I was doing good until... a STARTING problem.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Details.... turn the key all lights work and accessories, but turn the key further to start= nothing. The lights dim, but it won't make any noise or effort to start. The 1st time drove car a lil hard and parked (let the turbo timer turn the car off) at friends house for 20 minutes came out and it wouldn't start. Luckily, I was parked on a hill. 2nd time (2 week gap), went out to dinner and came out about 1 1/2 hours later and same thing. But, I experimented a lil by killing the power to the battery for like 15 sec to reset the computer, and it worked: the car started right up. 3rd time (today, a 4 day gap), i went to start the car it did nothing again. Another experiment- I left and came back about 8 minutes later and it started right up.
I know it can't be the alarm bc it doesn't have a starter kill. I know this bc the battery went out in the remote one time so I couldn't deactivate the alarm, but I was still able to unlock the car with the key and drive to the store to purchase a battery. The battery connections are tight.
I suspect it a computer problem (maybe ews) bc I was able to reset the computer and it worked. It may be a turbo timer problem, but unlikely.

So, what do you all think is going on? Also, it has done it yet on a cold start. But, have notice the last month or so that sometimes there is a 2 or 3 second pause before the car will start after the key has been turned. But, non the less it does start and it is not consistent.

EDIT: I did some more searching to only find it may be a loose or frayed in the trunk somewhere. Which is very possible bc I have 2 subs that beat down pretty hard. And, most of all i just urned them up. Where would I checked for this in the trunk?
Here is a similar situation:http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1065313

[bennyfizzle]

How old is your key?

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Well, it looks old... I know at least since 2001 and almost 30,000 miles.

[Hova]

i have the same problem, but it seems like the lights work just fine, then just randomly, when i turn it a bit more, once in maybe 200-300 starts, it will short somewere, and everything dies, and i have to go to the trunk, unplug the battery, and put it back in.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

my lights work too... just the car won't start

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

i know this is a dumb question but do m3's have like a ignition kill switch attached to the clutch pedal? BTW, mine is a 95.

[BuchbrunnM3]

Could be the starter I think? I remember my first e36 would do the same thing in hot weather. I would turn the key and all the acc and lights would come on and no start. It had something to do with the starter being close to the headers.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Could be the starter I think? I remember my first e36 would do the same thing in hot weather. I would turn the key and all the acc and lights would come on and no start. It had something to do with the starter being close to the headers.

Well, my car is running a lil hotter bc the intake cam is a lil advanced. So, I wonder if that is the problem. So, what did you have to do?

[E30Alpina]

I am having a similar problem and suspect a faulty crank position sensor. It will cause a no fuel no spart problem but everything else will work.

[raysadude]

i know this is a dumb question but do m3's have like a ignition kill switch attached to the clutch pedal? BTW, mine is a 95.

not mine..at first i was really surprised because all of the car that i've had have them

[Pzary3233]

EWS COULD be a problem, but you wouldn't be able to start it in the first place. It wouldn't do anything (starter wouldn't engage or the solenoid wouldn't click), but everything else would work.

Try jumping the top lug of the starter to the main power lug when things go haywire. This way you know that your starter is getting power if it starts.

If it doesn't you know to look at the battery - I've noticed recently that BMWs do NOT like low battery voltage. Mine will not turn over with out a fresh battery.

If it does spin the starter look into EWS.
What year car do you have (build date on door tag)? What DME? OBDI or OBD II?
These are all factors that could play a part of the problem.

I'm diving way ahead of the problem probably. It could simply be that the ignition switch could be starting to go on you... Have fun with that one... I removed the dash and took out the column to get that out! There are safety nuts that don't allow you to just unbolt it. You drill them out.

[Pzary3233]

I am having a similar problem and suspect a faulty crank position sensor. It will cause a no fuel no spart problem but everything else will work.

I did too... it was a ground in my case.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

I did too... it was a ground in my case.

Really, was the problem at?

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

EWS COULD be a problem, but you wouldn't be able to start it in the first place. It wouldn't do anything (starter wouldn't engage or the solenoid wouldn't click), but everything else would work.

Try jumping the top lug of the starter to the main power lug when things go haywire. This way you know that your starter is getting power if it starts.

If it doesn't you know to look at the battery - I've noticed recently that BMWs do NOT like low battery voltage. Mine will not turn over with out a fresh battery.

If it does spin the starter look into EWS.
What year car do you have (build date on door tag)? What DME? OBDI or OBD II?
These are all factors that could play a part of the problem.

I'm diving way ahead of the problem probably. It could simply be that the ignition switch could be starting to go on you... Have fun with that one... I removed the dash and took out the column to get that out! There are safety nuts that don't allow you to just unbolt it. You drill them out.


95 m3 obd1... Im guessing 413. I'll check the build date tomorrow. Another embarrassing... where is the starter located? Any pics?
Ohh, how do you check your voltage from the 18 button OBC??

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

So far we have...
Starter
Crankshaft position sensor
EWS/Computer
Read about frayed wires in trunk
Battery
Ignition switch
?????
I really feel like the problem is from more heat somewhere.

[bennyfizzle]

Could be the starter I think? I remember my first e36 would do the same thing in hot weather. I would turn the key and all the acc and lights would come on and no start. It had something to do with the starter being close to the headers.

Damn, you got one of them JDM M3's?

[ASC OFF]

Damn, you got one of them JDM M3's?

:lol:lol:lol:lol

[themadhatter]

Really, was the problem at?
'95s do not have the clutch pedal/ignition lock out.

check your ground strap connecting the motor to one of the engine mounts (passenger side I think). if it's loose or corroded then you're not going anywhere any time soon.

if your starter is going south (check for power) then give it a whack with a hammer to see if it unfreezes.

[BuchbrunnM3]

Damn, you got one of them JDM M3's?

I don't know what you mean? This was about 5 or 6 years ago and from what I remember people had problems in the heat because something about their starters being too close to the exhaust manifolds(headers)...Oh yeah I didn't have an M3 back then just an E36 325i fyi.

[bennyfizzle]

I don't know what you mean? This was about 5 or 6 years ago and from what I remember people had problems in the heat because something about their starters being too close to the exhaust manifolds(headers)...Oh yeah I didn't have an M3 back then just an E36 325i fyi.

Regardless it's on the opposite side of the motor, it's directly under the intake mani.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

'95s do not have the clutch pedal/ignition lock out.

check your ground strap connecting the motor to one of the engine mounts (passenger side I think). if it's loose or corroded then you're not going anywhere any time soon.

if your starter is going south (check for power) then give it a whack with a hammer to see if it unfreezes.

I didn't think that it did. i'll check into the ground strap. Why would it be the passenger side since the starter is on the driver's side.

[Pzary3233]

95 m3 obd1... Im guessing 413. I'll check the build date tomorrow. Another embarrassing... where is the starter located? Any pics?
Ohh, how do you check your voltage from the 18 button OBC??

Starter is way back on the drivers side under the intake... for me it was easiest to take the manifold off...

Use a volt meter, much easier to use. You can also probe different places.


'95s do not have the clutch pedal/ignition lock out.

check your ground strap connecting the motor to one of the engine mounts (passenger side I think). if it's loose or corroded then you're not going anywhere any time soon.

if your starter is going south (check for power) then give it a whack with a hammer to see if it unfreezes.

I'd disagree with the clutch pedal ignition lock out... I have an 11/95 OBDI car... It DOES have one.

Yes Groundings are IMPORTANT!

[Pzary3233]

FYI

Try my thread on not getting the car to start:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14223949#post14223949

[BuchbrunnM3]

Hmm that's weird. Guess I was wrong. I could have sworn that a few years ago when I had the starting problem people said it had something to do with the starter or some solenoid and it being close to the exhaust manifold....It seems like I remember people wrapping something with heat wrap to reduce this. I got stuck several times at places and had to push the car or roll it and pop the clutch the get it going...

[bennyfizzle]

Hmm that's weird. Guess I was wrong. I could have sworn that a few years ago when I had the starting problem people said it had something to do with the starter or some solenoid and it being close to the exhaust manifold....It seems like I remember people wrapping something with heat wrap to reduce this. I got stuck several times at places and had to push the car or roll it and pop the clutch the get it going...

Maybe in a Mustang or something

[BuchbrunnM3]

Maybe in a Mustang or something

Umm no, this was before I ever owned my first Mustang it was def. my E36. Must have been something else close to the manifold...

[bennyfizzle]

Idk there's pretty much nothing that would be affected by heat near the exhaust manifolds..what I meant with my last comment was that's more of an issue on V8 cars as their starters are generally mounted right under the exhaust manifolds on one side or the other.

[themadhatter]

Starter is way back on the drivers side under the intake... for me it was easiest to take the manifold off...

Use a volt meter, much easier to use. You can also probe different places.



I'd disagree with the clutch pedal ignition lock out... I have an 11/95 OBDI car... It DOES have one.

Yes Groundings are IMPORTANT!
there must have been a change in production through '95 as my buddy's old '95 did not have one.

[bennyfizzle]

Every 1995 E36 M3, 325, or 318 I've been in have NOT had a clutch switch.

[vertius]

there must have been a change in production through '95 as my buddy's old '95 did not have one.

My 03/94 doesn't have one.

[Pzary3233]

Mine is so close to having an OBDII motor in it that I bet that would be the reason...

OP what did you find out?

btw, mine was just finding the grounds cleaning them, and replacing the relays for the DME and fuel pump.

[BuchbrunnM3]

Idk there's pretty much nothing that would be affected by heat near the exhaust manifolds..what I meant with my last comment was that's more of an issue on V8 cars as their starters are generally mounted right under the exhaust manifolds on one side or the other.

That's cool, at first I thought you were questioning my remembering which one of my cars it happened on LOL. I thought you may have seen the thread where I traded a Mustang for my M3. Anyway, yeah who knows?

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

My car is 02/95 so... does it have the clutch pedal ignition lock out? I always let tt turn the car off so it is always in neutral... so i never push the clutch. I just started pushing the clutch and knock on wood it has been working for about 2 days.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Im going to check my coils bc I think when I changed my engine cover that it only had a ground strap on cyl.6.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

well,i just went to autozone and bought a ground strap for cyl. #3. It didn't have one and I read that it is supposed to have one. Is that correct?

[raysadude]

^^my prod. date is 04/95 and the ground strap is on cyl #1 and cyl#6

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

^^^^ Well, either way it only had one so I believe it needs another one. Mine is 02/95

[bennyfizzle]

Some people swear by adding extra coil ground plates so all of the coil pack grounds are connected, and having a ground strap for each coil.

I was thinking about doing this this winter.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Man, this problem is really starting to piss me off. I just had to leave the car at work. I'm sure it will start when it is cool. I sure wish someone could give me a solid answer.

[Getconnectedav]

get it started and bring it somewhere to pull codes. come back here with codes and ask for further assistance. there are too many ways for your symptom to occur.

-check all fuses and relays please and report here.
-chk voltage at starter and report it here.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

get it started and bring it somewhere to pull codes. come back here with codes and ask for further assistance. there are too many ways for your symptom to occur.

-check all fuses and relays please and report here.
-chk voltage at starter and report it here.

I'll do that but there is no CEL.

[pbonsalb]

I think your starter solenoid is failing. A rebuilt starter from California Alternator and Starter on Ebay (a quality rebuilder) is about $100 with no core. Some autoparts stores can test your starter but I do not know if they will catch an intermittent failure in the solenoid.

[BuchbrunnM3]

I think your starter solenoid is failing. A rebuilt starter from California Alternator and Starter on Ebay (a quality rebuilder) is about $100 with no core. Some autoparts stores can test your starter but I do not know if they will catch an intermittent failure in the solenoid.

This is what I thought but I guess I was wrong on the location, I thought it was near the headers...

[pbonsalb]

Headers are on the other side of the engine. Solenoid failure does not have to be related to header heat like it is on some domestic V8s.

[Tim95M3]

I am having the same problem with a car at work, 95 m3 5 speed, no clutch switch, intermittent no start... EWS is properly aligned and recognizing the key, no codes, fresh battery. Haven't had much time to look at it but it would be nice to have some answers

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

I think your starter solenoid is failing. A rebuilt starter from California Alternator and Starter on Ebay (a quality rebuilder) is about $100 with no core. Some autoparts stores can test your starter but I do not know if they will catch an intermittent failure in the solenoid.

well, by-god i will be putting in a new starter. i have had enough with problem.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

I am having the same problem with a car at work, 95 m3 5 speed, no clutch switch, intermittent no start... EWS is properly aligned and recognizing the key, no codes, fresh battery. Haven't had much time to look at it but it would be nice to have some answers

When ever I figure it out for sure i will tell you.