Just bought this p5, starting issue before..

[boostdprotegelx]

I pull the motor...

Here's the deal. I bought a 2002 p5 today from Mannoia off of here. I knew it wasn't running. He took it to the mechanic, they told him it was a bent crank arm.. w/e that meant..

so i get it home(the car is spotless btw)

i jack the car up, look for oil/motor parts to be around ...nothing.. some old looking oil that looks to have been spilled. .. Oil level is fine. I go to start the car, key in ignition, turn to crank- it starts to crank very weak like. never starts up.. pulled the valve cover, timing belt in tact.. tried turning again, still a weak crank.. no knocking or any shitty noises from it.. I am going to probably pull the motor.. but before i was wondering if anyone had any other ideas?

thanks for the help/ideas!!

[Wagonbacker9]

bent connecting rod I would assume is what the mechanic meant.

[Knox Joe]

We sure the timing is right? Did the belt maybe jump a tooth? Do we know you have proper spark and fuel?

hmmm..... I'll ponder on it a bit and post up any ideas


edit: just saw wagonbackers post, yeah that sounds more likely than a bent "crank arm", lol

[boostdprotegelx]

haven't checked any fuses or anything. i think it has those, i haven't investigated yet..it's been a long drive.

if it's the connecting rod, even cranking the car would make a noise, no?


(i'm thinking, if it's not turning the motor i guess it wouldn't.. but cranking the flywheel...it spins the motor.. so there should be SOME noise)



if it's a bent connecting rod.. that's grounds for a new motor, which is what i'd assumed.. if it's spun bearings, can you JUST replace them?? or do you need to machine them or somethign?

[Wagonbacker9]

machining would be required if it was run with a spun bearing. it could crank over with a bent rod.... just depends.

[boostdprotegelx]

could i replace just the bent rod w/out pulling the entire motor out?

[Wagonbacker9]

could. idk that it'd be any less work though. I tried doing a rod bearing in the car in my isuzu. it was a bitch.

[boostdprotegelx]

could. idk that it'd be any less work though. I tried doing a rod bearing in the car in my isuzu. it was a bitch.

well. i know melanizm did rod bearings in his mp3. he said it came out well.. is it OK so to speak to do this? or are you supposed to/should you/will it hurt if not at a machine shop?

[E21BIMMERHEAD]

if it cranks weakly i guess the first place to check is the battery........then fuses etc, spark/fuel, then after that you have expensive..

[boostdprotegelx]

yeah. i'll check into all ofthat...

the issue is, the woman who was driving, said, that she was driving, then she heard a noise, then it stalled.. she couldn't start it immediately, so she gave it gas then it fired... then it wouldn't start after.

[Wagonbacker9]

sounds expensive. i'll go with bent rod...

[boostdprotegelx]

if that is the case, can (i've never attempted, dont know if it's ok to do) I take the rod out from under the car to replace it?

[Wagonbacker9]

the rod, no.. piston has to come out to get the rod out. NOT worth dropping the crank from under the car.. trans has to come off anyway.

[boostdprotegelx]

alright. well IF it's the bearings, they can be replaced with the motor in the car.. if it's the rod, i'll just put another motor in. no issue!

[Wagonbacker9]

if it was the bearings, it would be clacking around badly... from when I did it.. its kind of "triangular" sounding.... hard to explain.

[boostdprotegelx]

i'll check it when it tries turning over.. no holes in the block.. nothing.. just won't start. i'm gonna see if a new battery will fix the turning on issue... and check the starter.

then go from there.

[P-Funk!]

Yeah. A lot of troubleshooting before pulling the motor~!