Wont start after engine swap

[Freediscoranger]

Hi all!

Recently done an engine swap on my dads 1998 p38 using a BMW 325 engine. We stripped both engines down to the cyl head and block and swapped over all the ancillaries etc but not the injection pump. then it came to trying to start it today and it wouldn't even try to start ie wouldn't turn over at all.

had the ignition key in fault for a while but cleared that by freeing off the inside of the ignition barrel, re synced key by holding the unlock button while on ign stage 2. battery has been on charge for last 3 days.

when he connected battery straight to starter terminals it span the engine over but slowly(used a different battery that dint have much charge)

Has anybody got some suggestions to try for tomorrow and hopefully get it running? any experience on swapping this type of engine?

 

[Rick-the-Pick]

Did you swap the Engine ecu?

 

[drag100]

sounds like an earth problem to me have you checked the earth lead to the chassis from the engine oh and it wont start with the bmw pump and rr ecu. go on ask me how i know that

 

[Freediscoranger]

No kept the engine ecu that was on the rr just re connected the loom to this engine. Earth strap is defiantly connected.

Guessing you've done this swap then before ?

 

[Saint.V8]

So is it the BMW FIP or the RR FIP...did you retime the FIP correctly on replacement?

 

[Freediscoranger]

It's still got the bmw fip

 

[Freediscoranger]

If it needs the rr FIP then ill have to add that to the list, but would that prevent it even cranking?

 

[Saint.V8]

Lack of sync between ECU's or BeCM in Alarmed state....

 

[Freediscoranger]

Pretty sure it's not alarmed, managed to unlock and lock on the fob.

Will suggest swapping FIP as I'm now at uni and he's back home.

Would this lack of communication through up faults?

 

[Saint.V8]

Could be preceeded with a message on the message centre something like 'KEYCODE LOCKOUT' 'ENGINE DISABLED' or something like that....

I could be wrong, RtP will confirm, but an Alarmed BeCM will still respond to lock/unlock from the fob but will immobilise the Engine until it recieves a valid EKA code....

Or it could be the BeCM to Engine ECU sync....usually this is indicated by the CEL remaining lit after the bulb check...

 

[Freediscoranger]

What's the CEL?

Will try EKA code as well tomorrow.

Not getting any fault codes (apart from the ABS which It had before)

 

[Saint.V8]

Sorry....

Check
Engine
Light

 

[mark1971]

Now i just happened to be looking at a few posts yesterday on engine swaps and from what i gather the electronics in the top of the bmw and RR fip are different? i dont know wether you can just swap the electronics without callibration? or if its easier to swap pumps? but then it needs timing correctly..
I think member 6704nathan knows a bit about this or mr wammers?

 

[Freediscoranger]

Will tell him to look out for CEL light as well then so we can try and rule that out.
Would be interesting know about the electronics as I don't think he would like changing the entire pump as well now it's all back together.. But if he must he must..

 

[Saint.V8]

Now i just happened to be looking at a few posts yesterday on engine swaps and from what i gather the electronics in the top of the bmw and RR fip are different? i dont know wether you can just swap the electronics without callibration? or if its easier to swap pumps? but then it needs timing correctly..
I think member 6704nathan knows a bit about this or mr wammers?

You can just change the top of the pump with the electronics in it from the original RR FIP to the BMW FIP (So the BMW Pump body would have the RR electrickery) and retiming the pump is fiddly and tedious...plus you'd need the timing pins and Dial Gauge to set the timing correctly...instructions in RAVE on the pump timing procedure.

 

[TTC]

i did this conversion just two weeks ago, what you need to do is swap the top half of the FIP, this is a much easier job than removing and refitting the complete pump! but i no for a fact that this must be changed, if it was an early pump your output will be slightly less then the later pumps, but as long as you have your range rover pump top fitted to any of the pumps then it will pump fuel!

TTC

 

[Freediscoranger]

Okay failing the EKA code will get him to do that. Really don't think he would the patience to swap the whole pump

 

[TTC]

You can just change the top of the pump with the electronics in it from the original RR FIP to the BMW FIP (So the BMW Pump body would have the RR electrickery) and retiming the pump is fiddly and tedious...plus you'd need the timing pins and Dial Gauge to set the timing correctly...instructions in RAVE on the pump timing procedure.

you beat me to it! shouldnt have made a brew half way through writing my post!

 

[Freediscoranger]

So due to the lack of sync between FIP and ecu it could stop the engine cranking as well?

 

[mark1971]

Ant i asked wammers if he could do the timing on mine cos i aint got the brains,tools or patience for that lol