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Thread: S54 Swapped E36 M3: Car won't start after some normal driving

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Redmond, WA
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2004 BMW 325Ci Coupe

    Post S54 Swapped E36 M3: Car won't start after some normal driving

    Hi everyone! I have a bit of an odd problem I haven't encountered on other swapped BMWs I've owned. MY 150k mile S54 swapped E36 M3 will start fine if I haven't driven it that day, but wont start after some driving. On two separate occasions where I went on a drive for 15 minutes, stopped to run an errand and hoped back in the car to the next destination, after I try to start the car at the second destination the car wont start. No crank or anything. However, if I wait a few hours, 3-4 if its parked in the shade, the car will start up fine and run beautifully.

    When it wont start up, I can hear the solenoid in the starter engage. Fuel pump primes and I'm not getting any lights on the dash thrown at me, battery is very healthy too. The temperature outside on those two occasions were 80-85 degrees.

    It must be a heat related issue right? The temp gauge is never over normal operating temperature though.

    If anyone has any solid ideas as to what the issue may be or has had this issue, please let me know, this is super frustrating since its keeping me from driving this car more often!

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Arida Zona
    Posts
    30,107
    My Cars
    z3
    That sounds to me like it is likely that the starter is on it's way out. My S54 did something similar - once hot, it would take 10 or more attempts to get started, sometimes I'd roll the car back a foot or two and then try (never sure if that actually helped or not though). If I let it sit it'd be fine right away

    The starter isn't hard to do on the S54, at least compared to many other I6's from the era the S54 manifold comes off a lot easier and you can do the starter from above with minimal strain. At least that's the case on my Z3. It may be a little tighter on the E36 come to think of it

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    1,344
    My Cars
    LS e39, LT e53
    yep, sounds like you need a starter. simple.
    2006 X5 L83 5.3 6l80 swapped in progress
    1999 528i 5.7L 4l60e swapped w/ 31 spline 8.8 cobra diff
    2007 ZX-10r - sold
    1987 R-10 SWB L83 5.3L 6L80e swapped

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