Is my E30 dead?

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:19 pm

I have a '91 316i with just under 181k on it...

The oil warning light came on yesterday morning so I reminded myself to fill it up at lunchtime (around 1:15pm).

Going for a spin at about 11:40 and turn relatively sharply into a side road so I can reverse out and park.

The car then stalls and refuses to restart, so I have to push it into the parking space.

Have tried again a few times since but the engine just turns over on the power of the starter motor and doesn't start.

Are these symptoms of having killed your engine due to oil starvation?

I'm waiting now for my dad to come with his AA card and just want to know if I should expect the worst or not

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:44 pm

I have not heard of that before and its not as if you were screaming around to get into the parking space.....or was you

I would wait for the AA, a fail-safe may have activated to prevent the motor going bang!

Good Luck and keep us informed!

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:07 pm

doesnt sound like oil starvation to me.....

when i oil surged my iS engine cos it went low then i took some corners very fast in it..... what happened was the bottom end just started knocking-power reduced and i drove it hme at which point it was turning off and wouldnt idle

Karan

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:09 pm

I wasn't "screaming" around it as I knew I was low on oil, but I guess I may have been going quick enough for the G forces to starve the engine of oil for a second or two

I'm not sure it's some kind of fail safe system as I can hear the petrol being dumped in the engine when trying to start it

Ah well, the AA are on their way, so we'll see

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:18 pm

Karan wrote:doesnt sound like oil starvation to me.....

Karan I was hoping you'd reply to this thread as knew you killed an iS!

And that was the answer I'd been hoping for as well

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:19 pm

hmmmmmmmm odd, probably unrelated

if it is buggered good excuse to get something bigger in there

Post Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:55 pm

Well....it's not dead...hopefully

AA man said that the spark plugs weren't working but was very vague and said it "could be something to do with the alarm or immobiliser" (which hasn't been working for 4 or 5 years) but "doesn't really know".

Car's been dropped off at the mechanic's for a look at tomorrow. Hopefully all should be OK, and not too expensive either

Good idea about getting something bigger in there if it is broke though

Post Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:22 am

There's no "failsafe", and I've always been less than impressed with AA etc. diagnostic skills.
If there's no spark, chack for 12V on thr+ terminal of the ignition coil, with the ignition on. If this is present, then most likelt is the crank position sensor.

Post Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:02 am

Brianmoooore wrote:There's no "failsafe", and I've always been less than impressed with AA etc. diagnostic skills.
If there's no spark, chack for 12V on thr+ terminal of the ignition coil, with the ignition on. If this is present, then most likelt is the crank position sensor.

I'm with you on this one Brian,once upon a time they were good,they did fix things,but now as with everything its money and profits driven,the AA now are salesman,end of story.
One EG for you.
I was In London with a friend in his Jeep Cherokee which was in an undergound carpark parked up whilst at a trade show.
We got back to it and the battery was dead,my mate reckoned he might have left an interior light on.
AA man came,jumped the Jeep,and "tested" the battery,confirming it was knackered,but luckily he might have one in his van at a cost of eighty quid plus VAT,I just looked at my mate shook my head in the tone of "don't you dare buy this BS" which he didn't.
18 months later battery still fine!

Post Wed Mar 09, 2005 2:23 pm

AA man said that the spark plugs weren't working but was very vague and said it "could be something to do with the alarm or immobiliser" (which hasn't been working for 4 or 5 years) but "doesn't really know".

Yes, they're good aren't they. my ex wife broke down - twice - while they were telling everybody what a priority unaccompanied wimmin were - first time, they drove paast her several times, without seeing her, then just buggered off - 2nd they didn't show at all.

That was about 10 years ago, and I've been with Britannia Rescue ever since. When my 325 packed in in Cornwall, the guy quickly identified f*cked alternator bushes, but had a semi-worn pair in his van which he fitted for nothing.