Timing chain replacement done, won't start now
 

Hi, I am currently stuck. I have an 07 r56-n14, I just replaced the timing chain, everything is back together as it should be and IS timed right I believe (kinda hard to mess it up with the special tools) and now when I try to start it it will not start. It turns over but it just keeps cranking over. The reason I had to replace it was the guides for the chain broke, the upper guide rail and the tensioning rail broke, and the chain was stretched. It was showing signs early on then one day I started up my mini and it was rattling really bad so I parked it and waited for a time to pull it in the garage, when I went to pull it in the garage it would not start back up, it was just cranking over, I figured the computer just wouldn't let me start it because of some code, but now after it is all replaced it still just cranks over? What now? Compression test? Leakage test? Where should I start

Check all connection and check your battery.

Which connections would cause it not to fire? The only 'spark' wires that had to be disconnected were the ones to the plugs, I wouldn't think any others would cause it not to start. Thanks for the reply

Do a bit of reading but if it ran for any time with the cams off timing (and it will have if the guides shattered) then you will have bent valve stems on your 'interference engine'. That's a head off job and bedding in new valves. Compression test would confirm but not sure I would bother, I would go straight for the cylinder head work.

The guides were still intact for the most part. The tensioning rail was cracked three towards the bottom and the upper guide rail broke and was just warbling around still in place, I did find a pice of the guides in my oil pan though. But after I released the tensioning bolt I could see the slack in the chain, when I put my cam locking tools on I had to rotate the intake cam about a 1/16 to an 1/8 of its revelation to lock it with the exhaust cam(this is after aligning the flywheel and putting the pin in the flywheel) I wasn't sure if the cam phaser or vanos sprocket would adjust that much to the timing or just the slack in the chain caused it to slip a link resulting in the whole interference part of this interference motor. Thanks!

Do a compression test then, PITA due to the long thin access to the spark plug entry but good luck.

+1 on compression test...

I will give you this secret on how to test it WITHOUT tools :)

here we go,

Remove the spark plugs
put back the coil packs (dont put the spark plugs back)
turn is by hand and see which coil pack pops out ;)

where are you located?

Northern Indiana

Check that you're getting a good spark with each spark plug and coil.

I got it running!! The battery was dead and I put it on our charger but apparently that one sucks, I put it on our old battery charger and after a couple try's it fired up! I'm pretty sure there is a coil bad as well hence the reason it was so dang hard to start. Thanks for everybody's help

Similar thing happened to me after cleaning my intake ports the first time. It seemed like I had electricity, but it just wasn't enough.