Stranded and broken... Any thoughts?

[BruinBimmer]

So, taking the girl back home, while coming off an offramp in the middle of an intersection, my engine decides to just shut off, suddenly losing power steering and power brakes on a rainy midnight. After ferociously turning the wheel quickly to avoid going off the overpass, I did not have enough momentum to go all the way up and over, so I was stuck halfway up.

Eventually, sheriff's deputy pushes my car with his cruiser as his buddy in an police SUV blocks traffic (soooo glad e34's have the black plastic trim that saved me damage from the cruiser's pushbar/basher :alright). Then waited in a 76 gas station for 2 hours for a flatbed truck, which I almost didn't clear because it was so low. :shifty

Nothing like coming back home at 2 in the morning with a broken e34 and not knowing what's wrong with it. :mad I'm guessing a bad fuel pump? Everything electronic was fine: starter would run, but motor would not turn over. All lights, radio, accessories work normally.

Help/input is much appreciated.

[moroza]

Not turning, or not firing?

[zubbie]

Start with the basics. Air / Fuel / spark. Find out which one is missing and go from there.

[upallnight]

If the engine spin, but doesn't start, most likely fuel pump. Had the same thing happen to me last year. New fuel pump and I was good to go. Sometime you can purchase a new fuel pump on ebay. It's probably made in CHINA but hey what isn't MADE IN CHINA these days.

[zubbie]

If the engine spin, but doesn't start, most likely fuel pump. Had the same thing happen to me last year. New fuel pump and I was good to go. Sometime you can purchase a new fuel pump on ebay. It's probably made in CHINA but hey what isn't MADE IN CHINA these days.

This ain't made in china..... or maybe it is??

http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/canadaflaggirl01.jpg

[NapaBavarian]

This is :D

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CMos6A6a3ik/RgSI97lGXEI/AAAAAAAAALI/HQnUwSpHQ3I/s400/hot+china+girl+-4.jpg

Fuel pump...

http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp

In the search box, upper left:

16 14 1 183 009

[crazy8]

Sounds like either something with fuel or ignition system. I suspect fuel pump or an ignition computer module failure. I'd investigate fuel pump first. Good luck man that really sucks.

[John SCB]

Sorry to hear this. Let us know how it turns out.

[BruinBimmer]

Thanks everyone for the help and the softcore porno. Totally just made my day. You guys are the best. Especially you crazy8 ;)

Ya, the engine spins from the starter cranking but does not run/turn over. Reminds me of the 1987 MB 190E 2.6 I learned to drive on.

How should I go about diagnosing the fuel pump, which is most likely the cause?

[gricey]

Throw some starting fluid in the intake, and see if it will start.

[moroza]

Turn over = crank = engine spins != fires.

If the starter runs but the engine doesn't turn, that's a starter issue. If the starter runs, the engine turns but doesn't fire, that's...well, a fuel pump sounds likely.

Starter fluid is one way to test. I usually do it more directly - unplug the fuel feed line, put the ignition to Run, and see if anything comes out.

[BruinBimmer]

Turn over = crank = engine spins != fires.

If the starter runs but the engine doesn't turn, that's a starter issue. If the starter runs, the engine turns but doesn't fire, that's...well, a fuel pump sounds likely.

Starter fluid is one way to test. I usually do it more directly - unplug the fuel feed line, put the ignition to Run, and see if anything comes out.

I was just thinking about that last one. I guess I'll try that. I was also thinking about testing this more complicated way if the first, more simpler test is fine:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1146064

[attack eagle]

wait up...

if one of the SENSORS goes out, you won;t have spark OR fuel pump.

the OBC is ALSO in the path for the fuel pump, because it has the cut off relay.

shutting off out of the blue sounds like a spark or sensor issue...

but diagnosing the pump is easier... find the power wire for the fuel pump.
crank the engine over and see if you get voltage to energize the pump.

[upallnight]

Throw some starting fluid in the intake, and see if it will start.

Have a fire extinguishe handy in case it decides to backfire. Don't need to ask me how I know. Been there done that.

[BruinBimmer]

Alright I really appreciate everyone's help but things have just gone from bad to worse. I was about to just go try to start the engine with a disconnected fuel line to see if anything comes out, but the battery is dead. I have no idea why the battery is dead, because it wasn't even sitting outside for 12 hours since it broke down on me on the road.

So my dad and I wanted to charge the battery so we can run some diagnostics, but the car was dumped in front of my house by the tow truck too far away from the garage, and it's still raining outside, so we tried to get the car in the garage. Bad thing is, our driveway is pretty much a 45 degree incline, so I could never take the driveway head on, and pushing a 3800 lb car by foot that steep in the rain is impossible, so we tried to have another car push it, just like the cops did. However, while going up the driveway, my rear bumper slid under the pushing car's front bumper, and the weight of my car smashed my trunk against the steel grille guard of the pushing car. I'm looking at about $800+ in damage to the trunk.

So basically problems are: possible fuel pump failure (engine won't start), spontaneous dead battery after 12 hours of inactivity (though I left NOTHING on and the car has gone a few days of inactivity recently), and a huge dent in the trunk. The car currently sits on a kind neighbor's flat driveway, in the cold... in the rain... alone... :(

FML. Looking to get a professional diagnostic. Too many problems for me.

[moroza]

Wow, sorry to hear about the pushing adventure. It doesn't change the fuel or whatever other issue, though, so I'd still test that. Why not just take the battery out of the car and charge it inside?

[BruinBimmer]

Well, we still wanted to work on the car inside rather than in the rain, and I doubted that the car would start again, let alone make it up the driveway on it's own. Thanks for your concern though. Now I'm really starting to understand Break My Wallet

[crazy8]

That totally sucks bro. Really sorry to hear that. Kinda reminds me when I got stranded myself. The frickin tow truck practically ripped my front spoiler off:mad But your situation is much worse. Looks like we will both be visiting paint shops soon. :alright Good luck with it man.

-Forrest

[BruinBimmer]

Thanks man! Really appreciate it. You should've requested a flatbed truck or something.

To the paint shop! Haha I was just there after my accident right before I moved out to school.

[renegadeforce]

you cant say its a break my wallet, seems fuel related and the battery could well.. be dead. These are maintenance issues. Same thing happened to me 3 months back left me stranded and all while heading to the gurls's house. Replace the fuel pump and the filter as most likely it hasnt been changed and is still on the original one. good luck


That totally sucks bro. Really sorry to hear that. Kinda reminds me when I got stranded myself. The frickin tow truck practically ripped my front spoiler off:mad But your situation is much worse. Looks like we all will be visiting paint shops soon. :alright Good luck with it man.

-Forrest
fixed :stickoutt

[BruinBimmer]

It's not the battery, I just replaced that last year. And it was holding a charge just fine all this time until last night. But thanks anyway.

[xatlas0]

If you have a charging problem, your voltage regulator on the alt may have died, have any of the diagnostic lights come on? Any codes read?

[Husky]

Oh god... This is -exactly- how my fuel pump nightmare started... I genuinely hope you're not going down the same road.

[zubbie]

parts car? :D

JK. take a break. relax and look at it as a challenge. It will all work out and you will learn a lot about the car in the mean time.

[muckRunner]

ha, i glad the cops helped you out... here in indiana id prolly get a ticket for loitering :shifty

[John SCB]

Any update on the diagnosis? I was thinking it may be related to the electrical system due to symptoms you described and because of the rain that we so rarely get here in SoCal. Hope it all works out okay.

[BruinBimmer]

After running into more and more problems, I took it to a independent BMW shop, who diagnosed that it was the fuel pump, so they're replacing that and the fuel filters to get it running. Once they get the car running, they'll try to figure out the electrical problem.

Would've tried to diagnose it myself but more problems kept showing up, had other family stuff to do, and we couldn't even get the car in my garage. Thanks dad for designing a house with a 45-degree incline driveway.