eMotors.ca and author of the article below cannot in any way be held responsible nor liable for any of the content or for any use or misuse of the information provided in the article. eMotors.ca and the author of the article cannot guarantee the accuracy or correctness of the information provided in the article, therefore, the information provided by the article can only be used at your own risk.
The content and the photos of this article are copyrighted and provided as a courtesy by

Engine Codes

Author : Tim Chester & Rory Posted on : 09/12/2004
Model : BMW, 5 - Series (E34) 1989-96 Category : Engine
Source : http://www.bmwe34.net
 

The first thing to do when you troubleshoot your Bmw E34 engine is to read your Engine Codes.

If you cannot read them that means that you have a bad bulb or no buld at all. Older E34's don't have a check engine bulb wired.

1. Turn the ignition key on (without starting the car) and depress the accelerator pedal to the floor 5 times within 5 seconds.
2. The check engine light will remain lit for 5 seconds, blink off, light for 2.5 seconds, goes off for 2.5 sec. and will start flashing the codes.
3. Each code is separated by a 2.5 sec. pause. A 0.5 sec. blink then nothing means the end of the code reading. To read them again, depress the accelerator pedal 5 times again.

Clear the codes
1. Read the codes. At the end, make sure that the 1000 code (short blink and nothing) is present then depress the accelerator for at least 10 seconds.
2. To check, depress the accelerator pedal 5 times within 5 sec and make sure that the 1444 code (no fault stored) is present.

Car code display
With the key off, press in the OBC display reset button on the dash below the tach (the one that makes your readout disappear). Hold it in for 3 seconds and turn the key to position 2. Release the button, watch all of the car codings and then the final light show. That is the only way I want to see the tach go that high.

Older E34 bulb wiring
In '88 and '89 E34 (maybe early '90) the PROM in the Motronic computer was not ready to accept the check engine light for the instrument cluster and when a bulb was installed in the socket in the cluster it would flash all the time when driving along even though no fault codes are registered. But if the 5 stomp test on the pedal was done it did activate the code retrieval system and the light would flash in correct sequence. Now there are 2 ways of getting around this constant flashing of the light when driving: putting a newer eprom or following the procedure.

1. Remove instrument cluster from dash board and locate the socket where the check engine light is meant to be installed.
2. Now get the instrument cluster bulb holder (without a bulb in it) and the 3 feet of wire and cut 2 feet off it. Dont throw the left over foot of wire away we need that later on.
3. Bare the ends of the wire and feed them through the small spaces in the end of the holder that produdes from the cluster when the holder is installed. Now solder the ends of the wire onto the contacts in the holder that the bulb usually seats onto. I have found that removing the contacts from the holder is best as the heat from the iron would probably melt the holder.When soldered, insert the contacts again into position in the bulb holder. Now bare the opposite ends of the wire and crimp 2 connectors. Now you should have something that looks like that.
4. Now install the bulb holder in the socket in the instrument panel where the check engine light is meant to be and feed the remaining wire through the dash. Make it so the crimped connector ends exit the lower dash somewhere out of a gap under the dash in the foot well where the steering column slides when adjusted for reach. Install the instrument panel back into dash.
5. With the remaining wire crimp the remaining connectors to one end and on the opposite end solder the light bulb contacts to the wire then wrap in duct tape to insulate from shorting out this should looks something like that.
6. Now to check to see if it works push the crimped connectors together from the dash wires to the bulb wires and do the 5 pedal stomp as descibed above and the bulb should light with the appropriate flash sequence.
7. If everything checks out ok then remove the bulb wire and store away in the tool box in the boot lid and the wire in the dash, just push up into the trim panel somewhere to hide when not in use.

Thanks to Tim Chester & Rory
 

Pictures

Picture 1

Click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

 

References

  • http://www.bmwe34.net
    •  


    How to replace an E36 6-cylinder waterpump
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Engine - Cooling System
    ... 16mm or 8mm allen depending on model/year) and a breaker bar to turn the tensioner pulley bolt clockwise, slip the belt off of the pulleys. 5) Remove the waterpump pulley bolts, remove the waterpump pulley, remove the waterpump nuts. 6) Thread in M6 bolts in to the threaded lugs on the sides of the old waterpump. Tighten the bolts, they will push the old pump out of the block. Pitch the old ... (more)
    Posted : 26 October 2004 Author : Chris
     
    Fan Clutch Removal Mod
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Engine - Cooling System
    ... between the engine and the radiator, it may take a little force. Use a 10mm socket to first three bolts securing the thermostat housing to the engine. Then use a 13mm socket to remove the final bolt, that bolt also attaches an engine lift hook, remove the other bolt attaching that lift hook also and remove the hook. Pull the thermostat housing away from the block and, if you left the hoses ... (more)
    Posted : 26 October 2004 Author : Chris
     
    Changing Your Engine Oil
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Engine - Lubrification
    ... found that I let this take about 20-30 minutes for the oil to fully drain out. You will have to remove the jack stand while the oil is draining otherwise all of the oil may not drain out of the oil pan. Step 11. While the oil is draining, remove the oil filler cap. This will allow air into the oil reservoir and let it flow freer. Time Check: 0 hrs, 15 min Step 12. Now would be a good time to ... (more)
    Posted : 27 October 2004 Author : Baden Smith
     
    Installation of a '95 3.0L OBDI Intake onto a '99 3.2L OBDII Motor
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Engine - Intake
    ... picture, this is where the 5/8 tubing and tee fitting come into play. basically connect the tubing to the crank vent and the idle controller with the tee in the middle Now we have three more vacuum lines to deal with. The line that runs to the fuel pressure regulator (hard plastic line that runs towards the back of the motor will connect to the single vacuum fitting on the back bottom of the ... (more)
    Posted : 28 October 2004 Author : Midnight Autowerks
     
    M50 Manifold Install
    Model : BMW, 3 - Series (E36) 1991-99 Category : Engine - Intake
    ... in the bottom left, there is a hole that needs to be plugged. Well Bill found that a wheel bolt screws right in, so I cut it off to the right length, wrapped it in Teflon tape and screwed it in there: Random picture of me and my beloved engine: Ok, the next 2 pictures are of the plumbing and the brackets that the manifold mounts to. Now people have said that they bent them and that they ... (more)
    Posted : 28 October 2004 Author : John Doby
     
    Browse by title :
    # | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
    Browse by make :
    A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | M | N | P | S | T | V