Engine will turn over but will not start

SAMHEARN

MEMBER
1992 BMW 325I
250,000 MILES

On Christmas morning I started it, and pulled it about 3 metres forward so my brother-in-law could park his car behind mine. That same evening I wanted to start the car, and it refused. The engine turns, there is plenty of fuel, and fire on the spark plugs. But no start. I had an auto-electrician here today, and he hooked up a machine that did electrical tests. He says electrically there is nothing he can find wrong. He did reckon the engine turns maybe a bit too fast, though. I have checked all the fuses, and plugged the relays out and in again as well, but no luck.

5 Replies

WILDONE57

MEMBER
1 POST

Had a simular situation where, we went into the store (car was running fine) shopped for an hour or so, the car started but was not running right then the engine just sort of ran down like it was out of gas. We were at almost 3/4 tank. It turned out to be the fuel pump. That would be my "guess", with no other obvious symptoms.

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Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 AT 7:05 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP REMOVED--DOES THE ROTOR BUTTON TURN WHEN YOU CRANK THE ENGINE?

ENGINE TURNING FAST COULD INDICATE MIGHT INDICATE OPEN VALVES--HENCE, MY 1ST THOUGHT WAS THE CAM NOT TURNING

I'M NO BMW KINDA GUY--BUT I CAN GET YOUR QUESTION SORTA GOING, I'VE SEEN IT SITTING SORTA IDLE FOR A WHILE

THE MEDIC

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Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 AT 8:31 PM

SAMHEARN

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3 POSTS

WildOne57, I get enough fuel. As a matter of fact it smells like she may be flooding. I've tried to put my foot down on the fuel, and turn her for up to 15-odd seconds (supposed to help in case of flooding), but no luck.

CJ MEDEVAC, where on the 325I is the distributor cap? I am a novice on engines, and have a BMW repair manual will engine images, but it does not show me the distributor cap.

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Friday, January 6th, 2012 AT 9:25 AM

SAMHEARN

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3 POSTS

OK, I got the car to a mechanic, and they did a few compression tests. According to them the compression jumps between 6 and 8, and it should be around 9.5! So, in this instance, what could cause my car to loose compression?

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Monday, January 16th, 2012 AT 11:36 AM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

YOUR CAR IS 20 YEARS OLD

IT HAS MADE AROUND 10 TRIPS AROUND THE THE WORLD, AT THE EQUATOR!

AT 2000 RPM AND TRAVELING 55 MPH THE PISTONS MOVE UP AND DOWN 120,000 TIMES EACH IN ONE HOUR

ONLY DRIVING 55 MILES MPH-NONSTOP FOR 250,000 MILES (10 WORLD LAPS)---(IF I'M ARITHMETIC-IN' RIGHT) THAT'S 545,454,545,454 TIMES EACH PISTON MOVED UP AND DOWN ON THIS TRIP (MY CALCULATOR MAY ALSO BE OUT OF IT'S DISPLAY LIMITS-AS "GT" POPPED UP WHEN I HIT "="

THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE GOING THRU THE GEARS, OR IDLING, AT LOWER RPMS

EACH TIME A PISTON RING MOVES IN A CYLINDER, FRICTION AND WEAR OCCURS TO SOME SMALL EXTENT

THIS IS ONLY CYLINDER AND RING WEAR---THE CRANK, CAM, ROD BEARINGS ARE ALSO WEARING TOO! AND MAY OTHER ITEMS THAT MOVE METAL AGAINST METAL IN THE ENGINE

THE DRIVE TRAIN HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME BATTLE

REALLY SOUNDS LIKE YOU TOOK CARE OF HIM OVER THE YEARS

A REBUILT ENGINE MAY GET YOU ANOTHER 250K, IF THE REST OF THE CAR CAN HOLD UP

I KNOW SINCE YOUR RIG IS SORTA UPPER ECHELON, A DIY REBUILD MIGHT COST A BIT MORE THAN ONE OF MY JEEPS.

I HAVE TWO JEEPS A 1977 AND A 1946. I REMOVED/ REBUILT (ASSEMBLED)/ RE-INSTALLED EACH OF MY JEEPS' ENGINES, DIY, WITH ONLY NEW PARTS AND MACHINING DONE BY OTHERS OUTSIDE OF MY TWO CAR HOME GARAGE. THIS INCLUDES A NEW CLUTCH SYSTEM FOR BOTH----ABOUT $1600 PER JEEP (AROUND 1996). THAT WOULD EQUAL TO MAYBE FIVE CAR PAYMENTS FOR MY WIFE'S FORD ESCAPE, TO MAKE BOTH OF MY JEEPS RUN LIKE NEW! (STILL, BOTH ARE RUNNING WELL AS WE TEXT)

YES, I CAN SEE WHY COMPRESSION RATIO IS NOT THAT OF A SPRING CHICKEN. ANY OVERHEATS MAY NOT HAVE HELPED ALONG THE WAY.

YOUR TURN

THE MEDIC

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