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Old 06-10-2007, 02:54 PM   #1
bjt42
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Default Car shows revs when engine isn't running! ASC problem?

Hi all,

I have a 2000 316i Compact (E36). Although it has the M43 motor rather than the M44 in the 318ti, everything else is pretty much the same.

I pulled the car out of the garage today to check it over before I set off. The car started up fine and was only running for a couple of minutes before I turned it off. When I came to start it again a few minutes later, I turned the key to position 2 and the following happened:

- The warning lights on the dash came on and then turned off (as normal)
- After a couple of seconds, the rev counter went from zero to around 6000 rpm and back
- The ASC light turned on, and stayed on
- The temperature gauge went to max, and slowly started moving to the left
- I could hear something under the hood turning on and off. It sounds like it could be some kind of pump. It was turning on and off seemingly randomly.

This all happened while the key was in position 2, the engine was not started. When I tried to start the engine it turned over as normal, but did not catch, like fuel or spark was not being provided. If I turn the car off and back to position two the same things happen, but the timing is different every time - sometimes a few seconds will go by before the pump noise starts and the rev counter starts to go crazy.

Does anyone have any ideas about what this could be? I am hoping that it will go away long enough for me to get it to my regular mechanic (30 miles away).

Thanks for any info,
Ben
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Old 06-10-2007, 07:43 PM   #2
pnosker
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Pump noise = air pump? It sounds like it entered diagnostic mode with the gauges moving all over.
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Old 06-11-2007, 09:35 AM   #3
bjt42
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Hi,

Thanks for the suggestions. Although I wish it were as simple as that, I don't think it's a diagnostic mode. It happens whenever I turn the key to position 2, without doing anything else at all.

I had a chance to look more closely under the hood yesterday. As soon as I turn the key to position 2 and the rev counter starts to spike, one or more relays in the fuse box start to turn on and off. I can also hear a high-pitched noise from the fuel rail, I think the injectors are being activated. To recap, this all happens without the engine being started!

I think the pump noise I mentioned is fuel being pumped through the rail. I'm pretty sure fuel is being sprayed into the cylinders during this process, and that the engine is getting flooded.

It sounds to me like the ECU thinks the engine is running and is triggering the injectors and spark plugs, does this make sense? As far as I know, the rev counter is triggered by ignition. Could this be caused by a bad camshaft or crankshaft position sensor making the ECU think the engine is being turned over when it's not?

Current list of suspects (in order of difficulty...)

- Bad ground (battery terminals, engine ground strap)
- Bad relay (can a relay fail closed?)
- Camshaft / crankshaft sensor
- ECU problem... I would have to admit defeat at this point

Can anyone recommend fuses/relays I could pull to narrow down the problem?

Thanks,
Ben
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Old 06-11-2007, 11:33 AM   #4
pnosker
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I doubt it's your cam/crank sensor. I don't think that's tied to timing at all and it would throw a code. And they're redundant. As long as one of them works you won't have a technical problem.
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Old 07-03-2007, 10:07 AM   #5
bjt42
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Hi all,

To wrap this one up, it turned out to be a faulty crank position sensor. It failed in such a way that it intermittently caused the DME to think that the engine was being turned over when it wasn't, resulting in the strange behaviour mentioned below.

Cheers,
Ben
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