M52 conversion hazard lights not working.

[E30_Jatt]

—-EDIT—-
Wasn’t sure whether to start new topic or continue here. Please see my last post down below.
—-EDIT—-

Hi guys, I bought an m52 conversion which was previously fitted to a e30.

I have got to the bit where I have the engine all in and can give the engine a test fire, but only thing is it doesn’t seem to want to.

When key is in and turned to ignition I can hear the car fuel system prime? (Like a whirring noise couple of seconds long)

But when I turn the key to start it does absolutely nothing, no starter noise at all.

I have just recharged the battery that was in the car, I am not sure if this battery is bad therefore I also used jumper leads from another car but still nothing.

The only other thing I can think of is that the car that it was fitted to previously was a pre facelift and mine is a facelift, is there differences in wiring perhaps?

Anyone on here that can help me on what to look at?

[Brianmoooore]

There are differences in the starter wiring between pre and post facelift, but they aren't relevant here.
The circuit in question is just a single wire from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid, it's plain black for the first few inches, but then is black/yellow for the rest of the way. It goes through a plug and socket half way down the steering column (where it changes from black to black/yellow), another plug and socket behind the glovebox (used to connect the starter inhibitor switch on autos), and finally through the C101 engine loom plug and socket.
Have you connected the engine to body earth strap?
Take the C101 apart, and connect a 12 volt lamp between body earth (the bonnet rear bracket) and pin 18 of the C101 body side. Should light when you turn the key to start.

[E30_Jatt]

There are differences in the starter wiring between pre and post facelift, but they aren't relevant here.
The circuit in question is just a single wire from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid, it's plain black for the first few inches, but then is black/yellow for the rest of the way. It goes through a plug and socket half way down the steering column (where it changes from black to black/yellow), another plug and socket behind the glovebox (used to connect the starter inhibitor switch on autos), and finally through the C101 engine loom plug and socket.
Have you connected the engine to body earth strap?
Take the C101 apart, and connect a 12 volt lamp between body earth (the bonnet rear bracket) and pin 18 of the C101 body side. Should light when you turn the key to start.

Thanks for such a quick reply

I have connected the original earth strap to the passenger side engine mount, the earth strap is admittedly old and a bit tatty.

I have also just gone from an auto to manual and the black yellow wire you speak of behind the glove box I am familiar with. I had to eliminate the starter relay so I unplugged the wires going to it and bypassed by plugging back together. I also done the other parts of the wiring for auto to manual as well near the gear shifter.

But could any of the auto to manual wiring be an issue?

The car the m50 came out of was a 6 pot originally and mine was a 4 pot, does that matter?

I will give what you have suggested a try when I get a chance now, as I have work during the week.

[Brianmoooore]

If you've plugged the two thick black/yellows together behind the glovebox, then that's all that's needed to bypass the starter inhibitor. Sounds like you may have connected the two wires together at the relay, rather than at the top right area behind the glovebox, but this will still work. Removing the rest of the wiring and relay is just tidying up.
4 pot/6 pot is irrelevant.

[E30_Jatt]

If you've plugged the two thick black/yellows together behind the glovebox, then that's all that's needed to bypass the starter inhibitor. Sounds like you may have connected the two wires together at the relay, rather than at the top right area behind the glovebox, but this will still work. Removing the rest of the wiring and relay is just tidying up.
4 pot/6 pot is irrelevant.

Yes as you have said I just connected the two plugs back together at top behind glove box and removed the starter relay and plug by cutting the green and brown ground wires and taping the ends.

[E30_Jatt]

Also once I have checked if the lamp lights up or not what is the significance of this?

[Brianmoooore]

It'll indicate in which half of the wiring the problem is. Standard procedure for finding wiring faults, whether in a car, a house, or anything else, is to split and test near the middle of the circuit.

[E30_Jatt]

So I had a little time today and knocked up a quick test light with the redundant light from the auto gear selector.

With the wires hooked up to pin 18 and ground on the bonnet catch, when I turned the key to start the bulb does light up.

So does this now indicate that on the body side the starter circuit is correct? Where should I look next?

I’m quite competent at the spannering side of things but when it comes to car electrics it can be a bit daunting.

[Brianmoooore]

Have you connected the engine to body earth strap?

Check that the black/yellow in the engine loom goes to the corresponding pin in the C101 plug, and check where what should be the other end of it connects to on the starter motor solenoid.

[E30_Jatt]

Have you connected the engine to body earth strap?

Check that the black/yellow in the engine loom goes to the corresponding pin in the C101 plug, and check where what should be the other end of it connects to on the starter motor solenoid.

I have checked the wiring for the black yellow wire, it comes out of the c101 plug and is then jointed/connected to another black/yellow wire which runs down towards the back of the engine, and connects on back of starter on the smaller terminal of the two there

[Brianmoooore]

There should be two 13mm studs on the solenoid, plus smaller terminals. How many smaller terminals are there?

[E30_Jatt]

There should be two 13mm studs on the solenoid, plus smaller terminals. How many smaller terminals are there?

Really hard to see down there, but I put my phone down there and I can see, one 13mm nut with a copper strap to body of starter, another 13mm nut with a thick red wire that goes straight to battery another thick wire that goes into loom and two more smaller terminals on either side of starter, one is sleeved in black plastic other is black yellow.

[Brianmoooore]

If there are two smaller terminals (8mm and 6mm??) , then the black/yellow should be connected to the 8mm one. The other wire is hopefully black/green inside the sleeve, and should go to the smaller terminal.

[E30_Jatt]

If there are two smaller terminals (8mm and 6mm??) , then the black/yellow should be connected to the 8mm one. The other wire is hopefully black/green inside the sleeve, and should go to the smaller terminal.

I think it may be 10mm and 8mm terminals but it’s the bigger of the two smaller terminals that has the black/yellow wire attached, so is that correct?

[Brianmoooore]

The problem I have here is that it's not OE E30, so I don't know exactly what starter motor has been fitted, but I would expect the black/yellow to go to the larger of the terminals other than the 13mm ones.
Remove all the smaller wires from their terminals, and bridge the 13mm one with the battery wire to the smaller terminals in turn with a piece of wire. One should engage the starter and turn the engine over. You'll get quite a spark when you connect to the correct one, and possibly even bigger sparks from the wrong ones, so care is needed.

[E30_Jatt]

The problem I have here is that it's not OE E30, so I don't know exactly what starter motor has been fitted, but I would expect the black/yellow to go to the larger of the terminals other than the 13mm ones.
Remove all the smaller wires from their terminals, and bridge the 13mm one with the battery wire to the smaller terminals in turn with a piece of wire. One should engage the starter and turn the engine over. You'll get quite a spark when you connect to the correct one, and possibly even bigger sparks from the wrong ones, so care is needed.

I was told flywheel and starter motor was from 520i e39

Ok so once I have confirmed the starter is working/turning and correct wires to the terminals. What parts of the wiring do I need to look at next, if it still does not turn over with key.

[Brianmoooore]

According to my circuit diagrams, that starter should be electrically similar to an E30 one.
You could try your test lamp between the black/yellow on the starter solenoid and a good body earth, and see if it lights when the key is turned.
If it doesn't, disconnect the wire from the starter motor and try the lamp between it and earth again.

[E30_Jatt]

So I had a go at it again today, and I checked the black yellow wire on the engine side of the circuit at the plug and at the starter and it lights up my test lamp. I did also try and put power to pin 18 engine side and I got nothing, what I did get was the whirring noise once again, injectors/icv? I did also try to bridge the 13mm terminal the one with the big red wire going straight to battery to the terminal of the black yellow wire and got nothing, does this mean my starter is dead?

[Brianmoooore]

Either the starter motor solenoid is faulty, or the engine to body earth strap is.

[DanThe]

Quick test is a jump lead between the battery neg and gearbox

[Brianmoooore]

Either the starter motor solenoid is faulty, or the engine to body earth strap is.

Or the black/yellow is connected to the wrong terminal.
Try shorting across the two 13mm terminals. This will produce a large spark, and should make the motor spin.
It won't turn the engine over though, because the pinion won't engage with the flywheel.

[E30_Jatt]

Either the starter motor solenoid is faulty, or the engine to body earth strap is.

Or the black/yellow is connected to the wrong terminal.
Try shorting across the two 13mm terminals. This will produce a large spark, and should make the motor spin.
It won't turn the engine over though, because the pinion won't engage with the flywheel.

Thanks for all the help Brian I have it sorted now, turned out to be the earth strap to engine mount which was at fault, engine is running now.

Next thing I have to contend with is changing the heater matrix as it is leaking, what is the best way to tackle this, I know the dash has to come out, but that’s about it.

[Brianmoooore]

I did mention the earth strap in my first post in this thread, about two weeks ago!

[E30_Jatt]

I did mention the earth strap in my first post in this thread, about two weeks ago!

yes sir you did indeed, I got a new one made up at a local auto electrical place, and it worked a treat, so thanks for that

any tips for the heater matrix job?

p.s had a look in my bentley manual and it shows a different heater core to mine, after a quick search on google i found out it is an ac unit. mine is no where near as accessible.

[E30_Jatt]

yes sir you did indeed, I got a new one made up at a local auto electrical place, and it worked a treat, so thanks for that

any tips for the heater matrix job?

p.s had a look in my bentley manual and it shows a different heater core to mine, after a quick search on google i found out it is an ac unit. mine is no where near as accessible.

Never mind, I have managed to take the heater matrix out. What an awkward job to do!

To remove the heater matrix on a rhd e30 you have to remove the brake booster bracket and this allows you enough room to slide the heater matrix out. The Bentley and Haynes manuals mention nothing about any of this so I was a little stumped at first.

[Brianmoooore]

The part of the bracket that gets in the way only exists on later RH drive models, Early RH drive models were criticized for a wooly feeling brake pedal, which was addressed by strengthening the bell crank bracket.

[E30_Jatt]

The part of the bracket that gets in the way only exists on later RH drive models, Early RH drive models were criticized for a wooly feeling brake pedal, which was addressed by strengthening the bell crank bracket.

ahhh I see, I guess that may well be the reason why they are not mentioned in the bentley or haynes manuals.

on another note, my heater blower does not blow at all speeds, from what i can tell speed 3 is not working, i can hear the rest apart from maybe 1 as well. is this most likely the resistor pack?

[Brianmoooore]

Logically, this would point suspicion towards the rotary switch, but given how reliable they are, I'd pull out the resistor pack first and give it a good visual inspection.

[E30_Jatt]

I have what looks to be a fuel tank breather valve in the engine bay and it is plugged in electrically but nothing else going to it, how is this meant to be hooked up? or can it be deleted? I also have an exhaust flap vacuum plastic can, but as I do not have an exhaust flap the vacuum line going towards the rear is just hanging, can this just be disconnected and plug the end of the vacuum line?

[E30_Jatt]

Logically, this would point suspicion towards the rotary switch, but given how reliable they are, I'd pull out the resistor pack first and give it a good visual inspection.

I will have a look at it tomorrow cheers.

[E30_Jatt]

I wasn’t sure if I should start a new topic or not for this, but I am due to take the car for an MOT in the afternoon today, and I can’t seem to get the hazard switch working, left and right indicators work from the stalk, I even changed the switch but still nothing. The fuse number 24 is ok too

Any suggestions?

[Brianmoooore]

Pull out the hazard switch and disconnect it.
Connect a 12 volt lamp between the red/white wire and body earth to check if power is reaching from fuse 24.
Connect a piece of wire between the red/white and the green/purple.
Connect a piece of wire between the green/yellow and either the blue/red or blue/black or both. Lights on one side, the other side, or both, should be flashing.

[E30_Jatt]

Pull out the hazard switch and disconnect it.
Connect a 12 volt lamp between the red/white wire and body earth to check if power is reaching from fuse 24.
Connect a piece of wire between the red/white and the green/purple.
Connect a piece of wire between the green/yellow and either the blue/red or blue/black or both. Lights on one side, the other side, or both, should be flashing.

Ok so no power at red/white wire, but power at purple/white wire and green/purple wire but no where else. With test bulb connected to ground and green/yellow I get the relay clicking but no lights outisde

As there is no power at red/white does this mean there is a break somewhere as fuse 24 is intact.

[Brianmoooore]

Only place there should have been power was on the red/white, unless the ignition switch was on, which wasn't in my instructions.
Red/white wire goes from fuse 24 directly to the plug and socket behind the glove box area where the upper dashboard loom plugs in. This is the large plug and socket next to the accessories socket.
If you didn't check fuse 24 by changing it, then do so, before going any further.

[E30_Jatt]

Only place there should have been power was on the red/white, unless the ignition switch was on, which wasn't in my instructions.
Red/white wire goes from fuse 24 directly to the plug and socket behind the glove box area where the upper dashboard loom plugs in. This is the large plug and socket next to the accessories socket.
If you didn't check fuse 24 by changing it, then do so, before going any further.

Ahh I see, I think the ignition was on, I did check fuse 24 by changing for a new one. There is power at the fuse.

Only thing I can think of is that I did have all the glove box off and was working in that area, when changing heater matrix, brake booster and when I did the wiring to remove auto relay, I think I must have nudged some wire or something, as it was working fine before I started all the work.