Philes' Forum by Vic Lucariello

Hello, Bimmerphiles! Last month I wrote about the planned resurrection of Fred Ransom's 2002tii. Well, erstwhile Chapter President, and current Club Racer Paul Paparella, who campaigns a tii in the E Modified Class, was kind enough to send some comments:

"Hi Vic, I just read your March column, and felt motivated to add a couple of comments about starting up a sleeping tii:

"1. It is worth emphasizing that the injection pump is driven by a TIMING belt, not just a drive belt. If the injection pump pulley gets out of synch with the crankshaft when the belt is removed, all kinds of problems will result (ask me how I know). There are alignment marks on the pulley and pump which correspond to crank TDC. [Actually, the pump needs to be timed with #1 cylinder at TDC - compression stroke]

"2. While the belt is off, take a good look at it and replace it if worn. Pay attention to the teeth; worn teeth may leading to a slipping belt, which leads to the out-of-synch problems.

"3. An injection pump which has been dry for a long time will probably leak gas at the suction valves. Before rushing to replace seals, wait to see if they swell up and stop leaking on their own - they usually do." [Keep the car in a well ventilated area and have your fire extinguisher handy while you are waiting!]

Thanks, Paul! I am still waiting to hear from Fred as to how he made out.

Inveterate Bimmerphile Al Sitzer sent in some interesting questions:

"Perhaps you can advise me on some recent and perhapsinterrelated problems in my '88 635CSI.

"Problem #1: Upon parking and exiting the vehicle after a commute home one evening (headlights were used, 30+ miles driven), I closed the driver side door and the dome light stayed lit. The door closed normally, the pushbutton door switch seemed to operate and repeated tries solved nothing. I set the dome switch to the off position (middle). The next morning I reset the dome switch to turn on the light only with the door open and it worked fine. This scenario has been repeated a few times during the past few weeks. I do not think this is related to using the headlights since it has happened during the day also. Should I start looking at the dome switch ?"

Al, I believe your car has a timer module which keeps the dome lamp on for a time, under certain circumstances, after you close the door. Your symptoms are consistent with a sticking module. To further diagnose, first eliminate the most obvious cause, a faulty door switch on the driver door. These switches usually fail in the off position, however, so I don't think the switch is the problem.

"Problem #2. About a few days after problem #1 started, I started to get "Anti-Lock" light come on the dash panel at about 3-4 mph. Of course it stayed on until the car was parked and the key was turned to the "off" position. This continued for about 2 days and went away. A few days later it returned. The cycle has repeated itself for about 5 times now. With the warning light on, the ABS system is disabled, of course. To quote a well-known automotive sage, "Ask me how I know." I was going to remove and clean the ABS sensors when we get some nice weekend weather, but I do not think that is the likely source."

The wheel sensors can cause what you observe with your ABS [Antilock Braking System]. When you drive off, the ABS is checking to see that all 4 sensors are reading the same speed. A dirty [they contain magnets] sensor will read differently from a clean one. Poor connections cause the problem as well. If the light comes on without moving the car, I agree the sensors are less likely to be the problem unless one is 'open' or 'shorted'. The classic symptom of a wheel-sensor problem is when the ABS light illuminates when you drive off from a standstill, but remains off until you do.

"Problem #3. Around the same time frame as the above started, I noticed that my normally low-reading coolant temperature guage reading dropped to about half its normal level. Since then it has not gone much above the blue. I figured that Iwould clean the contacts on the sensor leads, but haven't yet. I get decent heat (but it is definitely NOT a blast furnace), but since this is my first winter with this car, I have no base line comparison."

Your first step is to check the actual operating temperature of the engine. The easiest way to do this is to use a non-contacting 'laser - type' temperature indicator. Since you probably don't have one of these, the next best way is to measure the temperature of the coolant discharging from the 8 mm hose that attaches to the coolant expansion tank. You can accomplish this by disconnecting the hose at the tank and letting the hose discharge into a container while you hold a thermometer in the discharged coolant. Look for about 185F.

If the temperature is low, look at the thermostat. If not, diagnose the gauge. I suspect a new thermostat will do the trick.

"Sound like related electrical problems, or just independent gremlins ? My next house is gonna have a bigger garage or be in a warmer climate."

How about a big, air-conditioned garage in a warmer climate? I suspect the problems are not related.

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes' Forum should contact me via the info on the masthead. I'm interested in tech tips, repair /maintenance questions and/or tips, dealer horror stories, product evaluations, etc. Please call before 8 PM, and if you leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE A PHONE NUMBER WHERE I CAN REACH YOU ON WEEKDAYS. Also, please be patient, I try to return every phone call, but it sometimes takes a while. If you don't hear back from me within a few days, please call again. The best way to contact me is via e-mail.

Copyright 1999 - V.M. Lucariello, PE