I have this 530i that won't start. I have been trying to troubleshoot it.
I tried the stomp test this morning. I basically got one long blink followed by a long pause and then a quick blink, followed by another pause. No 1444 code or anything.

Would having the battery disconnected for a while do anything to prevent a 1444 code? I had the battery out and connected to a charger overnight, put it back in this morning, cranked the car, then did the stomp test.

Does the Peake Research tool produce better results than the stomp test or is it basically the same thing as the stomp test but in a more conveinent package?

Thanks,
Steve

If the DME does not give a 1444 code or any other code, but instead gives just blink pause blink, then it needs to be reset. This is done by disconnecting the battery. But when you reconnect, try to do it cleanly and quickly. Excess wiggling when putting the cables onto the battery poles may intermittently "turn on and off" the DME, confusing it.

I have no experience with the Peake tool. The stomp test seems to work pretty well.

I am pretty sure I got the battery on as cleanly as possible.
I will try and pull the cable off for a few mins and put it back on again.

if you started the car, THEN did the stomp test, you did it wrong.

It's not supposed to be done with the motor running.

Also, your subject says your car won't start, but your post says it started.

Is this because you have a dead battery, charged it, and now it cranks?

The stomp test will not tell you if your battery or alt is bad......

The car wont start, it cranks but won't start.

I don't know why the car won't start, I just got it from someone else who sold it to me because they didn't feel like fixing it.

In a nutshell, the story goes, belt broke, over heated. Replaced belt, started up the car, realized water pump was bad. Replaced water pump, then the car wouldnt start after that.

So the battery was too low to crank it yesterday so I charged it overnight.
Put it back in this morning, tried to start it, it cranked, but didn't turnover or sputter or much of anything.
Performed the stomp test and didn't get a 1444 or anything, just 1 long blink and 1 short blink.

anytime a car turns over, but does not start you have two things to check.

1. is it getting fuel
2. is it getting spark

once you establish that, you move on from there.....

I was going to get a fuel pressure guage later today.

The car probably overheated and warped a head/heads in which case the stomp test won't help you. It can have fuel and spark up the yin yang but won't start without compression.

That shit happened to my car. The car was sitting for about 7years, and I just had to replace the fuel pump.

I just went out and got a compression tester.
Not so good.
I read 60 in one cyl on one side and 80 in one on the other side.
Didn't bother with the rest.

Well, I figured out a few things since I last posted.
1. I did the compression test wrong, I left the throttle plate closed.

2. my code scanner came today and the code it gave was that the computer was not working. The code came back as Control Unit Supply.

I am going to get a new DME Relay and see what happens.

keep us posted!

BTW, I did figure out it was getting fuel.
I really want this car to run, as it is my goal to have the cheapest nicest bimmer on the road. LOL.
I have a theory based on all the googleing I have done.
I think the previous owner may have tried and jump started it which led to frying the computer. It seems that there are a handful of other folks out there that have the same code and jumped started the car and had to replace the DME.
Lucky for me I have EWS 1 in this 95.

Having the cheapest nicest E34 2will be hard to do.

http://a97.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/33/l_29cd577d772243e0c2740a50439aab80.jpg

I have $500 in her at the moment. Will have another $150 after this week as I have to replace the lock plate and cylinder lock.

$650, and LOVING IT!

lol

You paid $500 for it?

Mine did this and it was the cam sensor.
G'luck
Fred/Houston

Naah, it wouldnt be the compression loss as someone said

then it would sputter, try to start, run for a bit, die, in other words Struggle

from what hes describing, she has nice clean cranking but no turning over

i hope its your ECU, i mean, i dont HOPE that it is, but that you finally narrowed down to what the problem is

good luck!

Mine did this and it was the cam sensor.
G'luck
Fred/Houston


Cam sensor ohms good. I was thinking about how it works though, is there a small magnet on the cam which causes a fluctuation in ohms output from the sensor, or something else?

I know I'm probably botching up this explanation but...
mine checked out good too and it took 4 days for the mechanic to anylize the problem and he was stumped but knew another mechanic that had a car with the same symptoms.
In the end he said that it created some kind of electromanetic field that would not allow the cam sensor to read the position when it was being started. He changed it and it started right up. Have had no problem since.
I paid $240 w/sensor & labor but the mechanic lost money on this repair.
Hth's
Fred/Houston