Euro e30 320i timing issues

[dollarbill425]

I am trying to get this car started after water pump and timing belt change. Timing marks are correct but no start, when a timing light is hooked up to #1 plug wire it flashes after tdc on crank pulley. But when rolling the motor over by hand the marks are still in time. The distributor wasn't moved during the belt change and I tried turning it with the vaccum advance disconnected but it reaches a point to where I can't move it anymore when tdc is still a few inches from the tdc mark on the cover plate. Now I have no voltage at the injectors but I do have spark. Fuel relay is clicking and I was able to crank the motor and get a good stream of fuel. Tried ohming the pickup and got 173 ohms, i belive its supposed to be 5-600.the car ran alright before all of this but instill can't understand the light hitting after tdc. Compression is good on all cylinders. No check light, 15 pin connector, distributor is on drivers side (euro car shipped from Germany) 128 tooth timing belt for the 82 year car. Not the 127 tooth

[paperplane94]

all i can offer are the cps resitance values for the M20:


if the timing reference marks are lined up at: cam sprocket-mark on head & crank hub-notch on block
then it should be ok unless the sprockets are off which wouldnt make sense because they are keyed.

[dollarbill425]

I removed the crank pully twice double checking marks and still they were right, I thought maybe someone changed something along its lifespan in Germany or something but everything is lining up. ?? Pulled the valve cover both cams on #1 are down off the lobes when cam sprocket is aligned with the line in the head.

[dollarbill425]

New crank position sensor didnt work, same problem. Still no fuel although the cold start injector works fine. Checked voltage at fuel injector 1 and 2 with key on, #1 had like 5v on one side and 1v on the other. About the same for #2.. I've been combing trough every site and forumn i can find some have replaced the dme some has had wiring problems. How can I check the dme? Its a Bosch 0 280 001 301 unit.

Also I'm not used to the euro e30 but I dont have a check engine light when key on cranking. I put a light up to where it is on an american version and there is an orange box there but I dont see any check engine or service letters through the gauge panel. Do these cars have a check light other than the one in the middle of the gauge cluster?

Found some info on the onboard computer relay box, this car doesnt hae one. Infact after taking the kick panel down from under the steering wheel there is nothing there.. hood release and few wires from the column. Also checked above dme nothing, even moved the insulation and checked around vent ducts.

I do have 12volts at injector when cranking.

[dollarbill425]

Just tested the fuel pressure at 40lbs when key on and when cranking.,. still no injector fire, it will cough if i spray carb cleaner in the intake..

[paperplane94]

Its gotta be the crank sensor because after that its new ecu territory.

Check ALL of the connections under the intake mani.

-c191 connector, search for that.
-plug for the CPS

make sure you didn't mix up the CPS plug with the CID sensor plug next to it (IDK if 320i has the CID)

[stoker1010]

Sounds like intermediate shaft (runs the dizzy on early euro m20) is out by a tooth or two on the timing belt.

I think if you pull the dizzy from the block and rotate a tooth in the correct direction, it should come back into TDC timing range.

[dollarbill425]

Solved it last night at midnight. Pulled the dizzy moved to number #1. Fired right up. I guess we were over complicating things thinking that the dizzy couldn't be off since the belts only moved a tad bit through out the many times (prob 20) we it off on on. So stoker1010 you get the credit even though we finished just a few hours before your post. Thanks guys

[dollarbill425]

Hopefully last question, is there a anyway to try and get this thing the advance it needs with a timing light without a delay built in? The dizzy in it requires;

Vehicle 320i/A
Built 1983-84
Motor M20-B20

Distributor- 0 237 302 039
Basic setting 23deg /5000rpm
Control 1 13-22/1500rpm
Control 2 20-26/2000rpm
Control 3 22-28/3000rpm
I have a plain jane timing light no advance bulit in.
Can i count teeth on the crank pulley or?

[Wanganstyle]

Hopefully last question, is there a anyway to try and get this thing the advance it needs with a timing light without a delay built in? The dizzy in it requires;

Vehicle 320i/A
Built 1983-84
Motor M20-B20

Distributor- 0 237 302 039
Basic setting 23deg /5000rpm
Control 1 13-22/1500rpm
Control 2 20-26/2000rpm
Control 3 22-28/3000rpm
I have a plain jane timing light no advance bulit in.
Can i count teeth on the crank pulley or?

you should be able to cap the vacuum advance on the dizzy to baseline set idle and check the 3 controls with it hooked up - why would it need a funny timing light?


the Euro motors are not at all hard to convert to usa Motronic 1.3 if you want to make life easier, its all very straight forward to do - I did this to my 323i motor

[dollarbill425]

Maybe I misunderstood your post, I have to have a timing light with advance built in to time it correctly do I not? I have a cheap timing light that doesn't allow settings for advance. This is a buddys car not mine so it would be up to him to change the dme.

[dollarbill425]

Ok so i picked up a timing light today with the advance option. Hooked it up after letting the car warm up to operating temp and set the advance to 25degress. Since this dizzy calls for 23-28 at 3000 rpm. Unhooked the vaccum advance and plugged the vac line. I could get the tdc mark to come back to zero but it floats back over the tdc mark a few degress retarded. So basically I ran out of adjustment cause the dizzy is all the way turned clockwise, now i can take the dizzy out and move it another notch and get my timing set correct without any issues right? Or have I done something wrong?