billb
11-19-2010, 06:59 AM
Hi gang, been a long time since I posted, have had a long run of good luck with the 525, but age is catching up to it!
Very long fault analysis follows:
Vehicle: '95 525i automatic, 169k miles
So Wednesday (11/17), I had a job interview 40 miles away. Got in car at 8am, arrived at interview just before 9, no issues on the drive.
Left the interview at 12:40, drove 35 miles back, stopped to fill up with gas (17+ gallons), then drove on home, no issues on the drive.
Had lunch at home, prepped to go for a short run on a local trail. Drove to the trail at 3pm, no issues on the drive.
35 minutes later, drove to the grocery and "adult beverage" store on the way home. Went in, came out 5 minutes later, and the car initially fired (but stumbled a bit), ran long enough for me to put it in reverse and move 8 feet, then died. Repeated crankings would yield what sounded like 1-2 cylinders trying to fire, then nothing.
My first thought was "crap bad gas from the fill-up". But it was just running perfectly at shutoff. It sounded like lack of fuel to me. Checked fuse 23, good. Opened up the E-box, pulled and re-seated fuel pump relay. Loosened fuel supply hose and cycled ignition (to try to get fuel spray). Nothing.
Called my wife to come pick me up (was only 2.5 miles from home). Got home, had dinner, then we called AAA for a flatbed to bring it home. I drove back to the car in my wife's Taurus X, arrived before AAA, and walked to the Advance Auto store in the same complex. Bought a can of contact cleaner as a last-minute thought to clean off the CPS. AAA driver was onsite when I got back to the car, so I told him I wanted to try one last thing. I sprayed off the crank position sensor, and wouldn't you know the car fired right up.
I thanked him for coming out, and told him I was going to drive it home. He said he'd follow me, and he did until I turned off very close to my house. Got it home, and cycled it off and on a few times, each time it started without fail. I noticed the fuel pump was not running at a constant rpm; it seemed to rise and fall in speed, almost sounding like it was binding.
Shut it down, pulled the fuel pump relay and checked operation with a 9V battery and voltmeter; all was well for multiple cyclings. Put it all back together.
Thursday morning (11/18), I had a 10-mile run to do (I'm in week 3 of an 18-week marathon training plan), so at 9am I drove to the run trail, no issues on the drive.
Finished the run, got back to the car, fired it right up and drove to a local running/triathlon store to pick up a few items, no issues on the drive. Was in there for maybe 30 minutes, then had to leave to go pick up my son at preschool.
Of course, this is when the no-start happens again. Same scenario as the night before; cranks and fires, runs 10 seconds, then chokes off. I already had the fuel sender cover off, so I gave a sharp tap to the top of the sender with a wrench, and the car fired right up on the next cranking.
Drove to preschool, picked up my son. Back out to the car, and it started right up, no issues on the 2-mile drive home.
Later in the evening, had to take my other son to basketball practice. Fired right up, no issues driving to or from practice.
I just pulled the trigger on a new Bosch pump from BMA. I figured it's cheap insurance (under $200) and merits replacing at this age anyway. Fuel filter was last changed at 155k miles. I'll post back when the pump's in to let you know if the problem recurs.
By the way, planning to install BMA's Meyle brake kit this weekend (the $225 special for front/rear rotors, pads and sensors). That's a pretty good deal for brakes! Got 50k out of the last brake job (and 51k out of the one before that).
Very long fault analysis follows:
Vehicle: '95 525i automatic, 169k miles
So Wednesday (11/17), I had a job interview 40 miles away. Got in car at 8am, arrived at interview just before 9, no issues on the drive.
Left the interview at 12:40, drove 35 miles back, stopped to fill up with gas (17+ gallons), then drove on home, no issues on the drive.
Had lunch at home, prepped to go for a short run on a local trail. Drove to the trail at 3pm, no issues on the drive.
35 minutes later, drove to the grocery and "adult beverage" store on the way home. Went in, came out 5 minutes later, and the car initially fired (but stumbled a bit), ran long enough for me to put it in reverse and move 8 feet, then died. Repeated crankings would yield what sounded like 1-2 cylinders trying to fire, then nothing.
My first thought was "crap bad gas from the fill-up". But it was just running perfectly at shutoff. It sounded like lack of fuel to me. Checked fuse 23, good. Opened up the E-box, pulled and re-seated fuel pump relay. Loosened fuel supply hose and cycled ignition (to try to get fuel spray). Nothing.
Called my wife to come pick me up (was only 2.5 miles from home). Got home, had dinner, then we called AAA for a flatbed to bring it home. I drove back to the car in my wife's Taurus X, arrived before AAA, and walked to the Advance Auto store in the same complex. Bought a can of contact cleaner as a last-minute thought to clean off the CPS. AAA driver was onsite when I got back to the car, so I told him I wanted to try one last thing. I sprayed off the crank position sensor, and wouldn't you know the car fired right up.
I thanked him for coming out, and told him I was going to drive it home. He said he'd follow me, and he did until I turned off very close to my house. Got it home, and cycled it off and on a few times, each time it started without fail. I noticed the fuel pump was not running at a constant rpm; it seemed to rise and fall in speed, almost sounding like it was binding.
Shut it down, pulled the fuel pump relay and checked operation with a 9V battery and voltmeter; all was well for multiple cyclings. Put it all back together.
Thursday morning (11/18), I had a 10-mile run to do (I'm in week 3 of an 18-week marathon training plan), so at 9am I drove to the run trail, no issues on the drive.
Finished the run, got back to the car, fired it right up and drove to a local running/triathlon store to pick up a few items, no issues on the drive. Was in there for maybe 30 minutes, then had to leave to go pick up my son at preschool.
Of course, this is when the no-start happens again. Same scenario as the night before; cranks and fires, runs 10 seconds, then chokes off. I already had the fuel sender cover off, so I gave a sharp tap to the top of the sender with a wrench, and the car fired right up on the next cranking.
Drove to preschool, picked up my son. Back out to the car, and it started right up, no issues on the 2-mile drive home.
Later in the evening, had to take my other son to basketball practice. Fired right up, no issues driving to or from practice.
I just pulled the trigger on a new Bosch pump from BMA. I figured it's cheap insurance (under $200) and merits replacing at this age anyway. Fuel filter was last changed at 155k miles. I'll post back when the pump's in to let you know if the problem recurs.
By the way, planning to install BMA's Meyle brake kit this weekend (the $225 special for front/rear rotors, pads and sensors). That's a pretty good deal for brakes! Got 50k out of the last brake job (and 51k out of the one before that).