Another eta won't start issue
1986 325es, stock motor.
I have searched and tried to correct a ton of these issues and I am now at the end of my rope. The car turns over fine but just won't start. This started as an intermittent issue but now the car won't start at all. I'll start by stating the scenario and then follow up with a list of things I have checked. Unfortunately, I don't have the extra money to take the car to the shop right now and I need the car to commute so fixing this is a top priority.
The story:
After dinner a few weeks back I went to start my car and I just heard a clicking leading me to believe that the battery was dead. I went to the trunk, check the terminal connections and they seemed fine. Before getting a jump, I tried one more time and the car fired right up. The next day I went out to run some errands and the car wouldn't start again, leaving me stranded. I found the ground wire between the oil pan and the body was loose. I tightened it (the check oil light on the check panel had been lit since my oil pan gasket change but tightening that ground turned it off) and went to start the car. No dice. I got angry, hit the dash above the DME and tried again. The car started. As I pulled out of the parking lot to head home, the car shut off on the road. I was lucky this happened right in front of Advance Auto so I pushed it into their parking lot. I noticed that ground wire was loose again so I bought a new bolt and some washers and tightened it. I then found that the timing cover had come loose so I tightened that as well. By this point I hooked up their jump box as I had drained the battery trying to start the car. Car fired right up.
The car ran fine for about a week. I left the office to get lunch one day and after I came out from lunch, the car wouldn't start. I tightened the ground wire again, wiggled some other wires and the car started right up. I started thinking that I was lucky and the ground wire was not my problem. I headed to the junkyard the next day and the car wouldn't start. Being stranded there, I decided it was the CPS. Sadly, I didn't realize that the CPS was on the flywheel for my eta and I ended up splicing in a new sensor on the front of the engine which I later learned was diagnostic and not the CPS. However, after doing this the car started right up. I drove it home and let it sit for a few minutes. It has not started since. Since then, here is what I have done:
Current checks and repairs:
-New CPS and speed sensor on transmission.
-Confirmed the reference point on the flywheel is still attached (although black and very dirty)
-Replaced the main relay, fuel pump relay
-Checked and confirmed both fuel pumps are fine
-Confirmed fuel pressure is correct
-Confirmed coil, plugs, wires, cap and rotor are all fine
-Checked fusible link in the trunk which is fine
-Went through wiring harness and found no issues
-Checked connection to AFM and confirmed all is well
-Checked connection to the TPS under the throttle body
-Followed all of the troubleshooting in the Bentley
-Replaced DME with a known working unit
-Using a multimeter, checked every possible test on the DME harness, all clear.
Any thoughts from those far more experienced than I?
Long story short: My new company only pays me once a month. My home had some severe damage from a tornado a few weeks back that drained me and the insurance company is yet to pay me back. I am currently driving my Lotus to work which is costing me nearly $150/week in fuel for a 150 mile round trip commute. Money is severely tight and I am hoping there is a way I can fix this myself.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope that someone has some ideas on what I can do to get this car back on the road. The reason I drive an eta is I need good fuel economy so if I am unable to figure this out I will have to sell or part out the car which I definitely don't want to do and furthermore cannot afford right now.
Thanks again. I apologize for the novella of a post but I want to make sure I am clear on the issue so as not to waste your time or mine.
I have searched and tried to correct a ton of these issues and I am now at the end of my rope. The car turns over fine but just won't start. This started as an intermittent issue but now the car won't start at all. I'll start by stating the scenario and then follow up with a list of things I have checked. Unfortunately, I don't have the extra money to take the car to the shop right now and I need the car to commute so fixing this is a top priority.
The story:
After dinner a few weeks back I went to start my car and I just heard a clicking leading me to believe that the battery was dead. I went to the trunk, check the terminal connections and they seemed fine. Before getting a jump, I tried one more time and the car fired right up. The next day I went out to run some errands and the car wouldn't start again, leaving me stranded. I found the ground wire between the oil pan and the body was loose. I tightened it (the check oil light on the check panel had been lit since my oil pan gasket change but tightening that ground turned it off) and went to start the car. No dice. I got angry, hit the dash above the DME and tried again. The car started. As I pulled out of the parking lot to head home, the car shut off on the road. I was lucky this happened right in front of Advance Auto so I pushed it into their parking lot. I noticed that ground wire was loose again so I bought a new bolt and some washers and tightened it. I then found that the timing cover had come loose so I tightened that as well. By this point I hooked up their jump box as I had drained the battery trying to start the car. Car fired right up.
The car ran fine for about a week. I left the office to get lunch one day and after I came out from lunch, the car wouldn't start. I tightened the ground wire again, wiggled some other wires and the car started right up. I started thinking that I was lucky and the ground wire was not my problem. I headed to the junkyard the next day and the car wouldn't start. Being stranded there, I decided it was the CPS. Sadly, I didn't realize that the CPS was on the flywheel for my eta and I ended up splicing in a new sensor on the front of the engine which I later learned was diagnostic and not the CPS. However, after doing this the car started right up. I drove it home and let it sit for a few minutes. It has not started since. Since then, here is what I have done:
Current checks and repairs:
-New CPS and speed sensor on transmission.
-Confirmed the reference point on the flywheel is still attached (although black and very dirty)
-Replaced the main relay, fuel pump relay
-Checked and confirmed both fuel pumps are fine
-Confirmed fuel pressure is correct
-Confirmed coil, plugs, wires, cap and rotor are all fine
-Checked fusible link in the trunk which is fine
-Went through wiring harness and found no issues
-Checked connection to AFM and confirmed all is well
-Checked connection to the TPS under the throttle body
-Followed all of the troubleshooting in the Bentley
-Replaced DME with a known working unit
-Using a multimeter, checked every possible test on the DME harness, all clear.
Any thoughts from those far more experienced than I?
Long story short: My new company only pays me once a month. My home had some severe damage from a tornado a few weeks back that drained me and the insurance company is yet to pay me back. I am currently driving my Lotus to work which is costing me nearly $150/week in fuel for a 150 mile round trip commute. Money is severely tight and I am hoping there is a way I can fix this myself.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope that someone has some ideas on what I can do to get this car back on the road. The reason I drive an eta is I need good fuel economy so if I am unable to figure this out I will have to sell or part out the car which I definitely don't want to do and furthermore cannot afford right now.
Thanks again. I apologize for the novella of a post but I want to make sure I am clear on the issue so as not to waste your time or mine.
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