The car stopped running while waiting for a light. No problem with overheating, the starter turns the engine fine, the battery is new. The clock also reset to 00:00.
problem is simple…wind up the clock…seriously provide make model mileage recent service…otherwise no idea where to start helping you…
good answer, I thought the info was included.
- 1997 BMW Z32.
- All maintenance is current, oil is good no leaks only 72,000 miles, getting ready to replace brakes, shocks and struts.
good answer, I thought the info was included.
- 1997 BMW Z32.
- All maintenance is current, oil is good no leaks only 72,000 miles, getting ready to replace brakes, shocks and struts.
You did not include the standard “I checked all the fuses” did you check?
Since the incident affected the clock, it’s likely that a temporary electrical power loss occurred. Check all the cable connections from the battery. The battery cables probably have corrosion on them.
The battery is in the trunk, or under a seat, right? So, check those cables at both ends.
The starter turns the engine with a vengence, but the engine will not run.
The clock resetting is perhaps an indication of some kind of electrical problem, like a power surge when a heavy appliance is turned on in your home.
Perhaps you have a diode or some electrical component in your alternator that got zapped. Whatever it was may have either fried your cars computer controls or caused some kind of problem in the software.
I think you’ll need to get a BMW service department’s help on this one.
Since the clock reset itself I too believe you had a power interruption. I’ll epeat Oldschool, dod you check the fuses? Not only the in-cabin fusebox, but including the underhood fusebox.
I’m guessing that you had a surge and you have a blown use…or more. Post back with which fuse it is (fuses they are) and we’ll go from there.
Yessss, old school here, all if the fuses are under the hood, and they are all good, i even checked them with a meter. It seem I am NoT getting fuel, I received a BMW book to see if they have a fuel shut off valve or something that could cause this. Someone also mentioned the clutch relay, but I thought that only effects the starter, and as I stated, the started engages the engine, it just won’t run.
Possibly whatever power problem interrupted the clock also did something to the fuel pump’s power feed. Can you hear it run for a couple seconds when you turn the ignition to ON?
No, I don’t here the fuel pump run like I do on my VW Ventro ( Jetta ). This Z3 is a friends car, and as luck would have it, I took it for a spin while they are on vacation and it stopped in the middle of the road, at the beginning of rush hour. In the mean time, I will check the book to see if I can find the quick fix, and if NoT, I’ll bite the BMW ( Bring Money With-you ) dealer, or should I say, Car Sharks.
Yes, you may be right, the dealer has the upper hand here. It is a shame, these expensive cars do NoT just tell you when something is wrong so you can just know what needs to be fixed and have clue as to what to expect before towing, troublehooting, and waiting to see if it is going to be an Arm and a Leg, or just an a digit or two. Thanks for your help.
ok, have not heard from you, so I double checked my spelling and found an error.
I have a 97 BMW Z3. The fuses checked good, this is a friends car and I am NoT sure I ever noticed if it has the usual humming sound as more fuel ingected cars do.
The fuel pump fuse is good, the starter engages the engine, it just won’t start up and run. Thanks for your response, i will be sending this car to the dealer on Saturday if I can’t find what is wrong.
I checked all fuses related to the problem. Everything else in the car is working.
The clock reset is a big clue here and does mean interupted power to that area at least. I looked at some data for the car and it shows there are 4 and 6 cylinder versions for this model. The 6 cylinder shows a fusible link tied to the battery and the power to the accessories. Look for a faulty connection there. Check the smaller wire tied to the battery that ties to the accessories power panel. The data shows fuse 9 in the panel ties to the clock and other things. Fuses 7,8,9, and 10 are all tied to a common point in the panel so make sure voltage is getting to those fuses. That and other areas are tied to a point called “B+ jump start junction point”. See if you can find that and inspect it for a bad connection. It should be near the battery I would guess.
This is a four cylinder, and everything seems OK except for the run function.
This has been an intermittent Problem before and it most likely is a fuseable link, or a corroded wire.
Looking at the fuses, the car has a theft protection system that may be a part of the problem.
Thanks for your reply. Your information is very helpful. I will take one final stab at it this weekend before I send it to the dealer.
You’re welcome for the help. If you need further help let us know and we may be able to help you out.
The fusable link is a good suggestion. Be aware that it looks like a regular 10 to 12gage wire, but it isn’t. If it’s blown the insulation will generallly bubble up, but not always. I have personally seen one of these go intermitant when blown.
If it does turn out to be the link, be sure to use the correct replacement. They do vary in their current carrying capability and the wrong link could eliminate an important protective device.
The next question if it is the link would be “why did it blow”? Is that theft protection system original equipment or aftermarket?