Turn the key and... nothing happens 23-11 It's allive!!

[Sjoerd320i]

The m50 is now in the car and all wired up using the diagram shown below.

My car used to be an auto so everything is removed to make it a manual.

When i turn the key to start nothing happens, no klick or fuelpump humming no nothing.

My car is a 1990 320iA and the donor is a 1990 525i NV

[penton08]

Did you swap the wires around for the auto inhibit thingy?

[Jhonno]

Did you swap the wires around for the auto inhibit thingy?

This. You need to bridge the inhibitor.

[Sjoerd320i]

What wires should I be looking for then?
I removed the auto gear selector and the wiring that goes to the ecu.

There are two other wires left around the gear selector area and if I connect them together still nothing happens.

[Sjoerd320i]

These 2 wires are the only ones I have left around the selector area.
It makes no difference if I connect them or not.



This plug used to sit next to the ecu and connects to the 320ia engine loom.
I have remover these wires completely as they were connected to the auto selector.



And as far as I know this plug is for the reverse light switch.

[DanThe]

Look behind the glovebox for thick green wires, you will probably find a pair not connected to anything, you need to join them

[Sjoerd320i]

Thanks! Will have a look tonight.

That we be behind the kickpanel then as my car is LHD.

[Brianmoooore]

If NOTHING happens when you turn the key, then you have an issue with the red wire that feeds the ignition switch from the fusebox.
If nothing engine related happens when you turn the key, then the issue is with plain green wires as DanThe says.
In the same area as Dan's green wires, you should find two single plug and sockets, each joining a black/yellow wire to another wire (plain black, IIRC). Disconnect both of these and plug the two halves with black/yellow wires together.
This bypasses the auto inhibitor switch, and arranges the wiring just as it would be from the factory on a manual car. Follow the two left over wires to a relay, remove the relay base, the wires, and the other wires to the relay, which you will find lead to the area under the front console where your gearlever will be.
You need to find the reverse light loom and gear lever grommet from a manual E30, which will connect between the reverse light switch on the gearbox and the plug you have found.

[Sjoerd320i]

Legend

[Sjoerd320i]

Had a look tonight.

The black/yellow wires are allready connected as you can see in the picture, I didn't do this, they were allready like that.



I think these will be the green wires you are talking about?

They are connected like in the picture.

If I disconnect them and connect the two red circled plugs together still nothing happens.

The two red circles ones are bonded together with tape.
I can't find a loose plug anywhere to fit it either.



The joy of the build is starting to flote away a bit now....

[Brianmoooore]

I think these will be the green wires you are talking about?

They are connected like in the picture.

Second picture? Those wires aren't green! They are green/blue.

[Sjoerd320i]

Yeah I couldn't find all green wires so assumed these should be them.

But I thought the green wires are for the ignition so if they are not all hooked up properly the starter should still work right?

Can you think of an explenation why the black/yellow wires are allready connected?

[Brianmoooore]

But I thought the green wires are for the ignition so if they are not all hooked up properly the starter should still work right?

That's correct. The two green wires hang down from the loom across the top of the glovebox area, just to the left of the black/yellows, and when the car left the factory, both greens went to a two pin socket that was fitted with a plug that had a short loop of green wire that linked the two wires together. If there was an alarm fitted, the plug with the loop may have been replaced with a plug that has a green and a green/red wire going to it.

Can you think of an explenation why the black/yellow wires are allready connected?

The car was previously owned by a bodger?

[Brianmoooore]

What does happen/work/light up when you turn the ignition switch to position 1? Position 2?

[Sjoerd320i]

Position 1 is just the for the radio.

Position 2 lights up the oil presure light, batterie and handbrake light.

And when I turn the key over to start the dash lights dim like they should.

The car did have a dealer fitted alarm and there indeed are two green wires that go into a double socket. the plug it's connected to does iirc have a green and green/red wire.

The alarm was removed by me 3 years ago.

[Brianmoooore]

So it's far from "turn the key and nothing happens", then!
You should find that position 1 also works the door mirrors, washers and wipers, and position 2, the heater fan, widows/roof with the door closed, headlamps, etc.
The only reason panel lights should dim in position 3 is because of the load on the battery from the starter motor dragging the battery voltage down, so if they do dim, something is happening in position 3.
Check that the main battery cable from the battery + to the starter motor is fitted correctly, along with the earth strap from the engine to the body and the battery negative cable.

[Sjoerd320i]

Sorry, should have been a bit more clear on what exaclty does and doesn't happen.

The engine earth is connected, battery is connected and starter motor + also connected.

The reason I think the problem is in the "auto" bit is that exectly the same is happening when I put it in position 3 as it did when the car was still original and the shift lever was not in P or N.

[Sjoerd320i]

Yesterday I had a quick look if I could find out where the wires are interupted.

At these plugs is no power if I turn the key to possition 3

[Brianmoooore]

Find the wire on the steering column side. It changes from black (direct from the ignition switch) to black/yellow at a plug and socket that should be clipped to the steering column about half way down.

[Sjoerd320i]

Hmmm reading this for the fourth time now and starting to doubt if I overlooked something this afternoon...

I had a look again and this is what I found.



Here you see the wires that come directly from the ignition switch.
I presume you mean the thick black one that goes in to the red part of the plug.
The wire that comes out from the other side is also black.

That black wire is taped to the black/yelow one with the white plug you see in the picture in my last post.

The only thing I havn't tried yet (I just realised) is to put the black/yelow wire with the black plug into the big white plug with the wires in them that come from the ignition switch.

Lol trying to make it a bit understandeble but you start to notice that English isn't exactly my first language.

Here is an overall picture of the situation under my dash.

[penton08]

The only thing I havn't tried yet (I just realised) is to put the black/yelow wire with the black plug into the big white plug with the wires in them that come from the ignition switch.

Try that

[Sjoerd320i]

Going to tonight keeping my hopes up

[deanocool]

i had the same problem with mine! are you sure youve hooked up the battery cables on the diagnostic loom correctly? its a daft mistake to make but an easy one

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=206482

[Sjoerd320i]

It's allive!!

Turned out to be the wire that I described in my last post.

Guys, thanks so much for the help!!

[E30BeemerLad]

Nice one Sjoerd

[Sjoerd320i]

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