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Followup To
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Hello I have a 1986 BMW 325e 2.7L V6. In the cool mornings lately on the first try to start the engine it tries to start but then goes into sort like it is flooding itself but still cranking. I turn the key off sometimes even turning the key off the car is still trying to start on some occasions. Second try the car starts fine, has a slight rough idle but on second try is fine. I have replace the air filter and put in new plugs. This was happening before the changes and is still happening.
Answer -
Bob, these cars are my "bread and butter", or what I know how to work on. Your car is an "In-line 6", not a V6. BMW has never made a V6. (just a little info). Idle/starting problems can vary in these cars, as quite a bit of it is electronically controlled. First thing I would do is a tune up. You have already put plugs in, but what about the distributor cap, Rotor, and plug wires?If these haven't been done in the last couple years, it's probably time to do so. Most people dont see that plug wires go bad, but they have high voltage flowing through them, and start breaking down over time. The coil should also be checked to see if it's producing a "hot" spark. Locate the coil wire, running from distributor cap to top of coil (looks like a plug wire). Unplug the end that is inserted into the dist. cap (sometimes a pain to get loose), and lay on the valve cover, or any other grounded surface. make sure the metal end of this wire is within a 1/4" from the metal, so the electricity can arc from the wire to the valve cover. DO NOT HOLD ONTO THIS WIRE WITH BARE HANDS..... it wont hurt you, but it wont feel very good!. Have someone try to start the engine and watch the end of this wire. If you see a yellow, or faint spark you have a week coild. The spark should be BRIGHT and BLUE. Since the coil wire is unplugged, the car will not start, so dont worry if you notice it not starting.
The other thing is.... when you are starting the car, the starter engages the flywheel, spinning the engine. Now you said "I turn the key off..the car is still trying to start". In this case you need to diagnose the problem. Is the starter still engaged, like you have the key in "start" position? Or when you release the key, there's probably enough fuel in the cylinders to fire a couple times and sound like it's trying to start? If the starter is still engaged like you had the key on, it's probably time for a solenoid on the starter, or a new ignition switch (where you put the key in).
Let me know how the coil looks, and we will go from there.
I dont know how mechanically inclined you are, but from the sound of it, you can handle most things (you already changed the plugs). These cars are not like a Ford Taurus, or Chevy 1500 pickup. These cars get a bad rap for "parts being expensive" or "cant work on them". That is only said by people who have never owned anything other than Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. If you take care of these cars they will take care of you. They do require that you be "regular" with maintanence. I have an '84 325e (just like your's, except the year) with 328,000+ miles on it, and it's never had and engine rebuild. I actually dont know mileage because the odometer broke at 328k, and I havent' had time to fix it. It's some little gremlin in the wires that's causing this problem, and
Another thing, I would seriously consider joining one of the Tech groups on the internet. I can try to help, but there might be someone who has had this exact same problem, and could fix it in 5 minutes. Try www.e30tech.com, or www.bmwe30.net . I belong to both of these sites and help out with tech problems there.
Take care Bob, let me know what you decide!
Josh
Hello Josh
Thanks for the info.
I have narrowed the problem down to a possible faulty ignition lock. Is there an easy way to replace it?
Thanks
Bob
AnswerBob,
Great news, good to hear you located the problem. The ignitions on these cars shouldn't be hard to get to. You will probably have to remove the steering wheel to do this. Pop the center out of the steering wheel, then remove the nut holding the steering wheel on. Before you pull the steering wheel off, make a mark on the steering wheel, and the shaft so you can line the steering wheel back up when you replace it.
Once the steering wheel is off, you can remove the top and bottom covers from the steering column. The top is kind of a pain, but it can be done. There should be 3-4 screws in the bottom half that claps the two together.
Once removed you can see the ignition switch. I have never removed this, but you should be able to see what needs to be un bolted and unplugged to remove it. For parts I would try www.bavauto.com or www.pelicanparts.com both have great deals on parts, usually 1/2 dealer price.
Hope this helps,
Josh
