Car doesnt run worth s**t

[whterice]

I just bought a 1990 325i with 238km not miles km's, 5 spd bone stock.

I got a really good deal cause the guy didnt want to sink any more money into this car. Water pump went and he slightly overheated it when the water pump pully killed the belt. The pully was rubbing on the part the crank sensor reads. He got the car towed back home to the shop where they told him it needed a t-belt and water pump and possibly a new motor cause it does not run now. I bought the needed water pump and t-belt before I even looked at the car due to I have the exact same car that needs those things changed over the winter. I pulled the plugs and did a compression test and it reads 170 across all 6 cyl. No big jumps in numbers just + or - 3. When pulling the plugs they looked bad like they have never been changed. I tossed new plugs in and it made the car run but very crappy. It has a very lumpy idle and when flooring it the car will not go above 2500 rpm. I pulled the valve cover and everything looks like it should. just replaced the cap, rotor and plugs with new units and it helped it out a bit more but still runs like crap. I tested the coil and it fires about a 3" spark. Can smell and see that the car is running very rich (lots of black smoke coming out of exhaust). I have not replaced the t-belt or the water pump or pully so the belt running the alt is not connected and shouldnt be the reason for the car running so poorly. I dont know what to look at next or what to replace next. I dont want to throw a ton of cash at this car right now due to a trip to vegas that is coming up in a months time and my civic has not sold. I am how ever willing to rob parts off my summer driven 325i that I have parked early for the winter as long as they dont require a ton of work to get off as its hard to work on the car where it is currently parked. Any help would be sweet and a great help as I want to get rid of my civic as I hate driving it. Thanks in advance.

OK bought car that didnt run or start was over heated due to water pump failure
current plugs very worn along with cap and rotor very worn.
replaced plugs, wires, cap and rotor car runs but does not idle nice or rev over 2500
did compression test reads 170 +/- 3psi across all 6 cyl
no oil in coolant and no coolant in oil
have not replaced t-belt, water pump and pully and alt belt.

[Teaguer]

If I could read that mess I would try and offer some help. :|

Did notice something about civic however.

[whterice]

If I could read that mess I would try and offer some help. :|

Did notice something about civic however.

cliff notes for you then :)

OK bought car that didnt run or start was over heated due to water pump failure
current plugs very worn along with cap and rotor very worn.
replaced plugs, wires, cap and rotor car runs but does not idle nice or rev over 2500
did compression test reads 170 +/- 3psi across all 6 cyl
no oil in coolant and no coolant in oil
have not replaced t-belt, water pump and pully and alt belt.
Have a new t-belt, water pump and pully and alt belt just have not installed them due to car not willing to run right and should be able to run car with out those for short period of time. no?

[scottinAZ]

did the crank sensor get damaged by the belt when the WP failed??

[M-technik-3]

I just bought a 1990 325i with 238km not miles km's, 5 spd bone stock.

I got a really good deal cause the guy didnt want to sink any more money into this car.

Water pump went and he slightly overheated it when the water pump pully killed the belt. The pully was rubbing on the part the crank sensor reads.

He got the car towed back home to the shop where they told him it needed a t-belt and water pump and possibly a new motor cause it does not run now. I bought the needed water pump and t-belt before I even looked at the car due to I have the exact same car that needs those things changed over the winter.

I pulled the plugs and did a compression test and it reads 170 across all 6 cyl. No big jumps in numbers just + or - 3. When pulling the plugs they looked bad like they have never been changed. I tossed new plugs in and it made the car run but very crappy.

It has a very lumpy idle and when flooring it the car will not go above 2500 rpm. I pulled the valve cover and everything looks like it should. just replaced the cap, rotor and plugs with new units and it helped it out a bit more but still runs like crap. I tested the coil and it fires about a 3" spark.

Can smell and see that the car is running very rich (lots of black smoke coming out of exhaust). I have not replaced the t-belt or the water pump or pully so the belt running the alt is not connected and shouldnt be the reason for the car running so poorly. I dont know what to look at next or what to replace next.

I dont want to throw a ton of cash at this car right now due to a trip to vegas that is coming up in a months time and my civic has not sold. I am how ever willing to rob parts off my summer driven 325i that I have parked early for the winter as long as they dont require a ton of work to get off as its hard to work on the car where it is currently parked. Any help would be sweet and a great help as I want to get rid of my civic as I hate driving it. Thanks in advance.

OK bought car that didnt run or start was over heated due to water pump failure
current plugs very worn along with cap and rotor very worn.
replaced plugs, wires, cap and rotor car runs but does not idle nice or rev over 2500
did compression test reads 170 +/- 3psi across all 6 cyl
no oil in coolant and no coolant in oil
have not replaced t-belt, water pump and pully and alt belt.

Added paragraphs to ease pain of reading this.

[whterice]

did the crank sensor get damaged by the belt when the WP failed??

the crank sensor looks fine I removed it to check it out and to see if maybe the wire got damaged and nothing the car will not start if the sensor is removed.

The water pump pulley was rubbing on the crank sensor teeth but they dont look like they are damaged maybe missing a tad of material on the face since it was rubbing on the water pump pulley.

Seems like the car is just getting a lot of fuel and not burning it off. I pulled the plugs after trying to get it run right and they are completely black.

[M-technik-3]

Thermostat sensor on the top.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/13621357414/

Ohm out this and see if it's within spec.

[whterice]

Thermostat sensor on the top.

http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/13621357414/

Ohm out this and see if it's within spec.

checked it and swapped it with a known working unit and still does not run properly. I also swapped in a different maf from my other bmw and no change. Any other ideas?

[gtdragon980]

check your c191 connector. my car ran like absolute shit before i replaced the pins on it.

[slo325i]

SOunds like timing issues to me.

[whterice]

check your c191 connector. my car ran like absolute shit before i replaced the pins on it.

If it was my c191 connector would that not cause the car to not get fuel? The car currently seems like it is running very rich by the black smoke and the smell.

[jlevie]

The first things I'd do would be to run the fuel system tests in the Bentley manual and change the timing belt, water pump, and thermostat. I'd also check the ECT sensor to make sure it is working correctly and I'd replace the O2 sensor. Sometime during that process I'd have the intake smoke tested (or pull everything apart and reseal everything).

If the engine was still running rich after that I'd pull the injectors and have them cleaned and flow tested and try a different DME.

[dsobering47]

Sounds like it might be out of time...

[whterice]

Guess am going to be doing a t-belt and waterpump when I get some free time. Thanks guys so far for the help

[gtdragon980]

If it was my c191 connector would that not cause the car to not get fuel? The car currently seems like it is running very rich by the black smoke and the smell.

it depends, in my case it was corroded and was giving mixed values to the dme. this was causing my injectors to fire at the wrong times which made my car misfire and run richer than ever. soon as i fixed it, problems gone.