Help in sorting a schizophrenic car out please.
Discussion
My 167000 mile BMW 525I has decided enough is enough.
Weird though.
I parked it last night after driving home, no problems at all.
This morning I unlock it, and discover the central locking doesnt work. (This is no great deal as it occasionally locked and unlocked as it saw fit anyway.)
I try to start it, it turns over spectacularly well but doesn't start. Nothing seems amiss, there is plenty of petrol, no immobiliser.....just plain weird.
It's not as if I have done anything to break it.
working last night, broken this morning with no movement in between. All the electrics work, no fuses gone.
Maybe it has it's knickers in a twist as I have bought a VW for my wife.
Any ideas folks?
Weird though.
I parked it last night after driving home, no problems at all.
This morning I unlock it, and discover the central locking doesnt work. (This is no great deal as it occasionally locked and unlocked as it saw fit anyway.)
I try to start it, it turns over spectacularly well but doesn't start. Nothing seems amiss, there is plenty of petrol, no immobiliser.....just plain weird.
It's not as if I have done anything to break it.
working last night, broken this morning with no movement in between. All the electrics work, no fuses gone.
Maybe it has it's knickers in a twist as I have bought a VW for my wife.
Any ideas folks?
silverback mike said:
My 167000 mile BMW 525I has decided enough is enough.
Weird though.
I parked it last night after driving home, no problems at all.
This morning I unlock it, and discover the central locking doesnt work. (This is no great deal as it occasionally locked and unlocked as it saw fit anyway.)
I try to start it, it turns over spectacularly well but doesn't start. Nothing seems amiss, there is plenty of petrol, no immobiliser.....just plain weird.
It's not as if I have done anything to break it.
working last night, broken this morning with no movement in between. All the electrics work, no fuses gone.
Maybe it has it's knickers in a twist as I have bought a VW for my wife.
Any ideas folks?
No offence Mike, but this type of question always makes me smile.
When I was doing breakdown/recovery and giving the punters bad news about their cars, I would often get the reply "how can the starter motor,alternator, immobiliser etc have packed up, it was working OK yesterday!!".
I always used a comparison with a light bulb - works fine for ages and then one day nothing. Thats exactly how electrical things break - suddenly!
Steve
Good point Steve,
Weird though isn't it. You could understand it if I was driving along and something popped, but to work one minute, not touched, and then, nothing
At least with a lightbulb you get a fizz then it stops working.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Saturday 31st July 14:56
Weird though isn't it. You could understand it if I was driving along and something popped, but to work one minute, not touched, and then, nothing
At least with a lightbulb you get a fizz then it stops working.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Saturday 31st July 14:56
Sounds like the immobiliser relay contacts have given up on you Silverback.
Although it may appear to be functional, the relay coil is working etc, the contacts that actually switch the voltage are most likely arced into oblivion.
best way to prove is to see if you got a spark at the plugs......
hth
Although it may appear to be functional, the relay coil is working etc, the contacts that actually switch the voltage are most likely arced into oblivion.
best way to prove is to see if you got a spark at the plugs......
hth
Thanks Delta,
I will fiddle about. Funny that the central locking is not working, must be connected somehow.
The car obviously used to have an immobiliser. Wonder if they took it out properly?
Where do you reckon the immobiliser relay points are delta? Certainly sounds a good diagnosis.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Saturday 31st July 15:17
I will fiddle about. Funny that the central locking is not working, must be connected somehow.
The car obviously used to have an immobiliser. Wonder if they took it out properly?
Where do you reckon the immobiliser relay points are delta? Certainly sounds a good diagnosis.
>> Edited by silverback mike on Saturday 31st July 15:17
Well,
I disconnected the battery, (after eventually locating it under the back seat)to see if something electrical had gone mad, re connected it, and the car started straight away as usual.
Locked it, central locking locked.
Unlocked it, only the drivers door opened, wouldn't start again.
So, I either leave it unlocked or find out why on earth locking the car stops it dead in its tracks.
Anyone seen the film "Christine"
Any ideas Delta, could it be a faulty central locking motor, or do I have a phantom immobiliser somewhere.
I disconnected the battery, (after eventually locating it under the back seat)to see if something electrical had gone mad, re connected it, and the car started straight away as usual.
Locked it, central locking locked.
Unlocked it, only the drivers door opened, wouldn't start again.
So, I either leave it unlocked or find out why on earth locking the car stops it dead in its tracks.
Anyone seen the film "Christine"
Any ideas Delta, could it be a faulty central locking motor, or do I have a phantom immobiliser somewhere.
deltaf said:
Sounds like the immobiliser relay contacts have given up on you Silverback.
Although it may appear to be functional, the relay coil is working etc, the contacts that actually switch the voltage are most likely arced into oblivion.
best way to prove is to see if you got a spark at the plugs......
hth
Deltaf, where did you learn this sort of stuff?
Boosted
Boosted Ls1 said:
Sounds like the immobiliser relay contacts have given up on you Silverback.
Although it may appear to be functional, the relay coil is working etc, the contacts that actually switch the voltage are most likely arced into oblivion.
best way to prove is to see if you got a spark at the plugs......
hth
Deltaf, where did you learn this sort of stuff?
Boosted
Ahh well me old mate, many years of bodging.....lol.
Done quite a few courses of one type or another so i know my way around when these kinda things show up.
Whyd you ask sir?
deltaf said:
deltaf said:
Sounds like the immobiliser relay contacts have given up on you Silverback.
Although it may appear to be functional, the relay coil is working etc, the contacts that actually switch the voltage are most likely arced into oblivion.
best way to prove is to see if you got a spark at the plugs......
hth
Deltaf, where did you learn this sort of stuff?
Boosted
Ahh well me old mate, many years of bodging.....lol.
Done quite a few courses of one type or another so i know my way around when these kinda things show up.
Whyd you ask sir?
Because I'm fine with mechanicals and theory but crap with some electrics. You, on the other hand went straight to a possible answer to the problem. Maybe it's just a flair for some things plus the courses do help.
Electrics......why is it that folks are so worried by the subject?
Its really quite easy once you grasp a few basic rules regarding do's and dont's, like dont short them big fat red and black cables together!!!
As you say, your flair is for the theoretical and mechanical aspects moreso than the electrical, however you can get a good basic knowledge just by getting a beginners book/guide and getting familiar with the subject that way.
And get yourself one of those "1000 in 1" electronic project kits, youll learn a heap from those, i kid you not. At least youll get some practical experience of what works and what dosent, and why.
hth.
Its really quite easy once you grasp a few basic rules regarding do's and dont's, like dont short them big fat red and black cables together!!!
As you say, your flair is for the theoretical and mechanical aspects moreso than the electrical, however you can get a good basic knowledge just by getting a beginners book/guide and getting familiar with the subject that way.
And get yourself one of those "1000 in 1" electronic project kits, youll learn a heap from those, i kid you not. At least youll get some practical experience of what works and what dosent, and why.
hth.
Deltaf, you is right on the nose boyo. I got into elecronics by accident after some robbing 2@ tried to rip me off (in the days of CB radio!!). Led onto me getting my Amateur Radio licence, that led into converting ex-bus company radios to Marine Band to flog to the Sunday sailors, then by a circuitous (arf arf) route into vehicle security electronics and here I am fixing industrial X-ray systems.
But I started out as a bank clerk
Boosted: if you can comprehend cam timing and valve overlap, you can get to grips with basic electronics!
You don't need to know how something works to be able to fix it (I do it all the time
).
Ian
But I started out as a bank clerk
Boosted: if you can comprehend cam timing and valve overlap, you can get to grips with basic electronics!
You don't need to know how something works to be able to fix it (I do it all the time
). Ian
wedg1e said:
You don't need to know how something works to be able to fix it (I do it all the time
Ian
That pretty well sums up everything I have ever worked on!
Electronics are just like any other system, you just have to think them through. A good diagram will work wonders.
One other thing, don't worry about it, you can very seldom do any real harm by simply diving in and figuring it out as you go. And it drives other people mad when you mention part way through that you don't have the slightest clue what you're up to.
Gary
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