looking at a 633csi...

[gearheadE30]

...that doesn't run. It's been sitting in a garage (clean, little rust) for about 5 years with gas in the tank. Now it won't start. The owner thinks it is the crank sensor. Anything else I should check out when I go over to look at it tomorrow? I wan't to get it running so I can drive it home or at least save some money in shipping.

[Ral]

could it be that the gas has just gone bad, and fouled up the fuel system?

[bignate948]

^^ i would say its that but i dont know to much lol

[euroshark]

It uses the same crank sensor as the E30s, so if you have a spare it's an easy swap to see if that's the problem.

You can jump the fuel pump relay socket so pump all the old fuel out, and for good measure maybe put a few gallons of premium and some BJ44K or seafoam in there. If it ran 5 years ago, theoretically bad fuel should be the only real reason it won't start... That or nasty grounds.

I hope it turns out to be a good car for you! 6ers are very special and exclusive, and even though they are mechanically the same as the E28, they feel different. Somehow...

[SpecM]

e24 are such cool cars

how much?

[gearheadE30]

I was thinking that it was bad fuel as well after doing some research. Unfortunately, my e30 isn't around so I can't check that.

For the fuel pump idea, that sounds good, but where would it pump the gas to?

I only have about two days to decide. The car is dirt cheap, I just don't know how to get it home. It is a 5-speed with sport seats and Mtech I wheel. The seats are cracked, but the rest of the interior is fine. Mechanically it is sound, but we can't get it to start. If I figure that out, I will definitely buy it and drive it home. It has very little rust except some where one of the sunroof drains clogged. Comes with some extra parts as well, and it is Bronzit...

BTW the grounds are fine. The current owner checked that out. The car also ran great when it was put away; well enough to make a cross-country trip to its current resting place. The current owner has also owned another e24 and an e28, so he knows a thing or two about the cars.

[euroshark]

Pump the bad gas into an old gas can and dispose of it afterwards. If it made a cross country drive and got parked, I'd bet that fresh gas and a good charge on the battery (or a jump) should get her going. Try not to pump 100% of the fuel out since you rick clogging the strainer, the pump, and or the main filter with any debris on the bottom of the tank. If it's a 5 speed with sport seats and a Tech 1 wheel it sounds like a nice place to start! I've owned quite a few E28s and E24s so if you have any questions feel free to PM.

[gearheadE30]

The car already has a new battery, so I'm good to go there. Also, doesn't the fuel pump normally run when the key is turned on? It should circulate gas, so I don't think I'd need to jump anything.

All said and done, back to my house, the car would be around $1200. If I can't get it to run, it will be too expensive to ship it. being a broke high school kid sucks...

[eric (^__^)]

did you check the fender wells for rust?

[gearheadE30]

Not yet. I havn't actually seen the car yet; I'm going up to take a look later on tomorrow. My issue is that the car is only $600, but I have to get it back to Indiana somehow.

[Optimator]

Likely the injectors are also stuck from sitting so long. Stuck injectors can sometimes be freed by tapping on them.

[euroshark]

You can listen to the injectors by touching the tip of a long screwdriver to the injector itself and holding the handle to your ear while someone cranks it over.

[Optimator]

Yeah, so definitely bring fresh gas, an empty container to drain gas into, jumper cables, a spark plug so you can test for spark, either a noid light or a multimeter to check for voltage and signal at the injector rail, and an extra crank position sensor just in case it has gone bad just sitting there.

[TDE30]

A lot of guys prefer the M30 B32 (found in the 633CSi and 733i) to the M30 B34 (used in E28 535i, E24 635CSi, etc.) because of the higher CR.

[gearheadE30]

Yeah, so definitely bring fresh gas, an empty container to drain gas into, jumper cables, a spark plug so you can test for spark, either a noid light or a multimeter to check for voltage and signal at the injector rail, and an extra crank position sensor just in case it has gone bad just sitting there.

I wish I was at home, because I would have access to all of those parts. ATM, all I will be able to get is gas, gas can, seafoam, and a multimeter. My tools are whatever is in the trunk of the car (it does have a complete toolkit ;) ).

TDE30, I didn't know they had a higher compression. M30b33s are generally around 176 hp, correct? The M30b35 is rated at 182 or thereabouts if I remember correctly.