318is will not start

[Sophia69IS]

1991 318is M42


I went out to drive to work about two weeks ago it won't start.

When I get into the car, and turn that key, the starter makes a clicking noise, not a bunch, just a few.

Normally, I would think "oh the starter is finished" BUT it is only two years old.

I thought "well, I will try and jump the damn thing" so I attached it to my roommates vehicle (2001 Honda Accord) and, even with the jumpers attached to the battery in the boot, same thing, clicking from the starter.

Here is the interesting part, when I tried jumping the car from the jumppack under the hood in the front, the starter motor will turn the motor over, it doesn't start, but it will at least turn over, which leads me to believe the starter is still working.

My other post, a little further down, was still never resolved as to the high idle. Which the car was doing before it just stopped starting.

Anyone have any good ideas? I have charged the battery all the way up, I have checked my fuses, and connections to the starter, they all seem to be good.

This is my only current car so I am riding a bicycle everywhere, which sucks since I live in the Pacific Northwest.

Please help!

And happy thanksgiving!

Cheers!


Update: as of today, tried to find a short with a multi-meter going from the fusebox, was unable to find one, the jump pack at the front of the car is receiving 12 volts from the battery. I'm stumped.


Your destiny is to help me, search your feelings.

Signed,
Darth Vader

[Sophia69IS]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8b3qtw9len5nhnm/VID_20121124_111231.m4v

This is what is sounds like when trying to start

[FredK]

I'd try a known-good battery from another car. It might be that you have a dead cell in your battery, which reads fine voltage-wise (12V) but it lacks the current to turn the engine over unassisted.

Another culprit could be that you have a poorly grounded engine. The engine is grounded through a fairly large cable on the driver's side frame rail. If the cable is frayed nearly to the point of failure, this could also lead to problems cranking the engine. Corrosion, age, or engine movement can cause a ground cable to fail.

[Sophia69IS]

^^ Thank you sir, you were indeed correct.

Update: Cleaned a bunch of different connections with diet Coke and put it all back together and shit started right up.


Anyhow, the idle is still high, so you should help me with that instead.

Basically the car idles fine when it first starts up, but as the motor warms up, the idle starts to go up and starts idling around 1500 RPMs....any ideas?

Don't fail me again.

[toointoxicated60]

sounds like a vacuum leak.

Alas you have a m42, check the mess under the intake.

[randomdude]

Ya sounds lika vacuum leak.try pushing hoses,look for cracked hardened old hoses if you find any order up new hoses all around. Ounce of cheap prevention.I hope its not an IAC valve.

[jibco]

Anyhow, the idle is still high, so you should help me with that instead.

Basically the car idles fine when it first starts up, but as the motor warms up, the idle starts to go up and starts idling around 1500 RPMs....any ideas?

Don't fail me again.

I had a sticky ICV that would oscillate the idle from 500 to 1500. Backprobing the ICV leads showed the voltage changing for some time before the valve would unstick, and move to a new location, then the voltage would wind up the other direction and cause the valve to go right back where it was. (I'm trying to describe control system overshoot because of a mechanical problem here.)

To test for a sticky valve, if you have access to it... while your engine is idling steady at 1500, tap the ICV housing a few times with the handle of a screwdriver or similar. If the DME is sending the volatage to reduce idle speed and the valve is unstuck by your wack, it will reduce rpm and maybe even stall.

Your path from there is to remove ICV, clean, lube, and re-install.