HELP... Car won't start ... 91 325ix

[EA8]

alrighty, let the fun begin ...

I have just recently replaced the alternator (2 days ago) and right after doing so, the car ran funky for a while ~30 minutes (revving up and down between 1000 & 2000) and then it ran fine afterwards.

Now today I got in the car, drove it with no problems and all of a sudden i go to push the gas and the car doesn't go. I was going uphill and it seemed to kind of stutter all of a sudden half way up. I was able to start the car 3-4 times afterwards and get it moved to a safe spot on the side of the road, but now it won't even do anything. Everytime i turn the key it just sits there and cranks without ever starting. Even when pushing the gas pedal during start, not a darn thing.

I think that it is a fuel issue, but once again I am not an expert. Reason i think so is that last night I ran the car to empty to see when the light would come on and I am guessing I pulled some of the gunk at the bottom of the tank into the lines and or filter.

ANY IDEAS ... ANY HELP?

appreciate it fellas

[jlevie]

That does sound like a fuel delivery problem. Running the tank to empty may have overstressed a pump that was on its last legs. A check of the pressure at the inlet to the fuel rail while cranking over the engine will tell in short order if you have a fuel delivery problem.

[EA8]

so how do i go about checking the pressure?

also is it normal to have the car run funky like I mentioned before, right after changing the alternator??

Cheers

[jlevie]

The complete fuel system tests are in the Bentley manual, but the simple check is to tee in a 0-60psi gauge at the inlet to the fuel rail.

A simple alternator change shouldn't cause the engine to oddly unless there are other problems. When you disconnect the battery on an E30 the DME looses its adaptation values. That normally doesn't cause problems as they should be near zero for a properly maintained engine in good condition. But if the O2 sensor is too old (useful life is not more than 100k), there are intake leaks, a fuel delivery problem, mis-adjusted valves, bad ignition wires, etc., the adaptation values may be well above or below zero. That will cause problems until the DME learns new adaptation values.

[JuanPabloBongto]

Since you had all of your intake parts out of the car, it may not hurt to take them all out, and put them back together carefully. might be something simpler than anything we could imagine.

[EA8]

Thanks for the input fellas. I ended up towing the car to a local mechanic cause the temperature is well below -30 over here. I actually got this crazy idea of changing my fuel filter when I woke up this morning, but after jacking up my car I couldn't feel my fingers through the gloves, so i called it quits.

[TheBlackKnight]

Hey let us know what the diagnosis is, I also have a non starting E30 right now, and I will be messing with it more tomorrow (need some more tools for testing). BTW we also have that lovely kind of weather over here plus it was windy, and when my always reliable E30 didn't start today I was a bit PO'd. BTW it isn't a cold start issue for me, the car was already warm when it didn't want to start. :(

[EA8]

will do bud ...

I am about as pissed as you are ... right when my car died it started to snow heavily, which would have been tons of fun :D.

[E30nate]

sounds like it could be a crank sensor.

[EA8]

So just got off the phone with the mechanic. GREAT news, its only the crank position sensor and the clutch sensor,m which will ONLY run me $780 ... what a great deal :D

[EA8]

Cheers

[SpecM]

So just got off the phone with the mechanic. GREAT news, its only the crank position sensor and the clutch sensor,m which will ONLY run me $780 ... what a great deal :D

clutch sensor will not cause a no-start

but of course a CPS will!

[EA8]

so is this a reasonable price to pay for the repairs?

I am not quite sure about the clutch sensor, but would the CPS have any effects that would affect the clutch sensor?

[jlevie]

The only clutch sensor I know of is the clutch safety switch. If it has failed open, you would not be able to crank the car. If it has shorted the car would crank, by cruise control wouldn't work. Otherwise it has no affect on operation of the engine.

The CPS is a good candidate for the observed faults. $780 to replace the CPS and clutch safety switch seems rather high to me. I'd guess on about $130 in parts and no more than an hour of labor.

[SpecM]

The only clutch sensor I know of is the clutch safety switch. If it has failed open, you would not be able to crank the car. If it has shorted the car would crank, by cruise control wouldn't work. Otherwise it has no affect on operation of the engine.

not on an e30, they crank and start with or without the clutch switch

the CPS can be found for $80 and replaced in 20 minutes, but the tech will probably (and resonably) charge you an hour to cover diag.