Car problem anyway able to share some light?

PowerHouseDan

This seemed to happen before aswell, got my car washed, its a bmw 316i, anyway about 3 weeks ago after i got the car washed the car cut out, and wouldnt stay idle... brought it down to the mech and it started next morning, they said a sensor got wet. Anyway got the car washed today and within 5 min the car cut out and will next start whatsoever. Wont even start to get idle just wont start. Tried to start it ever so offen and after about 3 starts it start to die and like the battery is dieing. Rang my mech as i was stuck at the side of the road and he said all i can do is wait untill the sensor drys out. But before the car would start just wouldnt stay started now it wont start at all...

Kimbot

Could be the sesnor on the way out and this has highlighted the problem!!

MercMad

What year is the car, did you have the engine power cleaned ? Do you know which sensor he was talking about ?

PowerHouseDan

It is 1994... I didnt have it power clean but the car wash powers water up to the engine.... No the other mech was the one fixing it and he wasnt around but he said a sensor got wet.

Kimbot

Well generally its advised not to get the engine wet!! Thre alot of electrics etc there than can get messed up!!

stratos

This used to happen my 520 all the time. I was told it was all sorts of sensors and things. it turns out the problem was simple, when getting the car washed I would pk on the forecourt buy my token and drive for the short distance to the washer.

After the wash the car invariably would not start or if it did, ran like a bag of nails for a few minutes. A good friend of mine excellent mech, solved the problem. the way the fuel electronics work and the short burst of running caused the engine to be overfuelled when it was turned off (simple terms flooded).
using the engine flooded start routine got her fired up every time.


Hope this helps.

PowerHouseDan

Got one of my buddies to look at the car. He reckons its the head gasket gone... How much will that cost... ?

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

PowerHouseDan wrote:

Got one of my buddies to look at the car. He reckons its the head gasket gone... How much will that cost... ?

how did he come to that conclusion from the symptoms you described.

car should still start if the head g is gone.

PowerHouseDan

Well i just brought it down to the My Mech and he reckons its a Cracked Head Gasket. Going to cost about 1k to fix.

Seth Brundle

Id get a 2nd review due to both the idea of the head being gone and also the price!

PowerHouseDan

Well thats 3 People that have told me the Head gasket is gone.. He is hopefully going to have a look at it today, He said it would cost about 700 to replace the head gasket or if its cracked then i wouldnt get much change out of 1k.... Its all i need really, I was selling the Car in 3 weeks..

Seth Brundle

I can't see how the car has no problems except for just after a car wash being down to the HG

johnny_adidas

exactly as above!!! getting your car washed and your head gasket going shouldnt be connected. quick check to see if it is gone. check your oil dipstick for what can be best described as mayonaisse. same with your oil filler cap and coolant reservoir.

how much labour are they charging to change the head gasket? you should find that out. it may be as cheap just to drop another engine in (if you can pick up one cheaply from a scrapyard)

PowerHouseDan

There was no mayo type at the oil cap or coolant... a fews Days it did overheat a few times about 2 months ago but that was fine, there was a small hole in the Rad.Also when i got the car towed there was a massive amount of water under the engine. and then also again when i towed it down to the garage, and the rad had water in it.. It didnt leak out of the rad.

johnny_adidas

unless the 2 are completely unconnected and it was just your bad luck that it happened to go.

the engine overheating is the main cause for head gasket failure as the gasket cannot deal with the extreme temps. you've probably warped the cylinder head as well so a new engine might be a cheaper way to go esp as there are so many of the 316s around now. just make sure its a decent engine. dont want the same thing happening a couple hundred miles down the road.

Fey!

Did you drive the car after it overheated? If you didn't, you should be ok.

A lot of BMW drivers seem to recommend Ardfallon Motors around Cork.

http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/search.asp?KW=mechanic+cork&SM=1&SI=PT&FM=5&OB=1

Dades

Any white smoke coming from the exhaust?

That, and overheating was my clue to the head gasket going on my old Audi.

PowerHouseDan

Well see if i get the work done i can get all the vat back from my dads company.. I will see what he says anyway later and let ye know.. Thanks for the advice etcd,

Crosshair

Have seen this on few e36 already, car ecu is located on passenger side under scuttle (ie. panel between window and bonnet where wiper arm hinges) water drains block allowing ecu to be flooded. This is well known problem and good ecu's are difficult to find second hand as result

PowerHouseDan

No White Smoke.....

The Atheist wrote:

Any white smoke coming from the exhaust?

That, and overheating was my clue to the head gasket going on my old Audi.