check the wire colours..

Didnt realise that about the lambda, remember Wil running without one for quite a while, will get one from the scrappy, a new one would be more that 1/2 the cost of the engine!! (Tight git e30 owner mode..)

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:39 pm

You could just use a cheapo GSF universal lamba Dan. They are the right four wire type I'm sure of it.

If you earth the temp wire where it connects to the thermistor (as Danthe says) Brown/Purple against the block then the gauge should shoot up to the top.

Glad you sussed the running problems

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:03 pm

Wire colour solved the problem.. Where I had swapped them before, I connected the wrong one back up. So should be all good now..

So its just the lambda.. Any opinions on passing the emissions without it? Its going for its MOT 2mo..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:04 pm

old_skool wrote:You could just use a cheapo GSF universal lamba Dan. They are the right four wire type I'm sure of it

interesting..

Does it just have to be a 4 wire then? I have the S50 ones..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:27 pm

Get an S50 one in then

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:50 pm

Anyone have any ideas what wires do what? Guessing there wont be a colour match..

Got till 2pm 2mo..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:17 pm

My brother has just got a 'universal' lamba sensor off ebay for about £23 iirc. Subaru wanted £120 for one. So I reckon you could do that, it would certainly save grovelling in a scrap yard for a nackered one?

On passing the emissions, it will be based on the 'easy' test due to the age of the car. So CO has to be <3.5.

Let him put it on the machine, if it fails and you know the dude. Just cause a vaccum leak after the MAF and it should go through

Proper pikey.

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:47 pm

Pikey indeed, usually the wires are 1 Black, 1 Grey and 2 Whites, the Whites are for the heater and can be wired either way around

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:34 pm

Cool..

What about the black and grey? Will see what I can do tomorrow morning..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:10 pm

On the S50 the Lambdas are on their own seperate loom dropping down from the engine loom. If they are four wire lambdas, I assume they are, then they are presumably the same titania type ones that are in the S50. Two black wires are the heater, the grey and white are the signal wires iirc.

They are cheap from GSF, I didn't bat an eyelid at them when I bought some so they can't be too bad.

Have you not got the lamba wiring on the engine loom then Dan?

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:18 pm

Yeah lambda wiring is on the loom (even in the correct place clipped onto the box..) but wrong connector for the S50 ones I have..

Does it matter which way the signal wires go?

Got a Euro Car Parts near me..

Post Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:38 pm

Oh and the speedo isnt working.. Is that connected to the swap or just the diff sender/wire/plug?

Post Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:10 am

Just to add to the talking to myself thing.. I have a twin system all through, the lambda is a single lambda that is situated at or near a single pipe point on the e36/e34.. Um.. So having it measure 1/2 the exhaust gas isnt gonna work is it?

Post Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:08 am

It'll be fine on a single pipe Dan.

Post Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:03 am

Its ok guys.. Ive come to my senses and am gonna stop being a typical e30 owner and buy a new one

Only £50 out the door, and in todays fuel prices, i'll get that back soon enough by fitting one!!

Post Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:51 pm

Its MOT'd!!

Handling is awesome tbh.. Not had it understeer, or oversteer, just grips and goes

Got an inlet air leak somewhere tho...