Stumped- No crank, No start-Need advise

[SithLord44]

Hello everyone,

A little background on the car. It is a 1995 318 TI Club Sport with the M42 engine. I bought the car basically in bins as it had been sitting for over 7 yrs. I have been putting it together for the last 5 months. I am basically done except for the front bumper install. I have used the search feature and have tried all things recommended. The issue that I am having is that the engine will not turn over. It is not locked up since I can turn it over with no problem. It has a brand new Bosch starter, coil, spark plugs and wires. I have checked all fuses and relays and all are good. It has a brand new battery. I have checked power going to junction box, starter and alternator and all are getting power. I have checked the grounds and all are good. Just to be clear, as far as I can tell, there are 4 main ground points in the engine bay. I have the ground for battery, ground for the DME that is next to battery box, the ground coming from the junction box that goes to the front near the air box and lastly, a ground from the subframe to the engine mount. I have power inside the vehicle as the cluster lights up as wells as all other lights inside. Since I had to put the engine back together, I am trying to build oil pressure before I start the engine. I have removed the spark plugs and wire as well as the fuel pump relay. When I try to start the car, I get a “clack, clack” sound like the starter can’t seem to engage or when the battery just does not have enough juice to get it going. After that, it stops making any kind of sounds. Note that the new starter is a Bosch and it is making the same sound as the old original starter with 300k miles on it. I have a battery charger hooked up when I try to start the vehicle. I did the EWS bypass to see if that was bad and was keeping the vehicle from starting and now I have power to the #50 wire to the starter which I did not before. I have done a voltage drop test on the starter and all is ok. Power is getting to the main feed at 13.1 volts and a signal is getting to the #50 wire when trying to start. Voltage there is also at 13.1 volts. Please note that although I am very mechanically inclined, electrical troubleshooting is not my stronghold. I have very basic knowledge in that department. I would love some advise or guidance to see if I can get this beautiful car started. Thanks. Alex

[gc325is]

If you have 12 battery direct to the starter and then apply 12 v to the solenoid #50 connector the car will crank. You can try this on the bench with the old starter too. The car will not start but the engine should crank. Thus eliminating the starter. The start signal power however goes thru the relay and ignition switch and EWS and possibly a clutch disable switch. But at least you know if it is electrical or mechanical side. Since you did say you get clack clack it not a "no crank problem", but a slow or faulty crank, low battery bad connections.

[Eric93se]

I think you should make a video with good audio, because clack-clack is not enough for me.

On the starter you can simply bridge the top thick wire with the wire on the small wire on the right side and that will make it crank. You would have to use a wrench that is insulated except for the head that bridges those two terminals, shorting it to ground would not be an option. Like slipjoint pliers where the handle length is insulated except for the head.

[scooper]

maybe you can use alligator clips...

I am chasing a no crank, no start issue myself. My ews module seems to be bad.

[SithLord44]

I know mine is because since I bypassed it, I now get power the starter from the #50 wirer whereas before I was not.

[SithLord44]

Eric93se, Here is the video of the sound. Let me know your opinion. Thanks.

https://youtu.be/9tk9t00CDI0

[Eric93se]

Bad/dead battery or bad starter.

[SithLord44]

Can't be the battery since it is new and on a charger. Especially when I try to start it just to make sure that I have enough juice. As for the starter itself, it is brand new not refurbish and the old one did exactly the same thing. I am not saying that that could not be the case but I find it highly unlikely. Hopefully it will stop raining long enough top try another starter.
Bad/dead battery or bad starter.

[Eric93se]

The chassis to engine ground is a thick wire? Like 4-6ga? .like you said it sounds like a power delivery issue.

[XnWarden]

I've had the chassis/engine ground go bad before. It wouldn't do anything if that was the case, no clicking no nothing. Check your starter wiring connections. It's possible you may have something hooked up incorrectly.

[SithLord44]

The chassis/ engine ground is brand new. All ground points in the engine bay were cleaned of any surface corrosion prior to attaching the grounds. I will take some pics of them tomorrow and post them.

I've had the chassis/engine ground go bad before. It wouldn't do anything if that was the case, no clicking no nothing. Check your starter wiring connections. It's possible you may have something hooked up incorrectly.

[gc325is]

Did you do the starter bypass test? New parts and clean terminals should work but then your on this site because it does not.

[SithLord44]

No, no starter bypass test. However, I believe I have it figure it out. Like I had mentioned before, I basically bought the car literally in bins. The engine was completely out of the car and disassembled. The previous onwer had powder coated some of the engine parts to include the engine mount brackets. When I assembled the engine back up, I connected the ground that goes to the engine mount and never removed the powder coat where the ground bolted up to. As a last ditch effort, I connected a battery cable from the engine block to a known good ground point and behold, the car cranked. It still has been raining here so I have not been able to finish tidying everything up but it is a very positive sign. I also belileve that if this is the issue, once I correct the ground issue, I will plug back the EWS which I thought was bad to see if it works. I would venture to say that the engine not being properly grounded has caused that not all things were working as they should. Once I have tidy everything up, I will post another update.
Did you do the starter bypass test? New parts and clean terminals should work but then your on this site because it does not.