Stumped with Starter - What Am I Missing?

[johngalt]

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this and what I've missed. Have a 1986 325e, manual. Picked it up as a project from someone who gave up after he couldn't figure out how to get it started. It has been sitting for about 2 years.

The best I can get is solenoid clicking, both from the key and jumping the diagnostic port. Starter motor spins when power is applied across the starter lugs.

Here's what I've done so far:

New starter. Black and red wires connected to large post, black/yellow to solenoid terminal at top.
New battery
12v+ at battery in trunk, at engine bay terminal, and at starter lug. No significant voltage losses between battery and starter.
11+v at solenoid when switched.
Cleaned battery terminals, ground points in trunk and engine bay, replaced oil pan - frame ground wire
And for what it's worth, motor can be turned by hand at the crankshaft

To me this seems like a ground problem and I need to go back through and clean up the ground points. But is there another connection I'm missing?

Thanks.

[reelizmpro]

Well have you tested the starter off the car to make sure the bendix is extending out and turning to engage the flywheel? If it is, then it's not the problem and you should start looking at the flywheel.

[ForcedFirebird]

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/24v-engine-swaps/m50-52-s50-52/147577-hey-r3v-how-do-my-starter-wires-look/page2#post4637665

Black/yellow goes on bottom terminal, top is for the k5/k7 relay on late models so the windows etc won't work during cranking. In your car (early models) the top terminal is not used. Back in the day we would have to purchase a late model-specific starter (or ground the k5/k7, but then accys work while cranking), now they all come with dual posts AFAIK. Same with the horrible design of the early alternators with the rubber mounts and separate ground strap just for the alternator.

[johngalt]

Thank you, ForcedFirebird! That was it! And because the previous guy had it hooked up the same way I didn't think twice about it. Moving Black/yellow to the bottom terminal did the trick.