m20 wont start after I jumped someones car.

[e30trooper]

Long story short I jump a newer car about 2 weeks ago, that night I started having issues. Took allmost 30mins to get it started so i go home from work. Did drive the car for a week because I had a kid. Well this week I go to start it and it fires right up but blogs out so i have to rev it to about 1500rpms so it wont die. I drove it around the block seemed fine so just parked it. Next day took me 45 mins of cranking to get it started then I was off to work. That night I wanted to take a look at the cap/rotor ( i just replaced these both about a month ago ) I cleaned the contacts and put it all back. Went to start it and just cranked and cranked. I was getting a spark from the coil , then i ground a plug wire and got what looked like a slow orange spark. Still nothing yet.... tested to see what the battery was putting out.. 9v only and the alt was good. So we jumped it off a buddies jeep started right up...weird.... So the next day ( yesterday ) I went out and bought a new battery thinking that was the problem... No it wasnt... took 30mins of cranking back to back to get it started. Went to work fine , started up fine after it sat for 20mins. 9 hours later getting out of work nothing.......I tried for a hour not a dam thing.

heres my ideas... Im getting fuel , the coil is getting power , and battery is new. I swapped two DME's i had and nothing so its not that.

Ive got some ppl saing its the CPS , main relay , maybe the OBC relay...
Somthing took a shit after i jumped that car, for owning this car for a year now i have never had a hard time starting ever..

Any input would be great thanks. Im going to see if I can get lucky and it starts just so i can drive it home.


car is a 87 325ic

[MBOliT]

you tested the alternator went it was off the car?
i bet you jumped him while your car was still on? lol

[e30trooper]

you tested the alternator went it was off the car?
i bet you jumped him while your car was still on? lol

never tested the alternator when it was out, yes i jumped him with my car on.

[Jaxx_]

sounds like the ECU isn't getting timing correctly. your battery should be fine if you can crank the car for 45 mins. I have no idea why it would start when it was jumped though. maybe bad grounds around the car?

jumping while the car is on is proper technique in my book. nothing worse than jumping a car and having two dead batteries.

[jlevie]

I rather doubt that the jump start had anything to do with this. Since the engine has spark when cranking I am going guess on the problem with a fuel issue or intake leaks.

[e30trooper]

sounds like the ECU isn't getting timing correctly. your battery should be fine if you can crank the car for 45 mins. I have no idea why it would start when it was jumped though. maybe bad grounds around the car?

jumping while the car is on is proper technique in my book. nothing worse than jumping a car and having two dead batteries.

maybe bad ground... not sure. This all happened the same night i jumped this brand new carrera turbo, doing that shorted somthing in my car..

I rather doubt that the jump start had anything to do with this. Since the engine has spark when cranking I amd goint guess on the problem with a fuel issue or intake leaks.

pulled the plugs today and they were soaked in fuel, pulled rotor and cap, changed the rotor and nothing...

[1fastETA]

Sounds like a fusible link issue.

[e30 gangsta]

^ +1 check the fuse in the trunk.

[e30trooper]

^ +1 check the fuse in the trunk.

its a vert , battery in the front , im going today to go find that link and see if thats the issue. If anyone knows where it is in a vert id be very happy!

[Cabriolet]

wouldn't a bad afm cause this? or short or bad connection to it?

[e30trooper]

well good news. after messing with it, i figured id call the e30 mastermind...
i told him whats up , i checked the FPR the in comeing hose had no fuel...so fuel issue... checked the in tank pump , it was working fine, tapped the high pressure pump notta. i started messing with fuses and it started up with one try. I made it home just fine :D , the bad news is I got home and figured ok i can swap back in my chipped dme and now agian wont start. im happy I at least drove it 9 miles to my house where i can work on it from there. So my issue was not getting fuel when i thought i was lol ;)

[bloodshot-e30]

you tested the alternator went it was off the car?
i bet you jumped him while your car was still on? lol

what the fuck are you talking about? your supposed to have your car running while u jump another one considering it will DRAIN your battery if the other is completely dead.

and as for testing the ALT ive always noticed it best to test it on the car not at autozone.