Car Wont Start! Need Help ASAP

[AsharC]

Hey,

The other day I drove the car and lightly beat on it. The next morning I went to go start it, it wouldn't start. The car cranks but it doesn't turn over.

I thought it was my fuel pump relay, so I tried to jump it and in the process I think I shorted out the wires. I am not sure because the relay still clicks but I don't smell fuel

I wasn't getting spark and my cap and rotor looked shot. I replaced and I still had no luck. Still no spark.

As of right now the car doesn't get fuel or spark. Need help ASAP.

Thanks in advance. Any help is appreciated.

[KillaCam]

i take it its a 86 e?
it could be your coil.. ?
check your plugs when you try to start it...if thyre wet from gas....that means not your fuel inject...but if thyre bone dry then your injects aren't working right..

[mr.vang]

swap dme with someone, you might of fried your dme.

[StereoInstaller1]

Does the Check Engine light come on when you turn your key to the 2nd click? Not the one between the tach and speedo, the red one below that. If it doesn't, you have no power to the DME. The first thing to check is the main relay.

GL!

Luke

[jlevie]

No spark and no fuel probably means no timing data to the DME or that the DME isn't running. The possible causes are:

Bad timing reference sensors
Bad main relay
Bad fusible link
Bad DME ground
Bad ignition switch
Bad DME

A bad coil or broken timing belt are possibilities, but they won't prevent the DME from running the fuel pump.

If the pump didn't run when you jumpered the relay socket, the fuse could be blown of the fuel pump could be dead.

[AsharC]

Can I use any DME? I have the older fuel system and I also have two fuel pumps, internal and external. Would both of them track back down to one fuse or would it be two seperate fuses?

[AsharC]

i take it its a 86 e?
it could be your coil.. ?
check your plugs when you try to start it...if thyre wet from gas....that means not your fuel inject...but if thyre bone dry then your injects aren't working right..

It is an 86 325e. I checked the plugs earlier, they were wet i dryed them off. When i went back to start it again later after i repllaced that cap and rotor, the spark plugs werent getting any fuel, they were dry.

[jlevie]

I listed the DME at the bottom of the list of possibles because it is the least likely cause. Check out the other possibilities first.

[AsharC]

I will after school, but how would i know if the dme is messed up?

[lennon]

There isn't any easy way to "check" the DME. You'll have to troubleshoot everything else, and when everything else leading back to the DME is eliminated, you try a known working DME.

You need to get a Bentley or atleast Haynes to help you out. They should have the Haynes at your auto parts store. Check all your fuses first.

How are you testing for fuel? Looking at the plugs and smelling for it isn't enough. Disconnect a fuel hose and see if fuel comes out when you jump the fuel pump relay (pin 30 to 87). Be careful. If you have no fuel then, one or both pumps is dead (you could've been running on one already), the lines are blocked, or there's a problem in the circuit or you're not jumping the correct relay the correct way. It would be best to hook up a fuel pressure gauge in the system to get an actual number, but you can use your discretion to decide if it "looks" like enough pressure.

If you have fuel pressure when you jump the relay, hook it all back up and go to the parts store and get a Noid Light set a.k.a. injector test lights. Advance Auto has these in their free loaner tools. This kit will have a several lights that plug into the harness in place of the injector. While cranking, the bulb will flash if the computer is firing that injector. Go ahead and test them all one at a time. If the lights all flash when cranking, your DME is firing the injectors. Fuel will be coming out when they are connected unless the pressure is way too low, or the injectors all failed or somehow became clogged.

If none of them are flashing, it could be a few issues. If you have no spark AND the injectors aren't firing, that narrows it down slightly. The DME needs to see a signal that says the engine is cranking over so that it will spark and inject. There are two sensors in 325e's. They are mounted one above the other in the bellhousing of the transmission. One is known as the reference sensor, the other the speed sensor. They are identical, but their location matters for which one plugs in to which connection. The reference sensor should be the lower of the two and it will plug into the harness with a gray connector. The speed sensor is the higher one of the bellhousing, and plugs in with a black connector. One at a time (so you don't mix them up) disconnect the sensors and check them with a multimeter. You should get 860-1060ohms between terminal 1 and terminal 2. You should also get ~100,000ohms between terminal 3 and either terminal 1 OR 2. This test applies to both sensors. If the readings are incorrect, replace the sensor(s). Make sure you keep them plugged in right.

If the sensors check out OK, and you're not getting fuel OR spark, move on. Swap out the main relay for one from a running e30 (doesn't need to be a 325e). If that doesn't work, check the fusible link. There should be two power wires coming from the positive post of the battery. One is very large and one is small. The small one provides power to the DME and has a fusible link in it that can burn out. It should be in the wire within a few feet of the battery (in the trunk). You'll have to pull out your trunk lining to get to it. If you find it and it's not burned out, move on. Get a DME from a known running 325e and plug it in. If that's not it, you will need to start testing the DME power inputs and grounds, etc. That is more than I can explain here, you will need the BMW ETM (Electronic Troubleshooting Manual) and to know how to follow it, which you really need for any of this sort of testing anyway.

Here is a page with your ETM for download. 1986 325 is what you want. It will be PDF file and you should cherish and treasure it for as long as you own the car. http://www.wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm

Good luck, let us know what happens.

[AsharC]

I replaced the coil, the coil didn't make a difference. Im going to be getting the main relay tomorrow. I will test that out and let you guys know.

[AsharC]

Couldn't work on the car today. Hopefully I will be able to tomorrow.

[AsharC]

Reference sensors are good.

[mkcman17]

No spark and no fuel probably means no timing data to the DME or that the DME isn't running. The possible causes are:

Bad timing reference sensors
Bad main relay
Bad fusible link
Bad DME ground
Bad ignition switch
Bad DME

A bad coil or broken timing belt are possibilities, but they won't prevent the DME from running the fuel pump.

If the pump didn't run when you jumpered the relay socket, the fuse could be blown of the fuel pump could be dead.

awesome, thank you for this. saved me much searching.

[AsharC]

Where is the dme ground? I am going to check that and the fusible link today.