Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax Need some help, car won't start

Beware of a flashback,could be expensive

Flash back through a closed inlet valve???


He has stated that the exhaust smells of fuel, so that rules out fuel starvation.

I would have though if the ignition wasn't firing that it wouldn't open the fuel injectors? but maybe it does at first until it detects that it isn't firing up?


It could be something like a Crank position sensor (Or RPM sensor) Hopefully in an easy to get to place?

Sticking it on proper diagnostics would probably reveal the issue rather than reading a single code



Trouble with Generic codes read from generic readers is that they can send you on a goose chase.

I'd be tempted to pop down to your nearest BMW specialist give them a bell and discuss the issue first

If there is petrol and a cranking battery, then it is either no spark or miss timed spark. MAF would not allow any fuel to be added, but there is some, so that is OK. Likewise lambas, as the engine should catch and run with these fatly, but in a "limp home setting with a specific fault code.

Miss timed would be coolant related or cam/crank sensor related, likely coolant given the earlier issues. When cold the engine has an air pump system and will change the ignition timing and fuelling to suit. When hot the sender may be telling the engine something else that causes it to over fuel which will simply put the spark out. the long wait is more likely the plugs drying than the car cooling down. Pull one out and odds on it will be wet and sooty.

I really appreciate all the help! I have NO Morgan dealer, and I don't have great trust in the BMW shop, and the next closest BMW expert is ~100 miles away. I am going to try to get this remedied on my own before handing it to a BMW specialist.

My last drive was 3 miles at most. Immediately after getting it in the garage I turned it off then attempted to restart. Usual symptoms of heavy fuel smell, cranking, but no turning over. In this scenario I believe there would be negligible heatsoak; no more so than starting it on a hot day--I've noticed no problems with that.

After much reading about various issues with BMW V8s, I tend to think it's the coolant sensor or a buggy MAF.

Does anyone know if this is the right part? ?

Hi Mateo
Its really difficult to diagnose an issue like yours from x000 miles away and it doesnt help that we arent experts anyway. So we end up making informed guesses at best.
I would have thought that you could get the information you need from a BMW dealer - I doubt that the Morgan Motor company have the technical skills or manpower to completely re-program the BMW ECU. Likely they have left it much as it would be on a 7 series car.
If however you cant get help from the BMW guys , let me know and I will give you some UK Morgan dealer phone numbers. Happy to phone them on your behalf but its best if you do it because you can best describe the symptoms

Sorry if I am repeating myself Mateo as I might have suggested this before. Its an idea.

I would recommend making friends with one of the service companies in the UK and using Facetime with an iPhone on a gorilla grip mount.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015UI8MRE?psc=1

Given the age of the car it feels like some seals in the fuel system have let go somewhere. The smell of petrol out of the exhaust could be a red herring at this point.

I would get the front wings/bonnet off so you can get your teeth into it. I would also look at using a local specialist to check out the basics. An hour of time from a local diagnostics on a van guy would at least eliminate some elements to get you further along ? The BMW engine is not so different from any modern unit in terms of basic elements?

I have little experience troublshooting injected cars. But what I do know is that the ECU will fuel the car according to engine temp. So a cold engine gets extra fuel and there's a sensor in the cooling system which provides that input.

If the sensor isn't working properly and the engine is warm, but the ECU thinks it's cold, it will over-fuel. So that's where I would start looking.

You should be able to read what the ECU is seeing as the engine temperature in real time using an OBD2 reader. I use an OBD2 II ELM327 adaptor and Torque Pro for Android.

You can get Torque Pro from Google Play and the OBD2 adaptor from dozens of sources on ebay or Amazon. I would get one in the USA if I was you so it can be returned if it doesn't work. Don't buy a cheap one. Even the more costly versions don't cost much.

Using this you would be able to see all the sensors in real time including the MAF sensor. If something is not working correctly you should be able to pick it up.

If you have an Android tablet (easier to read than a small phone)you can set up a console showing the gauges you want to check and attach it somewhere where you or a passenger can see it.

PS. If you have Apple there are similar apps available but you will have to buy a WIFI adaptor as Bluetooth on Apple often does not work with these devices.

Might the ECU re-set itself if you disconnected all the power for a minute? Probably a dumb suggestion.

Peter-
Thank you for the suggestion. I have an OBDII reader for Android, OBDLink. A few weeks ago I logged an error for a invalid coolant sensor reading. The only other code I've logged was C0200, which doesn't correlate to anything I can find for the M62.

Neilda- It's not a stupid idea. If it is stupid I'm as stupid as you. I pulled the battery off and let the power drain. No luck.

More info for you to mull over: The confusing bit is that it fires up and runs perfectly well after the car has been sitting for ~5 hours. If I start it, and leave it running for more than 10 minutes it will not restart. When it is "cranking but not starting" it might "fire" once, this pushes exhaust that out has a strong smell of gasoline.

Is there a diagram for how to remove the grill and bonnet? I could not find it while searching...sorry for the dumb question.