will

Start off by testing the starting function at the diagnostic socket by bridging pins 11-14, especially when it will not fire from the key. Being a 323i, it will have the older 'D' shaped socket shown on the left. If it starts every time from the socket, you have an issue with the electrics (ign switch/auto selector/relay etc.). If not, you have an issue with the battery/starter/grounding of motor to body/supply from battery. Do this test and report back.

'bout bloody time!!

http://www.vehicleclips.co.uk/ I have bought plenty of trim clips for all makes of cars from these guys, don't have a full selection but have most of the usual suspects. If you can't find a BMW specific one, you can normally find one from another make that will work. Delivery is quick as well.

That "333i" is either a fake or has been so molested it is no longer anything like an original. If it is an original 333i, it has effectively been destroyed and now only has value as an e30 with a m30 motor! I dont know what they were thinking when they did this!! my opinion of course...

As Troy says, laser is a very concentrated signal, so, if your detector goes off, you are already dead in the water. The cops normally aim for the number plate, if they get it spot on, it will often not trigger your detector due to the beam not having much scatter. The only way to be safe from laser is to use a jammer, or don't speed.. The ka band is very strong, so any detector will pick it up from a long way off. However, a lot of patrol cars leave their radar off and go instant on when they get closer to you. Again, you will be dead in the water if they do this and you are speeding. If you tag on behind another speeding car, you are relatively safe as the cop will usually target the front car, but they can read the speed of both cars, so might just target you instead. So dont speed... I have several detectors- Bel STi, Bel XR950, 2x Escort X50. Have run comparative tests with them and a mate's V1 all alongside each other to figure which is the best for picking up the camera cars on the K band. Surprisingly, the X50 is the best at it. However, it must be mounted at 90deg to the normal position as the K band camera's signals are polarised in the vertical plane, so detection with the detector in the horizontal position is very weak. I found this out some time ago when I noticed the vans were no longer triggering my detector, went googling around and eventually found this bit about polarisation. I ran both my X50's at the same time, one horizontal, the other vertical, and proved that the vertical mounting was much better at picking up the van, at least double the distance of the horizontal X50. I also determined that the vertical mounting of the detector has no effect on it's ability to detect the ka band. You can buy a windscreen holder for the Bel/Escort that mounts them vertically. Don't know if there is anything available for the V1. I do not normally speed, but also get overtaking done with as quickly as possible, so mainly use it while overtaking to make sure I don't get nabbed. I leave the k band on in Hamilton as they regularly hide the van in urban roads here and it is not difficult to exceed 50kmh if you are not concentrating on speed, but rather on the idiot drivers around you!

I buy from Gavin as the parts he sells are quality items and he stands behind them. If there are any issues it gets sorted quickly unlike trying to sort issues with an overseas seller.

pot-kettle-black

Being a 325i, it has the distributor cap fixed on the front of the head. The timing is set by the ecu, it cant be adjusted unlike the earlier 320i/323i which has a conventional distributor on the side of the block. The ecu should adjust the timing to suit lower octane fuel. Check for air leaks into the intake, check the afm is working correctly, if you have an oxygen sensor, check that it is working. Check that you have the correct spark plugs. Something is likely leaning the mix out, using 98 is just masking the problem, you need to sort it out what is causing the detonation or it will cause damage. The best way is to take the car to someone with a rolling road and test it under load, specifically the emissions.

.. and BFGoodrich on the right rear.. What is on the boot/nearside??

Dave has a total shutdown, not a misfire. Misfire when hot can also be caused by corroded male/female socket joints, faulty CPS etc... Where were you when I needed one a few days ago???

Process of elimination.. Use an indicator bulb (21W) to test the circuits as it will confirm that amperage is present, not just voltage. A multimeter will only show that voltage is present, it will not show up the presence of a dry joint which will allow voltage through but will fail with amperage demand. I have a bulb socket from an e30 with suitable interchangeable leads I use for this. 1. Connect the bulb between pin 87 (with red/white wire coming off it) and ground on the main relay, switch on ignition. The bulb should glow brightly. Try to start. The bulb should stay brightly lit all the time. If it dims/fails, you have an issue with the main relay and/or the power supply to the main relay. 2. If bulb dims/fails, remove the main relay from its socket and bridge pins 30-87, then try again. If bulb still dims/fails, the supply to the socket is faulty. Take a direct supply from the battery to the 30 terminal, then try again. This should sort the supply issue. You will need to figure out where the supply is being interrupted. 3. If bridging 30-87 sorts out the dimming/failing of the bulb, the main relay is faulty and should be replaced. I have not considered issues with the fuel pump or with the crank sensor to be high on the list due to your info given above. If the above does not sort the problem, you may have a wiring issue between the ECU and the crank sensor, the best way to test it is to use a multimeter between pins 16-43 on the ecu plug. you should read approx 550 ohms. If not, try shaking the wiring loom about and see if the reading changes. If it does, there is an issue with the loom somewhere between the ecu and the crank sensor. If you still have problems after this, just shout.

Red (Hellrot) + V8... (red is always faster... )

The black you have purchased will work fine. It is only intended to be put at the front of the head gasket to ensure a seal between the head and the aluminium timing chain cover upper face, not on the block itself.

^^ this +1

Those guns are not designed to spray underbody/liner, they do not have the correct nozzles. Those sort of guns are designed to atomise the liquid, with underbody/liner type coatings you want a large nozzle that just propels the liquid without trying to atomise it. The best gun is a Shutz type, I have several different ones for use with liquids of varying viscosities. Even the 'paraffin' type engine cleaning gun will work, sometimes with the standard long nozzle if the liquid is reasonably thin, other times you need to remove the standard long nozzle and replace it with a 50-100mm long piece of hollow tube, depending on what finish you are after. The shorter tube will disperse the liquid in a wider arc than a longer one. The advantage of the paraffin gun is that it comes with its own liquid container, the others use the container holding the liquid. If buying a paraffin gun, make sure that you buy one where the long nozzle is removable so you can interchange nozzles. Examples.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draper-Shutz-Dispensing-spray-underseal-Schutz-Gun-/171184664889?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item27db66b139 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stonechip-Shutz-Waxoyl-Gun-Brand-New-Shutz-Gun-Car-Paint-/221594856024?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3398152a58 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222112-Long-Nozzle-Paraffin-Diesel-Air-Spray-Gun-Engine-Cleaner-Economy-Price-/271394075510?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f3058f376

Post a pic of the guns..?? I am curious.

What guns did you use?

You need to make a tool like this.. bit of flat bar, drill 2 holes, cut out a semicircle, job jobbed. BTW, you do know it is a LH thread? Also, you need to shock the spanner with a hammer to free it from the pump shaft.

I see you have head bolts on your earlier list (which is good). If your current head bolts are a standard hex head, they must be replaced. The later torx head ones can be reused if they measure up. When you have finished cleaning the block, you need to make sure the threads in the block are cleaned out thoroughly. All debris and oil/water must be removed. If any is left inside, the bolt can bottom out and give false torque readings, which will result in a blown gasket (or worse). I always run a bottom tap to make sure the threads are clean. Lightly lube the threads of the bolts and the surface between the head of the bolt and the washer before assembly. This will stop any binding and ensure that you will get the correct torque on them.

This will help. Pins 1-2 are the ones to test, pin 3 is the shield. 540 ohms is ideal. There is no need to try to read from the plugs though, just plug the speed sensor into one of the engine loom plugs, then test at pins 47-48 (speed sensor) and 8-31 (cyl ID sensor) on the MCU plug. Whichever gives you a reading is the one you plugged the sensor into. Swap if necessary.

As above, a pressure test needs to be done on the head as there does not seem to be any obvious leakage point.

Nothing wrong with those pistons and bore from what I can see. There is also no real evidence of coolant getting into the cylinders as it would normally clean up the top of the piston it is leaking into, although the gasket does look a bit iffy between the water jacket and the bores in some cylinders (3, 4, 5). A very small leakage of coolant into a cylinder would not be that obvious from the cleaning of crud from the piston. There is still the possibility of a crack into the upper part of the head. Did you find evidence of oil/water sludge buildup under the rocker cover?

It reads off the ring gear so doubt if a small amount of in/out wandering would affect it. Up/down yes. Found this link, has some useful info on the M62.. http://www.rtsauto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/M62-Engine-Details.pdf Also came across this post in the Bimmerfest forum..

If I were to do your car, it would not require too much masking as I would virtually strip it down to a shell. Anything less would not do justice to the car and would devalue it. Nobody wants to see traces of the old colour lurking in engine bays etc...

Gap is pretty critical, dont know about .05mm critical! I would be aiming for something between 0.5 and 0.6mm.