Starting issues with E 30 325

J

Jandre

Guest
Our E 30 325i auto swings for ages before the engine finally springs into life.

This stays the same whether the car is hot or cold. Fuel consumption is also a sore point. We get around 6 k's to a litre.

Obvious service related items have been looked at( Sparkplugs, leads etc)

Anyone had similar issues with 325's?
 

BimmerMan

New member
Could it be a faulty fuel pump check valve letting the fuel pressure bleed away while the car sits?
Had this problem on my 3 and my 7...although on the 7, it was a faulty pipe that leads to the fuel pump...
 

Hellas

///Member
My polo's starter has been running with the flywheel for a second after you started it. It's been doing this for 7 years now (even after all the doom prophets urged me to change it like 5 years ago already)and it still swings every morning... Touch wood (place hand on forehead)
 

Nic_s

///Member
It could be fuel pressure, but you would have had power problems as well. If you do get the fuel pressure checked, it should be at a constant of about 3 bar. It can be a bit higher, but it shouldn't be any higher than 3.5 bar.

Could also be airflow meter (AFM), computer box, or idle control valve (ICV).

To test airflow meter, the best is to borrow one from a friend and fit it to your car and see if there is a difference. This is fairly easy to DIY.

Same with computer box, you'll need to borrow one and test.

Idle Control Valve is also fairly easy to see if it's faulty. Have the car idling and open the bonnet. Then listen closely as you turn off the car. You should hear a little click from the ICV a few seconds after engine stops. A better way would be to have someone else turn off the car while you listen for the ICV click. I would also suggest to have the ICV cleaned. If they're dirty they could also make trouble.


BUT... an engine that swings for ages before it starts is usually a fueling issue. This could also be caused by the Computer Box not getting the correct readings from the AFM or maybe even the ICV and then not fueling correctly.

I'm now wondering if it could even be the TPS(Throttle Positioning Sensor). This tells the computer box when your foot is of the accelerator at which point the car goes into idling mode.

Do you give it more gas when you try and start it, or do you just turn the key? Some say your not suppose to give it more gas while trying to start it as the car handles this itself. I just turn the key in my E30 and she goes.
 

BimmerMan

New member
Hi Nicholas

Not so much saying that it is the fuel pressure when running, but the pressure when standing with the engine off. The fuel pump check valve keeps fuel in the fuel lines so that the engine roars into life as soon as the key is turned. If this valve fails, the fuel will run back down the fuel line and back into the fueltank. When you try to start the car, the fuel pump then has to push the fuel all the way back upto the fuel rail...and this can take up to 30 seconds :(
 

Nic_s

///Member
BimmerMan said:
Hi Nicholas

Not so much saying that it is the fuel pressure when running, but the pressure when standing with the engine off. The fuel pump check valve keeps fuel in the fuel lines so that the engine roars into life as soon as the key is turned. If this valve fails, the fuel will run back down the fuel line and back into the fueltank. When you try to start the car, the fuel pump then has to push the fuel all the way back upto the fuel rail...and this can take up to 30 seconds :(

That makes sense. Jandre, let us know what you find.
 

wynandd

New member
Does it spew black smoke when it eventually takes and also when you rev it? Then it might be running too rich. Get someone to put a diagnostics machine on it.
 
J

Jandre

Guest
Bimmerman, you might be onto something here. She can easily swing for 20 odd seconds before starting.

As soon as she starts, she runs perfectly, no black smoke or anything of the sorts.

Forsdicks BMW has also had a crack at it, and couldn't sort it out.

Thx for all the info, I'll let you know what the outcome was.
 

BimmerMan

New member
Jandre said:
Bimmerman, you might be onto something here. She can easily swing for 20 odd seconds before starting.

As soon as she starts, she runs perfectly, no black smoke or anything of the sorts.

Forsdicks BMW has also had a crack at it, and couldn't sort it out.

Thx for all the info, I'll let you know what the outcome was.

Oh, a dealer not being able to solve the problem is nothing new! I took the E30 into a dealer and they had it for 3 days before they told me some rubbish about needing to put a bypass circuit onto the fuel rail and the closing off the fuel return line. I opted not to do it and continued doing lots of research. I saw that someone had the same problem with the non-return valve in the fuel pump failing. I took a chance, replaced the fuel pump and she has been okay ever since...

Only real way to test this it to get the inlet side petrol hose off the fuel rail, connect a pressure guage inbetween that and the fuel rail, crank the engine until she runs and then turn off. Monitor the pressure over a period of a few hours...if the pressure drops, you have found your culprit... The pressure should stay in the fuel line infinately! That is why it is important to de-pressurize the fuel system before doing any work on it :)

Just a side note...it could also be a leak in one of the fuel lines between the fuel pump and fuel rail! I had this on the 7 and had to replace the bit of pipe that runs from the fuel pump to the nozzle on the side of the fuel tank...

Hope that helps :thumbsup:
 
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