1980 320i WONT START!! HELP!!! - BMW Forum

jeds320i · 02-29-2008, 12:20 AM

My grandpa has a 1980 BMW 320i. He used to drive it around all the time, but one morning he goes to start it up and it wont start for nothin. It Turns Over Fine. He tinkered with it for some time now and so far he's replaced the rotor, distributor cap, plug wires, and fuel filter. The fuel sending unit in the tank works fine. IT JUST WONT START!
ANY SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!

jay reeper · 07-13-2008, 11:57 AM

try ignition control unit, it controls spark n fuel

darkhorse737 · 07-13-2008, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeds320i

My grandpa has a 1980 BMW 320i. He used to drive it around all the time, but one morning he goes to start it up and it wont start for nothin. It Turns Over Fine. He tinkered with it for some time now and so far he's replaced the rotor, distributor cap, plug wires, and fuel filter. The fuel sending unit in the tank works fine. IT JUST WONT START!
ANY SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!

wouldn't start/run AFTER you changed the rotor, d-cap, wires?

- redo the work and see that rotor is correctly fitted.
- check firing order.
- check wire from coil to distributor cap and verify that it is indeed providing spark to distributor cap.

rphatch · 07-19-2008, 09:16 AM

My 323i has a loose relay that sometimes prevents the car from starting. Look at the relay/fuse box and check the relay that is on the outside/engine side of the fuse block towards the battery. Also, this spring, my car would not fire. Following an idea posted here, I gave it a shot of starter spray into the air intake...it started right up! Total mystery why this worked...maybe a slug of bad fuel?

darkhorse737 · 07-19-2008, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rphatch

My 323i has a loose relay that sometimes prevents the car from starting. Look at the relay/fuse box and check the relay that is on the outside/engine side of the fuse block towards the battery. Also, this spring, my car would not fire. Following an idea posted here, I gave it a shot of starter spray into the air intake...it started right up! Total mystery why this worked...maybe a slug of bad fuel?

nope, clogged fuel filter or fuel pump failure. OR... faulty fuel pump relay

fj-cruizer · 02-18-2009, 10:12 PM

Hey Darkhorse,I'm a newbie...You sound like you know what your talking about.Please check out my first and only post regarding 1982 320i starting issues and help me out if you could...Thanks Bro,fj-cruizer

silversled · 02-18-2009, 10:44 PM

hmmm..well, here's what I would do
make sure you have spark from the coil to the distributor. if you have spark from the coil then pull a spark plug wire and be sure you are getting spark there. if you get spark from both points then it's not ignition. next i would loosen the fuel line coming into the fuel distributor or rail and crank the engine and see if fuel leaks out (hold a rag loosely around the loosened connection). there's only 3 things that can keep an engine from starting, fuel, spark and air. i think it safe to say air is not one of those 3 things. it's much easier to work backwards from those 3 issues to find out why one of them isn't doing its job....good luck

BMWJNKY · 02-20-2009, 01:50 PM

Most common no start cause for the 320 is a loose connection on the fuel pump fuse. First row (closest to the front of the car) first fuse on the left, should be red in color. My first E21 did this all the time for some reason, my current E21 did it once but I have since replaced all the fuses with brand new ones.

jeds320i · 02-27-2009, 02:08 PM

hey thanks for ur help guys those seem like helpful tips.. the car has been in storage for a few months bc its winter.. haven't had time to work on my car. hopefully in the next couple weeks i can start on it. but i might know the problem.. the key ignition is a little screwed up. its all loose and what not.. could this be the problem?