1997 BMW 328i battery terminals

121-2



BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR

CHARGING
SYSTEM
TROUBLESHOOTING



Static
currentdraw,
checking

Charging
system
diagnostics
requires
special
test
equip-

ment
.
If
the
test
equipment
is
not
available,
charging
system

fault
diagnosis
can
be
performedby
an
authorized
BMW
deal-

eror
other
qualified
repair
shop
.
A
general
troubleshooting

guide
is
given
in
Table
a
.

Charging
System
Quick-Check

As
a
quick-check,
use
a
digital
multimeter
lo
measure
volt-



2
.
Disconnect
battery
negative
(-)
cable
.

age
across
the
battery
terminals
with
the
key
off
and
then

again
with
the
engine
running
.
The
battery
voltage
should
be



CAUTION-
about12
.6
volts
with
key
off
and
approximately
14
.0
volts
with



Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
the
engine
running
.
If
the
voltage
does
not
increase
when
the



disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
engine
is
running,there
is
a
fault
in
the
charging
system
.



manual
onpaga
viii
.

NOTE
-

The
regulated
voltage
(engine
running)
should
be
be-
tween
13
.5
and
14
.5,
depending
on
temperatura
and
operating
conditions
.
If
the
voltage
is
higher
than
14
.8,
the
voltage
regulator
is
most
Mely
faulty
.

Check
for
clean
and
tight
battery
cables
.
Check
the
ground

cable
running
from
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
lo
the

chassis
and
the
ground
cable
running
from
the
engine
lo
the

chassis
.
Check
the
alternator
drive
belt
condition
and
tension
.

If
the
battery
discharges
over
time,
there
may
be
a
constant

drain
or
current
draw
on
the
battery
.
A
small
static
drain
on
the

battery
is
normal,
but
a
largedrain
will
cause
the
battery
lo

quickly
discharge
.
Make
a
static
current
draw
test
asthe
first

step
when
experiencing
battery
discharge
.

1
.
Make
sure
ignition
and
al¡
electrical
accessories
are

switched
off
.

3
.
Connect
a
digital
ammeter
between
negative
battery

post
and
negative
battery
cable
lo
measure
current
.

See
Fig
.
1
.
Wait
at
least
one
minuta
lo
get
an
accurate

reading
.

A
range
of
about
0
lo
100
milliamps
is
normal,
dependingon

the
number
of
accessories
that
need
constant
power
.
A
current

of
400
milliamps
(0.4
amp)
or
more
may
indicate
a
problem
.

Table
a
.
Battery,
Starter
and
Charging
System
Troubleshooting

Symptom



1



Probable
Cause



1



Correctiva
Action

1
.
Engine
cranks
slowlyor
not



a
.
Battery
cables
loose,
dirty
orcor-



a
.
Clean
or
replace
cables
.
See020
Maintenance
Program
.
a
tall,
solenoíd
clicks
when



roded
.
starter
is
operated
.



b
.
Battery
discharged
.



b
.
Charge
battery,
test
and
replace
if
necessary
.
c
.
Body
ground
straploose,
dirty
or



c
.
Inspect
ground
strap,
clean,
tighten
or
replace
if
necessary
.
corroded
.
d
.
Poor
connection
at
starter
motor



d
.
Check
connections,
test
for
voltage
at
starter
.
Test
for
voltage
at
terminal
30
.



neutral
safety
or
clutch
interlock
switch
.
e
.
Starter
motor
or
solenoid
faulty
.



e
.
Test
starter
.

2
.
Battery
will
not
stay



a
.
Short
circuit
draining
the
battery
.



a
.
Test
for
excessive
current
drainwith
everything
electrical
in
the
charged
more
than
a
few



vehicle
off
.
days
.



b
.
Short
driving
trips
and
high
elec-



b
.
Evaluate
driving
style
.
Where
possible,
reduce
electrical
con
trical
drain
on
charging
system



sumption
when
making
short
trips
.
does
not
allow
battery
to
re-
charge
.
c
.
Drive
belt(s)
worn
or
damaged
.



c
.
Inspect
or
replace
multi-ribbed
belt(s)
.
See
020
Maintenance
Program
.
d
.
Battery
faulty
.



d
.
Test
battery
and
replace
íf
necessary
.
e
.
Battery
cables
loose,
dirty
orcor-



e
.
Clean
or
replace
cables
.
See
020
Maintenance
Program
.
rodad
.
f
.
Alternatoror
voltage
regulator



f
.
Test
alternator
and
voltage
regulator
.
faulty
.

3
.
Battery
losing
water
.



1
a
.
Battery
overcharging
.



1
a
.
Test
voltage
regulator
for
proper
operation
.

4
.
Lights
dim,
light
intensity



a
.
Drive
belt(s)
worn
or
damaged
.



a
.
Inspect
or
replace
multi-ribbed
belt(s)
.
See
020
Maintenance
varies
with
engine
speed
.



Program
.
b
.
Alternatoror
voltage
regulator



b
.
Test
alternator
and
voltage
regulator
.
faulty
.
c
.
Body
ground
straps
loose,
dirty
or



c
.
Inspect
ground
straps,
clean,
tighten
or
replace
as
necessary
.
corroded
.

CHARGING
SYSTEM
TROUBLESHOOTING

121-
4



BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR

BatteryOpen-Circuit
Voltage
Test



Battery
Charging

Before
making
the
test,
load
the
battery
with
15
amperes
for



Discharged
batteries
can
be
recharged
using
a
battery

one
minute
with
a
batteryload-tester
or
turn
on
the
headlights



charger
.
The
battery
should
be
removed
from
the
luggage

for
about
one
minute
without
the
engine
running
.Then
discon-



compartment
during
charging
.

nect
the
battery
negative
(-)
cable
and
connect
a
digital
volt-

meter
acrossthe
battery
terminals
.
Open-circuit
voltage



Prolonged
charging
causes
electrolyte
evaporation
to
a
lev

levels
are
given
in
Table
c
.



el
that
can
damage
the
battery
.
Itis
bestto
use
a
low-current

charger
(6
amperes
or
less)
to
prevent
battery
damage

If
the
open-circuit
voltage
ís
OK
butthe
battery
still
lacks



caused
by
overheating
.

power
for
starting,
make
a
load
voltage
test
.
If
the
open-circuit

voltage
is
below
12
.4
volts,
recharge
the
battery
and
retest
.



WARNING
-

Hydrogen
gas
given
off
by
the
battery
duringcharg-

Table
c
.
Open-Circuit
Voltage
and
Battery
Charge



ing
is
explosive
.
Do
not
smoke
.
Keep
open
llames

away
from
the
top
of
the
battery,
and
prevent
elec
Open-circuit
voltage



State
of
charge



trical
sparks
by
turning
offthe
battery
charger
be-

12
.6
V
or
more



Fully
charged



fore
connecting
or
disconnecting
it
.

12
.4
V



1



75%
charged

12
.2
V



50%
charged



CAUTION-

12
.0
V



25%
charged



"
Battery
electrolyte
(sulfuric
acid)
can
damage
the
car
.
If
electrolyte
isspilled,
clean
the
area
11
.7
V
or
less



Fully
discharged



with
a
solution
of
baking
soda
and
water
.

Battery
Load
Voltage
Test

A
battery
load
tester
is
required
for
a
load
voltage
test
.
The



-
Always
disconnect
both
battery
cables
and
re-

test
is
made
by
applying
a
high
resistive
load
to
the
battery
ter-



move
battery
from
vehicle
during
battery
charg-
ing
.
Do
not
exceed
16
.5volts
at
the
battery
.
minals
and
then
measuring
battery
voltage
.
The
battery
should

be
fully
charged
for
the
most
accurate
results
.
The
battery
ca-

bles
mustbe
disconnected
before
making
the
test
.
If
the
volt-



ALTERNATOR
$ERVICE
age
is
below
that
listed
in
Table
d,
the
battery
should
be

replaced
.

WARNING
-

Always
wear
protective
goggles
and
clothing
when
performing
aload
test
.

Table
d
.
Battery
Load
Test-Minimum
Voltage

(apply
200
amp
load
for
15
seconds)

Ambient
temperature



Voltage

80°F
(27°C)



9
.6
V

60°F
(16°C)



9
.5
V

40°F
(4°C)



9
.3
V

20°F
(-7°C)



8
.9
V

0°F
(-18°C)



8
.5
V

ALTERNATOR
SERVICE

"
Always
allow
a
frozen
battery
to
thaw
before
at-
tempting
to
recharge
it
.

Before
checking
the
alternator
and
regulator,
make
sure
the

battery
is
fully
charged
and
capable
of
holding
acharge
.
Check
that
the
battery
terminals
are
clean
and
tight
and
the
al-

ternator
drive
belt
is
properly
tensioned
and
not
severely

worn
.

Charging
system,
checking

CAUTION-

Do
not
disconnect
the
battery
while
the
engine
is
running,
.
Damage
to
the
alternator
andlorengine
electronic
systems
may
result
.

1.
Turn
ignition
key
on
.
Check
that
the
chargewarning

lamp
comes
on
.

NOTE-

If
the
warning
light
does
not
come
on,
repair
any
wiring
or
bulb
faults
before
continuing
to
check
the
charging
system
.

Alternator
brushes,



STARTER
SERVICE
inspecting
and
replacing

Regulator
brushesarenot
available
as
replacement
parts
from
BMW
.
Replacement
brushes
may
be
available
from
af-

termarket
sources,
however
.

1
.
Remove
voltage
regulator
as
described
above
.

2
.
Clean
brush
contact
sürfaces
and
measure
brush
pro-trusion
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Check
for
battery
voltage
at
terminal
50
of
the
starter
motor
Fig
.
7
.



Regulator
brush
protrusion
(A)
.



with
the
key
in
the
start
position
.
See
Fig
.
8
.
If
voltage
is
not
present,
check
the
wiring
between
the
ignition
switch
and
the
starter
terminal
.
If
voltage
is
present
and
no
other
visible
wir
Voltage
Regulator



ing
faults
can
be
found,
the
problem
is
most
likely
interna¡in

"
Brush
protrusion
(minimum)
.......
.
..
5
mm
(
1
/4
in
.)



the
starter
motor
.

3
.
To
replace
brushes,
carefully
and
as
quickly
as
possi-

ble,
unsolder
brush
lead
from
brush
holder
termina¡,

withdrawing
brush
from
holder
at
same
time
.

4
.
Remove
any
traces
of
solder
frombrush
holder
termi-
nal
using
solder
wick
.

5
.
Fit
spring
into
brush
holder
and
inserí
new
brush
.

6
.
Guide
brush
lead
into
terminal
and
solder
into
place
.

Check
for
free
movement
of
brushes
when
solder

cools
.

7
.
Check
brush
slip
rings
in
alternator
for
wear
.
Lightly
clean
slip
rings
using
fine
abrasive
cloth
.

BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR



121-
7

Starter
Troubleshooting

If
the
starter
tucos
the
engine
slowlyor
fails
to
operate
when
the
ignition
isin
the
start
position,
check
the
battery
first
.
In-
spect
the
starter
wires,
terminals,
and
ground
connections
for
good
contact
.
In
particular,
make
sure
the
ground
connections
between
the
battery,
the
body
and
the
engine
are
completely
clean
and
tight
.
If
no
faults
can
be
found,
the
starter
may
be
faulty
and
should
be
replaced
.

NOTE
-

"
Starting
in1194,
a
factory-installed
drive-away
protec-
tion
system,
alsoreferred
to
as
EWS
or
EWS
11,
was
used
on
all
E36
cars
.
This
system
prevenís
operation
of
the
starter
when
the
system
is
engaged
.
See
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-theft
.

"
On
cars
with
automatic
transmission,
a
starter
relay
and
a
neutral
safetyswitchare
used
to
present
theen-
ginefrom
starting
in
gear
positions
other
than
park
or
neutral
.
ff
voltage
is
not
present
atterminal
50
with
the
key
in
the
startposition,
check
these
components

To
make
the
most
accurate
check
of
the
battery
cables
and
starterwiring,
make
a
voltage
drop
test
on
the
cables
and
wir-

ing
as
described
in
600
Electrical
System-General
.

Terminal
30
'
\



/
Terminal
30h

0012518

8
.
Reinstall
regulator
and
alternator
.



Fig
.
8
.



Typical
starterwiring
terminal
identification
.
Large
wireat
ter-
minal
30
is
direct
battery
voltage
.
Smaller
wire
at
terminal
50
operates
starter
solenoid
via
ignition
switch
.

STARTER
SERVICE

Starter,
removing
and
installing

(6-cylinder
engine
with

automatic
transmission)

The
starter
on
a
6-cylinder
car
with
automatic
transmission

ís
removed
from
above
.
It
is
necessary
to
remove
the
íntake

manifold
and
disconnect
a
number
of
electrical
harness
con-

nectors
.

1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.

2
.
Remove
air
plenum
from
rear
of
engine
compartment
.

See640
Heating
and
Air
Conditioning
.

3
.
Remove
top
enginecovers
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

Fig
.
9
.



Remove
top
engine
cover
by
prying
out
plugs
and
removing
nuts
(A)
.
Make
sure
rubber
insulators
(B)
on
either
sideof
large
cover
do
not
fall
off
during
cover
removal
.

4
.
Remove
ignition
coil
harness
connectors
.
Remove
ground
connection
at
front
of
cylinder
head
.

5
.
Remove
two
retaining
bolts
and
lift
off
fuel
injector
har-
ness
connector
strip
.
Carefully
fold
away
all
harnesses
toward
right
side
of
engine
compartment
and
place
at
base
of
windshield
.
See
Fig
.
10
.

6
.
Remove
intake
manifold
.
See
113
Cylinder
Head
Re-
moval
and
Installation
.

7
.
Disconnect
wiring
from
starter
.

BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR



121-
9

Fig
.
10
.
Fuel
injection
harness
(A)
and
ignition
coíl
harness
connectors
(B)
being
lifted
off
engine
to
be
placed
at
base
ofwindshield
.
M50
engine
shown
.
Other
6-cylinder
engines
are
similar
.

8
.
Loosen
and
remove
bolts
and
nuts
fastening
starter
to
transmission
bell
housing
and/or
engine
block
.
Remove

starter
support
bracket
.

Fig
.
11
.
Starter
wiring
terminals
and
support
bracket(arrow)
.
Intake
manifold
has
been
removed
.

STARTER
SERVICE

ELECTRICAL
CHECKS
AND
COMPONENT
TESTING

Main
relay,
testing

The
main
relay
is
energized
via
the
engine
control
module

and
supplies
plus
(+)
power
to
the
many
of
the
engine
man-

agement
components
and
subsystems,
including
the
fuel

pump
relay
.
If
this
relay
is
faulty,
the
engine
will
not
start
.

1
.
With
ignition
off,
remove
main
relay
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

.

iommooommmoi



~
"""

Fuel
DME
sensor

CA
UTION-

Relay
positions
can
vary
.
Be
sure
to
confirm
relay
position
by
identífyíng
the
wiring
in
the
socket
us-
ingthe
wiring
diagramsfound
at
the
rearof
this

manual
.

0013034)
Fuel
pump
relay,
testing

FUEL
INJECTION



130-
7

87

851186

30
~j

1
.
Remove
fuel
pump
relay
from
its
socket
.

87661

Fig
.
7
.



Check
for
battery
voltage
at
main
relay
terminals
30
and
86
.
Voltage
should
be
present
at
all
times
.

4
.
With
ignition
on
and
relay
installed,
check
for
battery

voltage
at
terminals
87
.

"
If
battery
voltage
is
present,relay
has
energized
and
is

functioningcorrectly
.

"
lf
battery
voltage
is
not
present
and
al¡
earlier
tests
are

OK,
relay
is
faulty
and
should
be
replaced
.

Fig
.
6
.



Engine
management
relays
in
the
power
distribution
box,
left
rear
of
engine
compartment
.



The
fuel
pump
relay
is
located
in
the
power
distribution
box
.

Refer
to
Fig
.
6
.

The
ECM
supplies
power
to
the
coil
side
of
the
fuel
pump
re-

lay
.
During
starting,
the
fuel
pump
runs
as
long
as
the
ignition

switch
isin
the
start
position
and
continues
to
run
once
theen-

gine
starts
.
If
the
relay
ís
faulty
the
fuel
pump
will
notrun
.

2
.
Check
for
voltage
at
terminal
30
and
terminal
86
of
re-

¡ay
socket
.
See
Fig
.
7
.



2
.
With
key
off,
check
for
batteryvoltage
at
socket
terminal

"
If
battery
voltage
is
present
continue
testing



30
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

"
lf
battery
voltage
is
not
present
at
either
point,
check

large
red
wire
in
relay
socket
.
See
Electrical
Wiring



3
.
With
ignition
key
in
start
position
check
for
battery
volt-

Diagrams
.



age
at
terminal
86
.

NOTE-



4
.
With
ignition
key,
use
digital
multimeter
to
check
for

The
wiring
to
terminals
85
and
86
in
the
main
relay
may



ground
at
terminal
85
.

be
reversed
.
Electrically,
the
relay
functions
either
way
.

lf
voltage
ís
not
present
at
terminal
86,
check
for
volt-



NOTE-
age
at
terminal
85
.



The
ground
atterminal
85
is
switched
by
the
ECM
.
The

ECM
hamess
must
be
connected
to
check
the

3
.
Reinstall
relay
and
turn
ignition
on
.
Gainaccess
to
un-



switched
ground
connection
.

derside
of
relay
socket
and
check
for
ground
at
terminal

85
(brown
wire)
.



5
.
If
no
faults
are
found
up
tothis
point,
testfuel
pump
op-

"
lf
ground
is
present
continue
testing
.



eration
as
described
in
160
Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump
.

"
If
ground
is
not
present,
signal
from
ECM
is
missing
.

Check
wire
between
ECM
and
relay
.
If
no
faults
can

be
found,
ECM
may
be
faulty
.

ELECTRICAL
CHECKS
AND
COMPONENT
TESTING

Oxygen
Sensor
FUEL
DELIVERY
TESTS
FUEL
INJECTION



130-
9

"
Voltage
at
¡dle
..
.
..
..
....
0
.2
to
0
.8
VDC,
fluctuating



Checking
fuel
delivery
is
afundamental
part
of
trouble-
shooting
and
diagnosing
the
engine
management
system
.
Fuel
pressure
directly
influences
fuel
delivery
.
An
accurate

NOTE-



fuel
pressure
gauge
will
be
needed
to
make
the
tests
.

To
check
sensorresponse
to
lean
and
rich
mixtures,
createenairleak,
orpull
vacuumhoseofffue¡
pressure



There
are
three
significant
fuel
delivery
values
to
be
mea-

regulator
to
increase
fuel
pressure
.



sured
:

3
.
Separate
sensorharness
connector
from
sensor
.
Check

for
battery
voltage
between
terminals
3
and
4
(green

wire
and
brown
wire)
in
main
wiring
harness
side
of
con-

nector
with
engine
running
.
If
voltage
is
not
present,

check
oxygen
sensor
heater
relay
.
See610
Electrical

Component
Locations
.

4
.
Check
heater
element
resistance
between
terminals
3
and
4
in
sensor
side
of
connector
.
If
element
is
electri-

cally
open
(no
continuity),
replace
sensor
.

NOTE-

The
oxygen
sensor
heater
relay
is
mounted
in
the
main
power
distributfon
box
in
the
left
rear
of
the
engine
com-
partment
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
6
.
The
heater
relay
is
energized
wíth
positive
(+)
battery
voltage
from
the
main
relayanda
switched
ground
from
the
ECM
.
See
Electrical
Wir-
ing
Diagrams
.

"
Oxygen
sensor
to
exhaust
pipe
...
..
55
Nm
(41
ft-Ib)

"
System
pressure-created
by
the
fuel
pump
and
main-
tained
by
the
pressure
regulator
.

"
Fuel
delivery
volume-created
by
the
fuel
pump
and
af-
fected
by
restrictions,
suchasclogged
fuel
filter
.

"
Residual
pressure-the
pressure
maintained
in
the
closed
system
after
the
engine
and
fuel
pump
are
shut

off
.

Procedures
for
measuring
the
first
two
quantities
arede-
scribed
in
160
Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump
.
Residual
fuel
pres-
sure
is
checked
using
the
procedure
detailed
later
in
this

group
.

Operating
fuel
pump
fortests

To
operate
the
fuel
pump
for
testing
purposes
without
hav-

íng
to
runthe
engine,
the
fuel
pump
relay
can
be
bypassed
to

power
the
pump
directly
.
Fuel
pump
relay
location
is
shown
in

Fig
.
6
.

5
.
¡f
oxygen
sensor
doesn't
produce
a
fluctuating
voltage



To
runthe
fuel
pump,
remove
the
fuel
pump
relay
and
con-
and
preheater
circuit
is
OK,
replace
sensor
.



nect
the
socket
for
relayterminal
30
to
the
socket
for
relay
ter-

mina¡
87
with
a
fused
jumper
wire
.
After
completing
the
tests,

NOTE-



remove
the
jumper
wire
.

If
not
already
applied,
coat
the
oxygen
sensor
threads
with
an
anti-seize
compound
before
installation
.
Do
not



CAUTION-
getthe
compound
on
the
sensor
tip
.
"
Relay
locations
may
vary
.
Use
care
when
identi-
fying
relays
and
making
electrical
checks
at
the
fuselrelay
panel
.
See
610
Electrical
Compo

Tightening
Torque



nent
Locations
for
additional
relay
information
.

"
The
fuel
pump
relay
has
a
1
.5
mm2
red
wire
at
ter-
minal
30
in
the
relay
socket
.
Terminal
87
has
a
1
.5
mm
2
greenlviolet
wire
.
See
Electrical
Wiring
Di-
agrams
for
additional
wiring
information
.

NOTE-

Thejumper
wire
should
be
1.5
mm2
(14
ga
.)
and
in-
clude
an
in-line
tuse
holder
with
a15
amp
tuse
.
To
avoid
fuselrelay
panel
damage
from
repeated
connect-
ing
and
disconnecting,
also
include
a
toggle
switch
.
A
heavy-duty
jumper,
BMW
tool
no
.
61
3
050,
is
also
available
from
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

FUEL
DELIVERYTESTS

BOSCH
DME
MM
AND
M33
.1

COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

Consult
Table
a
for
engine
application
information
for
the

Bosch
DME
3
.1
and
3
.3.1
systems
.

The
DME
3
.1
and
DME
3
.3
.1
systems
are
similar
in
opera-

tion,
with
knock
control
and
VANOS
operation
being
the
key

differences
.
DME
3
.1
engines
arenot
equipped
with
VANOS

or
knock
detectors,
while
the
DM
E3
.3
.1
system
is
.

CA
UTION-

Use
onty
a
digital
multimeter
when
testing
wiring
.
Use
of
an
analog
VOM
may
damage
the
engine
control
module
.

Fig
.
25
.
Mass
air
flow
sensor
.
Hot
wire
sensor
usedon
carswith
DME
Electrical
tests
of
the
main
and
fuel
pump
relays
and
the



3
.1
(1992
6-cylinder
models)
.

DME
engine
control
module
(ECM)
are
covered
earlier
in
this

section
.
Fuel
pump
tests
are
covered
in
160
Fuel
Tank
and



CAUTION-
Fuel
Pump
.
Use
only
a
digital
multimeter
when
checking
the
mass
air
flow
sensor
.
An
analog
meter
can
dam-
Mass
Air
Flow
Sensor



age
theair
flow
sensor
.

There
are
two
types
of
mass
air
flow
sensors
used
onthe



1
.
Disconnect
air
flow
sensor
from
air
cleaner
only
.
Leave

cars
covered
by
this
section
.
Testing
procedures
vary
de-



it
connected
to
duct
leading
to
intake
manifold
and

pending
on
type
installed
.
The
airflow
sensor
is
not
adjustable



leave
wiring
harness
connected
.

and
must
only
be
tested
with
a
digital
multimeter
.

Mass
Air
FlowSensor
Variants

"
1992
M50
engine

DME
M3
.1
.
.
.
.
...
..
mass
air
flow
sensor-hot
wire

"
1993-1995
M50
and
S50US

DMEM33
.1)
.
...
...
.
mass
air
flow
sensor-hot
film

Mass
air
flow
sensor
(hot
wire),

testing
and
replacing

When
the
engine
is
running,
a
current
is
used
to
heat
a
thin

wire
in
the
center
of
the
sensor
.
See
Fig
.
25
.
The
current
in
the

wire
is
regulated
to
maintain
a
temperature
of
100°C
more

than
the
air
passing
over
it
.
The
current
used
to
heat
the
wire

is
electronically
conneced
into
a
voltage
measurement
corre-

sponding
to
the
mass
of
intake
a¡
r
.

To
keep
the
wire
clean,
it
is
heated
to
a
temperature
of
about

1,000°C
(1,830°F)
for
one
second
.
This
"burn-off"
cycle
takes

place
automatically,
four
seconds
after
the
engine
is
tumed
off
.

lf
thehot
wire
breaks
or
if
there
is
no
output
from
the
air
flow

sensor,
the
ECM
automatically
switches
to
a
"limp-home"

mode
and
tucos
on
the
Check
Engine
light
.
The
engine
can

usually
be
started
and
driven
.
The
air
flow
sensor
has
no
inter-

nal
moving
parts
and
cannot
be
serviced
.

FUEL
INJECTION



130-
1
7

2
.
Start
engine
and
run
it
to
normal
operating
temperature
.

3
.
Rev
engine
toat
least
2,500
rpm,then
shut
it
off
.
Look

through
meter
at
hot
wire
.
After
approximately
four
sec-

onds
wire
should
glow
brightly
for
about
one
second
.

NOTE
-

If
the
wire
glowsas
specified,
then
the
airflow
meter
and
ECM
are
probably
operating
correctly
.
lf
the
wire
does
not
glow,
continue
testing
.

4
.
lf
the
wire
does
not
glow,
remove
air
flow
sensor
and

look
through
it
to
see
if
wire
is
broken
.
lf
wire
is
broken,

meter
will
have
to
be
replaced
.

5
.
Reinstall
air
flow
sensor
and
harness
connector
.
Peel

back
rubber
bootfrom
harness
connector
.
Working

from
rear
of
connector,
connect
digital
voltmeter
across

terminals
1
and
4
.
See
Fig
.
26
.

6
.
Start
and
rev
engine
toat
least
2,500
rpm,thenshut
it

off
.
After
about
4
seconds,
voltage
should
riseto
about

4
volts
for
about
one
second
.
lf
voltage
is
present,
but

wire
does
not
glow,
air
flow
sensor
is
faulty
and
should

be
replaced
.

7
.
lf
voltage
is
not
present
in
step
6,
turn
ignition
key
on

and
check
for
voltage
and
ground
at
sensor
.
There

should
beground
at
pin
4
.
There
should
be
positive
(+)

battery
voltage
at
pin
2
.

BOSCH
DME
M3
.1
AND
M32
.1
COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

130-18



FUEL
INJECTION
The
engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor
sends
con-

tinuous
engine
coolant
temperature
information
to
the
ECM
.
Fig
.
26
.
Mass
air
flow
sensor
terminalidentifcation
on
carswith
DME



As
temperature
increases
sensor
resistance
decreases
.
M3
.1
fuel
injection
.

Mass
air
flow
sensor
(hot
film),

testing
and
replacing

MOTE-

A
burn-off
cycle
is
not
used
on
hot
film
sensors
.

8
.
With
ignition
off,
disconnect
harness
connector
from
air



ECT
Sensor
Location
flow
sensor
.
Using
a
digital
multimeter,
check
resis-



"
M50/S50US
engine
............
left
side
of
cylinder
tance
at
terminals
listed
.



head
under
intake
manifold

Air
Flow
Sensor
Test
Values
(DMEM3
.1)

"
Terminals
5
and
6
.
.
.
.........
..
.
..
....
3-4
ohms

If
any
faults
are
found,
check
wiring
lo
and
from
the
ECM
.
Make
ECM
pinout
test
as
listed
in
See
Table
i
.
Main
power
to
air
flow
sensor
comes
from
DME
main
relay
.

On
cars
with
DME
M3
.3
.1
a
hot
film
mass
air
flow
sensor
is
used
.
When
the
engine
is
running,
a
current
is
used
lo
heat
a
thinfilm
in
the
center
of
the
sensor
.
This
current
is
electroni-
cally
converted
into
a
voltage
measurement
corresponding
to
the
mass
of
intake
air
.

If
thehot
film
breaks
or
if
there
is
no
output
from
the
air
flow
sensor,
the
ECM
automatically
switches
to
a
"limp-home"
mode
and
tucos
on
the
Check
Engine
light
.
The
engine
can
usually
be
started
and
driven
.
The
air
flow
sensor
has
no
inter-
nal
moving
parts
and
cannot
be
senricedor
adjusted
.

CA
UTION-

Use
only
a
digital
multimeter
when
checking
the
mass
air
flow
sensor
.
An
analogmetercan
dam-
age
the
air
flow
sensor
.

BOSCH
DME
M3
.
1
AND
M32
.1
COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

1
.
Disconnect
harnessconnector
from
air
flow
sensor
.

2
.
Turn
ignition
on
and
check
for
voltage
and
ground
at

connector
.
There
should
beground
at
pin
1
.
There

should
be
positive
(+)
battery
voltage
at
pin
3
.
If
any
faults
are
found,
check
wiring
to
and
from
ECM
.
Make
ECM
pinout
test
.
See
Table
j
.

NOTE-

Positive
(+)
battery
voltage
to
air
flow
sensor
comes
from
DME
main
relay
when
the
ignition
is
switch
on
orengine
running
.

Engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor,

testing
and
replacing

0012704
Fig
.
27
.
Engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor
(A)
is
located
be-
neath
top
engine
cover
(B)
and
crankcase
vent
hose
(C)
.
M52
engine
shown
.
M50
is
similar
.

1
.
Check
ECM
reference
voltage
to
sensor
:
"
Disconnect
harnessconnector
from
ECT
sensor
.
"
Turn
ignition
keyon
.
"
Check
for
5
volts
between
supply
voltage
wire
(brown/red)
wire
of
harness
connector
and
ground
.
"
Turn
ignition
key
off
.
"
If
voltage
is'
not
present
or
incorrect,
check
wiring
from
ECM
and
check
referencevoltage
output
at
ECM
(pin
78)
.
See
Table
i
(DM
E
3
.1)
or
Table
j
(DME
3
.3
.1)

2
.
Check
ECT
sensor
resistance
:

"
With
harnessconnector
disconnected,
check
resis-
tance
acrosssensor
terminals
.
"
Compare
tests
results
to
values
in
Table
f
.