September 22, 2010 03:33AM
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September 22, 2010 07:33AM
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September 22, 2010 09:32PM
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Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
September 22, 2010 09:51PM
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September 22, 2010 10:08PM
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Admin
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Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
September 23, 2010 03:17AM
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September 23, 2010 05:57AM
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September 23, 2010 10:19AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
The Etas don't have these Dave; their crank sensor is on the bellhousing. One can clean these though, often they get all fouled at the tip. Cookie needs to determine if the problem is fuel or fire related first, my guess is fuel but even then sorting/trouble-shooting can be a nightmare. Perseverance furthers cookie, Rick |
September 23, 2010 03:17PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
I think the tell here is that it runs fine until he shuts it off and then tries to re-start. If it is indeed flooding, won't he smell gas? If the injectors are leaking, wouldn't his fuel economy go out the window?
I would think basics here, plugs, wires, dist cap (although if any of that was marginal, I would expect hard starting in the morning as well).Possible bad temp sender to the ECU? Fairly easy to check. Could it also be as simple as a weak battery? Those cause all kinds of havoc. alan |
September 23, 2010 06:31PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
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September 23, 2010 09:25PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
September 23, 2010 10:33PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
Right, how's the hot start; does it take a while before the motor catches? (like it's flooded) |
September 24, 2010 10:19PM
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Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 7 |
September 25, 2010 08:34AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
September 25, 2010 09:14AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 797 : Ottawa |
Before we go too far down this road, maybe you should describe more precisely the symptoms which make you think it's flooded. Is it cranking over fine, but just not firing? Is it belching black smoke when it finally does start? Can you smell gasoline coming out the exhaust? Have you tried pulling the spark plugs to see if one (or all) of the plugs are wet? |
September 25, 2010 10:44AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
Yes, internet trouble shooting one O one; tell us whatever you know.... ![]() |
September 28, 2010 02:59AM
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Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 7 |
September 28, 2010 07:52AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
I repeat my initial diagnosis; have the coolant temperature sensor checked and the injectors. |
September 28, 2010 02:25PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 797 : Ottawa |
I'm with Peter on this one. If it's leaky injectors the fuel system won't hold pressure after the engine is shut off. Fuel will bleed out into the intake and flood the engine making it hard to start. Furthermore, even if not flooded, it will require a longer crank period on the starter motor before the fuel pump rebuilds the required fuel pressure. If the injectors are not actually leaking, it's still possible that they are being cycled open too long by the ECU causing flooding if the coolant sensors are feeding the ECU wrong information. On the 86 325e there are up to four (4) separate coolant sensors mounted on the thermostat housing. See this RealOEM drawing. #12 - Remote thermometre sending unit: This one is only connected to the temp gauge in your instrument cluster. #13 - Temperature sensor, water: This is the important one that's used by the ECU to regulate injector pulses. #15 - Temperature switch: This is just a switch that closes below 0-C (32F) to bump up idle speed. #16 - Temperature Time Switch: This switch is dual-function. On cold starts it is closed for a certain time period (can't remember how long), or stays open if the coolant temp is above 35-C (95F). While the switch is closed it powers the cold-start injector, which is a separate little fuel injector mounted into the intake manifold up above the exhaust side of the engine (#7 in this drawing). If either of those two sensors #13 or #16 in the RealOem drawing are buggered, it can cause flooding. Or if any of the fuel injectors (including the cold-start injector) are leaking, i.e. not properly closing fully, it will cause flooding. |
September 28, 2010 02:53PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
Does the 325E have a schrader release valve on the injector log? Many cars have these in order to release fuel pressure before servicing the injectors. If the injectors are indeed leaking, thereby releasing fuel pressure, pressing the schrader valve after 30 minute would show no fuel squirting out. If no schrader valve, wait 30 minutes and simply disconnect the fuel line on it's way to the injector log. There are several places to do this. If everything is well, you should get fuel squirting out when you break the connection. If the injectors are indeed leaking, no fuel when you break the connection.
alan |
September 28, 2010 04:10PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 797 : Ottawa |
I'm pretty sure it doesn't. Keeping in mind that squirting fuel is really dangerous and not something that's recommended. |
September 28, 2010 06:13PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
Agreed, safety glasses and a towl will minimize the danger here. Also, if you wait 30 minutes, no hot engine parts. Always have a fire bottle nearby. alan |
September 30, 2010 03:27AM
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Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 7 |
September 30, 2010 07:38AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
Since many of us have experienced one or more of your problems and fixed them ourselves; don't hesitate to ask questions and seek advice on how to do these tests. We're here to help if we can ![]() |
October 02, 2010 08:14PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
If you suspect flooding on the start, which one would if it did not start in about 4 seconds. Stop and press the gas pedal all the way to the floor and hold it there. Then try the starter with the pedal floored. Be ready though, when it does start, the engine will accelerate very quickly and you want to get off the pedal as soon as the tach hits about 2000 rpm. it will still accelerate past that but no sense hitting the rev limiter.
When the pedal is held down, the injectors are inhibited from turning on fuel so the flooding will not continue. Bob in Everett |
October 03, 2010 08:44AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
Wherever did you read that? Holding the pedal down simple allows lots of air into the intake so as to quickly evacuate the combustion chambers of excess unatomized fuel. |
October 03, 2010 02:46PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
Right, and the fuel shuts off after a bit of cranking anyway. I've forgotten exactly how long that is but .... |
October 05, 2010 09:43PM
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Admin
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Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
October 05, 2010 09:58PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
Well, the problem with that theory is that if pressing the accelerator pedal shuts off the fuel flow; the engine would never start. As others have pointed out, the fuel flow will be shut off if the engine doesn't start after 30 seconds or so(that's just a guess based on what is described in the Bosch Fuel Injection manual) and it is not affected by throttle position ![]() |