Wrong spark plug wires?

[Spahrtan]

Hello everyone, new to he E30 world, definitely not new to the BMW world however. Hopefully I don't sound like too much of a noob with this post, but here it goes...

So, recently I bought a project 1986 325e, with a 2.5 motor swapped in. I do see a 2.5 stamped on the side, and I have paperwork saying a "325 motor swap" was done, so I believe it? The kid I bought it from however was unsure and had been told different things from local enthusiasts.

When I bought this car, it wasn't running because it would grenade the distributor rotor inside the cap, is it possible that spark plugs wires, which might be for the 2.7 motor, cause such havoc to damage a distributor rotor by being on the wrong engine? I'm from the E36 world so this spark plug wire business is much foreign to me.

[jeffnhiscars]

The caps are the same so there is nothing about the wires that can impact the rotor. FYI the 325 worst have an additional sensor wire without which the car won't run

[Spahrtan]

So a 2.7 spark plug wire set won't even let the car start in a 2.5 engine because it doesn't have the extra sensor wire?

[3vilE30]

Yes the newer motronic cars 1.1/1.3 have something called an inductive pick up wire that connects right next to the crank position sensor right by the diagnostic port ( the black circle thing ) by the dip stick .

Check what ecu you have.

Spark plug wires don't matter but it has to have the inductive pick up wire
I've used wires meant for a M30 with no problem on a M20

A spark plug wire set that doesn't have the inductive pick up will not start the car.

[digger]

that might be misinformation? the engine works without the inductive pickup last time i tested it.

[TobyB]

Yep, mine runs without the inductive pickup, too. Rumor is that it lets the ecu drop
to 2- batch mode instead of batch mode, for slightly more power and reduced emissions.

As to grenading caps, it's 99% likely that something is put together wrong in there.
Or has come loose.
Look at the diagrams for a 1990 325i on Realoem.com and see if it all looks right.
Then make sure everything is snugged on there nice and tight.

It's not the wires, it's something under the cap.

If it was a 2002, I'd say check your engine mounts.

t

[3vilE30]

that might be misinformation? the engine works without the inductive pickup last time i tested it.

My 88 SETA wouldn't fire without it, I'm saying from experience.

[Spahrtan]

So I checked the ECU, it's number is 0 261 200 525.

[RobDog]

Check to make sure the engine hoist/lift point, just behind the cap and timing cover, is there. Without that the cap/rotor may be misaligned enough to grenade.

[Seawolf]

^^^This + 1.

If the lifting bracket is missing it's possible to pull the upper cambelt cover in deeper than it should be. The dizzy cap will also be in deeper and probably skewed since it's bolted to the cover.

Do you see any impact damage inside the dizzy cap ?

[TobyB]

Interesting- 9-90 i worked ok with it unplugged.

And +1 more for the lifting bracket.

t

[modernist]

My 88 SETA wouldn't fire without it, I'm saying from experience.

you might have unplugged the CPS instead, the connectors are identical and right next to each other