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Hi, all. I just bought a 1980 528i automatic that will not start.

The previous owner took it to a shop who told him that the head gasket was bad and the engine "was on its' way to hydrolocking." However, there is no water in the oil. The oil looks fine.

The car is 100 miles away from me, and it would be great to drive it home instead of having it to have it towed.

Is there any chronic problems I could check to see if I can get it started myself?

I thought I'd pull the plugs and check their condition. If it's about to hydrolock, one of the cylinders should be full of coolant, right? Then check for spark, then try to start it w starting fluid.

Obviously, i'm hoping it's an easy fix. It came with the Chilton book, which covers way too many models to be of any real help. I can't find a Haynes manual locally, so will order one. I found a shop that has a "Bentley" service manual for the 528i, but it's $70. Worth it?


I owned an e12 about 20 years ago and it was my all-time favorite car. I'm so glad to have another, and look forward to renovating it. It's Brasilbraun with tan leather interior (2 cracks on driver's seat), sunroof, automatic, and original Blaupunkt cassette. The paint is in poor condition with surface rust on the trunk lid. The body is straight, never been in an accident.


Thanks for being here for technical support, and thanks for any help you can offer. I hope to be on here for many years, and hope to learn enough to help in the future. I'm a member of the Fiat Spider board (my other car), and active over there.

-Ted

socalfiver wrote:Hi, all. I just bought a 1980 528i automatic that will not start.

The previous owner took it to a shop who told him that the head gasket was bad and the engine "was on its' way to hydrolocking." However, there is no water in the oil. The oil looks fine.

The car is 100 miles away from me, and it would be great to drive it home instead of having it to have it towed.

Is there any chronic problems I could check to see if I can get it started myself?

I thought I'd pull the plugs and check their condition. If it's about to hydrolock, one of the cylinders should be full of coolant, right? Then check for spark, then try to start it w starting fluid.

Obviously, i'm hoping it's an easy fix. It came with the Chilton book, which covers way too many models to be of any real help. I can't find a Haynes manual locally, so will order one. I found a shop that has a "Bentley" service manual for the 528i, but it's $70. Worth it?


I owned an e12 about 20 years ago and it was my all-time favorite car. I'm so glad to have another, and look forward to renovating it. It's Brasilbraun with tan leather interior (2 cracks on driver's seat), sunroof, automatic, and original Blaupunkt cassette. The paint is in poor condition with surface rust on the trunk lid. The body is straight, never been in an accident.


Thanks for being here for technical support, and thanks for any help you can offer. I hope to be on here for many years, and hope to learn enough to help in the future. I'm a member of the Fiat Spider board (my other car), and active over there.

-Ted

Hi Ted
Yes pull the plugs
Assuming motor is ok, first check for spark. If spark ok, see if fuel pump will run with air flow meter propped open and key on.

Bring some starting fluid to test to see if it will light off, so to speak

Welcome Ted
Before you pull the plugs get some canned air from Office Depot or somewhere, to blow out the plug recess area. You never know what's in there. This is a great site for you & me!!! Good Luck,,,,Greg

That is exciting. I bought my car as a non runner as well. It took my friend's and I an hour to get it running.

It could have a cracked head and be near hydrolocking without oil/water contamination, but if it turns over less likely.

So far as getting it running, it's spark or fuel. Check for spark and if that's good spray a little carb cleaner in the air cleaner and see what happens. Especially if it's been sitting the fuel pump could be a problem too.

Okay, so I went and checked out the car.

It turns over. No coolant in cylinders, coolant and oil both look fine.

Fuel pump can be heard running and combo relay making a click when AFM is opened by hand. Won't start with starting fluid.

I am unable to check for spark yet (I was by myself, nobody to turn the key). Found a red wire (not original) leading from battery into firewall and back out to the coil, so I'm thinking it's an ignition issue.

I'm waiting for the car to arrive at my house via flatbed truck. I'll have more info when it finally gets here.

Socalfiver,

Congrats on the purchase - where are you?  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, somewhere in SoCal?

If so, there are a few of us E12ers around and if you'd like help, I'm sure one of us would be willing to pitch in depending on location and schedule.

Keep us posted,
Brian

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 4:04 PM, socalfiver <stylefreak9999@gmail.com (stylefreak9999@gmail.com)> wrote:

Okay, so I went and checked out the car.

It turns over. No coolant in cylinders, coolant and oil both look fine.

Fuel pump can be heard running and combo relay making a click when AFM is opened by hand. Won't start with starting fluid.

I am unable to check for spark yet (I was by myself, nobody to turn the key). Found a red wire (not original) leading from battery into firewall and back out to the coil, so I'm thinking it's an ignition issue.

I'm waiting for the car to arrive at my house via flatbed truck. I'll have more info when it finally gets here.



Get it while you can.

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SoCal indeed. I'm in northeast Los Angeles. Glassell Park to be exact, but nobody has any idea where that is.

socalfiver wrote:
The car is 100 miles away from me, and it would be great to drive it home instead of having it to have it towed.

100 miles is far for a revived car. Besides these cars look good on trailers !
My rescue / purchases:
Blue 81 - Drove home aprox 4 miles.
Gold 81 - Rope-towed home aprox 1 mile
Sierra 79 - Trailered aprox 15 miles.

I'm ole skoll LA, baby! For my first six years I lived by Evergreen Cemetary. Then we/they/us bought a house at 13708 So. San Pedro St. My Grandma lived & passed away while still at 323 Cheeseborough Lane, between Indiana & First St., just east of the cemetary, by that market on Indiana. Been to Manual's a lot!! I know where you are! My Mom & Dad graduated from Roosevelt Hi.(sp) Welcome,,,,Greg

Okay... a few updates/progress report:

I replaced Autolite 66 spark plugs (dirty, fouled) with correct Bosch WR9DS.

I figured out a way to check for spark without a helper. I hooked up my timing light and pulled the trigger while turning the key. I'm getting spark.

I removed the fuel hose from the injector rail, and there's no gas in there! Fuel guage is reading 1/2 tank, but who knows if it's correct. I think I may have a bad fuel pump. Are there 2 pumps? I can hear one running when I prop open the afm, but no fuel comes out of the unhooked hose.

Without afm propped open, I'm getting current to the "fuel pump" fuse.

If you're hearing the fuel pump run, with a half a tank, you the pump is most likely working.  Is the fuel filter clogged?  Also, the fuel line could be clogged as well.  That's what I'd look at next.

Brian

On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 3:19 PM, socalfiver <stylefreak9999@gmail.com (stylefreak9999@gmail.com)> wrote:

Okay... a few updates/progress report:

I replaced Autolite 66 spark plugs (dirty, fouled) with correct Bosch WR9DS.

I figured out a way to check for spark without a helper. I hooked up my timing light and pulled the trigger while turning the key. I'm getting spark.

I removed the fuel hose from the injector rail, and there's no gas in there! Fuel guage is reading 1/2 tank, but who knows if it's correct. I think I may have a bad fuel pump. Are there 2 pumps? I can hear one running when I prop open the afm, but no fuel comes out of the unhooked hose.

Without afm propped open, I'm getting current to the "fuel pump" fuse.



Get it while you can.

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Got it started!! Turned out to be a cracked hose between the tank and the pump. The pump thought it was pulling gas, but the broken hose ensured that only air made it to the pump.

I reattached the hose, let the pump run til fuel came out through the cold start supply line, tightened everything up and she fired!!

Of course, the fuel rail is shot so I've got a shower of gas coming from the 2" injection hoses. But at least I know she'll run when I get that fixed. Now to tear down to the fuel rail... maybe I can finish tonight??

I replaced all of the injector hoses and am ready to reinstall tomorrow am. When I got it out, I discovered that the PO had bypassed the coolant line running to the throttle body. I got enough hose to reinstall it.

I accidentally discovered a great vinyl cleaner. Orange GoJo Hand Cleaner. I got some on the disgustingly filthy seat, and when I wiped it away, it took 20 years of grime with it. It works better than anything I've ever used on super dirty vinyl.

socalfiver wrote:I discovered that the PO had bypassed the coolant line running to the throttle body. I got enough hose to reinstall it.

Keep it bypassed. You will never need it especially in SoCal.
Odds are the cup and fittings that the lines connect to at the T.Body are corroded anyway. If the bypass hose ever leaks it's easy to reach. Not so with the original plumbing.