1708

Iv'e bled the system and alls well. Only one bleed as well.

Thanks for all the replies fellas,

Merry Christmas!

No worries hope you have a good Christmas too! :)

Hi Paul,

Problem solved.

The expansion tank IS seperate.

I removed the air filter housing, moved over the power steering reservoir and the small round reservoir that attaches to the rad housing next the top hose.

I then un-clipped the hose thats fits in the bottom of the expansion tank (there is only one) The tank is now free. I then very carefully wiggled the tank around and it finally came free. It was stubborn to get it out. To fit the new one, just reverse the process. The only trouble I had was the top house kept leaking,

but all in all wasn't difficult.

Once again thanks mate.

Hi Steve, I don't think it's a 5 min job but doesn't look too bad. I found this video whilst sniffing around youtube so it may be of some help to you:

Thanks Paul,

That was really helpful, its given me a few tips. Thanks for taking the trouble to find that clip.

Cheers. Merry Christmas!

Expansion tank has split.

Questions: Can I just replace the tank without taking the rad out.While its out of the car is it worth changing anything else?

Is it easy to replace?

Any advice?

Cheers Fellas

Okey Dokey, ill have a look.

Cheers!

Cheers Dabsy,

What relay and any idea/number where it is?

And yea ignition switch/barrel did spring to mind.

Any thoughts of the problem being the key itself?

Turn the ignition key to position one. Service light and radio comes on. Turn to position two and no ignition light comes on. After turning the on/off a few times ignition light comes on but will not fire the engine. Keep turning on/off and suddenly it all works normally.

Any ideas, chaps?

Tried spraying into keyhole and catch, no success. I can't see how it can get inside as it seems to be pretty well sealed. I'm going to take off the door card at the weekend and spray everywhere!

Something else, the door open display isn't working or the open door alarm.

Cheers, will do

Thanks Gav,

Can I just spray from outside without removing the door card?

Cheers.

Cheers mate, will do.

Hi All,

When I open the drivers door, the interiors lights won't come on. When any other doors open all the lights come on. I can't see any switch on the drivers door. Any ideas Chaps?

I tried another ECU and it still had the same problem. I can't think of anything else to try and so I'm selling it to my mechanic.

Both of us have been trying for nearly two months to solve this but now Iv'e had enough. Shame, that was my pride and joy.

Anyway, thanks to everybody who tried to help me, I really appreciated all your suggestions.

Cheers All

Steve

Yea could be as I have had a few backfires when trying to start it.

Iv'e got someone trying to borrow another ECU to see if that makes any difference. When I took it out, there was some water in the compartment but the ECU looks dry, terminals look OK.

I tried to test for continuity between the ECU plug and the coils but get a reading on nearly all the terminals. No pattern at all.

I'm just going to wait to see if I can get the borrowed ECU.

I doubt it's relays now though from the info you given, but try relay 2 as I'm no sure what this does

Ill give that a go. I'm getting 12v at all the coil plugs with the ignition turned on. Iv'e taken out the ecu and will test to see if I have continuity to the coils (when its stops raining) on the other terminals, there are three on each plug,

Right Chaps an update.

Tried another Crank Sensor as it kept coming up as a fault code. No change.

Tested all six plugs for a spark using a plug tester and there is no spark at numbers 1 + 6. Tried swopping the plugs around, they all fire but not in 1 + 6.

Swopped coils again same result, the problem is with these two cylinders. When it stops raining ill try and trace the leads and see if I can see anything amiss, but I have no idea where they go.

As for checking the relays, I have no idea how to.

Are any of the relays the same so I could just swop them over to check?

Check for spark on them old dirty plugs first mate.

Then check relays 1,2 and 3

A quick way to check them, I dont advise doing this is bridging pin 30 to 87.

bmw-e36-relay-layout-03.gif

Thanks for that.

After you have swapped coil packs around, is it the same pots that are soaked or does the symptom follow the coil packs?

You need to mark each coil-pack before you swap about then they can be either eliminated or the cause ;)

That alone should help...

If it doesn't then maybe try a spare ECU !

(It is deffo only running on 3 pots, the choked-up ones are because you're trying to bring her alive with the accelerator)

Let us know 'n we can move onto another solution... ;)

Yea, I'll give that a go. Cheers.

Gav. What relays should I try? I will be investigating the plugs over the weekend and I plan to borrow a compression tester. But wouldn't it show other symptoms if the compression was low? It drives like a rocket (when its running!) + separate coils, six of them.

Y13HYA. Iv'e tried swopping the coils around. Still no difference.

BigAl. Haven,t got around to that yet.

I'll keep you all posted on any updates.

Thanks for replying Fellas.

UPDATE FROM 03/12/12

It still wont start. Changed the Crankshaft, Camshaft and Coolant Temperature sensors (again) all were showing fault codes. Cleaned the Maf Sensor (and tried to start the car with it unplugged and plugged in) Checked the timing and its OK. Put in new plugs, Bosch R6. Plug leads look OK. Visually inspected for any air leaks, looks OK but can't check properly until the engine is running.Tried the coils in different positions.

Tried again this morning. Cranks over but fires intermittently and plugs soaked in petrol.

One thing I did notice was three of the plugs were black and sooty, the other three were clean.

Any ideas anyone? This is driving me bonkers.

Does anyone know if it is possible to swop the the wiring leads over between the Coolant Temp. Sensor and the Temp. Gauge Sensor? I suspect that the Coolant Temp. Sensor has packed up and I thought I could just swop them over as the gauge sensor works OK and this would be a quick test. Any ideas?

Cheers fellas.

Never before mate but did a quick google and Lund thesenguys

http://www.hickleys....l/ecudirect.php

Anyone know of the best place to have my ECU tested and have you used them before?

Cheers fellas.

Im having loads of trouble starting when its cold. Its been fine in the summer but this problem started last winter and now its come back. It appears that the engine is flooding when i attempt to start it (took the plugs out and they are soaking with petrol) when it does start it runs terribly untill it warms up and then its fine, starts ok when its warm. Had the fault codes read and it came up as the crank sensor + temp sensor faulty. Changed both of them but im still having trouble starting. Had the ecu tested and came back, no faults detected. Any ideas fellas?

Petrols don't have glow plugs

Get diagnostics to read the OBD and see what faults come back. Might be a temp sensor that's fried.

Yea ive got someone coming next week to read the codes. Cheers