Won't Start Thread. Stumped.

[spencer087]

OK. 1987 325E.

It sat for a year. It was running when I parked it (minus the water pump).
It cranks with plenty of power (new battery) but does not attempt to start. I pulled the plugs and get no spark. Plug is wet and smells like fuel.

Things I have tried.

-New plugs.
-Rotor and distributor checked (almost new).
-Replaced both of the sensors on the transmission bell housing (crank sensor).
-Multimeter shows battery voltage going to the coil when touched to positive and negative wire and it also shows battery voltage coming out of the coil where the wire that feeds the rotor plugs into the coil (when key turned on).

I have touched a spark plug to the valve cover and to the engine hoist hook. I get no spark at all (which is why i changed the crank sensor).

what do I test next?

Thank you in advance!

[jlevie]

Check the main relay and fusible link. The DME may not be getting power.

[spencer087]

Fusible link is OK. I will check the main relay. Would the computer working harness have power at all on Oct if either one of those is bad?

[spencer087]

Bump I'm stumped

[Cabriolet]

it could be a dead dme

[mpowerful]

Pin out the dme. The dme gets its power to the ecu via thebsame circuit as the coil (pin 7 in c101 on my 89 325i). The ecu being powered in turn throws the main relay. Check grounds coming into ecu as well.

[mpowerful]

Oh and there is a wiki with the dme connector pinouts for whatever motronic version you have. I dont know the link offhand but you can find it if you google e30 dme pinout.

[spencer087]

OK I will check the DME pins and let you guys know. Thanks

[andrewm]

make sure you did swap the crankshaft sensors, if they get them backwards you will experience this as well

EDIT- noticed you said you were NOT getting spark

[SmokeE30]

If the car had a 13 button obc the coded start feature can cause it to not signal the DME. There is a box for it under the drivers side footwell in the top left its like a 6x4 black box with 2 green connectors. When I smaked mine while having the same issue it made connection and started up. Not saying its deffinetly your issue just something that stumped me for a little while the other day.

[mpowerful]

Power to the ecu and coil do pass through the obc relay. Locate it and it can be jumpered. However this source (atleast in myblater model) gives power to both the coil and the ecu through the same wire so it is unlikely that if you have coil power that is the issue. If you have power coming out of the coil then simply turning the motor should cause it to ground and spark. Check cap and rotor and wires for something funkh perhaps. Also the dme grounds the coil allowing to it charge. Just a thought.