M44Snore
08-23-2024, 02:59 AM
Hi everyone, hopefully this forum is still semi-active at least, it looks like it is. Anyways, I'm currently dealing with a really weird combined set of issues on my E36.
Car is a 02/96 US 318i w/ a 5speed.
**tl;dr before i tell the entire story;
No crank, warm engine, all accessories BESIDES power windows fully functional; CC, Radio, Headlights, etc
Dashboard lights operate as normal as if i have fired up the engine (DME going through its routine check of all systems) BUT, the battery and oil light are stale red. I assume the oil light is just not able to be checked off because the engine isn't idling. The thing is, i just replaced the battery maybe 6 months ago, so I'm hesitant to buy a new one but I'm afraid its the only way to surely check it off the list, since they are so commonly the source of issues on E36s. **
So,
I let my friend drive my car, he stalls it twice in the lot and then it was all smooth for the 10 min drive back to his place. We get there, he parks it, turns the ignition off and out comes a pretty odd sound within the dash, it sounded like the normal fan slowing down but amplified. After that it wouldn't crank, and the front windows wouldn't go back up. As i said, everything else functions as usual. It was pretty late at night so he ended up giving me a ride back to my place and i went over the next day. Arrived, the car was completely dead. I would get power for a few seconds using a jumppack, then the lights would just dim out. Connected the battery to my friends running car and it was as before, ALL GOOD ASIDE FROM STARTER AND POWER WINDOWS. I'm frustrated. WTF WAS THAT SOUND? I've done an entire days worth of research and nothing has worked.
I charged the battery till it read 12.8v and threw it in this morning, still has the issue. Seems like i may have a drain somewhere because when i took it to oreillys to have it tested, they told me it needed to be charged. Maybe i tried cranking it too many times? If that's the issue would that mean my starter is dead and receiving power but not operating?
Suspicious of the EWS being the issue, i followed this test
https://www.rpmmotorsport.net/pages/bmw-ews2-testing-before-replacement?srsltid=AfmBOopmYuiSlB0R7ajZ2S5tB0VA-mJaYjMdCO598DuqTA7OyVstZyPw
Bridged pin 1 and 3 to no avail, i think the car is supposed to crank but mine does not, does that cross EWS off the list entirely? Both bridged pins and the ignition switch are all getting 11.8v give or take a few hundredths. So, i guess my EWS is bad, but why did it not crank when i eliminated the EWS by bridging the wiring?
I'm just stumped at this point, hoping one of you E36 wizards on here can help me understand the issues I'm facing. Thanks a lot. No jokes, ill buy you a drink if you can point me in the right direction of successful repair.
Car is a 02/96 US 318i w/ a 5speed.
**tl;dr before i tell the entire story;
No crank, warm engine, all accessories BESIDES power windows fully functional; CC, Radio, Headlights, etc
Dashboard lights operate as normal as if i have fired up the engine (DME going through its routine check of all systems) BUT, the battery and oil light are stale red. I assume the oil light is just not able to be checked off because the engine isn't idling. The thing is, i just replaced the battery maybe 6 months ago, so I'm hesitant to buy a new one but I'm afraid its the only way to surely check it off the list, since they are so commonly the source of issues on E36s. **
So,
I let my friend drive my car, he stalls it twice in the lot and then it was all smooth for the 10 min drive back to his place. We get there, he parks it, turns the ignition off and out comes a pretty odd sound within the dash, it sounded like the normal fan slowing down but amplified. After that it wouldn't crank, and the front windows wouldn't go back up. As i said, everything else functions as usual. It was pretty late at night so he ended up giving me a ride back to my place and i went over the next day. Arrived, the car was completely dead. I would get power for a few seconds using a jumppack, then the lights would just dim out. Connected the battery to my friends running car and it was as before, ALL GOOD ASIDE FROM STARTER AND POWER WINDOWS. I'm frustrated. WTF WAS THAT SOUND? I've done an entire days worth of research and nothing has worked.
I charged the battery till it read 12.8v and threw it in this morning, still has the issue. Seems like i may have a drain somewhere because when i took it to oreillys to have it tested, they told me it needed to be charged. Maybe i tried cranking it too many times? If that's the issue would that mean my starter is dead and receiving power but not operating?
Suspicious of the EWS being the issue, i followed this test
https://www.rpmmotorsport.net/pages/bmw-ews2-testing-before-replacement?srsltid=AfmBOopmYuiSlB0R7ajZ2S5tB0VA-mJaYjMdCO598DuqTA7OyVstZyPw
Bridged pin 1 and 3 to no avail, i think the car is supposed to crank but mine does not, does that cross EWS off the list entirely? Both bridged pins and the ignition switch are all getting 11.8v give or take a few hundredths. So, i guess my EWS is bad, but why did it not crank when i eliminated the EWS by bridging the wiring?
I'm just stumped at this point, hoping one of you E36 wizards on here can help me understand the issues I'm facing. Thanks a lot. No jokes, ill buy you a drink if you can point me in the right direction of successful repair.