M M

I wish I was there just to witness that photo in person.

Looking forward to seeing how this works out. It's like Need For Speed in real life. You have to get a colored purge going.

Use a separate battery for the starter motor to see if the spark is not happening while cranking for an electrical related reason (switches, relays and in the old days isolating in line resistors when they were not externally jumpable.)

Right, I understand.

Have you tried using normal battery for ignition and jumping the starter with a separate battery and wiring? (even jumper leads)

Not seperated, but I have had a jumper hooked up along with the battery. What would that do?

just had a read of this and build thread and wondering if you have checked spark at plugs fuel at rail and pulse at injectors ? you prob have but it may help with our virtual diagnosis also any chance you have pinched a wire between motor and box ?

Yep checked spark at plugs both after the distributor cap and have put plug on the lead right off the coil. Only time I got any spark was when the plug was right on the coil and just when I turn the key off it sparks quickly. There is definitely fuel going into the motor so fuel isn't the problem. To prove it, the plug I pulled had fuel all over it after I was trying to get it to fire.

Not really any chance of a pinched wire between the motor and box because 1. no wires go there (unlike on the older motors) and 2. it was running after I put the gearbox back in and I had both looms completely out and back in so would have noticed. Hahaha.

I appreciate the help and replies so far though guys.

Sounds like there could be a short in the sensor or wiring. Have you tried the sensor in another car?

Yep, my sensor worked perfectly in my friend's car with the same motor. And the ECUs as well. I personally swapped them and started the car.

Have you checked all wiring back to the ecu with a multimeter? Could be a broken wire somewhere

Yep. But there is that issue of when the crank sensor is plugged in, the voltage to the 5v pin drops to 0.4v or so. I haven't been able to find the cause of this issue yet, it does it with both sensors I tried.

I seriously hope so but somehow I doubt it'll be that easy.

So your 100% sure the ecu and crank sensor are fine.

Then it has to be something simple that your over looking.

I know probably not helping ay..

Maybe try unplugging everything and then going threw it all and plugging it all back in ....you might stumble across something..

I'm 100% that it's not the ECUs because both worked on another car so one is bound to be fine. They are also both outputting the correct voltages etc at all the pins.

The crank sensor I am not 100% sure on but am almost certain it has something to do with it, but might not be the sensor itself. It's the only thing that can cause it not to spark. I think I'm going to swap looms again just in case, but there are only 6 or so plugs + injectors so it's very hard to miss anything.

Have you tryed asking the guys on bimmersport for some input....

Its the most fucked up thing in the world that you can put it all together......have it running ....do something so minor ....and now it won't start.

Tell me about it. Yeah I have but no one seems to have any idea. I've got one guy who I deal with for parts who's been helpful but can only do so much. The funny thing is usually people come to me for wiring issues so I'm sort of on my own on this one it seems.

I tried all those things man, trust me. What puzzles me is what changed between when I unplugged it all and put it all back exactly as it was. I did check the grounds, power supply etc but those are all exactly the same from when it went and now. Yesterday I tried another crank sensor, off a different motor but with same resistance reading, got nothing. Also tried to jump 5v to the pin that loses it when the sensor is plugged in, it was showing 5v on the multimeter with it jumped like it should but still no start.

I don't care about keeping it factory, I just want the car going. I think I'm at the point of just doing Megasquirt, I was thinking about doing it later on anyway. But I hate being defeated by something so stupid as this so I won't give up just yet.

I am currently going through the process of doing just that. Got a crank angle sensor yesterday to test, however it's from a m50 motor so will have to make sure it's the same. The funny thing is, my crank angle sensor is showing odd resistance values, yet it worked on another car. I tried adjusting it's distance too but that didn't help. I am 99% certain however that it has something to do with it, there is nothing else that would stop spark, except a dead ECU. But I know for a fact that the ECUs are ok.

Meremere

14.59 @ 75.56mph 1/4 mile - 2.191 60ft - Mk2 Golf 20vt - 195/50R15 Altenzos.

Looking forward to this summer with my R888s and tune. Should see 13s.

So, in a effort to fix all the small odd running issues this motor had, I managed to break the car again. The story goes like this:

When the motor was in the E34, the fuel pump was jumped between the ignition 12v pin and the pump power wire to get it to work. I tried a relay (which was unknown condition) to see if it would work but it did not. The car also developed a very bad miss just before I pulled the motor out until the day I drove it to the place I was working at to pull the motor out. What would happen is the car would start ok but missed and backfired under throttle, the more you pressed the worse it was. It was driveable cold but got worse as it warmed up and became pretty much undriveable when warmed up.

The day I was driving to pull the motor, it stalled on me a block from the place. I tried to start it but it wouldn't fire and the battery went completely flat. So we towed it. Once there, I jump started it to see if it would start and it started a bit rough, then came to life and ran perfectly. Drove it up and down the road a bit and it ran without a single issue. So I took it inside and pulled the motor.

Once the engine was in my E28, when we first started it, it ran rough like it did in the E34 when it was missing. I fiddle around a bit, left it for a day with the battery disconnected and then the next day it started up fine. Ever since then the car was running fine, except for a slight miss at low revs, until I pulled my gearbox off to change the clutch. When I put it back on, it did the same thing. It ran rough and missed, so I let is sit for a couple hours with the battery disconnected. What do you know, started up and ran perfectly fine.

Last weekend I decided to swap the loom and DME with one I bought to see if it would solve the fuel relay issue and other issues like the ICV not working at all. The fuel pump relay gets 12v to all pins when key is in except ground which is grounded, yet the relay (tried 2, one was definitely good) does not work. Anyway, so I swapped the loom and DME, turned ignition on. ICV buzzed as it should. Then I tried to start the car. Nothing. It cranked but would not fire. I triple checked everything and even tried my old ECU, still nothing. ICV no longer buzzes but gets 12v at all pins. Grounds test at 12v, however the coil only got 9v. I ran a relay for it to test but that only gave it 10v, even though the power wire was a completely new one. Also tried different coil, still nothing. Took my crank sensor out and tested it on my friend's M30 and it worked perfectly fine on his car. All issues the same as with old loom. So I swapped my old loom back on and still had the same issues and wouldn't start.

Since then, I tested the ECUs/DMEs on my friend's car, the crank position sensor pinout voltage which is correct (5v at the correct pin), charged the battery so the coil now has 12v etc. Everything I could possibly think of. Got pinouts of the ECU and checked every wire that could effect starting and everything is working as it should. On Friday it came to me that maybe the lead from the coil was bad, so I tested that. The lead turned out to be fine but the plastic on the post of the distributor cap just broke off. This left me slightly hopeful but not really, and I swapped it with a spare I had. Put the battery on charge and tried it the next morning. Nothing.

The last test I have to do is this afternoon I will try to put a plug straight on the coil lead and see if it sparks. Then I will put the new loom back in as a final resort, just in case. If that doesn't produce any results, I really don't know what to do next short of converting to Megasquirt or something. I don't like fixing things that way but I see no other option.

For some reason I don't seem to be having much luck with this motor.

TL;DR: Tried to fix/improve it, broke it again. Now have no idea what to do.

It's looking good man. Looking forward to more.

Small update as of last night. Always wanted to do this and I figured now was the perfect time.

damn this thing is rad. Hope to see it one day.

Thanks man. Just send me a message when you are in Auckland, you are welcome to stop by and we can go for a ride. Just be aware I'll be away until mid October.

Followed the Brap a few blocks on my way out. What a way to end the meet.

Man it looks good. Excellent job as expected my friend.

Not to prison, before someone asks.

Will be my last meet before I go away.

Finally the car is going again.

After spending a couple of hours on Sunday morning rolling around on the wet ground trying to get it done, I had it about 90% finished but couldn't get it done as the previous day a friend of mine was over and was kind enough to push the clutch pedal, dislodging the piston from the slave cylinder. I didn't realise this and spent a good 45 minutes in a lake trying to put it back in, with the rod not budging, only to realise what was going on. Luckily, my good friend Ben came to the rescue that night with a replacement one which I went to pick up. Yesterday afternoon I got back to it and got it back together. The improvement with this flywheel is drastic. I almost couldn't believe what a difference it made, but then it does make sense. The car takes off so much faster than it did before. Anybody with an M30, if you want your car to go faster, I seriously suggest you track down a single mass flywheel, no matter the cost. It's well worth it.

Over the next couple of days I have a few small jobs to do on it like replace the front bumper and some small engine related stuff. I'm just glad it's going.

Sounds like a Prius meet will be in the same spot soon enough.