Alright, so while I was driving home tonight, I took a corner reasonably quick and my gauges failed. All of them dropped except my speedometer and odometer. I also had my lights on, and all of my lights performed properly, including my interior lights with the exception of my gauges. So out of curiosity I turned my car off when I got home, attempted to turn it on, and was greeted with the heart warming sound of silence. No crank. Whatsoever. I'm pretty sure it's my alternator. R3v please chime in on this. I can pull a head off like no other, but I take the whole retard cake on electronics. So yeah, tell me what to do.
-
Hank Ahrens
1984 Alpine Coupe
1978 911sc
-
start looking at ur fuse box and see if any of them are popped. and then look up the e30 fuse box diagram and see what it goes too.I had the same issue with my dash only my car still ran. -
More info needed.Originally posted by Matt-BComment
-
This doesn't really sound like the alternator. Since you were driving at night, a failed alternator would have had the car running solely off the battery. In which case lights might have started to dim rather than just go out.
I'm inclined to suspect a bad power or ground connection somewhere. Or possibly a wiring fault.
The first thing to do is to check the battery connections and battery voltage (should be above 12.4v (75% charged). Then if you can get the engine started you can check the alternator by:
A simple DIY test of the alternator can be done with a DMM. At idle you should see about 13.5v and your should see about 14v at 2500rpm. The 2500rpm reading should not drop much if you load the system by turning on the headlights and the HVAC blower to high. If you don’t see those voltages the alternator isn’t working correctly.
In many cases the cause will be worn brushes in the regulator/brush assembly. If the alternator bearings are in good condition a new regulator/brush assembly may be all that is needed.
If you remove the alternator belt, you can check the condition of the bearings. The regulator can be replaced without removing the alternator from the car. When removing the belt you must loosen the pivot bolt at the bottom of the alternator. The top adjustment/lock is obvious, but if you don’t loosen the pivot bolt you’ll damage the adjuster (it it already hasn’t been damaged). If the adjuster is inop, a pry bar can be used to set belt tension.
If you have to replace the alternator, do not get a generic reman (cheap) unit. Those have been known to not work out-of-the box or fail shortly after installation. Use only a genuine factory rebuilt unit. It will cost more, but it will likely work for another 30 years.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
-
Yeah, fixed it this morning. I was just lazy last night and I didn't want to go outside at 130. Anyways, threw the battery on a charger, it was fully charged, so alternator is ruled out. Popped the fuse box lid. Boom. Fuse 10. The dash and fuel delivery fuse. So replaced it, it started right up. Howver, this still doesn't make sense to me. How the hell could my car run and drive perfectly for four miles without the fuel pump running? Does this make any sense to anyone?
Edit: just to clarify this my car ran a good 4 miles home after the dash failed. I turned it off to see if it would start again and it did not.Hank Ahrens
1984 Alpine Coupe
1978 911sc
Comment
-
Fuse 10 would explain the loss of the cluster and could affect starting of the engine as it also is part of the fuel injection system (along with fuses 9,11,12). I haven't dug through the ETK enough to see exactly what part fuse 10 plays in fuel injection. But I can say that the fuel pump fuse is fuse 11.
Fuse 10 being blown isn't going to result in the no-crank situation you experienced. Something else is also wrong and more investigation is called for.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
-
You can dig through the factory diagrams (ETK) found at http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm and see if fuse 10 being blown could do this. But my experience suggests that it would not result in a no crank situation.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
-
If you have battery and abs light on. There is a central fuse that gives 12v to ignitiin not sure which one but i can find out for you. Its a 20A fuse.
Side note do you have an after market stereo?
1989 E30 325i Sedan AlpineComment
-
Maybe you have a bad ground and it would of started without without fuse 10 it just need time
Next time you drive it a distance try and restart the car right after you completely turn it off to see if you still have the problemComment
-
Yeah, there's no problem starting now. I'm pretty sure fuse 10 has ties with quite a few things. In the Bentley manual it has quite a list. Including fuel and ignition if I remember correctly.Hank Ahrens
1984 Alpine Coupe
1978 911sc
Comment
-
The factory wiring diagrams do indicate that fuse 10 is involved in fuel injection, but you'd have to dig through the ETK to see what role it plays.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
-
Fuse 10 supplies the unloader relays, but there's no fuse in line in the crank circuit,
unless you include the fusible link in the trunk. Which HAS been known to have
a bad connection, and the car CAN run with it making intermittent connection... sometimes...
Dang, the starter solenoid's fancy- a pull- in AND a holding coil AND the unloader relays
pulling off of it?
tnow, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george gravesComment
-
The unloader function in the starter solenoid is just a switch. The unloader relays can't prevent the starter from working.The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
Jim Levie, Huntsville, ALComment
-
Comment
Comment