No spark after timing belt change

[Nooser07inf]

Alright so after spending the good part of Sunday doing the timing belt on my 1988 e30 320i with the m20b20 engine I now have no spark what so ever this is my first time doing anything this major to any engine ever so i followed instructions in a Haynes book and used plenty of YouTube videos as a guide line I kept the engine at tdc the whole time the only thing I can think is my distributor is the problem but I've never had problems with it before also I read that if you over tighten the tensioner for the water pump instead of just letting the spring do the work for you can cause a no spark problem before I go pull it all apart again am I right to say these are my best bet for first point of attack?. Cheers any help will be much appreciated as I'm now on a 10speed push bike for now n not in the comfort of my little e30

[bmwdirtracer]

Check the crankshaft sensor plug. Check that the crankshaft sensor is being correctly held in its bracket, and that the tip is approximately 1-2 mm away from the toothed wheel. Did you reinstall the distributor rotor? Coil wire hooked up?

For future reference, the Haynes Manual is best used to build a fire by which you can read the BENTLEY manual.

[Nooser07inf]

Yep rotor was removed and reinstalled coil was not unplugged tho but battery was out of the car the whole time so that shouldnt of done anything to the coil right? Haynes manual has officially been trashed

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rotor was removed and reinstalled coil was not unplugged tho but battery was out of the car the whole time so that shouldnt of done anything to the coil right? Haynes manual has officially been trashed

[bmwdirtracer]

Spark is delivered because the crankshaft sensor tells the computer what position the crankshaft is in, and how fast it's turning. When the DME (computer) has that info, it tells the coil when to spark. The coil sparks, and the position of the distributor rotor, (which is bolted to the camshaft you just timed), delivers the spark to the appropriate wire / cylinder.

If you're sure that you have no spark, but the sound of the starter cranking the engine is normal, then the issue is most likely that the crank sensor plug is unhooked, or the sensor itself moved from its proper orientation to the crankshaft sprocket. (Toothed wheel)

Yes, there are other possibilities, but considering that the job you did was a timing belt, I'd call this the most likely. An overtensioned spring is not the cause of no spark. If, however. the crankshaft sensor has been knocked a quarter of an inch backwards, or it's not plugged in, that will cause no spark. Note that this is one of the wires which runs under the plastic guard at the front of the engine.....you know....the plastic guard between the pulleys, that really didn't want to go back in place?

[Nooser07inf]

Hey thanks heaps for the info mate will try that before I go buy anymore new parts really appreciate you taking the time to reply could possibly be a life saver . Will let you know how I get on

[Nooser07inf]

Yep crank sensor was the issue thanks mate

[bmwdirtracer]

You're welcome, glad to have been of help.