E30 not turning over

[Nobimmer 694]

89 E30 325i

So have just put the motor and gearbox back together and laurence helped me wire most the car back up.And I have just gone over everything and it all looks fine.

Now, it wont turn over.It was running before I did the conversion.

The battery is sweet and is getting good power, all lights etc work.

I'm thinking I have done the inhibitor switch wrong- the two green wires are joined together and the other ones are just chillin- nothing is hooked up to the reverse sensor if that makes any difference.

I have checked the 2 main grounds that I could find- one off the sump and one off the starter motor.

Some things that may also be of interest are that there is no exhaust connected to the manifold and the Intake boot is f**ked and held together with 100mph tape.

While I was stripping some wires under the dash- heater,aircon etc I found what looked like the control box for an aftermarket alarm system. But when I used to start it before, I never used the alarm/never knew it existed.

Any ideas on what it could be? I'm definitly sure it will be something stupid that I have missed somewhere.

Cheers

Ashkan

[SIR E30 68]

Check that youve wired it up correctly to make it think that its in park/neutral so that it will start.

Sorry if thats the inhibitor thing you talked about, Im not that clever

Edit: The green wires are for the windows arent they?

Edited July 22, 2009 by SIR E30

[Carl 3]

Can you hear the fuel pump when you turn the key? If yes and no cranking then it's probably the inhibitor, should be a closed circuit.

In my car if the starter isn't going when I turn the key but everything else lights up and sounds good it's the inhibitor switch.

Edited July 22, 2009 by pando

[Nobimmer 694]

The ICV ( I think) is making a buzzing sound. Have connected the inhibitor using This diagram that Laurence gave me.

Just found also, the 3 relays that are in the engine bay next to the AFM- there are only 2 currently there, the two outer ones. The centre one is missing. What does this relay do?

[Nobimmer 694]

Yep the fuel pump is working (99%) sure.

Also another thing- the check control unit has been removed if that wil affect anything.

[BM WORLD 1261]

recheck the park /neutral switch thing , plug it back in and try again , or put a 2pin realy shorter box in place of the starter relay

[Nobimmer 694]

I think that Mike mentioned something about that.

What relay am I replacing with a paperclip?

[Katalyst 0]

wiring diagram at bottom of the page

http://www.offthewallcustoms.com/Other/5spd%20swap/

[Nobimmer 694]

Thats exactly how I've got it. Except that there are nothing connected to the reverse light sensors.

[Guest FrantiC]

What happens when you turn the key ?

Is the starter motor mint, does it have 12V direct power from the battery ?

[Matty104 0]

Just found also, the 3 relays that are in the engine bay next to the AFM- there are only 2 currently there, the two outer ones. The centre one is missing. What does this relay do?

Both mine have two also, but (looking in from passenger side , ) it has the left one and the center one, not the outer ones,

But it does sound more like an imobiliser., perhaps try following wires running rrom that alarm brain?

[Guest FrantiC]

FWIW, the relays are interchangeable on the bit mount piece they are connected to, so which is which is determined by what wires go to it, not left right or center. The white one is your main relay. The orange relay is your fuel relay. The 3rd is another orange relay usually, and is 02 heater relay which is not used.

[323e30 0]

about 90% sure its the alarm screwing things up.

[Nobimmer 694]

I will give it a roll start tonight to see if I can eliminate the starter.

I'm also thinking its the ignition wire that is open from removing the alarm. Anyway of testing without tracing wires?

Or anyway DIY diagnostic stuff to try?

[323e30 0]

I will give it a roll start tonight to see if I can eliminate the starter.

I'm also thinking its the ignition wire that is open from removing the alarm. Anyway of testing without tracing wires?

Or anyway DIY diagnostic stuff to try?

With the car as stripped as you have it it shouldnt be too hard to trace the alarm wires. Might take you an hour or so, But all you are doing is rejoining the seperated cables (re matching color simply). Most likely will be under steering or behind where the head unit was.

[323e30 0]

mite sound obvious but did you re connect the earth strap from engine to chassis once you put the engine back in?

[Nobimmer 694]

Yep,all earths are connected back up ( the one from starter to block and from sump to chassis).

[Guest FrantiC]

All harness grounds are grounded ?

When you turn the key it does NOTHING?

[Nobimmer 694]

Yep, NOTHHING happens. Doesnt even attempt to crank.

[Nobimmer 694]

Rope start didnt help, didn't think it would...

[Jamez 2147483647]

what lights come up on the cluster? I had this problem and only the battery light would come on, none of the oil check lights or anything would turn on as normal, turned out to be a fuse.

also to make sure you have connected the park wires correct when you connect them on with ignition on a tick noise should come from the fuse box/glove box area, also if you make the connection really small the ticking thing goes nut then you blow a fuse......refere to my first comment

thats all i can think of.

[Nobimmer 694]

All the normal lights come on. Will spend a couple hours on it tonight with a multimeter and see where I get.

[Nobimmer 694]

Ok, so I have spent ALL day trying to get this thing going.

Checked all the wires under the steering wheel where the alarm module was and they all look fine, all matched to corresponding colour etc. Checked all fuses, some were blowen-replaced and still nothing.

Tried jump starting it. Nothing

Tried rope starting it.Nothing.

It has fuel and the battery is fine.

So...

I tried just jumping the starter motor- Rangi? Anyway, the starter would turn but the car wouldn't crank. I'm guessing that the solenoid in the starter may be stuffed and not throwing the doodah onto the whatsit. You all know what I mean. Tried bashing it etc and did nothing.

Should the starter crank if you jump it? By jump I mean ground one wire from another battery and connect the +ve lead to the +v3 terminal on the starter motor. It was spinning, but no crankage.

If not, then am I right in assuming that the starter is buggered? It was working fine before I pulled the motor out.

[BM WORLD 1261]

Ok, so I have spent ALL day trying to get this thing going.

Checked all the wires under the steering wheel where the alarm module was and they all look fine, all matched to corresponding colour etc. Checked all fuses, some were blowen-replaced and still nothing.

Tried jump starting it. Nothing

Tried rope starting it.Nothing.

It has fuel and the battery is fine.

So...

I tried just jumping the starter motor- Rangi? Anyway, the starter would turn but the car wouldn't crank. I'm guessing that the solenoid in the starter may be stuffed and not throwing the doodah onto the whatsit. You all know what I mean. Tried bashing it etc and did nothing.

Should the starter crank if you jump it? By jump I mean ground one wire from another battery and connect the +ve lead to the +v3 terminal on the starter motor. It was spinning, but no crankage.

If not, then am I right in assuming that the starter is buggered? It was working fine before I pulled the motor out.

if you talk a 12volt plus wire and conect it from the battery positive terminal straight to the 10mm nut starter wire on the starter motor soliniod it should crank the engine over , if it just clanks teh soliniod then your starter motor is stuffed , if you put 12volt positive to the large 13mm nut on the soliniod (the one closest to the starter) it should spin the starter motor but not go forwards .

also you could try , by passing the where the alarm wires break into the ignition circuit , mainly the heavy green one and the black one with yellow stripe .

[Nobimmer 694]

Ahh, ok I was connecting it to the 13mm one and it was just spinning as you described. Will try connecting it to the smaller one tommorow and see if it cranks. If not- does it mean the starter is buggered?

How would I bypass that? Mike explained something to me about bypassing the relay before the starter?