E30 325i 1987 NOT GOOD

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:36 pm

Hey guys stumbled on a issue yesterday while driving home. Just wondering if anyone can help

One of my ballast blew so not knowing exactly what it was I starting Investigating.

I did this by connecting a ballast from my other car and it was fixed (tried headlight and checked wires first).

While finishing it off the bulb was disconnected but the ballast was still live. My little brother pulled the headlight switch and 2400watts of power sparked onto the engine which then cut out. I did swear but tried concentrating on the issue. Finished off the lights and then cranked it up.

No issues so far and all seemed ok. Idle was normal and headlights were fine. Jumped in and tried driving it.

Right enough of the story. The idle is normal till you accelerate it's like it's misfiring and it doesn't rev just misfires at idle. When I press the accelerator all the way down it take a 2sec rest an then decides to rev to red line. Anything before is just a misfire and doesn't rev at all unless the pedal is to the metal. I have changed the tps and had a old afm lying around so I changed that too. No luck so far.

Need the car for work but its not in a condition to drive.

Any help would be much appreciated as I am new to the e30 scene.

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:58 pm

Balast? Is that of hid conversion?
Sounds to me like ignition timing gone wrong. Maybe exploding balast afected the coil or somethin?
My timing belt jumped two teeth back or forward i don't remember and i had similar ruff running but this can't be affected by electrics so i would rule this one out on yours, still something to check out though.

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:11 pm

pianist wrote:Balast? Is that of hid conversion?
Sounds to me like ignition timing gone wrong. Maybe exploding balast afected the coil or somethin?
My timing belt jumped two teeth back or forward i don't remember and i had similar ruff running but this can't be affected by electrics so i would rule this one out on yours, still something to check out though.

Correct the ballast is what power the hid bulbs. I saw loads of sparks from the wire hit the engine and then cut out.

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:48 pm

Well deffo timing is at foult but what causing it? Coil, crank, sensor, distributor, ecu or injectors? ecu usualy is well protected from sparks to the ground but you need to start going over the basic starting points like ignition ( is there a consistent spark? strobe light would help with this) then fuel (are all ijectors firing all the time) need to check for every cylinder as one or two may be at foult and others functioning well.

Not much help from me but a sterting point

Maybe someone be around that knows better

P.S. Just make sure this isn't a freaky coinsidence and that your timing marks match on crank and camshaft it is very easy on M20s

Post Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:34 pm

Trying to work my way through your rambling message...

So the car was running fine, and then you shorted out a HID ballast and now it won't rev properly - is that the issue?

Post Wed Jan 30, 2013 5:37 am

Lol in a nutshell yes. But it shorted on the block and now won't rev properly.

Post Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:02 am

Unfortunately it could be anything. You say you've swapped the AFM but was that from another 325i? They're not normally interchangeable.

At this stage I'd think that you've either damaged the loom or fried the ECU. Are you sure you've not done something daft like yanked out an HT lead?

Post Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:13 pm

Umm I checked the ht leads which are ok. Anyone on here that you recommend in west London area that I can take it too?

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:47 pm

Any other suggestions ??

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:50 pm

It's also over-fueling really badly.

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:12 pm

1) Disconnect the battery from both terminals, and join the two leads together for a few minutes
2) Reconnect battery
3) Start the car, and let it idle for 10 minutes. Restart it if it dies, but don't blip the throttle.
4) After 10 minutes, shut the engine off
5) Restart and take it for a serious caning, going all the way to the red line in all gears.

If you're lucky, all you did was short the ECU. This procedure will allow the primitive brain to relearn its base settings. If it doesn't work, you're either going to have to methodically go through the loom for damage, swap in a new ECU, or replace some other components.

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:38 pm

Thankyou ill try that now.

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:55 pm

why you say overfueling is it pi55ing petrol through egshaust or sparkplugs are wet?

Post Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:56 am

No mate meaning that it smells rich and black smoke out off exhaust.

Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:51 pm

Hi guys tried resetting the Ecu. No luck. Still no throttle response halfway.

Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:57 pm

I bet the ECU is fried too.

Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:07 pm

Whereabouts did it spark to on the engine? Normally, a high voltage discharge will just find the path of least resistance, i.e., the block or head and discharge away quite harmlessly.

If the engine is running, the ECU can't be totally fried, if at all. I'd be checking the connections around the AFM.