Help! 2.7i no crank!

[GoochE30]

My car is a 1987 325 with the top end of a 1987 325i. I just finished putting the engine back together with the 885 head, larger intake, and other odds and ends. I didn’t change the starter as it worked just fine when I daily drove the car. I drove the bmw right into the garage to do the build.

12.5v to starter power wire
12.5v to starter signal wire
Jumped the terminals with a screw driver (sparks but no cranking)
Ran a jumper cable from the + distribution block to the negative starter termina.

I did not hit my starter or do anything that would cause it damage. Did my starter just magically die? I also replaced the battery. Could one of the terminals be having issues?

Thanks for your help!!

[e30davie]

Got all your grounds hooked up from the block to the chassis?

There will be a chunky one somewhere. Starter wont work without that.

[GoochE30]

There is a big ground that runs from the oil level sender to the drivers side fender well. It looked good. Any others? And Ive got the harness grounds on there

[tomstin]

(sparks but no cranking)

That would suggest there is a ground of some sort. But I agree, that the ground would be the first place to look. Use a jumper cable from a good body ground to the engine block and try again. If that doesn't work, I would pull the starter and bench test it. That way you could confirm the starter one way or another.

As for the started going magically bad, this is precisely why I don't work on other people's cars. More than once I worked on one thing and something totally unrelated at the other end of the car magically failed.

Assume nothing! Start at the beginning and verify everything. Guessing gets expensive...been there more than once!

[GoochE30]

That would suggest there is a ground of some sort. But I agree, that the ground would be the first place to look. Use a jumper cable from a good body ground to the engine block and try again. If that doesn't work, I would pull the starter and bench test it. That way you could confirm the starter one way or another.

As for the started going magically bad, this is precisely why I don't work on other people's cars. More than once I worked on one thing and something totally unrelated at the other end of the car magically failed.

Assume nothing! Start at the beginning and verify everything. Guessing gets expensive...been there more than once!

Okay thanks for the suggestion. I will try this out today.

[Mpolito3355]

Correct me if i am wrong but can you jump pin 11 and 14(ground) i think .....

basically another way to jump. (if everything is hooked up correctly .....)

i know you said you have ground or think so but i would double check that.

also i know it might be a simple oversight but have you checked relay ??? and again i know your getting spark but you never know.....

plus you dont really want to take the starter out if you dont have to .......

[GoochE30]

Correct me if i am wrong but can you jump pin 11 and 14(ground) i think .....

basically another way to jump. (if everything is hooked up correctly .....)

i know you said you have ground or think so but i would double check that.

also i know it might be a simple oversight but have you checked relay ??? and again i know your getting spark but you never know.....

plus you dont really want to take the starter out if you dont have to .......

Thanks for the suggestions man! Yea I ended up biting the bullet and pulling the starter. It was dead. New starter got the 2.7i fires up!

All my tests showed a bad starter, I just didn’t want to believe it.

[Mpolito3355]

Thanks for the suggestions man! Yea I ended up biting the bullet and pulling the starter. It was dead. New starter got the 2.7i fires up!

All my tests showed a bad starter, I just didn’t want to believe it.

Omg I'm so sorry you had to do this lol I have had the pleasure of doing a starter on my wife's old e36 and I told her never again will I do it or buy another BMW ....well needless to say here I am ......