325i touring no spark

Post Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:48 pm

Evening all
So I haven't used my touring in 3 weeks and the battery went flat so I took it off and charged it - put it back on today and it turns over but won't start.
Pulled out the plugs no spark, nor at the h&r leads or the king lead.
I haven't checked injector pulse but the plugs were dry and I'd been cranking it for a while so I'd have thought there would of been done fuel/smell of fuel when I pulled them out.
Checked the fuses all seem ok.

It might be in realated but every once in a while I'd turn the key and the ignition lights would come on but it would not crank, few times back and forth with the key and it would or holding the key in the crank position for a while would get it cranking and running.

Any input would be great just come inside as it's dark now!

Post Mon Dec 15, 2014 7:29 pm

Connect a 12 volt lamp between the ignition coil + terminal and the earthing point at the top of the RH suspension turret, turn on the ignition, and crank the engine.
Bulb should light, and stay lit while cranking, albeit with some flickering.

Post Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:12 pm

Yeh it stays lite just like you say flickers a bit

Post Mon Dec 15, 2014 11:35 pm

That confirms that even if your ignition switch is acting up occasionally, it's not the cause of this problem.
Next test is to disconnect the fuel feed pipe from the fuel rail, and see if fuel is pumped from it when the engine is cranked.

Post Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:10 am

Thanks for your input! Found the cause the small wire from the battery has a break in it repaired and the icv makes a noise ect and fired up! Next is to work out what the fault is when it won't do anything!

Post Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:35 am

dje30 wrote:Next is to work out what the fault is when it won't do anything!

Auto or manual gearbox?

Post Wed Dec 17, 2014 4:23 pm

Its a manual but i believe it might of been an auto before

Post Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:02 pm

In that case, you need to remove the glovebox access panels and see what kind of bodge up, or otherwise, was done to disable the starter inhibitor.
You are looking for two black/yellow wires near the top right of the area, one coming from the left and one from the right. These should both end in single pole connectors, which should be simply plugged together if the conversion has been done properly.

Post Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:34 am

Thanks I'll have a look over the weekend
Then I've just got a rough cold idle to fix