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E36General discussion and technical help for (E36) 1992-1999 3 series cars. 318, 323, 325, 328.
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Your Ride: 1994 325is
PROBLEM: Car won't start. Help.
My car won't start. I parked my car at school, came out an hour later, and it won't start. Battery is fine. I turn the key to start and nothing happens. I turn the key to on, the cluster lights come on, I turn the key to start and nothing happens. It's as if the ignition wires were cut, which they weren't. So I push started it and it drove fine. What do I do? No fuses are blown. Where do I start troubleshooting?
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Your Ride: 1997 328is and others
Quote:
Originally Posted by BombSquad91
My car won't start. I parked my car at school, came out an hour later, and it won't start. Battery is fine. I turn the key to start and nothing happens. I turn the key to on, the cluster lights come on, I turn the key to start and nothing happens. It's as if the ignition wires were cut, which they weren't. So I push started it and it drove fine. What do I do? No fuses are blown. Where do I start troubleshooting?
Need more info....
Manual? Could be the lockout switch on the clutch pedal.
How do you know the battery is "fine?" How did you test it?
Last edited by C Sean Watts; 04-03-2009 at 08:56 AM..
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Your Ride: 1994 325is
I checked the voltage at the battery and in the engine using the chassis as a ground. 12.9volts. Not the lockout switch. I unplugged it and connected the two wires. Still didn't start. I brought the car to the shop today. I need a car and between school and work I have no time to troubleshoot and fix it. Thanks for the response though.
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Your Ride: 1997 328is and others
Quote:
Originally Posted by BombSquad91
I checked the voltage at the battery and in the engine using the chassis as a ground. 12.9volts. Not the lockout switch. I unplugged it and connected the two wires. Still didn't start. I brought the car to the shop today. I need a car and between school and work I have no time to troubleshoot and fix it. Thanks for the response though.
Sounds like it's in the start circuit, like the relay or the starter, itself.
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Your Ride: 1994 BMW 525i, 1987 325is, 1986 325
Check you voltage at the battery posts themselves, do not use the chassis ground. A fully charged battery should read no more than 12.68 volts. Anything higher is either a surface charge, or can indicate a problem with the battery itself. Try leaving the meter hooked up to the posts and have someone try to crank the car over and watch what the voltage does, if it drops immediately and nothing happens with the car, bad battery. If the voltage doesn't change at all and nothing happens, wiring issue.
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Your Ride: 92 325i
Just to let you know if your battery reads 12V or more. Means nothing. It is the cold cranking amps that matter. All having more than 12V means is that you do not have a dead cell. Not that your battery is fully charged. Having said that. Does your car click when attempting to start it? If it clicks this could mean a battery or starter solenoid. If there is no noise at all. I would check for 12V power at the main starter wire (constant power) and check for switched power at the smaller wire to the solenoid (off then cranking).
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Your Ride: 1994 325is
The starter is getting constant power. It's not getting switched power. So I wired up a push button start. 12v constant going to the switch plate and a wire going to the switched power terminal on the starter. Works fine. Thanks for the input though.
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Your Ride: 1994 BMW 525i, 1987 325is, 1986 325
check the starter relay then, dmm set on ohms pin 85 to 86 should be around 50-100 ohms. 30 to 87a should show continuity 30 to 87 should show open, out of limits, ol, or ofl depending on your meter. Then put power to 85 and 86 you should hear a click and then your reads will be 30 to 87a open and 30 to 87 continuity. If those reads are bad, new relay time, if they're good then its obviously something else in the wiring or ignition switch
04-02-2009, 09:37 PM
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