Wire color for starter on E30 side?

[Ryan Stewart]

My starter crapped out on me a week ago and I changed it. It was doing the fast ticking that made me think the solenoid was crap.

Well I replaced it and now NOTHING, not even a tick. Noticed fuse (had blown). Pulled the wiring and checked. Got the 12 volts with ignition on from the climate control and such. Got the 12 volts from the battery cable. But when in start I get no voltage to the signal wire. Terminal #30.

Also on both my old starter and my new one I get continuity between pin #30 and the starters body. That doesnt seem right to me at all.

For starters I just want to see why there is no power to the wire on pin 30, I unhooked it and am just trying to make sure that I am at least getting that before I pull this new starter. If someone could confirm the color for the starter on the E30 side it would be greatly appreciated (for an 85 Eta).

[Ryan Stewart]

Ok, I found my diagram and it should be black with yellow stripe on the body side too but even with the harness unhooked I get 12 volts even with the ignition on and none of the pins get 12 volts ONLY when in start.

[Brew]

Should be Black/Yellow according to the ETM.

EDIT: Looks like you figured that out. You may have a problem with your ignition.

[Ryan Stewart]

Well now i have to find out why I am getting 12 volts at the harness plug but not below.

Is there anything else that wire goes to because the wire at the harness plug is huge (like 12 gauge) while the wire that actually goes to the starter is only 18 gauge?

[Addissimo]

Are you getting switched 12v throughout the rest of your harness? Check to make sure the solid green wires are getting switched power- they are the switched 12v wires... though now that I think about it- they dont connect to anything even remotely dealing with the starter...

I just noticed you said the wire going to the starter is only 18awg... it should be 12 as well. You arent confusing the black/green wire for the black/yellow are you?

My starter has 3 posts arranged somewhat like this:
p2
p1 p3

The black/green goes to p1, black/yellow to p2, and the battery & alternator attach to p3.

Black/green is I think pin 15 on the e30 side. It runs the heater blower and windows? do either of those work?

[Ryan Stewart]

The big black green wire goes to the load reduction circuit. Its fine. The two large wires are also fine. The wire I am speaking of is the starter signal wire that goes to the top contact, #30. Its black/yellow. Its not getting power, however it seems that the black yellow where the harness connects to the body harness is getting power whenever the ignition is on.

This is all wierd since it all worked before. Im gonna trace wires today to confirm nothing is broken/shorted.

[Ryan Stewart]

OK, im colorblind. The big wire is the black yellow wire. Everything is hooked up and when you try to start it makes a noise but doesnt turn. It will do that twice and then nothing. Hopefully its just because the battery is dead from never being driven.

[Addissimo]

This is not a picture of a radiator...

[Ryan Stewart]

Ok so I left the battery on the charger and nothing. I can feel a relay clicking in the fusebox but I wasnt aware there was any relay for the starter. And the black/green wire for the load reduction system isnt even hooked up, there is no such wire on the E30 side of it anyway. The a/c fans still shut off when starting the car.

[Addissimo]

so is the starter just whinning or what?

[AdamF 88iS]

FWIW, Black/yellow trigger wire applies for most if not all BMWs, the same as the red/green being swtiched 12 volts, and Brown/White being a controlled ground, brown being normal ground, red being +12 constant, etc. BMW is good about keeping their electricals uniform.

[Ryan Stewart]

No now it sounds like it is engaging once or twice and attempting to turn the engine but nothing. After a couple tries it does nothing. Im only getting 11.4volts from the battery so I am going to put it on a charger and try to get it up to 12.6 (minimum recommended for testing starter).