day from hell

[hydro]

hey wzup... i need some asap i went to a car wash and when it came
the car would not start........i look inside and water on pass side \
please help i love my 325is even if its a 94 ............

[Manolito]

A car that fails to start after a trip to the car wash is generally an indication of water in the DME. The DME (Digital Motor Electronics, aka Engine Control Unit, or ECU) is mounted on the firewall, just to to the passenger side of center, as I recall.

That is a tough break, because the DME is probably dead. Drying it out will likely not bring it back. Is there a BMW junk yard nearby?

If looking for a DME in a junk yard, make sure that you match the last three numbers in the part number, just above the bar code on the DME label. Although all DMEs may look alike, the programming inside is specific to your engine/transmission combination.

If you search this forum, you will find many posts on this exact problem. There may be tips on how to seal it so that water penetration won't recur in the future.

Nothing wrong with a '94 e36.

Though it is none of my business, I think that you will find that if you take the time to write properly, you will get better responses - here and everywhere else.

[hydro]

thanks for the help. i opend the DME and it was wet ....
i work for city marshal and i was able to find a new one
from dealer at a good price ....... ithink this has been one of the best reply
that i have'er got really thank you.........

[RacerJames666]

Well dont get all jumpy too fast. Dry that bad boy out overnight first & make sure its fried. Also look for any simple fixes like broken joints from the water/hot board interaction. Ive known of many folks who have dried out their DME with splendid results.(I used to be on Bigcoupe.net and its a common problem on e24's)
Good Luck!
JP

[hydro]

well if is not one thing is another, got the car started and i was so happy....but
on my way home the car started to over heat........so now i'm faced with a new problem
can any one help.............

[Manolito]

Is the cooling system stock with original fan? Did it overheat while stopped, or while moving?

If it only overheats when stopped, the fan clutch is suspect. If it overheats when moving, suspect the water pump or a blockage to air flow or water flow. If you use tap water or someone has put radiator stop-leak in it, you could have radiator blockage in the water passages. I once had a radiator with its air fins blocked by several handfulls of cat hair from the long haired cat that lived in my garage. Had to pull the radiator to hose it all out.

I think your car originally had a water pump with a plastic impeller. If so, it is about due for its third water pump. They tend to degrade and crumble about as fast as the plastic radiators (i.e. 7-8 years). If you have a plastic impeller water pump that is more than 7 years old, replace that as a general maintenance item. Also replace the thermostat and examine the thermostat housing for signs of failure while you have it off. Bleed the system carefully and fully when you fill it back up with antifreeze and distilled water. It will overheat if it is not bled completely. I put mine up on ramps so that the radiator is higher than the engine, and then I bleed it slowly and thoroughly to make sure there is no air anywhere in the system, including the heater core.

Don't use 'DexCool' antifreeze, as plastic cooling system parts don't like it. After a couple of radiator failures, I bit the bullet and put Dealer BMW antifreeze in all three of my Bimmers. That was expensive, but no failures since then.

[hydro]

thank you... i took it to my friend and he told that the car had no
antifreeze then he said that i had to bleed the system as i put coolant.....
thank god that worked and i have my BABY BACK.......

" about the dme after drying and some wd-40 it worked "