Hellrot318is
01-28-2006, 09:42 PM
Ok, this a 97 318is with about 128K miles.
A while ago, maybe about 2 or 3 weeks ago, I had an the famous key ignition problem. So I wired a switch into the power wire for the ignition, and wired in a radioshack button to start the car. While i had everything apart, the EWS ring wires broke somehow. So I soldered them back on. Once in a while I would flip my switch and try and start the car, but no go. All I hear is the click of my relay. No cranking. HHmm.... so i fumble with the EWS antenna ring and make sure the two wires are connected good and boom, she would start up. So I went ahead and bought a new ring from BMW thinking the problem would be completely fixed. Now, about 8 days of working perfect, I park my car, go out to eat, walked around with the girl and came back almost 2 hours later. Flip my switch and press the button and nothing.....kept trying and trying, and holding the button down and everything. Nothing, only the relay would click.
So i borrow my girls car, drop her off at work, and come back to the car about 20-25 minutes later. Pop in the key, flip the ignition switch, and bam, starts right up! Been working perfect all week since i got the new EWS ring.
I will double check the wiring when I get the car back in my garage, but i am good with wires and soldering so Im sure my connections are very good. Also, i think my charging system is a bit weak (no aftermarket stereo tho), sometimes I start up the car and the lights are a bit dim, but give it some gas and rev it up it comes back to life.
Im thinking it's the starter itself- but do starters work sometimes when they are toward the end of their life though? Or if they die to they just die out and thats it? Or possibly the EWS computer? Could that be acting up?
Any ideas? Thanks
A while ago, maybe about 2 or 3 weeks ago, I had an the famous key ignition problem. So I wired a switch into the power wire for the ignition, and wired in a radioshack button to start the car. While i had everything apart, the EWS ring wires broke somehow. So I soldered them back on. Once in a while I would flip my switch and try and start the car, but no go. All I hear is the click of my relay. No cranking. HHmm.... so i fumble with the EWS antenna ring and make sure the two wires are connected good and boom, she would start up. So I went ahead and bought a new ring from BMW thinking the problem would be completely fixed. Now, about 8 days of working perfect, I park my car, go out to eat, walked around with the girl and came back almost 2 hours later. Flip my switch and press the button and nothing.....kept trying and trying, and holding the button down and everything. Nothing, only the relay would click.
So i borrow my girls car, drop her off at work, and come back to the car about 20-25 minutes later. Pop in the key, flip the ignition switch, and bam, starts right up! Been working perfect all week since i got the new EWS ring.
I will double check the wiring when I get the car back in my garage, but i am good with wires and soldering so Im sure my connections are very good. Also, i think my charging system is a bit weak (no aftermarket stereo tho), sometimes I start up the car and the lights are a bit dim, but give it some gas and rev it up it comes back to life.
Im thinking it's the starter itself- but do starters work sometimes when they are toward the end of their life though? Or if they die to they just die out and thats it? Or possibly the EWS computer? Could that be acting up?
Any ideas? Thanks