Trouble with engine...Help?????

[bmwjc3]

No Spark to engine...Help?????

I was driving my 87 325e down the highway and the rpm's dropped and the engine died. I checked the obvious stuff.. fuses, fuel, and connections for tightness. I thought I was getting no spark because I pulled off the coil wire from the distributor and got nothing. I was talking to a tech and he told me about some magnectic pin in the harmonice balancer. While trying to take everything off the front of the motor, I ran into a problem taking off the fan, I took off the bolts to the fan and now the fan is loose, Still wont come off. And I took the bolts off the pulley behind the fan and now that is loose but not coming off. It looks like a clutch fan but I can't figure out how to pull it off. Any ideas???? without breaking it..lol Also before I started pulling the engine apart the car would crank over but not start. ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED seeing how this is my only source of trans I'm really anxious to get it back on the road. Thanks Joe

 

[jrt67ss350]

In an ETA engine like is in your 325e, the magnetic "pin" that you are referring to is in the flywheel, NOT the harmonic balancer!! The 325i had a magnetic pickup in the harmonic balancer that is necessary for proper ignition timing, but this sensor is in the bellhousing in the 325e and is triggered by a magnetic pickup in the flywheel, NOT the harmonic balancer. I'm sorry to tell you that your tech has given you misinformation and you are working at the wrong end of the engine! Look at the bottom driver's side of the bellhousing and you'll see two sensors bolted to the bellhousing. One of these sensors is the one you are searching for (the other drives the tachometer).

So, you are trying to remove your fan for nothing. To answer your question (even though it really is moot for the problem you are having), to remove the fan you need a 32mm open ended wrench to get that fan clutch off of the water pump hub. It's a reverse threaded "nut," and the fan clutch and fan assembly comes off of the water pump hub as an assembled unit. As you discovered, removing the bolts to the fan will not permit you to remove the fan from the fan clutch unless the assembly is removed from the engine. Removing the water pump pulley bolts only allows removal of the pulley, but that won't help you remove the fan.

 

[bmwjc3]

So from what I had described as my symptoms of what happened? Do you think he was as least right about my problem? I tried to see if I'm getting spark but I checked it as if it were a chevy distributor by pulling the coil wire and turning the motor over while placing the end of the plug beside metal to look for the arch. Joe

 

[bmwjc3]

Today, I took off the inspection cover at the bellhousing. I was hoping for something to fall out and be an easy replacement, but No such luck. I cleaned the ends of the sensors and the car still does the same thing as before. Is it one of these sensors that tell my coil to spark?? This car is starting to test my patience. Joe

 

[jrt67ss350]

Yes, one of those sensors is the reference sensor that tells the engine computer the position of the crankshaft. Ignition timing decisions are based off of this information. However, just because the coil is not sparking does not mean that this sensor is bad. Have you tested the coil itself?

 

[bmwjc3]

I actually replaced the coil with an MSD 2a coil and still had the same problem. I really wish I could find this problem and fix it soon. I have spent time looking at different things in the engine bay trying to pin point this cars sickness. I'm at a loss. Joe

 

[epj3]

I posted in the other thread - it sounds like a fuel delivery problem (Like a bad fuel pump or fuel pump relay). Why? Becuase its intermittant, and I REALLY can't see the ECU causing an intermittant problem like that, but a fuel pump/fuel pump relay, definitely.

 

[wood_e]

I'd check up on the timing belt... just as a percaution.

 

[epj3]

I'd check up on the timing belt... just as a percaution.

That wouldnt cause it to randomly not run. If the timing belt were slipping it would simply run horrible or stop running all together.

 

[bmwjc3]

Believe it or not, I decided to check the fuel pump again, and there was no power to it. I have power from the fuse back because I jumped a hot wire to it, but No power to the fuse with the key on and No hot wire. What sends power to the fuel pump fuse? any sensors? With the fuel pump fuse hot wired it is seeming to over fuel when I try to start with key in on position. I tried to start the car and again it seems like No spark. The sensors at the bell housing are ok visually, but I was reading and the book makes it seem like there is supposed to be something on the flywheel to trip one of the sensors. I just can't locate it if this true. Joe

 

[bmwjc3]

OK, After changing the coil and replacing the pulse generator sensors I had enough and took the car to a mechanic who supposedly knows bmw's. He used a snap-on scan tool and said that the vehicle anti-theft was part of the prob with the car. His only problem now is that he doesn't know how to fix or clear the code for the vehicle anti theft, No schematics. I asked him if I replace the ECM will that clear out the vehicle theft and stop it from coming back and he wasn't sure. So should I waste the time to replace the ECM? Joe