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    #1

    Help me diagnose this sound...



    Please excuse the horrible video quality....I recorded this in a hurry this morning in between taking the trash out and warming up my E90 as I'm running late for work. My E30 has been doing this for the last year or so, just about every time I try to start it (keep in mind it's a project and I don't drive, nor start it, all that often). And yes, I realize now that I should have closed the driver door to avoid the "chime" you hear in the background. Sorry.

    It usually takes between 7 and 8 tries before the car actually fires up. Not sure if this is related to the starter or something..hopefully someone can point me in the right direction before I go spending time and money on the wrong parts/work.

    Oh and one other thing. Are the oil level sensor and oil level sender the same thing?

    Thanks fellas!
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    #2
    That could be a bad starter, or fluid collecting in a cylinder. After the car is parked for while use a wrench on the crank bolt to turn the engine. If you feel it hit a hard spot, pull the plugs and try to turn the engine again. If it turns freely then look to see if fluid was expelled from a cylinder.

    If the engine turns okay with the wrench, replace the starter.
    The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
    Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

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      #3
      Jim, can you move to St. Louis to be my personal diagnostic expert extraordaire? We have a race track. And there are some spec e30's in the area. :)
      90 325i DD/Track
      03 Durango 5.9


      Originally posted by e30mpg
      It is recommended to get new gasket but this is R3v and we just copper spray that shit......slap biotch on and tighten to tq.

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by 603Racing View Post
        Jim, can you move to St. Louis to be my personal diagnostic expert extraordaire? We have a race track. And there are some spec e30's in the area. :)
        Unless the schedule changes, I should be in STL this year to race. But I don't think I'm in the mood to move. With all the stuff I have that would be entirely too much work.
        The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
        Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

        Comment

          #5
          Originally posted by jlevie View Post
          That could be a bad starter, or fluid collecting in a cylinder. After the car is parked for while use a wrench on the crank bolt to turn the engine. If you feel it hit a hard spot, pull the plugs and try to turn the engine again. If it turns freely then look to see if fluid was expelled from a cylinder.

          If the engine turns okay with the wrench, replace the starter.
          Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to try that out...in the meantime, anyone else have any idea what's going on?! Someone has to have heard/experienced this before.

          Thanks!

          Comment

            #6
            Here's a better video of the noise:

            Comment

              #7
              I suspect starter teeth worn down or chipped off.
              You have someone starting the car- jack up the front, jackstands etc and crawl under there underneath the starter when your buddy cranks. I bet you find the sound is right there.

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                #8
                Resurrection...

                FINALLY getting around to giving my e30 beater a bit more love...all new belts and water pump. Last few things on the list are figuring out where my brake fluid leak is (think it's one of the rear hard lines) and figuring out what this goddamn noise is. 99.99% sure it's my starter (I was able to source a used one from a fellow r3vlimited member for cheap money), but before I go replacing it, I'm hoping someone can confirm/deny whether the noise in the videos above are starter-related or not.

                As for ethirydavid's last response, you'd think in the 11 months since this update I would have tried this, but no, I have not. The car is up on ramps so I think I'll have my wife try to start the car while I lay below the starter to see if that's where the noise is coming from or not.

                But again, has ANYONE heard the noise I'm hearing in these videos...and if so, wtf is it?!

                Comment

                  #9
                  Your starter keeps disengaging. Two things I'd look at is 1: pull starter take it to local parts store and have them test it. 2: check condition of flywheel, cus that will ruin a flywheel very quickly. Unless you have broken teeth on your flywheel the starter is most likely the issue.
                  sigpic
                  85 swartz/metallic 325E
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                  purchase feed back here=http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...82#post3535282

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by crazyman View Post
                    Your starter keeps disengaging. Two things I'd look at is 1: pull starter take it to local parts store and have them test it. 2: check condition of flywheel, cus that will ruin a flywheel very quickly. Unless you have broken teeth on your flywheel the starter is most likely the issue.
                    Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully it's just the starter...I'll have to check it out.

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