Not starting

[ken]

HI,

I have a 1989 e34 525i auto and it will not start for me. The battery is fine, the engine cranks over but it just wont start. Seems like the battery doesn't have enough power but I know this is not the case because i tried to jump start it and it stil didn't work. Could there be something wrong with the ignition?

[632 Regal]

have to start somewhere bro...

spark, fuel?

[Kalevera]

The last time it ran, were there any wierd occurances/noises...things of that nature?

Jeff's on the money -- does it have a spark? how's fuel delivery?

best, whit

[ken]

The last time it ran, were there any wierd occurances/noises...things of that nature?

Jeff's on the money -- does it have a spark? how's fuel delivery?

best, whit


cranking over ok, except for battery gradually runnning down, no spark I think, fuel smell but not flooded, maybe fuse related?

[632 Regal]

Whit did you get them new tires you were looking at?

[White535Mtl]

HI,

I have a 1989 e34 525i auto and it will not start for me. The battery is fine, the engine cranks over but it just wont start. Seems like the battery doesn't have enough power but I know this is not the case because i tried to jump start it and it stil didn't work. Could there be something wrong with the ignition?

Last time I had this problem, it was the crank angle sensor, or something of that sort. Can anyone confirm there is such a thing?

[632 Regal]

Sure!

[Kalevera]

Any number of things...notably the crank position sensor, any of the critical relays, distributor cap and/or rotor. We talk about this stuff all the time.

My concern with the last occurance of it running was that the timing belt may have snapped, which would likely trash the engine.

best, whit

[wmann]

small world, I had the exact same issue today....drove to work in a 1994 525it, car ran fine and I shut it off and went into work. I left in the afternoon and the car will not start. It cranks fine and just will not start. Watched it leave on a flatbed....any suggestions? Local shop mentioned something about a position sensor but hasn't looked at the car yet. Any idea what it might be and if it is the position sensor could it run fine until parked and what might it cost to fix? Thanks....Bill Mann

[632 Regal]

the crank position is on the front of the engine usually above the harmonic balancer. Check if its busted, cracked, loose and also the wires coming from it.

[wmann]

follow up on my problems.....

the shop the car was towed to said that it started right up, they ran tests on the position sensor, checked the fuel pump, checked the ignition, said they dumped the codes and there were no faults. After a 103.00 bill I took the car, it started 3 times and died at a gas station! It tried to start, stalled and would not restart. I pushed it to the curb, and while waiting for a ride I attempted to start it over the course of about 10 min. It finally restarted and I drove it back to the shop, after hours of course. As it happened a shop guy was there and after it restarted twice the car did the same thing on him, start, stutter and die, then not restart. Any ideas about the cause and what I should say about the 103.00 bill to tell me there was no problem on a car that was flat bedded in?

Thanks! Bill Mann

[wmann]

ok now the shop says fuel pump....any idea what that shuld run???

[Kalevera]

What and where is the shop?

best, whit

[wmann]

the shop is northern motorports in wilder vt.......

car is now back w/ a 487.00 charge......has started 4 times, I am hoping it continues...


What and where is the shop?

best, whit

[Phil Sanderson]

...the same alarm/immobiliser as mine. Check out this previous post of mine. '89 executive 525i's had the feature as standard.

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=13633

regards
Phil