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Eric ,
My 1989 BMW 325i straight 6 cyl 2.5L has been a paperweight for 51 days . Cranks (I can see flywheel ) ,gets fuel to fuelrail, won’t fire . Changed fuel pump, main and fuel pump relays ,distributor cap , rotor , and crank shaft position sensor .Before I changed crank shaft position sensor when I turned key I got normal rpm crank but when I shorted red and black wires on ignition switch It would barely crank (very slowly) .After I changed crank shaft position sensor It cranks normally when I short red and black wires on ignition switch ,so changing sensor did make a difference …..still won’t fire . Stumped big time .Cornelius
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pull a spark plug. have it connected to teh spark plug wire and but the base of the plug on the metal of the engine. have someone crank the car normally (no hot wiring) do you see spark?
Don’t forget about mechanical. If there’s a mechanical issue with the engine it won’t matter if it has spark and fuel, it still won’t start. More info on solving no starts here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-no-start-problems
Good luck and keep us posted.
Thanks …sort of tried that with someone else watching : guy sais he didn’t see spark . I understand one should see a blueish spark .
Appreciate your response . Thanks
Here’s a good follow up question. If the crank shaft is rotating when I turn the ignition key, does this mean both the starter and the solenoid are OK ?
The solenoid is just a switch of sorts. When you turn the key to the start position, it completes the circuit between the battery and the actual starter motor. If you turn the key, and the starter turns over normally, then the starter and the solenoid are most likely functioning properly. If it does not turn over normally, then you will want to troubleshoot the starter, battery, solenoid, and related circuits, fuses and relays. Sounds like your starter and solenoid are fine. First thing you need to do is find out if you are getting spark at those spark plugs. If so, check to see that your fuel injectors are delivering fuel to their respective cylinders. Go back and check for spark and let us know if you are getting spark. I like to see it for myself, so i would have my assistant turn the key while i am looking for spark. You might consider using a spark tester. You can get one for a few dollars at just about any auto parts shop. Well worth the investment.
I’m going to make two -one red one black- alligator clipped testing leads so I can read my multimeter while in driver’s seat .
I’ll also walk the six or seven blocks to this junk yard on Joyce Ave in Columbus and see if they have a reasonably priced old ignition coil
and try it.Thanks much . Starter would be hard to change . Bad location on E30 .
I’m going to make two -one red one black- alligator clipped testing leads so I can read my multimeter while in driver’s seat .
I’ll also walk the six or seven blocks to this junk yard on Joyce Ave in Columbus and see if they have a reasonably priced old ignition coil and try it.
Many of your subsequent questions are covered in the article I posted for you. It has videos and information that I believe will help you with this problem.
No success yet . Tried air flow meter…. wasn’t stuck. Understand that has solved problem for some .
Crank shaft position sensor ohms out at 565 which is right in middle of 540 + or – 54 . Still not all that sure about coil- I guess- even though it checks out OK voltage-wise and resistance-wise.[quote=”cbos6784″ post=114956]Thanks much Eric -admire your enthusiasm . But where can I find that article and video .[/quote]
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-no-start-problems
As it says in the article resistance checks on ignition coils are useless. Coils fail under load and resistance checking very rarely finds a bad coil because of the low current it uses to check for continuity.
That said, I’d recommend checking for switching at coil negative while you crank to see if it’s getting an input signal. If it’s not, the problem is in the primary side of the ignition system. If it is getting a signal then you likely have a bad coil. This is outlined in that article along with a video showing how to do the process on a Honda. It may be a Honda in the video, but the principal works on all ignition coils.
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