89 E30 won’t start

[BradfordS1]

First post. New owner. Please have mercy.

I recently purchased a 1989 E30 convertible and for the last month it’s been great. Very happy with this new hobby.

Went out of town last week and when we got back the first crank of the car resulted in a fast clicking sound. I replaced the battery the next day and it started right up. That was two days ago. Yesterday it started just fine. Today is another story.

When I turn the key the car never turns over. The starter goes and goes but never engages.

Any ideas? Admittedly, I don’t know much about this stuff.

Alternator? Fuel pump? Starter?

[superj]

So the starter turns but the engine doesn't?

Or everything turns, but no firing to try and run on its own?


There are a few little things, either way.

Look at your starter and make sure its bolted fully to the trans/engine. Sometimes the bolts back out and the starter spins but the motor doesn't.

Look the front of the engine for a sensor reading one od the pulleys, it should be on the driver side. Wiggle it around.

And also, it could be the fuel pump or something like that. When you turn the key to crank, can you hear the pump under the back seat? If you grab the back seat bottom and yank straight up, it will pop up. You can lift it out and see the round cover over the fuel pump, to make it easier to hear the pump

[DiamondBlackMet]

If problem with starter, check the dinamo starter and solenoid. There's couple problem with starter because its old enough.
If the bolt were lost, replace it and try to give some threadlock.
Check inner dynamo starter, the carbon brush it might have runs out. Or another problem that i have experienced is some plastic parts was crack and stuck to the dynamo to turns.

If problem with fuel pump, check fuelpump relay and try to replace fuel pump if there's no sound from the fuelpump when start the engine.

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[richardodn]

Of the top of my head, I'd say the alternator is not charging the battery. Although it could be a few things. Follow this guide. https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...5#post28741145

[msservices]

Sounds like maybe the starter motor spins but the starter clutch/bendix/solenoid is not kicking the gear out into the flywheel maybe?

[DiamondBlackMet]

Is that the fuel pump work? If engine crank, the problem might from the fuel line. If no cranck check the dinamo starter first.

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