w124 320 TE ignition system

[Davi]

can anyone give me a (brief) run down on the ignition system of the 320 TE? (i.e. is it dizzy, mechanical points or coil packs etc etc etc) trying to diagnose a problem by phone, haven't even seen the car yet, so just looking for the basics so I can rule a few things out. Basic problem is it frequently won't start when warm, and gives NO attempt at firing whatsoever so I think it's unlikely to be fuel.

Ta muchly

[bolide]

If it's a 320 then it has the later M104 engine and HFM injection / ignition. It's an all-electronic system with three coil packs, MAF, ECU, crank position sensor (CPS) and variable cam timing. If it has cruise control that is done via the ECU

Not starting when warm sounds like the CPS. Other things to look at are fuel pump relay, dodgy connections in the OVP relay, dirty throttle body, bad MAF, bad coil packs and disintegrating engine bay wiring loom with possible consequent ECU damage

If it actually is a 320TE then it's a rare pre-facelift car with the post-facelift engine. The post-facelift 320 is badged E320

Timeline
http://www.w124.co.uk/timeline.html

Nick Froome

[Davi]

many thanks for that, exactly what I was after! Now I know what is in it I'll get him to run a few tests and see if we can narrow things down.