325 not running

[kevo]

how do all,
i've been having a few problems getting my 325 going, it's an 87 manual and it cut out on me coming home about a week ago now. i've looked through it and the problem is that the fuel pump isn't cutting in and there is no spark. i've frigged the relay to get the fuel pump to run and it works fine, i've also replaced the relay which wasn't at fault.

i thought it might be to do with the crank sensors as the fact that two things were not cutting in led me to believe that it's more likely to be a control part but this did not cure the fault.

i've tested the coil and it's not bang on the figures from the book so i'll give this a try next? i removed the distributor cap and had a look and gave it all a clean up and whilst it's not perfect it seems plenty good enough condition wise.

i've had a brief look through all the engine bay relays and i don't know where else to look?
any suggestions as i don't like seeing it off the road plus i need to use it as travelling to work on the dirt bike is getting cold .

is there any sort of fuel cut off on the car? it seems to me like it's a simple control part at fault, do the ecu's fail?

any help gratefully received
cheers
Kev

[daimlerman]

First thought is the white DME relay. Do you get a spark by connecting the coil direct to the battery? Any long forgotten alarm lurking behind the glovebox?

[kevo]

i have a scorpion alarm fitted to the car, it was on there when i bought it and is working properly as far as i can tell, i.e. the alarm fob opens the doors etc. where is this white dme relay to and what is it exactly?
cheers
Kev

[georgen]

DME relay lives in a wee black plastic box by the expansion tank. Remove the cover and you'll see three relays. The DME is the white one, and the part number should be printed onto it.

[kevo]

i don't have a white relay in my box behind the air filter, i have an orange one and a metal bodied one, the metal bodied one has five pins, does this sound like a dme one? if so it's sods law as it's the only one i don't have a spare of. unless that is it is the same relay on a 318is? (i have a spare one of those?
cheers
Kev

[Theo]

Did you take that inspection plate off which I mentioned in your other thread a few days ago?

[Brianmoooore]

5 pin relay is the DME one, and can be bypassed, for testing purposes, by using a couple of pieces of wire to connect together pins 30 and the two with 87 on them.
The problem probably is as your first suggestion - the crank position sensor. Measure its resistance at the plug.

[kevo]

hi all, i have already changed the two crank sensors for second hand replacements, and i had a look in the inspection plate and there was nothing untoward there. i'll go and try bypassing the relay in a moment (just got up from nights hence the delay in responding).
thanks again for your help
Kev

btw when you say measure the crank position sensor resistance at the plug, do you mean measure it when it's not plugged in to the car?

[Brianmoooore]

Ah, we've got one of these ancient machines with the flywheel pick ups here! The resistance reading I gave refers to more modern E30s.
There's a pin pushed into the edge of the flywheel that triggers the pick up, and it's fairly common for this pin to fall out.
If this is the problem, the best solution is to upgrade the engine management to Motronic 1.3, which is not a difficult or expensive job.

[kevo]

hi all,
a-ha, i found it. Theo cracked it earlier, i should have searched harder, it was the little pin that is used for the timing pick up off the crank sensor. i missed it before somehow so i thought i'd take another look. next question is, what to do next? can i refit it? do i need a new flywheel? do i have to take the box off to repair it?
many thanks again for all your help
Cheers
Kev

[daimlerman]

Proof that Mr Mooooore is not only a genius at fixing E30's but is a mindreader as well!

[town325i]

the best way i would say is the same as brian said change over to the later managment you need a few parts to do it but its easier than taking the gearbox off i have most the parts if your interested

[geoffrey]

It's not like taking the gearbox off is that tricky. If you've got half an idea about what your doing and can get the car high enough then getting to the bolts is the only tricky bit. Wouldnt fancy doing it in the snow though!

[daimlerman]

Swapping to the later motronic is a lot quicker and far less effort than humping a gearbox in and out,and it will give a performance gain and a relibility gain as well.

[town325i]

It's not like taking the gearbox off is that tricky. If you've got half an idea about what your doing and can get the car high enough then getting to the bolts is the only tricky bit. Wouldnt fancy doing it in the snow though!

i didnt say anywhere its tricky getting the gearbox off i no what im doing when it comes to taking a gearbox off an e30 i was suggesting a better more reliable alternative

[kevo]

how do i go about fitting the later system? and how much do you want for it mister? what is actually included also?
many thanks
Kev

[kevo]

To do a motronic swap from the archaic pin on the flywheel version i'll need...

ECU
crank sensor and bracket
front pulley
oil switch and level sender
wiring loom
cam belt covers

Does this sound about right chaps? and how much of the wiring loom is to be changed exactly? can anyone shed any further light on this cos it sounds at present to be easier to take the gearbox off and fix the pin fault.
any thoughts?
Kev

[kevo]

any ideas chaps? or it looks like i'll have to take the box off and make up something to frig the sensor?
cheers
Kev

[Brianmoooore]

AFAIK, all you need is the newer crank sensor, complete with toothed wheel, the complete engine loom and the ECU. Also helps to have the oil pressure switch as well, because of a different connector, apparently.
The parts can come from a 320 or a 325, but the 320 ECU will need fitting with a 325 chip.
If you just repair your flywheel, you end up with a car as it was before, just waiting to fail again. The Motronic 1.3 conversion gives you a much more reliable engine, with improved performance as well.

[kevo]

cheers for the reply Brian, i'll have a think about it methinks, see whats involved, changing the loom sounds like a fair bit of work.
Kev

[town325i]

even if you can get a 2ltr ecu i have a chip out of a 2.5ecu and the rest of the arts you need let me no if you want them