Intermittent no start

[sheepdog]

Hey all. I am having an intermittent problem with my 1994 525i where it won't start.

Most of the time it starts just fine, but occasionally it will refuse to start.

When the problem occurs, the car has power (radio works and power windows move), but absolutely nothing happens when the key is turned in the ignition. No turn-over, no click, no nothing.

The car is at a repair shop right now, and they cannot reproduce the problem, so they cannot fix it...

Any ideas?

[tkb]

factory alarm issue? this is actually happening to me right now where i have to wait till the factory ignition cutoff to cycle through before i can start it.....i was told to disconnect the battery for an hour so it would reset...hope it works for you as i have not had the chance to try it yet. let me know!

[sheepdog]

factory alarm issue? this is actually happening to me right now where i have to wait till the factory ignition cutoff to cycle through before i can start it.....i was told to disconnect the battery for an hour so it would reset...hope it works for you as i have not had the chance to try it yet. let me know!

I got the car used and it is missing the factory alarm key fob. So the alarm system, if it even exists in this car, is never used. An aftermarket remote entry system was added (made by Clifford), but it has been installed for 10 years or so with no problems.

[chrisdaph]

Hey all. I am having an intermittent problem with my 1994 525i where it won't start.

Most of the time it starts just fine, but occasionally it will refuse to start.

When the problem occurs, the car has power (radio works and power windows move), but absolutely nothing happens when the key is turned in the ignition. No turn-over, no click, no nothing.

The car is at a repair shop right now, and they cannot reproduce the problem, so they cannot fix it...

Any ideas?

I think it could be the "starter immobilizer relay", since I believe you have you have an EWS 1 Drive Away Protection System on your car. Check the relay to make sure it is well-seated/connected. It's in the "A" pillar, above the footwell kick panel speaker.

[Milovius]

I had a friend of a friend with the same problem. His deal was with hot starts. I took one look at his ground wire and replaced it with a new one. Solved the problem. If they are old and cracked, chances are the ground point isn't strong enough to start the car but is strong enough to have the power needed to run radio, headlights, ect.

[bimmer1978]

Which ground wire are you referring to?

[Milovius]

I remember the E34 being a 93 or 94 M50. As I remember it, it was the battery ground on the passenger side.