Wierd Electrics - UPDATE Need Help :(

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Alex
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Post Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:33 pm

My 325i has some wierd goings on in the electric department.

originally started off as a 320i however now has a 325i lump from the same year car fitted.

I was told before the engine conversion everything worked ok however when i bought the car i was told there was a problem with the underloaded relay, something to do with a wrong wire on the starter motor, which caused no heaters or electric windows.

However when i was at santa pod, my windows started working fine however shortly later my instrument cluster fuel guage and temp guage packed in, also the check control panel is very dim as if there is a dodgey earth, Also when driving home if i turned my lights on my rev counter was going all over the place and every single light related blub lit up on the check control panel. I'am not convinced the lights were working as it was duskish it was hard to tell, ive still yet go to go and check as the car hasnt been touched since santa pod.

Any Suggestions is this still related to the underloaded relay or whatever its called ??

has anyone got a picture of what wires are suppose to be where regarding the underloaded relay ?

Thanks
Last edited by Alex on Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kam-325i
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Post Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:40 pm

wiring diagrams here

Should be "Unload" relay. it dissconects some circuits when cranking the engine.

http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/
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Alex
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Post Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:48 pm

Thats too complicated :o:

What colour wires should be where ? :D
Alex
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Post Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:17 pm

Right, ive checked all obvious connections everywhere in the engine, and ive also checked the starter and its wired exactly like this below picture from the wiki
Image

ive checked all wires and they are also tight.

Am i right in thinking the white relay next to the afm is the under load relay as i tried another and its the same ?

Basically my symptoms are:

No Fuel or temp guage

Rev counter sometimes works sometimes not

When i put my lights on i get no front lights, sometimes the hids flicker when engine off. however rears work fine

No heaters

Windows now work fine wether doors open or closed.

Mirrors sometimes work

And check control panel is dim and the check light does not flash just stays lit up dimly.

I'am really stumped need someone who knows more about it than me to give me some suggestions. Brianmooore?

When i sold the engine to steve who previously owned the car i had cut the c101 plug off and it looks like he has just used his 320i loom from the same year car as the engine came from.

Its really fustrating as i cannot get it mot'd

Any help would be appreciated

:)
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Billwill
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Post Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:05 am

The unloader relays are K5/K7 located in the fuse box.
There should be a Black/Green wire on the solenoid which goes to the lower section of the unloader relays. This Black/Green wire effectively is connected inside the solenoid to the large lug shown in the picture...the one on the left without a large cable connected.

If you cannot find where to connect the Black/Green wire....make a large loop on it and connect it to this large lug....it has the flat braided cable on it going straight into the starter motor. :)
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Brianmoooore
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Post Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:08 pm

There's a lot more happening here than can be attributed to the unloader relays. It seems that the whole car, apart from the engine, is trying to operate on reduced power.
Check what voltage you have at the cigarette light socket, and compare it to that at the battery.
Alex
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Post Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:35 pm

Thanks Brian will report back tomorrow after work and let you know what its giving, could a poor battery cause this as its not great, saying that i jump started it with my saab battery which is excellent and even with the jump leads still connected was the same.
Alex
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Post Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:22 am

Should be i had the earth off when i changed the sump however problem was there before i changed sump too

Will give it the once over though, even try another lead prehaps.