Starting Problems

Hi

The problem I seem to be having is that on occasion, the car refuses to start. All the red warning lights on the dash will lite up and I can hear a clicking from the starter solonoid but no engine starting noise. I have just replaced the ignition switch with no luck as I still have the problem. It also seems to take the car a long time to crank when I start it in the morning, about 6 seconds as the engine just turns and turns but does not start. The only way I can get it to start is to pump the accelerator. The engine starts with no problem at all when it is warn allthough I still get the problem of no activity from the starter motor, just the solonoid clicking. Has anyone got an idea of what this might be. Im guessing it means that the starter motor need a recondition. Does anyone else have any ideas?

Thanks 

Hi

Sorry about that, this is another one of the posts where I think I was hung over when I wrote it . What I meant to say is that it occasionaly gives me the problem of the starter motor solonoid clicking and no engine turn over. Most of the time, it seems to start but takes a long time to crank. I get the problem of a dead starter motor on average about every 2 weeks. The only way I can get the car started is to push it!

Hope that clears up what I wanted to say.

Thanks

Sounds like a dead battery, when they are nearly empty all they do is click, untill they are dead comletely. Seams like when you get it to start by pushing it may hold a bit of charge from running, enought to slowely turn it over.

Try slack fan belt (may be wrong, but usually connected to alternater) if its slipping it won't be charging properly, I had this once on a E30 316. Earthing problem? Short somewhere draining battery?

Other than that, no idea.

Hi

Thanks guys for all this advice. I will get on and check all the things you have suggested and get back to you with an update.

Thanks

Hi

I would normally think that it is the solenoid, but this would not explain why It would start perfectly when the engine is warm. Could this have something to do with the viscosity of my oil? It is 20W50 rated. Or is it possible that when the engine is hot, the contacts expand far enough to engage the starter motor fully, but when they are cold they are too far away from the armature?

Thanks

I reckon it's your battery mate, if you have a drop tester you can check it, if not a garage will do it for free. Another way to do it if you can get the top off the battery, see if it's bubbling when you try to start it, this means it's gone. Using a meter to measure the voltage will merely tell you what it is at the time. Try seeing what the voltage is before starting when cold though, if it's less than 12v then you need a new battery, it should go up to about 13 or 14 when the engine is running.

Just to put forward a theory, it is possible that the battery in my car is not powerful enough to turn the engine over except when it is almost fully charged right after the engine has just run?

Would anybody happen to have the BMW recommended battery size and specifications for my car?

CAR = 1987 E30 320i

Thanks

Found it in my old owners handbook (chrome bumper model).

BMW 316, 318i   12v, 44 Amph
BMW 320i, 323i   12v, 50 Amph



Edited by Rhys

All of the advice here is sound, but I would add one more point. If there is a break or a poor connection in any of the heavy battery cables or the earth cables between engine and body, this will often give the symptoms you suggest. Temperature changes or movement of the engine on its mounts may make or break the connection, intermittently.

Having said that, you need to get the alternator belt sorted as a priority. Then check the voltage across the battery, you should get 12 - 12.5 volts with the engine off, and 13.8-14.4 with the engine running.

Hi

To get to what Neileg is saying about a possible break in the heavy duty battery cables. Are you talking about every high power cable in the engine or just the cables running from the battery to the starter.

I have just checked the voltage on the battery and with the engine running I get exactly 13.8 V. This is on the low side. Could that indicate an alternator problem, maybe with the voltage regulator on it?

I have just been searching the internet for people who are having the same problems with starting, and apparantely one of them said that there mechanic informed them that it was the 'Fuel Pressure Regulator' causing a fall in pressure when the car has not been started for a while. But, it will start when the engine has just been on because the fuel has not had time to leak away from the fuel rail. He also mentioned a strong smell of fuel when the car finally started, which is exactly what I get too. Could this be the problem and is it expensive to rectify?

The thing that makes this problem annoying is that when I crank the engine and it takes about 5 seconds to turnover, I can then turn the engine off and start it again (while its cold) and it will crank perfectly, taking about half a second to start.

The problem that is bugging me is that I have been advised by friends to take it to an Auto Electrician and have the starter reconditioned. I could easily spend upwards of 300 pounds on this problem and still get nowhere, which is totally out of the question as Iam a poor student.

But hey, even if it takes every sent i have (and she does) its worth it for the 'Sheer Driving Pleasure' that only BMW's provide.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I will start with the small, cheap solutions and work my way up and just hope I find something wrong that is easy to repair

Thanks

Edited by BeemaBoy