Brian C.
03-18-2004, 08:54 PM
Well, for those who may remember the incredibly long, rather boring, and somewhat humorous adventures that I've experienced in my quest to get my friggin' car started, the dealer called this morning to tell me it's fixed and I can pick it up. Now since I gave in and took the car to the dealer and they give me a "free" loaner.....and this time it's an '04 325i.....I haven't been in too big of a hurry to :
#1...Find out how much it would cost.
#2...Return the "free" new bimmer I've been bombing around in all week.
So when I got the call this morning, I made up something about working late....which I actually did....and not being able to pick it up 'till tommorrow. Maybe tomorrow afternoon. Or evening. Hey, I might as well get my $$$'s worth, right???
So let's digress(....do that Wayne and Garth "deedle-dee-do"-thing....)and remember my symptoms. It would crank, but not start. No coughs. Fuel pump fuse #23 was OK. Fuel pump relay was removed, jumped #87 to #30, and the pump would run. It wouldn't start when jumped. Code feature was not engaged and was disabled. Now this is where I was TRYING to check a few other possible sourses, but due to time and work requirements, I had to throw in the towel. It was suggested that I find the crank position and camshaft sensors and give them a little wiggle. I looked for almost an hour in the dark and rain with no luck. The photo from the ETK just didn't look like what was in my engine compartment. Another hour in the morning didn't help any more so it was time to call AAA and get a tow-in to the dealer.
Are you getting curious yet? Are you asleep yet?
OK, the service guy tells me that it's a bad crank position sensor. I ask about their testing of the fuel pump. He said that the pressure test was good. The relay was good.......everything but that darn sensor. Now come the "if onlys". If only I had been able to get to work with another car or a co-worker, I'd have been able to have the car for a day or two to continue fixing it. Or maybe if only I had stayed out there all night looking for those friggin' sensors. But other than un-plugging it and plugging it back in, I couldn't have done anything else. So the damage is going to be $387. All in all I think that's not too bad, considering I was lubing up for that, "Well Sir. it's your fuel pump, level sensor, fuel filter, and we're gonna need to paint the exterior too. $2,973." And considering I got to drive the new 325i all week for "free". I'm thinking that they did that for a "reason", huh? Whadayathing? Ya know, stroke the guy with the repair bill and maybe he'll think about a NEW car!!
So I'll get it back tomorrow and start with a (relatively)brand new car, right?! Except for the headliner, and the burned out dash lights, and the.............
Brian C.
'95 525ia
...it's only money.
#1...Find out how much it would cost.
#2...Return the "free" new bimmer I've been bombing around in all week.
So when I got the call this morning, I made up something about working late....which I actually did....and not being able to pick it up 'till tommorrow. Maybe tomorrow afternoon. Or evening. Hey, I might as well get my $$$'s worth, right???
So let's digress(....do that Wayne and Garth "deedle-dee-do"-thing....)and remember my symptoms. It would crank, but not start. No coughs. Fuel pump fuse #23 was OK. Fuel pump relay was removed, jumped #87 to #30, and the pump would run. It wouldn't start when jumped. Code feature was not engaged and was disabled. Now this is where I was TRYING to check a few other possible sourses, but due to time and work requirements, I had to throw in the towel. It was suggested that I find the crank position and camshaft sensors and give them a little wiggle. I looked for almost an hour in the dark and rain with no luck. The photo from the ETK just didn't look like what was in my engine compartment. Another hour in the morning didn't help any more so it was time to call AAA and get a tow-in to the dealer.
Are you getting curious yet? Are you asleep yet?
OK, the service guy tells me that it's a bad crank position sensor. I ask about their testing of the fuel pump. He said that the pressure test was good. The relay was good.......everything but that darn sensor. Now come the "if onlys". If only I had been able to get to work with another car or a co-worker, I'd have been able to have the car for a day or two to continue fixing it. Or maybe if only I had stayed out there all night looking for those friggin' sensors. But other than un-plugging it and plugging it back in, I couldn't have done anything else. So the damage is going to be $387. All in all I think that's not too bad, considering I was lubing up for that, "Well Sir. it's your fuel pump, level sensor, fuel filter, and we're gonna need to paint the exterior too. $2,973." And considering I got to drive the new 325i all week for "free". I'm thinking that they did that for a "reason", huh? Whadayathing? Ya know, stroke the guy with the repair bill and maybe he'll think about a NEW car!!
So I'll get it back tomorrow and start with a (relatively)brand new car, right?! Except for the headliner, and the burned out dash lights, and the.............
Brian C.
'95 525ia
...it's only money.