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Thread: 1995 525i no crank, no start, and other problems - solved

  1. #1
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    1995 525i no crank, no start, and other problems - solved

    Over night, my e34 525i has gotten a huge number of new problems. When I tried to open the driver side door with the key, I noticed none of the other doors opened (including trunk and fuel door). Opening the door didn't turn on interior lights. I put the key in the ignition, turned it. Instrument cluster, climate control, radio, and OBC all turned on without any issues. Turning the key to "run" position does all the usual, all of the lights on the instrument cluster came on for a second. Turning the key to "start" position did nothing though. No clicking, no nothing. Voltage at the battery is reading 11.6 and it doesn't drop when trying to start the car. All windows and sunroof also stopped working over night.

    I tried to research this problem, but every post I came across has different issues aside the no crank issue. Please help.

    Edit: I should mention that everything I haven't mentioned works fine (HVAC, headlights, turn signals, power seats, etc.)
    Last edited by Sleeple55; 01-21-2019 at 05:39 PM. Reason: Other notes

  2. #2
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    I am 90% sure it is your fusible link, next to your battery.


    Andy

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    Quote Originally Posted by south42 View Post
    I am 90% sure it is your fusible link, next to your battery.


    Andy
    Thanks for the suggestion, I will test it.

  4. #4
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    The fusible link is completly fine, not blown. Any other suggestions?
    Last edited by Sleeple55; 01-21-2019 at 08:15 PM. Reason: mistake

  5. #5
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    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    They can develop hairline cracks that are hard to see, resulting in an open circuit despite not being "blown" as such. Check again carefully. It's about the only thing that by itself would result in all your symptoms.

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    There are TWO fusbile links, did you check both? First 2 pics is the one which goes to engine bay, usually wrapped in shrink plastic, that is the one you have to check http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/377728/
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  7. #7
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    To moroza, I tested the fusible link near the battery with a volt meter so I am certain that it is fine.

    To shogun, I will have to find and test the other fusible link tomorrow. Thank for telling me, I didn't know there is a second one.

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  9. #9
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    shogun, I tested the other fusible link which was under the carpet near the battery, it shows effectively 0 ohms of resistance.

  10. #10
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    You need to unscrew the bolts holding the fusible link in the case, take it out, look at it carefully, and put it back. Many times the link will not survive this, even if it looks and possibly tests ok while still installed. They are just a few dollars I would put in a new ones anyway.

    Another no crank possibility is the ignition barrel not making contact when the key is turned, activating the starter. Remove the diagnostic port cap in the engine bay. There are two spots there that if you jump with a wire the starter should spin. If your key is in run position, and you jump this way, the starter will run and the engine will start. Please google for details on the diag port spots.

    The third possibility is the EWS system. If the EWS relay is damaged, the starter will not be allowed to engage. This is a big problem to fix , you need to short the relay, and then get a non EWS dme to get this to work. But it is a well known and well documented problem.

    Apart from this and a flat battery and loose battery terminals, there are no other possibilities for a no crank.

    IMO 11.6volts is not great. Battery might be expiring but it will still crank so not the situation here. You should be at 12.2-12.8v

    - - - Updated - - -

    You might also have more than one no crank problem going on at the same time. Be open to that.

  11. #11
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    Thomas525, My 525i is 1995, it has one fusible link that is on bolts going to the rear fuse box. And it has a soldered one going together with the big positive wire to the front of the car. I tested both fusible links with a multimeter. Both show nearly 0 resistance (0.01 ohms, they're good). I looked into the diagnostics port under the hood, as far as I understand only e34 with m20 and m30 motors had the option to test the starter that way. EWS? Possibly, however that doesn't explain why windows, sunroof, and central locking system all broke at once.

    I should mention, my 525i had no electrical issues prior to yesterday. Overnight the windows, central locking system, and sunroof all broke, and the car wouldn't crank since that night. I am not saying all those things are somehow connected, but all of them happened together.
    Last edited by Sleeple55; 01-22-2019 at 08:36 PM. Reason: Added picture

  12. #12
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    Your symptoms are most likely a fusible link. Many things go wrong at the same time. That's why people pointed you there first. The other thing you can do is to just overlay some thicker wire over the links and see if things start working again.

    No the diagnostic port thing works with all E34s. Please give it a try.

    Finally I say again that you could have more than one problem happening at the same time. Own the car long enough and you will encounter this.

    PS, forgot to mention the obvious. Another no crank possibility, is a bad starter. You will need to test everything one by one until you find the problem.

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    I have to agree with Thomas. The fusible link in my 525 (next to the battery) failed. It broke in two when I removed it to measure it on the bench. I replaced it 10 years ago with a 12 gauge piece of solid copper wire. No issues since then.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas525 View Post
    No the diagnostic port thing works with all E34s. Please give it a try.
    Only the early e34 had the start wire at the diag port. The 95 doesn't. Jumping the fusible link(s) with a 12 gauge wire as a test is a good idea.
    demet

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    Quote Originally Posted by Old525i View Post
    I have to agree with Thomas. The fusible link in my 525 (next to the battery) failed. It broke in two when I removed it to measure it on the bench. I replaced it 10 years ago with a 12 gauge piece of solid copper wire. No issues since then.
    until the circuit needs protection.
    A replacement fuse is a few $

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  16. #16
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    I jumped the fuse near the battery. That was the issue, however I still don't understand why the multimeter was showing 0 ohm resistance. I thought bad fuses have either very high resistance or no continuity. Anyway, thank you all for helping me, the car runs fine now.

    Also a side question. If the fuse was bad, why did other electronics powered by it still perfectly functional? When I completely disconnected it, a bunch of other stuff stopped working. I'm just a bit confused.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sleeple55 View Post
    I jumped the fuse near the battery. That was the issue, however I still don't understand why the multimeter was showing 0 ohm resistance. I thought bad fuses have either very high resistance or no continuity. Anyway, thank you all for helping me, the car runs fine now.Also a side question. If the fuse was bad, why did other electronics powered by it still perfectly functional? When I completely disconnected it, a bunch of other stuff stopped working. I'm just a bit confused.
    Great. Please amend the thread title to include the words "- solved (FLink)" at the end. Click edit on your first post to access the title.

    A broken fuse should show zero continuity. You probably had an intermittent connection caused by a crack in the fuse Or maybe there was high corrosion causing high resistance that could be overcome to some extent by high current. That maybe could not carry high current but only low current so some stuff worked while others didn't. Purely speculating here.

    Do me a favour. Try to jump your starter from the diag port using a wire. It doesn't make sense to me that the rewired it out on the 95 models. The 95 models had EWS2 so hotwiring it through the diag port would not have done anything without the key.
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...umping-starter
    And Old525i, that fusible link not only protects components, it prevents fires from a runaway short. Please it costs like 3 bucks and takes 5 minutes to change out please change that immediately.

  18. #18
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    here is the diagnosis port/data link connector X6002 pinout of a 1995 E34 on page 0670.5-09 http://shark.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e34/e34_95.pdf pin 11 not connected
    and here one from a 1989 on page 0670.5-08, where pin 11 is http://shark.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e34/e34_89.pdf
    B900 jumper plug
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sleeple55 View Post
    I jumped the fuse near the battery. That was the issue,
    demet

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    OK. thanks Shogun. Wonder why they disconnected it in 1995.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas525 View Post
    OK. thanks Shogun. Wonder why they disconnected it in 1995.
    Because of EWS II. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...RUa22ZnZPX3RUl
    demet

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas525 View Post
    OK. thanks Shogun. Wonder why they disconnected it in 1995.
    My suspicion is that once there was no need to adjust the valves on the engines(M20 & M30) the starter connection at the diagnostic port was abandoned.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  23. #23
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    So they were using the diagnostic port to turn the engine bit by bit, while adjusting valves? And when the M50s and 60s showed up this was not necessary because there were no more tappets to adjust on either engine . I see, that makes sense. Ok thanks.

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    here how it was done on the M30 with pin 11 and 14 http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_5.htm
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  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas525 View Post
    Great. Please amend the thread title to include the words "- solved (FLink)" at the end. Click edit on your first post to access the title.

    A broken fuse should show zero continuity. You probably had an intermittent connection caused by a crack in the fuse Or maybe there was high corrosion causing high resistance that could be overcome to some extent by high current. That maybe could not carry high current but only low current so some stuff worked while others didn't. Purely speculating here.

    Do me a favour. Try to jump your starter from the diag port using a wire. It doesn't make sense to me that the rewired it out on the 95 models. The 95 models had EWS2 so hotwiring it through the diag port would not have done anything without the key.
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...umping-starter
    And Old525i, that fusible link not only protects components, it prevents fires from a runaway short. Please it costs like 3 bucks and takes 5 minutes to change out please change that immediately.
    Don't worry about the fuse. After 28 years and 253,000 miles of services, an Acura crashed into me totaling it. It is probably flattened as a pancake now.

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