M20 325 Now running but Overheating???

[seanboy]

Lads I have A M20 325 which have just changed the head gasket. Today all I had left to do was change oil and filter and put in coolant. Tried starting her today but no good. then tried the other cobra immobilizer key and light went off and started to turn over but wouldnt run. (when immobilizer is on she wont turn at all) Anyway there is A fresh battery and she isnt on the red yet but low enough, I put A gallon of petrol in her and she still isnt ticking over yet but trying too. Thought I would try her turning over on the key until she starts but Battery starting to drain!!
Any idea lads ??
cheers

[preditor]

have u got fuel and spark at the engine...... if so sheck cambelt timing

[Brianmoooore]

Check that there is 12V+ at the + terminal of the ignition coil with the ignition on first of all.

[seanboy]

Right using A Fluke ts-1000 got it on AC/DC automatic selection and got nothing across the coil. Checked it on the battery in the boot and got 12V dc. So tester is working?

[seanboy]

Its been retimmed if thats any help

[Brianmoooore]

Tester is working, but it doesn't look like your immobiliser is - or rather, it is working.
(You did connect the meter between coil + and earth, didn't you, not across the coil?)
Connect a piece of wire between the battery + (or phantom battery+, on a 325, with rear battery) and the + terminal of the coil.

[seanboy]

Sorry confuesd with phantom battery? (battery in Boot) Just connect A piece of cable between the positive of the battery to the positive of the coil? So this will bypass the immobiliser?
cheers

[Brianmoooore]

Sorry confuesd with phantom battery? (battery in Boot) Just connect A piece of cable between the positive of the battery to the positive of the coil? So this will bypass the immobiliser?
cheers

Cars with batteries in the boot have a "phantom" battery terminal mounted on the engine bulkhead, near where the front battery + terminal would be. The wires that would connect to a front battery are connected to this terminal.
Wire from battery + to ignition coil + bypasses the ignition interrupt part of most immobilisers. I keep a length of wire with two croc clips on it in the glovebox.

[surj]

my mate had same probs as you e30 flood very esay and it maybe fludid try starting the car without the fuel relay that a black thing near the fuse box that clips in turn it over a few times with out this then get someone to keep turnig the car over for you while you insert this relay back in and out evertime he turns it over

[E30Steve]

hi this is my 1st post! hello all ,

if you've had the head off then this means youve disconnected the fuel lines yes? (one to the injector rail and one to the pressure regulator) make sure these are the right way round else your car will be trying to draw its fuel from the return which will only giv it about 1/10th of the fuel needed for the car to run....it wont even fire!

The feed from the top of the fuel filter should run to the rail....and the return to the regulator

[Brianmoooore]

hi this is my 1st post! hello all ,

if you've had the head off then this means youve disconnected the fuel lines yes? (one to the injector rail and one to the pressure regulator) make sure these are the right way round else your car will be trying to draw its fuel from the return which will only giv it about 1/10th of the fuel needed for the car to run....it wont even fire!

The feed from the top of the fuel filter should run to the rail....and the return to the regulator

Welcome to the zone on behalf of the team, Steve!
You're right about the fuel feed - very common reason for E30s not to start after a rebuild,
After I'd established if power is present at the coil +, that was going to be my next suggestion of things to check!
OP says he's had immobiliser trouble, so I thought it would be best to check that out first.

[E30Steve]

yeh no probs m8y thanks for the welcome
Just thought id thow out a suggestion or so to say hi! and he mentioned that the car dosent turn over when the immob is on but does when its not.

[seanboy]

Right lads checked the coil again and there is 12v at the coil. When I checked it last night I was using the body as the earth not realising that thier is A Earth terminal next to it and when tried today got 12v volts. I am now going to change the fuel lines. What you mean is the fuel lines running into the injectors?
cheers

[Cyruz]

There are two fuel lines going to the fuel rail, one goes through the pressure regulator the other is usually at the other end of the rail (depending on car). Try swapping them around, for the sake of 5 minutes it worth it to check.

[kam-325i]

Same problem with me after putting head back together.......i forgot to put the fuse back in for the fuel pump.....small things get over looked !!!!

[seanboy]

Fuse is ok for fuel pump but cant hear fuel pump? fuel lines ok, immobilsier ok. Directly fed petrol into inlet manifold and she started but cut out?fuel pump works. Is there A relay for the fuel pump?
cheers

[seanboy]

there is Power to the fuse for fuel pump. Pump dosent seem to work but when A direct feed was put to it she worked?

[bobafett]

Fuel pump relay or dme relay mate. On n/s inner wing half way between bulkhead and slam panel. Mounted along side airflow meter, small black plastic cover, remove coner and disconnect both the white dme and orange fuel pump relays.Give them a tap on inner wing pop them back in and give her a try.

[seanboy]

where the air flow meter from the idle control valve

[seanboy]

Tried this Bob and no good. Any other ideas?
cheers

[seanboy]

So its got A spark coming to the plugs, power to the coil, imobiliser is sorted, fuel pump works when you put A direct feed but wont work normally, will start if you pour petrol down inlet but soon stops, check and replaced the relays like bob said and still no good???
cheers

[cliffybabe]

have u checked the earth ont he fuel pump

[seanboy]

shes running now, played around the relays and thier is A plug sort of socket under the inlet manifold opened and retightend it the bronze bullet started. CHEERS LADS. Made A mistake of putting the throttle cable where the kickdown cable would go on A automatic
Now next problem let her run for fifteen minutes to then re torque the head bolts. Was not even running for ten minutes and the temp gauge went straight to RED Why so quick? Might have put in A viscous fan from A M42 instead of M20 forgot what was what. Dont think it would shoot up that quick because of this?

[snoops]

it could be when i went for my mot the car was left for about 5mins and it was in the red

[Brianmoooore]

The fuel pump fuse on an E30 is after the fuel pump relay, so if you have power at the fuse, the relay is on and working. If power is present at the fuse, and the pump isn't running, then there's either a break in the cable running back the LH sill, a loose earth connection on the LH side of the rear seat, a poor connection at the plug/socket on the RH side of the rear seat (all unlikely) or a dud fuel pump (very likely).
There shouldn't be any power at the fuel pump fuse except for a second or so after the ignition is turned on and when the engine is turning.
Your temperature gauge goes quickly into the red because you either have a dud viscous fan or haven't filled and bled the cooling system properly, and have an airlock. This latter condition is often quickly followed by a cracked head! Does your heater produce heat?
E30 head bolts are NOT re torqued after the head is initially fitted.

[seanboy]

Would A stuck thermostat cause Temperature going into the red quickly as well?
cheers

[Ant]

dude, remove the stat outer housing, drill a 3mm hole in the ring around the stat ( inside the O ring line !!) and refit with the hole @ the TOP.

no airlock issues-EVER, and will run @ slightly reduced temps as a result.

MS live data shows 86 degrees with open stat and hole modification 91/2 without the hole, same effect as using a "hot n high" climate stat.

HTH

[seanboy]

Oh No you shouldnt have said this to me Ill f**k this right up .

[seanboy]

Does anyone know the difference between A M42 and M20 viscous fan or does it not matter. One does feel slightly heavier and is thicker?
cheers

[Ant]

you got me worried now

To clarify ( ) remove stat, drill the stat, not the housing, refit, refil, run to temp with heater on hot and exp tank cap OFF.

check all pipes are hot, heater hot rad warm to touch everywhere.

then, rev engine to approx 3K, and the level in the Exp tank should drop 10mm or so, repeat a few times, then while revving @ 2K, put the cap on tight, allow the engine to settle to idle again.

monitor temp-go for drive, job jobbed

check level again once fully cold ( 6 hours from last run minimum )

Fingers crossed

[seanboy]

Cheers Ant ill give this A try tomorrow

[jcjdavis1]

Hi I have similar prob. with temp.gauge Starts in middle then goes to the red.I have bled the system by taking cap off and filling up water then squeezing top hoses and watching bubbles coming up and water level dropping.I kept doing this until it took no more water then started engine and repeated process on all hoses until heat came through heaters,then replaced cap and tried bleed valve.Gauge still in red but I am going to replace temp sender as soon as I can get to ECP.

[seanboy]

Needed bleeding and also changed thermostat seem to running at the correct temperature now!! MOT tomorrow?
cheers

[Brianmoooore]

Does anyone know the difference between A M42 and M20 viscous fan or does it not matter. One does feel slightly heavier and is thicker?
cheers

M20 and M42 fan couplings are the same AFAIK.
BMW use more than one supplier for parts, so this may account for the difference.

[seanboy]

Cheers shes sound at the moment just A little belt noise in the first 3,000 revs which most probaly needs belts tightening?
cheers