Poor starting

["Barrie K. Davis" <barrie_davis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had a problem started a warm engine.  Sometimes would not start.
Waited 1/2 hour and then started or after I turned the engine over for
1/2 minute.

BMW agent twice found nothing wrong.  Couldn't start again parked
outside an independent garage (coincidence)!  The mechanic said it was
the distributor cap, showed me that it and the arm were badly corroded,
changed them and it's been fine since.  The parts had done 120,000
miles.

Just another thing to check.

Barrie K. Davis


> -----Original Message-----
>
> Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 17:42:55 -1000
> From: "Gregory Ott" <ottg001@domain.elided>
> Subject: Fuel Pressure Problem?
>
> Hello all.  I am about to drop some money for a new fuel pump
> for my 89 325i
> and I wanted to bounce my diagnosis off you all before I did.
> Initially, car was difficult to start occasionally.  It
> seemed at first like
> it was only after it sat for some time (1 hour or more), but
> it was not
> consistent.  If I cranked the car over for about 5 seconds a couple of

> times, it would eventually fire up.  I thought it may be a
> fuel problem.  I
> checked the fuel pressure both at the fuel rail, the pump
> with the engine
> off and the pump running and it was OK.  Initially, the
> pressure did not
> hold at the rail when I secured the pump, but I found a small
> leak in my
> test rig and I thought it was causing the loss.  When I
> checked it again, it
> held.  With the engine running, the fuel pressure was 35psi,
> about 8 psi
> low.( I could get it to go up if I pinched off the return
> line) Although I
> did not think this was causing the starting problem, I replaced the
> regulator.  Did not fix the problem.  I have concluded that
> the check valve
> in the fuel pump is probably intermittently sticking open and
> the loss of
> hold pressure I first saw was due to it.  What do you all
> think?  Thanks in
> advance.

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