I recently picked up a pristine (for the most part) '91 318i with meticulous maintenance history, very well-kept car. Yesterday I noticed a slower, more struggled crank when starting the car. This slow crank got worse over 3-4 starts until I went to go out at night and got the buzz/click of the relay (not opening?) at the tail end of the crank, though the car did start. At that point, I didn't take the car out because I knew it would be the last crank I got.
I figured oh well, it's a bad battery. PO replaced the battery previously in 2005, and before that in '99 so I figure it's logical that this would happen now. Today I go to Autozone and they test the battery. The clerk's device tells him I may need an alternator, as the battery is low but not "bad" (56% charge). I return home, put the battery on a charger, and start looking into alternators. I try to jump-start the car so that I can test the alternator itself at autozone, but the car seems to not respond to the jumper cables. All lights function normally, I simply get nothing when I turn the key to "start".
I have ordered an alternator and I'm planning on installing that first thing in the morning so I can get back on the road (this is my daily driver). But I'm worried about the fact that the starter wouldn't crank even with a jump. Does this make sense? Am I overlooking something like a relay, sensor, or other wiring? I'm new to the E30/M42 owner's club so bear with me.
I figured oh well, it's a bad battery. PO replaced the battery previously in 2005, and before that in '99 so I figure it's logical that this would happen now. Today I go to Autozone and they test the battery. The clerk's device tells him I may need an alternator, as the battery is low but not "bad" (56% charge). I return home, put the battery on a charger, and start looking into alternators. I try to jump-start the car so that I can test the alternator itself at autozone, but the car seems to not respond to the jumper cables. All lights function normally, I simply get nothing when I turn the key to "start".
I have ordered an alternator and I'm planning on installing that first thing in the morning so I can get back on the road (this is my daily driver). But I'm worried about the fact that the starter wouldn't crank even with a jump. Does this make sense? Am I overlooking something like a relay, sensor, or other wiring? I'm new to the E30/M42 owner's club so bear with me.
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