1990 525 euro model diagnostics

[Itzakadoozie]

Hey all! this is my first post and I’m hoping for some help getting codes off this car. I’m not sure where the check engine light is supposed to be and it appears bmw made several layouts when I try looking. Car is idling at 3500 rpm and floods badly on starting. It’s not the vacuum system and fuel pressure is normal

[fo3]

m20 or m50?
My 09/90 m50 525 doesn't even have a working check light. Apparently euro models didn't have them hooked up and working during 1990

Older E34 bulb wiring
In '88 and '89 E34 (maybe early '90) the PROM in the Motronic computer was not ready to accept the check engine light for the instrument cluster and when a bulb was installed in the socket in the cluster it would flash all the time when driving along even though no fault codes are registered.

from: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Trouble/Engine_codes.htm

so my light does nothing and I have to test every fault manually in the engine bay with my eyes and a DMM.

[shogun]

Try to get a software and adapter which works for these old models from 1990. Probably someone here in the forum can recommend what will work and the set-up for a 1990 E34 525.
On EURO models there is no (working) check engine light for the E34, that was only for the US spec. market.

[Itzakadoozie]

It’s the m20 engine....glad I didn’t tear out the cluster to fix the light lol. Where can I find the build date? I see there is an obd port so ya I need software and an adapter. It’s so weird I’ve checked everything on the car

[shogun]

For easy stuff buy a Peake Research fault code tool for engine codes , that works on your 1990 E34. Is easy to use, small, fits in glovebox. But Peake recently closed their business after many years in operation, probably because of the available software for newer models.
The Peake I always have in my glovebox, no need to set up a laptop etc.
But of course it is limited, cannot for example check central chassis electronics and all the other gimmicks our cars have.

[Itzakadoozie]

Thanks shogun I’m working on getting something set up. It was built 01-90 I found out. HC11 group of cars I dunno? Back to the basics for now plugs are out lol