Please help me solve this STARTING issue....

[TheM3]

Hello all..

Can you please help me solve this STARTING issue I am having PLEASE.
I would be greatly appreciative.
-TIA

I'll start my car up, let it warm up before I drive it for a consist while then shut it off because I have came to my designation. I park the car there for at least 10-15mins and I come back and the car will not start back up? But then if I wait 15-30mins. the car will start up again, but I can feel it having a little trouble starting up, but it will start.

What could it be that is making me wait 15-30mins. before the car starts back up again?

But then I am getting power inside the car, cluster lights all show up, lights in the car works, the stereo works and the climate control blows hard, but the car will not start, not even a sound of a crank or turn.

I am thinking weak battery.
The alternator?
The starter?

What is it?
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks you guys.

[monster m]

I had a similar issue. Mine had like a spinning bearing sound when starting.
I replaced the starter,solved the problem.Replacing it was a bitch though, laborwise.

[nickdrivesm3]

what year M3?

[TheM3]

what year M3?
98 m3 sir

[TheM3]

I had a similar issue. Mine had like a spinning bearing sound when starting.
I replaced the starter,solved the problem.Replacing it was a bitch though, laborwise.

was it that hard to do?
dayam could be the starter.

Edit: mine did not make a spinning noise like yours did. It just started up.

[JuM3]

if it's not turning, probably electrical... if it was, it would of been fuel related. to test the batter, do that code on your obc for the volt meter.. i forgot what it was..

search OBC secrets or somethign....

good luck, i'm sure someone else here will have a better idea on what it is.

[JuM3]

wait does the engine turn over? if so, and you're having a problem starting, but it starts eventually (just takes time)?

[TheM3]

wait does the engine turn over? if so, and you're having a problem starting, but it starts eventually (just takes time)?

No sound to the engine until I get it started after 15-30mins of waiting.

Yeah i am going to have the battery tested out tomorrow to see if it is good or not.
If its not good then I am going to get a Die Hard Battery? Any recommendations?

[malter]

have the same problem. wiggle the cable to your battery terminal. 100% of the time does the trick.

its e36 ... is falling apart

[TheM3]

have the same problem. wiggle the cable to your battery terminal. 100% of the time does the trick.

its e36 ... is falling apart
ahaha

Yeah it seems like I have to wait for something to re-energize before the car starts again. Like for instants, the BATTERY..?
But then like I said everything in the car works, climate control blows hard with stereo on along w/ interior lights.

[malter]

oh, there is also the infamous cold start problem, which usually goes away after 30 sec of idling. if you try to take off before that you are guaranteed to stall. there is a 55+ page revolving thread about the issue and to this day nobody has any concrete solution for it.

I love this car.

[BMWManiac]

along with the never ending shimmy.....clutch squeak/creak.....gotta love it

[thejlevie]

If don't even hear a click from the starter, either the solenoid isn't getting a start signal or the solenoid is bad. If you hear a click but the engine doesn't turn over, either theres no power to the starter or the starter is bad.

In the first case a problem with the ignition switch or wiring to the solenoid (or on later production cars a problem with EWS) could be the cause. In the second case a failing battery, loose primary power connection, or flaky immobilizer fuse are possibilities.

[TheM3]

If don't even hear a click from the starter, either the solenoid isn't getting a start signal or the solenoid is bad. If you hear a click but the engine doesn't turn over, either theres no power to the starter or the starter is bad.

In the first case a problem with the ignition switch or wiring to the solenoid (or on later production cars a problem with EWS) could be the cause. In the second case a failing battery, loose primary power connection, or flaky immobilizer fuse are possibilities.

I did a diagnosis and it pulled fault code.
It pulled up a CODE about the EWS system? Does it have to do something w/ the alarm system in the car?
If it does then dont have a factory alarm anymore, but i do have an after market one, would that have anything to do w/ the starting problem and why its pull the EWS fault code?

What does the EWS consist of and how does it work from keep my car from starting after a long 15-30 mins wait?

Help?

[TheM3]

Bump

any ideas guys?

[gcpro]

Did you get this resolved?
My 95 does the same thing. It is certainly confusing in that
(a) the voltage does not drop at all when attempting to start (the lights don't dim, a voltmeter shows stable reading)
(b) getting a jump from someone ALWAYS gets it to start (both connection in front or back works)
(c) battery was checked by Sears (its a diehard), supposedly, as was the alternator (although I am always suspicious of Sears when it comes to potential battery replacement issues)

[Getconnectedav]

yes ews is the factory alarm sys. you can circumvent it by clipping 1 wire. pinn 66 i believe, please search tho. for better instructions. this is a DIY. I had a shop do it while mine was in for other reasons. OP tell us what happened!

[YellowM3er]

I am having the exact same problem.... the werid thing i noticed, that no one has mentioned yet is that when i first started getting this problem (the no sound from engine when trying to start just aux lights etc...) i held the key in the starting position and eventually it just suddenly starts up, perfectly fine no hesitation. and it comes and goes... i can go a month without an incident and just recently its been doing it again.. ALOT more and no matter how long i hold it, it does not crank over. and so now iam caring a booster pack in the car at all times... ( a real bitch) and it starts up everytime when boosted. like someone mentioned.

its really fustrating.... anyone els got an ideas? weak battery?

[Theodore]

Check your clutch switch. I had a similar issue and this was the culprit. Cheap enough, and it would strand me if my car was hot. For some reason, it never happened if it was cold out, or the first start of the car, but if I went some place, it was a roll of the dice as to whether or not it would start again.

[YellowM3er]

its not the clutch switch.. thats been replaced.... iam guessing something electrical or battery orientated...hmm

[pbonsalb]

For me it was the starter, probably the solenoid, and got worse and worse. I would have to turn the key 10 times before it would crank sometimes.

I have also had the loose battery cable at the battery terminal (or battery ground) problem before. That one is easy to fix and the first thing to check.

[Balthazarr]

The Starter can get hot and create resistance to current preventing it from turning.
Cooling alleviates the problem.

Other reasons mentioned here are certainly possibilities.
Just check them all.

[TheM3]

when i did have the issue back in the dayssss it was my starter..
then later it was my clutch switch...
ever snice i put in new parts.. no issue starting anymore.

Edit: ahah what an old thread i didnt relize the post date.
Thanks for shimming in GUYS, very helpful

[joe91985]

+1 on clutch switch for anyone that has not replaced it yet, that thing gets used a whole lot! I also have seen numerous different BMW's where the battery terminals were loose causing the same issue.

My $.02

[YellowM3er]

hmmm well my starter was replaced... new clutch switch... so not sure... but u guys said the battery ground? do i just check the ground terminal? or u guys talking about something els?

[pbonsalb]

Many replacement starters are rebuilt and rebuilt poorly.

[DarthBimmer]

Take a good look at your grounding strap. Was the culprit for me. Mine was right behind the alternator.

[Balthazarr]

Take a good look at your grounding strap. Was the culprit for me. Mine was right behind the alternator.

Bad grounds are mostly the cause of elec problems.

[TheClaw555666]

i would say the bendix is going bad, its probably warpped and has to cool off the return to shape enough to eject. or your solenoid is going bad, thats where the cold start prob would come from...either way you almost always replace both at the same time any way, so replace your starter and you should be good. i've been through 5 starters and 6 solenoids...in a year...the solenoid would also be whats making some people have to hold the key down. that was my first starter.


just hope no one ends up like me at one point:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/TheClaw555666/325i/101_2373.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/TheClaw555666/325i/101_2372.jpg