Weird non-problem...

My E36 328i has just had a problem and recovered all by itself - I'm wondering what it might have been and is it likely to happen again...

I'm guessing you'll need more information than that, so - it wouldn't start last night. It turned over fine and fast, plenty of battery power there. Didn't fire at all. There was a whirring from the lower back nearside of the engine with the ignition on, but I don't often listen to it normally so I don't know if it always did that.

Tonight I came home expecting to get into checking spark, fuel, fuel pump and associated electrics, tried it first and it spluttered a bit then ran fine. Took it for a succession of longer and longer test drives and all seems 100% fine.

Leading up to this I had filled it to the brim at the weekend then went for a long and fairly enthusiastic A-road drive for an hour and a half, parking it tail-up on a gently sloping drive.

It then sat for a couple of days until we tried to start it late last night.

Any ideas what it might have been?

Reply to
PC Paul
Loading thread data ...

flooded and dried out would be my first guess.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Reply to
Mrcheerful

or maybe condensation that dried out

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Muck or rust in the fule tank that got stirred up by your filling and enthusiastic drive?

Used to be common on Golf/Sciroccos when the fuel filler neck inevitably rusted.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

It has cut out while driving once or twice in several months. I've even got a new fuel filter ready to put in but not got round to it yet.

I was also wondering if the fuel pump could have lost it's prime by parking it with its tail in the air (I don't usually). After trying to start it last night it was left on a flat road instead for today.

Reply to
PC Paul

It wasn't started briefly then stopped?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

No - they're self priming.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

No, I pulled up after a long run, reversed up the drive and left it.

I've been using it today with not a hiccup.

Reply to
PC Paul

Can I ask why you asked that? My 325 wouldn't start tonight and the only thing unusual I'd done was start it briefly earlier in the day.

Regards

Reply to
Periproct

Some of the range are notorious for that. They flood when you attempt a re-start. Floor the throttle and churn until they do start - it will and then run badly for a few minutes. I first found it when visiting and parked on a drive with gates. I opened the gates, started the car, moved onto the road then stopped it while I closed the gates. Wouldn't start afterwards. You really need to run it until the temp gauge begins to move to assure a normal start after stopping.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Thanks for that. I thought it felt like it was flooded so left it for a while and did exactly as you said and eventually it started. Have you thought of charging for tech support?

Reply to
Periproct

Heh heh. If only.

My local specialist - AMC in Tooting - who are very very good, hadn't heard of this. They had my car in for something that I couldn't be bothered doing myself and kept it overnight. And moved it off the ramp or whatever before closing for the night. Only to find it wouldn't start the next morning. And wanted to charge me for new plugs. ;-)

There's a very good Yahoo group for the E39 which has most of these sort of tips. It's moderated to avoid spam and flames, etc. Address below. There might well be a similar one for your model.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Thus spake "Dave Plowman (News)" ( snipped-for-privacy@davenoise.co.uk) unto the assembled multitudes:

This is apparently a vulnerability in Vauxhalls too, maybe just Astras (and with the same cure). Although mine has never failed to restart, I sometimes find that it runs unevenly for a short time, maybe on just 3 pots, if I've started the car just to get it out of the garage, and restarted it later.

Reply to
A.Clews

multitudes:

It could well be a Motronic issue.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

I had a Volvo 480 [shudder] that was exactly like that.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.