89 325i won't fire properly/start

[Styleprojekt]

Hello R3v members, i need some help with this one. I tried putting off posting another "my car won't start" thread by researching and trying to eliminate all the obvious possible causes, but I am at a dead end and am not sure how to proceed.

I bought a 89 325i and replaced head gasket, valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket along with a full timing belt job. When it came time to start the car the battery had died and I went to jump the car. Tired, in a rush and without a doubt a complete dumbass/noob maneuver, I jumped the car wrong and fried my engine harness along with probably a lot of other things. Since then, I have replaced:

- Engine Harness / ECU
- Replaced Distributor cap and rotor
- Replaced spark plug harness
- Main relay
- Checked the "fuse" that sits a foot into the harness coming from the positive battery terminal.
- Checked the crankshaft positioning sensor at the front of the engine and it reads out at about 504ohms
- Replaced spark plugs

Now, the car will crank and crank but not start up. I smell fuel when I remove the spark plugs (actually were drenched after trying so much so I replaced them). I have very weak spark it seems like on 5 of my plugs and 1 has decent/strong spark....

What the hell is going on? not sure what other info to post, thats all I could think of for now. Any ideas/tips/input is greatly appreciated

[Killacortes]

Check your coil? Some weird reason I had to replace mine after I did my head gasket. I'm thinking mine was just old.

[Styleprojekt]

Ok I will give that a shot next. This car was not taken care of before I got it but once I get all the bugs figured out it should be a great car.

Is there a correct way to test the Coil and see if its producing the proper output?

[tim88325is]

Check the c191 connector under intake for corroded connections.

[paperplane94]

Check the coil and also the rest of the ignition system. That means the dizzy cap and rotor and plug wires.

Coil:



CPS resistance:

[hamilton325i]

Did you check to see if the fuel pump relay is toasted?

[jlevie]

Check the rail fuel pressure while cranking.

[Styleprojekt]

It ended up being super simple and nothing wiring/relay/fuse related. Since I fried my first wiring harness, I never started the engine. The long time spent troubleshooting lead to the head going completely dry and after cranking cranking cranking, the head seized and the teeth of the timing belt got chewed off by the crankshaft.

Bent valve and head toast.

[paperplane94]

Wow, didn't see that coming.

How can they sieze like that? Just oil starvation and oxidation of parts? Thats pretty amazing and scary at the same time.