K5 & K7 (in the fuse box) are the unloader relays. The starter solenoid (on cars built after 8/87) grounds the coils when the starter isn't engaged to close the relays.
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Unloader Relay Issues
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Bump for another car fixed! Instead of wrestling with the starter again only to argue with autozone that it wasn't a good starter. I wired the unloader wire to one of the studs on the housing of the starter. Everything works like a charm!Current: '91 DS M3, '03 TS M3 (6MT)
'06 Chevy 2500 Duramax - Race car hauler, '90 Corvette - Weekend toy
Past: '88 AW M3, '87 RB M6, '98 CS M3, '88 DS M3, '88 Zinno M3, '88 AW SETA (facelift),
1988 Super E (Bronzit - grey wrap)- RIP, 1986 353, 1986 VW Jetta (vr6) - Racecar
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windows and fan inop, except with front door open
Thanks for this thread. Fixed an intermittent problem a few years back. If I hit a bump or turned the fan and windows quit working. One day I discovered when the fan was out that the windows also worked when the front door was open - which it also does normally without ignition on. Finally I had enough keywords to find this forum thread.
Problem turned out to be a nut loose on the starter where the unloaders get their ground.
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Sorry to bump an old thread but this appears to be right around the issues I am having.
Background: I have a 5/87 build date S14 swapped into a 3/89 build date 325i cabriolet.
Issue: I have intermittent blower motor & window operation similar to what others posted in this thread. I have swapped unloader relays with no success.
I see lots of later motors swapped into earlier cars, but not usually the other way around. As far as I can tell, I have the old style 3-post starter based on the build date (5/87) of my departed henna M3. The donor chassis is a 3/89 build date.
I'm wondering if this could be my problem? Does the chassis expect four wires, and the starter solenoid only has 3 connections? Any help here would be fantastic. Thanks!
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Originally posted by IronJoe View PostIssue: I have intermittent blower motor & window operation similar to what others posted in this thread. I have swapped unloader relays with no success.
I'm wondering if this could be my problem? Does the chassis expect four wires, and the starter solenoid only has 3 connections? Any help here would be fantastic. Thanks!
Key on powers one side (I think 86) on the unloader coil so then all it needs is a ground on I think 85 to energize. That ground connects to a place on the starter that would get + voltage applied when cranking, but when not cranking is still connected through the windings to ground.
Your later harness/chassis I think should have that wire near the starter - I would first find it - disconnect it and measure/verify it connects to that pin 85 or wherever the unloader needs its ground. Once verified you could connect to a ground (maybe through a small inline fuse) - observer the relay works and windows work - then see if they are still intermittent - suggesting this route since you said intermittent and might need to subdivide the problem to figure out which side has an intermittent fault.
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