Fix one problem and ten more appear

[erik325i]

Hello,
I am running into a lot of little problems I am hoping you guys can help with. I recently finished replacing pretty much everything that has to do with my clutch (clutch plate, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, master cylinder, slave cylinder, clutch hoses...).

The day I finish that, my starter dies. I started her up twice after the clutch job, and drove her around (it was idleing bad too. It would move around and drop down to 500 rpms then stall if I didn't keep on the gas), but after that, wouldn't start at all. The windows, lights, and everything else worked, it just wouldn't start.

I bought a used starter from a member from this forum and it arrived this morning. I installed the new starter, and it started up fine. It still idled crappy, but I figured, it was becauseit hasn't been driven in months and I have had the battery disconnected various times. I keep on the gas a little to keep it from stalling for a few minutes, and it seems to be idleing ok now.

I take the car on a drive around the neighborhood and notice various things not working. The CD player doesn't turn on. The fan and AC don't work. The windows won't even work.

As I'm driving it, the things I just mentioned start working again, one by one. The CD player turns on, but for some reason won't play anything. Well, the CD player is playing, there just is no noise coming from the speakers. A while later, the CD player just turns off for a second and then turns back on.

I try the windows again and they work fine. But a couple minutes later, don't work.

i decide since I'm already on the road, I should stop by the local BMW performance shop and ask the owner what he thinks about the problems. As i am arriving, the fan decides it wants to cooperate.

I talk to the owner (Al) and he thinks it is a bad ground connection somewhere, the window switches are faulty, and the blower thing is bad.

I go back out to my car, and the battery is dead. It cranks once but dies. I go back and talk to Al and he says i should check all my grounds. Since the alternater wasn't working to charge the battery, he let me borrow their battery charger so I can get home.


So, what do you guys think would cause all these intermitent electical problems? The wierd part is they don't even happen at the same time. The CD player is on but the windows won't work...

Please, any help is greatly appreciated.

[DEV0 E30]

Buy a new battery to start with, at least I would.

[hamann318is]

Your idle problem sounds a lot like a vacuum leak.

[Brew]

Sounds like you have very low voltage. Bust out the multimeter and check the voltage with the car off and with the car idling.

[e9nine]

Since u mentioned starter, check all the wires on it. There is a main wire that feeds the windows, fan etc with power. Chances are you have a broken connection in that wire. BTDT

Good luck.

[erik325i]

So we're pretty sure something is wrong with the alternator. Either a connection is bad, or the alternator just happened to crap out now. This would explain the electronics not working because I was driving off the battery. It also explains why the battery was dead when I got to the shop.

What could this to happen to the alternator. I refuse to believe that everything just happened to break coincidentaly right when I fixed my car. What should I check for? or do you guys think I just need to clean the connections?

[Brew]

Bust out the multimeter and check the voltage with the car off and with the car idling.

[kowalski]

Your idle problem sounds a lot like a vacuum leak.

the idling problem is caused by the lack of power and a weak spark. check your alt. the wire on my alt. broke and was only connecting every once in a while cauins partial charge, like your experiencing. or a bad alt. or the 3rd wire on the alt i forget what its called the regulator? it might have a short or somthing. does the bat. go dead over night? if so id check all your main powers, things that always have power. check the ground wire on your bat. it could be corroded clean the contacts.

[erik325i]

the idling problem is caused by the lack of power and a weak spark. check your alt. the wire on my alt. broke and was only connecting every once in a while cauins partial charge, like your experiencing. or a bad alt. or the 3rd wire on the alt i forget what its called the regulator? it might have a short or somthing. does the bat. go dead over night? if so id check all your main powers, things that always have power. check the ground wire on your bat. it could be corroded clean the contacts.

This all sounds right. I will check the alternator wires and clean the connections in the morning. Hopefully, that should fix the problem. If not, I'm off to the pick-n-pull to find me another alternator. How much should I expect to pay for an alternator from the pick-n-pull?

Ohh, and I already checked and cleaned my battery terminals.

[Brew]

Bust out the multimeter and check the voltage with the car off and with the car idling.

Seriously.

[kowalski]

Bust out the multimeter and check the voltage with the car off and with the car idling.

Seriously.

ya do this b4 you do anything.

[erik325i]

Problem Fixed

It's kinda wierd, I went to the pick-n-pull for a new alternator (and an m30 afm), and on all of the e30 alternators there, there were two wires attached to it, and one ground to the engine. I looked at the alternator in my car, and there is no ground cable. So, I figure that is the problem.
I bought a ground cable and hooked it up to my alternator. Then, I jumped my car and checked the voltage. It was dropping kinda quickly. I decide to throw in the battery from my dad's Suburban and try it out and it worked. Bought a new battery and it seems to be fine now.

I'm still wondering why my alternator did not have a ground cable like all of the ones at the Pick-n-pull. Was it supposed to? or is it ground through the bolts holding it on?

Last question... the afm I bought was from an '88 535i. Is that the correct one for the m30 afm swap? Thanks guys.