2002 325i, all of a sudden wont start
j...@interubernet.com
starting. We recently bought a house and I started parking in the
garage. I know we had a mice problem in the garage so I put out
poison blocks and a mouse trap. I wake up the next day and I caught
the mouse in the trap and ALL of the poison blocks I put out were gone
as well. I was a little freaked out. The blocks were about 2 inches
by 1 by 1 inch and they were all gone. I reset some more traps and
waited until the next day. Today there arent any mice in the trap but
when I got into my car it wont start. It almost sounds like my old
jeep that had a carb on it. Like it wants to start if I give it some
gas but it just wont fire up. Im starting to think that before I
killed the mouse in the trap it moved something (maybe the poison
blocks) into something in the car.
Any thoughts on where I should start looking? Places to check?
R. Mark Clayton
<j...@interubernet.com> wrote in message
news:944be830-7a86-4de1...@r24g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
Usual diagnosis
Won't crank
no lights - flat battery
lights - wiring, solenoid, stuck starter
Cranks but won't fire
no fuel in tank
fuel in tank no smell of fuel from exhaust - fuel pump / injectors
smell of petrol - check spark
no spark - distributor
fouled plugs - various, clean and try again
spark - auto choke not working
Fires irregularly or dies
Distributor
contaminated fuel (e.g. water)
HT problem on particular plug
Fuel starvation - blockage
Exhaust blockage - kids had inserted potato
Have the mice been nibbling under the bonnet?
As for the mice - get a cat!
j...@interubernet.com
firing but it doesnt ever fully start. Like I said, it reminded me of
my old jeep that had a carb on it. Sort of like starting that in the
winter, it would try to start but I hda to pump the gas to get it
fully start. Electrical looks to be fine. I wonder if the mice put
something in the tail pipe
Scott Dorsey
Look for chewed wiring. That is a VERY common issue.
Start with the meter at the ECU and make sure you're getting power to the
ECU. If the main relay is bad, you'll see something like this. Check the
power at the fuel pump if the power to the ECU is good.
Your goal is to verify that you have fuel, air, spark, and timing. The
last one is the killer.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Jeff Strickland
You might try using a different key.
Your key has a RFID built in that works somewhat the same as the gizmo they
put into packages that detect the package leaving the store -- the check out
person deactivates the package by sliding it over a magnet on the
countertop. In any case, the key talks to the car, and if the conversation
goes well, the car will start. If the conversation does not go as the car
expects, it won't start.
Mice are known to eat wires.
You can pull OBD II codes just to see if there is not an actual problem with
a vital control sensor, or if a sensor reports a problem, the wires leading
to it are serviceable.
Jeff Strickland
<j...@interubernet.com> wrote in message
news:f23d3c8b-211f-45a0...@x25g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
The mice are not going to put anything in that is large enough -- mice might
put in lots of stuff, but they won't put in anything that is heavy, so
whatever they put in will be light and will blow out. Also,mice are not very
good jumpers, so it's not likely they could (or would) jump from the ground
up to the tailpipe, especially with a mouthfull of stuffing to clog the
exhaust system.
It is far more likely they made a meal out of the wires. Technically, they
would make a nest out of the wires (which looks exactly like making a mess
out of the wires) ...
j...@interubernet.com
wires that have been chewed through. I havent done any work on the
car myself so I guess I'll just start poking around with a
flashlight. Any quick tests any of you can think that could lead me
in the right direction in the case that it is a wiring problem? When
I turned the car on everything lit up as I expected. Im wondering if
it could be something with the gas too...... I drove it Friday just
fine. Then it sat for 2 days and now this. Its warm here about 50 so
I cant imagine its frozne gas or water in the gas.
pltrgyst
>I've had my 325i for 5 years now and the car has never had an issue
>starting. We recently bought a house and I started parking in the
>garage. I know we had a mice problem in the garage so I put out
>poison blocks and a mouse trap. I wake up the next day and I caught
>the mouse in the trap and ALL of the poison blocks I put out were gone
>as well. I was a little freaked out. The blocks were about 2 inches
>by 1 by 1 inch and they were all gone. I reset some more traps and
>waited until the next day. Today there arent any mice in the trap...
Ah, me great white hunter, catchum twelve mice in my garage in the last two
weeks. New garage door and seal on order.
If you've got one, chances are you've got many. Don't use poison unless you want
them dying in your walls or other places where they might stink up the house.
Use multiple traps, the old-fashioned spring kind, baited with peanut butter.
>but when I got into my car it wont start. It almost sounds like my old
>jeep that had a carb on it. Like it wants to start if I give it some
>gas but it just wont fire up....
My wife's 2002 325i failed overnight out of nowhere in a way that sounded like
this a few years ago. When I did get it to catch, it would run roughly and top
out at around 1200 rpm. It was an electronic module failure, but I don't recall
the particulars. I had it towed to the dealer and fixed.
-- Larry
j...@interubernet.com
anywhere. I tried starting it and managed to get it to run for about
5 seconds and then died? Its got about a quarter tank of gas in it.
Should I try adding more gas?
j...@interubernet.com
finaly started and after giving it a little gas it began to idle just
fine. Im assuming I have an oil issue. If the car sits for too long
enough oil leaks that I experience the problem. What would the exact
issue be? Any ideas?
tom_k
<j...@interubernet.com> wrote in message
news:d6d9db57-2f49-47e3...@j35g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
Doesn't sound like an oil problem. Is the Check Engine light on? If so,
have the dealer check it. Otherwise, it may just be some questionable gas.
Tom
j...@interubernet.com
only ever use premium in it. Maybe I'll try a different pump and fill
it up
rik...@earthlink.net
<dcade614-8842-492f...@p36g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>,
"j...@interubernet.com" <j...@interubernet.com> wrote:
Three years ago, I parked my car and went on vacation for a week. Came
back and the car started right up. Five miles down the road, I smelled
burning leaves; which I ignored.
Parked the car and went into the store. When I cam out, the car was on
fire. The firemen found the remains of a mouse nest between the exhaust
manifold and the hood liner.
For what its worth.
j...@interubernet.com
> In article
> <dcade614-8842-492f-ac3d-ed2c1e8ab...@p36g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>,
Ouch, well I guess I cant be certain what it is. I always think the
worst right away which is why I thought oil. It seems to be running
find though now. I guess I'll keep an eye on it
R. Mark Clayton
> finaly started and after giving it a little gas it began to idle just
> fine.
White smoke could just be petrol fumes, but is usually an indication of
water.
Assuming it now runs OK then this could be wet fuel.
Or it could be the head gasket. Symptoms include - oil in the water (floats
on the top), water in the oil (emulsion looking like mayonaise around the
oil filler cap), pressure in the crankcase, white fumes (steam) from the
exhaust, spitting sounds from around the head, low power and difficult
starting etc.
Tony
Does it sound like lack of compression? Sometimes if you run the car
cold for a few minutes in the winter and then switch off without giving
it enough time to warm up the oil is washed completely off the pistons
by the cold start mixture. It can take a few hours to fully wash
through with petrol lying in the cyls, but the result is you go to start
it in the morning and there is little compression because of no oil on
the pistons. Solution is to run it on the starter for about 2 minutes
with the foot on the floor.
--
Tony