E36 325i Starting Problems

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   I wonder if anyone can help.  My father in law has a '96 325 saloon, which has developed an intermittent starting problem.  Occasionally, the car turns over and over, with no semblence of firing at all.  
I was there on one of the occasions when it did this, and even being turned over for over a minute, there wasn't the smellof petrol you'd expect of the car was flooding itself.  He eventually left it for 20 mins, and it then started pretty easily.  Again, there wasn't a huge cloud of smelly blue smoke, as you'd expect if the car had been fuellying through that key-turning time.  I said he should get the airflow meter checked out.  Apparently, his service guy has pronounced the AFM as OK, but the car still does this occasionally.
I have suggested that he suspects the fuel pump relay.  Am I right that on the E36 this is the ornage relay in the fusebox on the near side inner wing?  I suggetsed waiting till the car plays up again and then subbing this relay with another one to see if it kicks.
My questions are:
Am I right that the orange one is the Fuel Pump relay?
Any other areas, other than the ECU that we should suspect?
As with all intermittent stuff, it's really difficult to diagnose at arm's length, but I appreciate any ideas you might have.
Thanks.

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SFH3L Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member I Joined: 03-October-2004 Location: Near Buckingham Status: Offline Points: 447	Topic: E36 325i Starting Problems Posted: 21-March-2006 at 03:17
	I wonder if anyone can help. My father in law has a '96 325 saloon, which has developed an intermittent starting problem. Occasionally, the car turns over and over, with no semblence of firing at all. I was there on one of the occasions when it did this, and even being turned over for over a minute, there wasn't the smellof petrol you'd expect of the car was flooding itself. He eventually left it for 20 mins, and it then started pretty easily. Again, there wasn't a huge cloud of smelly blue smoke, as you'd expect if the car had been fuellying through that key-turning time. I said he should get the airflow meter checked out. Apparently, his service guy has pronounced the AFM as OK, but the car still does this occasionally. I have suggested that he suspects the fuel pump relay. Am I right that on the E36 this is the ornage relay in the fusebox on the near side inner wing? I suggetsed waiting till the car plays up again and then subbing this relay with another one to see if it kicks. My questions are: Am I right that the orange one is the Fuel Pump relay? Any other areas, other than the ECU that we should suspect? As with all intermittent stuff, it's really difficult to diagnose at arm's length, but I appreciate any ideas you might have. Thanks.
	Sam. the original "not for profit" organisation. Independent Financial Adviser In Buckingham My Financial Blog

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