E30 M10 questions...

[filter27e]

I'm new here, and would have to say that I don't have a 2k2 nor have I ever. Love the cars but fate has never sent one my way (or the spare cash to go look for one lol). I have an '85 318i that I bought not running because it appeared to be in pretty good shape. I'm here because most other bimmer forums don't give M10's much love.

Ok, so the car I have now had sat for about 4 years give or take before I got it. I was told it was parked because the clutch went out, and it was never deemed worth fixing. So I still can't get the car to spark and I'm trying to figure out where to head next. I replaced the cap, rotor, ignition wires, plugs, and got a used coil which had resistance that checked out, but its an ebay coil so I don't otherwise know if it's good. I also had to crimp on some connectors to wire up the coil because the old one was cut out of the car.

AC voltage from the dizzy to the ignition control module checks out, and there is voltage supplied to the ICM. Also have voltage to the coil. I figure either the ICM is bad or the coil.

At this point I could either replace both with new, probably $100+ later, and hope for the best, or I could just check the compression on the motor before getting started and then do what I planned on in the first place: go MS2. What do you guys think?

PS if it helps the fact that I'm an e30 guy at all, my plan is to mostly concentrate on my motor so that if I come across a project 2k2 I can swap it in later

[TobyB]

If you're seeing spark at the plugs,

the next thing to look at is fuel.

R3vlimited and Bummerforums will be more help, as

we have a limited amount of experience with the EFI.

Altho, quite a few people here run it.

t

[tashakes]

+1 on the E30 forums. There are M10 specific sections.

I have a EFI conversion and get a lot of info from http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=145

[filter27e]

Just for an update on my findings, which I've tinkered with the car more and tried to find wiring faults to no avail, I read on a MegaJolt site that a Ford EDIS system will run in a limp home mode as a standalone if it's not hooked up to an ECU. So it would be fairly easy to get the Ford EDIS parts and hook them up, then I just have to worry about getting the crank sensor mounted and could at least see if it runs before going any further.

Edit: toby, haven't had any spark, if I get spark I'll take it from there.

And I'm on E30tech, but their M10 section pretty much only gets posts from a couple of guys updating their turbo build threads. Rev seems like it gets more M10 attention so I'll probably join them too.

[Hey_You]

If you are not getting spark, but are getting voltage to/from your coil, make sure your wires are routed to the correct plugs. Put your engine at TDC and look at your rotor. Make sure that it is pointing at the wire that goes to cylinder #1. Also, double check your coolant temperature sensor and wiring to it. I also have a 318i, and have had right about every problem in the book happen to me. After I built my motor, I was having a no spark issue as well, and it was my distributor being 180 out.

Build Thread

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=224770&highlight=Bronze+Bomber

[filter27e]

Thanks for the feedback did have a chance to read your build thread and your car looks good. My car is in a tough spot because it's at my moms house and my gf won't let me take it home. Came to look at it tonight and forgot the keys and tools so didn't get much done. Which coolant sensor works with the ignition? I've never noticed on a wiring diagram where it would be affected. There is a sensor on left most bottom corner of the radiator where the PO ran a red wire from an extra fused spot to one of the poles on the sensor. Nothing on the other pole... Doesn't even make sense. Makes me want to wire the car from scratch

[jimk]

Thanks for the feedback did have a chance to read your build thread and your car looks good. My car is in a tough spot because it's at my moms house and my gf won't let me take it home. Came to look at it tonight and forgot the keys and tools so didn't get much done. Which coolant sensor works with the ignition? I've never noticed on a wiring diagram where it would be affected. There is a sensor on left most bottom corner of the radiator where the PO ran a red wire from an extra fused spot to one of the poles on the sensor. Nothing on the other pole... Doesn't even make sense. Makes me want to wire the car from scratch

That's not a temperature sensor, it's a thermal switch for an electric fan.