Tried to start the e30 today. (electrical troubleshooting)

[AdamF 88iS]

Ok, I have the factory ETM in my lap.

Check (remove) the K7 unloader relay, it is triggered by fuse 10.

ALL of the power that is distributed throughout the car from this fuse is via GN / WT wires (green with a white stripe).

Check splce #212, located under the steering columng. It comes in with the bundle from the fuse box then heads up to the cluster and up the A pillar to the check unit. This is where the first gn/wt wire splits off to: Check engine light, insturment cluster, check control, and the seatbelt warning timer. There should also be one single wire that is unused that comes off of the same splice.


I'll post more in a few min, I want to know more of where that K7 relay goes should that happen to be it.

[Jordan]

you probably just have a short somewhere.!

No shit, thanks for the advice captian obvious.

Seriously, I need helpful insight, not restating what has already been established.

[AndrewBird]

you probably just have a short somewhere. you need to break out a multimeter and check every wire and see if it's grounding, then find where it's grounding at. electrical problems suck, good luck!

I would agree with this.'Just check all conections and see if something is not how it should be.

You said you rewired the reverse lights. Maybe somehting is crossed here that you did not realize? Not a lot of wiring there, but it could be your problem.

Possibly something shorting out with the OBC? Open wire that is grounding against the chassis somewhere? :?:

I would definately check the fuel pump if you haven't already. If it is seized, it might be shorting out that circuit and causing the fuse to blow.

Other then those places, just check everything over really well and make sure everyhthing is in it's place. Go over everything with the Bentley to see where everything goes.

Good luck getting it running. :)

Andrew

[nando]

you probably just have a short somewhere. you need to break out a multimeter and check every wire and see if it's grounding, then find where it's grounding at. electrical problems suck, good luck!

[Jordan]

OK, so I just tried a couple more times.

I removed/disconnected all these things, and still fuse #10 blows.

Intrument cluster
All tailight bulbs
Check control panel
Backup light harness
In tank fuel pump
In tank fuel level sender

I'm hurting for ideas at this point

[Jordan]

This is a picture I got from a member a couple weeks ago. Does anyone know what my mystery giant orange connector is for??

[randomtask37]

ok heres the deal. my camera is dead so i can only describe what i see.



hope that gives u a lead.

goin to bed now. i guess ill get back to this tomarrow if that doesnt help enough.

[randomtask37]

this isnt much, but its all i could get before my batteries died



u can at least see the red and white connectors are correct.

[Jordan]

I would also like to make something very clear.

In preperation for the paint work I did take EVERY LAST WIRE out of the car. I then put it all back in several months later, just about entirely by memory. Now I place great trust in my memory, but there are some things in the car I just can't remember, and the fact that I removed the OBC and CC do assist in me forgetting what goes where.

More about the OBC fuel pump cutoff deal would be good.

[Jordan]

OK, if someone with a 87 325iS could take some time and look at their car for me, I would be very greatful.

Here is a picture I just took of the area in question. It is located above the drivers side knee panel, just behind the ABS computer.



I have ONLY the connectors in it that I KNOW go where they are. I have several connectors loose under the knee panel, and I do not know where their homes are. (some were loose, some were removed from this wiring block as I wasn't positive about their location)

I know the OBC and CC systems likely plug in here, so that would account for the lack of some connectors, but I need to be sure. If you have connectors here that I don't, please trace what they goto for me.

As for connectors I really don't know where go:

I have 1 single prong connector with 1 brown ground wire going to it, it grounds out about 5 inches from the connector on that main ground bundle next to the steering column.

I have 1 single prong connector, with 2 red wires going into the connector, one is solid red, the other is red with a white stripe. Not sure what it goes to, or where (or if) it plugs into that wiring block.

[AdamF 88iS]

The OBC doesnt cut the ignition, it cuts the fuel pump. I know that it in itself wouldnt cause a fuse to pop, but if he goofed on something when he removed the OBC system then anything is possible.

[rs4pro3]

There are wires on the stock Harness which must be pluged intogether after removal of the OBC to get the car to work. I'd ahve to go look to see where the wires are but they basically the OBC relay box plugs in between the wires. But this shouldn't cuase the fuse to blow.

[UNHCLL]

Chris, tomorrow I will pull the check control, and the intrument cluster out of the car, then try to start it. This is eliminate alot of variables (about half the damn list) I will also disconnect the backup light harness (even tho i know its good).

Kill two birds with one stone here... go to the local auto store and buy a big box of 7.5amp fuses.

Remove each of the above listed components 1 by 1 and try to start the car after each removal. If you finally start it after removing component X, you know where you're problem lies.

As for Adams OBC idea, I do not think this hold water, that is just a memory/ignition cancel inside the OBC. it wouldnt cause the fuse to short/burn up.

Given your description of glowing then poping, bad ground/reversed wires are a certainty in my mind.

Good luck tomorrow!!

[Jordan]

You ditched your OBC? Are you sure you bypassed the old OBC relay for the CODE function properly?

Adam, I have no idea what you are talking about, so talk some more about it.

Chris, tomorrow I will pull the check control, and the intrument cluster out of the car, then try to start it. This is eliminate alot of variables (about half the damn list) I will also disconnect the backup light harness (even tho i know its good)

CC, and the OBC have been removed, I want to say that a hot wire going to ground is very likely (duh) but finding which one....

I will inspect that block of wires I asked for pictures of a couple weeks ago, I still dont feel right about that area.

And yah, I actually had my stepfather turn the key while i watched the fuse. The wire glows quite nicely (instantly) and then pops maybe 0.5 sec later.

[AdamF 88iS]

You ditched your OBC? Are you sure you bypassed the old OBC relay for the CODE function properly?