e46 320d non start after engine swap???

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:26 pm

hi

did an engine swap on a 2001 e46 320d its the earlier engine not the "tu".

swapped everything from the original lump over to the new one as it was just block and head including the control unit on the pressure pump.

had to leave early to let the wife get to work but the guy i work with phoned and said it wont start.

system has been bled as far as i am aware and its getting fuel. he did say it started for a moment and died and now just turns over with no sign of life.

anyone familair with them as this is the first diesel bmw i have worked on and im not that clued up on diesel powerd cars in general.

if anyone knows where to point me or needs any more info post up and lets see if we can get this lump running.

thanks

wullie

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:31 pm

is there any guf that needs coding with this modern shizzle?

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:34 pm

im not sure to be honest thats why i changed the control unit on the pressure pump as the part numbers where different so in essence everything is the same just different block and head of the same type

Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:56 pm

COME ON SOMEONE MUST BE ABLE TO POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO SPRING THIS OLD SMOKER INTO LIFE LOL.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:12 pm

spoke to the other guy again and it didnt fire up at all no sign of life from it.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:16 pm

make sure your old pump and injectors are in the new block as all of this will need coding
also after this is all swoped over put it on a toe rope and toe it as they can be a night mare to bleed
hth

Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:53 pm

the control unit for the pump has been swapped over as i didnt want to have to get involved in taking the chains off to remove the pressure pump as it would have taken even longer to transfer everything over so in theory it thinks it is the same? yes - no?

are you sure about the injectors as that dosent seem right to me but i stand totaly corrected if it is right as i have never done one before.

cant remember if we did use the old injectors or not i will need to check on monday.

Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:49 pm

anyone else have any experience with these old smokers?

Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:42 pm

The injectors are batch machined and come within a tolerance, so say the machine produces 1000 injectors, then the machine is stripped, cleaned and rebuilt, then makes another 100 injectors, and so on...

On the top of the injectors is series of numbers and letters, 6 off the top of my head, which is the machine tolerance code. The injector codes are then 'written' into the DDE (Digital Diesel Electronics - engine control unit). With this information, the DDE knows the specific tolerance of each injector, allowing the DDE to fully control the injector to the exact 0.00001mg of fuel going through it.

In essence, even if these codes dont match, the car should still start, but would run like a bag of sh!t.

If theres any air in the system, cranking alone will not remove it, it will just compress it. Someone mentioned towing the car. If this is to be done, tow the car at about 10-15mph with the ignition on, then let the clutch up with the 'box in 2nd or 3rd. This should be enough to remove the air if thats causing the problem

You mentioned you changed the control unit on the pressure pump. I'm not sure what control unit you are reffering too. How big is it, what colour and where exactly is it located?

If you have swapped the DDE's over, then this will also be a reason for a non-start, as the DDE and DWA (anti-theft control) will not be 'aligned'

Unforetunately, this is what happens when you play around with cars are beyond driveway capability, per-say! Its a headache, but we'll all try and help you as much as possible

Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:20 pm

the unit i am reffering to is the electronic unit that is located on the pressure pump housing itself and from memory it was a small silver box.

the donor engine had this unit on it aswell but someone had opend it and messed with it and it looked in a bad way. the part numbers on the the two units were different also which was another reason to transfer the one from the broken engine over.

nobody is "playing around" or having anything done on a "driveway" either its being done in the garage where i work but i have been tasked with the job as i have alot of experience with bmw's but unfortunatly not any diesel models and im running into a few problems. it could well be that it just needs bled up properly as i ran out of time and had to leave before it was ready to turn the key but i will find out tomorrow when i go back to it.

check the link the box i am talking about is sitting on top of the pump itself.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?m ... g=13&fg=15

to my knowledge the engine should think everything is the same as every componet from the duff engine was put on the new lump including the box on top of the pump.

the ecu from the car has been kept and used so there shouldnt be any dde - dwa probblem as everything is the same with the exeption of the block and head.

Mon Feb 01, 2010 5:04 pm

havent had a chance to look at the 320d again yet as it is going to be with us for atleast another week before its picked up and i have been put on other more urgent jobs for now.

can anyone else shed some light on this?

i am hoping it will just be a bleeding issue but all input is greatly appriciated.

can you help me any further stu as you seemed to know a fair bit about them?

Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:30 pm

ignore the coding thing. its bollox. these engines are 136bhp not 150bhp. which is where batch coding applies etc. try to tow start it and see if it goes. if you had to take the high pressure pump out then you can buy a tool to keep the chain in situ (defo the case for 150bhp dont know about the 136bhp) personally though i do think its injectors. only because it has happened before. and if your "good" lump has been sitting then thats probably why. Check your oil level. see if its high and thin. only because if an injector is stuck open it wont fire. hope you get it going. an autologic code read would help alot!

Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm

My mistake wullie, the way i read it, i thought you had used all the components from the new engine... doh!

As the dude above suggests, a tow-start may help to solve the bleeding. The pressure under cranking isnt quite substantial enough to remove any trapped air, it just compresses it!

Let us know how it goes, if you do need any help of info then just ask, im always around for help

Mon Apr 12, 2010 5:47 pm

right thought i would update this thread.

gave the car a tow for a good while and at good speed 20mph+ but it still wouldnt start so i reported back and was told to check everything over again and heres what i found.

basically the injectors were not misting properly so had to remove them took the first two out no problem and had to go to a mobile job but when i came back another guy had took the other two out but managed to snap one off inside

then pissed off and left it. so a call to the owner was made and he came with a replacment head with injectors and i fitted that.....still the same problem was there it would not start under its own steam u have to fire easy start up it and when it caught you had to keep it above 1.5k or it would die but while running it was firing out constant heavy white smoke.

next thing was the pump timing on the new lump checked it and it was a mile out

so sorted that out and fired it up and it started first try wooo hooo so took it for a test drive and came back with grim news as the bottom end started the "death rattle".

so all in after all that work it turns out the engine was a shitter that the guy paid around 1k for i think.

it had more problems than i have listed but thats the bulk of why it wouldnt run then ended up as expensive scrap.

a big thanks to everyone who posted on this as it was a nightmare of a job but i got there eventually even though its gubbed.

its for sale if anyones intrested for around £1500 needing a new lump once more.

hey ho there ye go lol.