525 hot start problem

[yaofeng]

My 525 has been running with a red New Jersey inspection sticker since April. It failed HC, 1870 reading, 109 allowed. I bought the O2 sensor but could not find time to install it. A summons from the township police kicked it into action. Those of you who have replaced the O2 sensor before know the exhaust pipes need to come down to do it. After I took the cat apart, I found one of the cat converters severely eorded. So there goes another $490 for a pair of new cat.

By this time I have already qualified for the waiver whether the new O2 sensor and the new cat pass emissions or not. For those interested, it was still no good. With the fix the HC reading was 624. I know the 525 has blow by issues. When my son sped away with it from our driveway, a trail of light blue smoke follows it.

But that is not the reason of my post. I will deal with that later. I need to get the State off my back.

The line at the State run inspection station was very long today. It is the first day the station opens following shutdown because the State government budget impasse. I waited an hour with the engine idling for them to finish the test and paperwork. BTW, I got the waiver. The 525 still failed the load test on the dyno having high HC emissions. It passed the idle test. With that and $550 spending I bought the right to pollute the air for two years.

Enough of the irrelevant stuff. Now the problem.

I was sitting in the line so long the engine almost overheated. When the temperature indicator went into red the coolant temperature message appeared. After I shut the engine I could not restart it. The guy at the station who helped push it out of the inspection lane said the car flooded bacause I cranked too long. Of course I knew better.

So it finally started after I let it cooled for 15 minutes and drove back to the office. This is a new symptom because I have never had a coolant temperature warning.

What's wrong with the car?

[joshua43214]

check the engine driven fan and the aux fan for proper operation, you should be able to idle all day and not have it overheat.

[yaofeng]

The fan is turning. Where is the aux fan?

[RobPatt]

.... but really why wouldn't it restart also... though not starting may have saved you from addt'l overheating damage..?

[yaofeng]

Yes. Not being able to start with the hot coolant temperature prevented the cooling system from further overheating. But I don't think there is an interlock on the e34 for that function.