SOLVED.......... HELP! Won't start!

[cutsham]

Never had a problem starting before, just got tranny replaced and mechanics had a hard time starting, but it also hadn't run for about three weeks.

Drove great last night, and started up fine multiple times. This morning started it to move it out of the driveway and it worked fine.

Later on, I went outside, started it, then went back inside to let it warm up. Came outside ten minutes later, and the engine had died, and now it won't start again! Just keeps cranking, and the car will occasionally give a little shake if that makes sense haha.

I've jumped the fuel pump relay, and I can hear the pump, and I also tried jumping the inline fuse by the battery, and on the firewall, and nothing, also spark is good! :(

(Also went to dmv yesterday and had to beg for a 3rd temp tag to do emissions today, and now it won't start, so I'm screwed...)

[jlevie]

Check rail fuel pressure while cranking. And look to see if there are any large intake leaks.

[sayed ali]

^

+ try another ecu

[cutsham]

I'll test those tomorrow.

But I did some more research and wondered if the problem could be the in tank pump that pumps the gas from one side of the tank to the other. My gas light also came on when the needle was at half a tank for some reason. This would explain why it died, and I drove the car prob 30 min at least after the gas light came on. Luckily the car died in my driveway.

[custom e30]

out of gas

[cutsham]

out of gas

FFFFFFFFFF :hitler:

Just put 5 gallons in the tank and it fired right up....
After I spent my day ripping everything apart, and $20 at the dealer for a relay.

Now just to get that pump changed.

Haha, if I let it go to low, I run out of gas, but too much and my tank leaks...

[Komzorz]

out of gas

This.

My light came one when I was at half a tank as well, and sure enough my tank was empty.

Not sure why that happens, but it could be related to my installation of a motometer cluster instead of a vdo? Haven't tried swapping the old gauge (which read correctly) back in yet.

[cutsham]

This.

My light came one when I was at half a tank as well, and sure enough my tank was empty.

Not sure why that happens, but it could be related to my installation of a motometer cluster instead of a vdo? Haven't tried swapping the old gauge (which read correctly) back in yet.

No shit....haha, I too have the motometer cluster.... but it was on the car when I bought it a month ago. Does your check engine lights light up when you start the car? Mine doesn't.. or the bulb was pulled..

So maybe my problem is the cluster, and not anything with the pump or sender! :)

[cutsham]

This.

My light came one when I was at half a tank as well, and sure enough my tank was empty.

Not sure why that happens, but it could be related to my installation of a motometer cluster instead of a vdo? Haven't tried swapping the old gauge (which read correctly) back in yet.

Did some more research, seems we're both in need of a cluster swap! http://84.45.115.78/e30zonewiki/index.php/Instruments (Scroll to the fuel gauge part)

[custom e30]

its gonna happen to us all, its happened to me before.....lol, at least it running bro

[Komzorz]

Did some more research, seems we're both in need of a cluster swap! http://84.45.115.78/e30zonewiki/index.php/Instruments (Scroll to the fuel gauge part)

I wonder why they wouldn't be interchangeable?

Seems like both gauges are physically the same size and would attach the same way.

[jlevie]

Having the tank go empty when the gauge reads half full after a cluster swap occurs on cars with the 55L tank (325 production up to 8/87) because the cluster has a fuel gauge meant for a 63L tank. The 55L tank has a single sensor with a range of 0-60 ohms, but the 63L tank has two sensors wired in series (0-120 ohms). Since the gauge is expecting 120 ohms when the tank is empty, it reads 1/2 when empty. The fix is to swap out fuel gauge for the correct part.