5/1994 M50 swap into 1989 325iC (wiring harness)

[smooth]

Alright, I'll do that in about 3-4 hours. But would it click if I didn't have power at the relay?

[justin_l_]

Just for shits any giggles, have you tried to turn it over by hand?

[smooth]

Yes I turned it over by hand to make sure nothing was bound up so it's rotating freely at the moment

[smooth]

alright, I've tested it with a test light.
the large cable has power, the small one on the bottom has power, but the small one on top does not have power.

the starter wiring diagram is on page 159 of the ETM (section 1240.0-01). It doesn't seem to show where this third wire should be going or coming from.

can someone help me out with why I might not have power to the small one on top?

[mpowerful]

Take a jumper wire and jump between the main 12v wire and small wire on top. Does it spin the starter?

[smooth]

Take a jumper wire and jump between the main 12v wire and small wire on top. Does it spin the starter?

it does not. I think I may have a loose wire. I'll be back in about 15 with an update.

[mpowerful]

If you jump 12v to the starter solenoid and it doesnt spin it is time for a new starter. Make sure the main 12v feed is guttentight.

[smooth]

so regardless of whether my wiring is correct if I jump from the large wire to the top wire it should try and turn? I can test this even without the harness hooked up? That's a bummer and the last thing I suspected because I started the engine and ran it before yanking the motor and just had it all sitting on the engine stand completely hooked up to the harness and bolted to the block. Hard to believe it went out just sitting there doing nothing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[smooth]

also, with my c101 connected when I test 15 I get 15, 12, 7, 6, and 5 as connected. Is that normal or do I have a short in my fuse box or relay somewhere?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[mpowerful]

I dont know what to tell you. If that starter doesnt kick over by giving 12v to one of the smaller two terminals then
You dont need to go any farther, thatvstarter is done. Dont need the harness hooked up tobdo that just main 12v feed.

[328ijunkie]

Jeez. Lot going on and alot of misinfo.
The small starter terminal is a ground passthrough for the unloader relay. Do not try shorting this to power. sparks/fire will follow

you also mentioned that on your C101 pin 7 has continuity to those others? Something is wrong there....

[smooth]

Thanks for the response.

I'm halfway certain that my dad shorted the small terminal to the large one too because he doesn't listen to me very well when it comes to my car. No fires started and hopefully nothing is damaged from that mistake. Which components do I need to check to make sure nothing else was damaged?

I'll double check wire 7. Is that the only one I need to be concerned about from that list? The others are fine like that or you don't know and so aren't saying one way or the other?

[mpowerful]

I wouldnt say i gave any misinformation. Jumping the solenoid is sure fire test. Jumping the unloader terminal by accident has never one caused a fire in my experience (yeah ive done it a few times). I guess maybe if you used a zero gauge wire and clamped it on haha. Jumping to the solenoid terminal will in fact reliably cause the starter to engage though.

[smooth]

Ok I checked my wiring and 7 and 15 do in fact have continuity. Now to be clear I'm only talking about testing at the c101 connection (body side). With the adapter harness connected the engine side wire 7 isn't connected and there's no continuity between those pins 15 and 7. In order to verify I need someone with a stock e30 to pull the connector off and test between 15 and 7 on the plug that goes directly into the fuse box.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[smooth]

Well this is frustrating...took the starter down to a shop and when power is connected to the medium bottom wire the starter motor turns slowly. I told them they had the starter upside down and the guy put power to the small top terminal and the motor turns like it should but didn't look like the bendix kicked out. So I put the starter back in the car and we're back to where I started...starter clunks and then nothing. Doesn't seem like anything is binding. Same flywheel and starter that came off the motor originally.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk