Starter Motor Replacement

[5Toes]

FFFFFUUUUUU

E30 wouldn't start this morning. It was in neutral and I turned the key to crank it... thens topped after half a second because it wasn't in park.

Then in park it wont crank. Like you turn the key and hear nothing. Very strange. I cycle through all the gears and try again, no luck.

The battery read 12.3 (then I ran some accessories and it went to 11.8 ) volts so it is getting charged now.

I need to check if the starter is getting power... ugh. What about the transmission sensor, I know that could cause a problem like this?

I read you can jump the diag connector pins 11 & 14, would you recommend this?

[Ceeker]

it should start in either neutral or park; however, did you check to see if you get any clicking from the solenoid when you try to start it? Sounds like your starter may have packed it in? either that, or you have a ground problem.

[5Toes]

Battery is still charging now. It has been going for half an hour. I will go and ehck it in 10 minutes and try again.

Ill have my brother crank it with my ear in the engine bay.

[e30shmobberr]

good luck. im having a first start problem with my 24v. shits a bitch

[5Toes]

Starter wont click... I jumped diag connectors pins 11 and 14 and the thing is getting power (test light confirmed)

yippee

[bcausey]

Jumper your starter or take a cheater bar and tap the starter while someone tries to crank it. You will see the lights on the dash light up when you've touched the two together to bypass it. Should fire right up if it's the starter...

[5Toes]

Well I jumped the pins and no luck. I hit on it with a screwdriver as well as I could 5 times then had my Mom hold the key while I hit it a few more times.

Wondering if this will do the trick... cheaper than a new starter. Because most of the time the actual motor or solenoid dont wear out..

http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/products/BMW-6-Series-E24-E63-E64/REPAIR-KIT-STARTER-MOTOR/1275420/12411721297.html

[bcausey]

Have you tried a wire between starter and solenoid + to ground? Or + to - ?your dash should light up and give enough power to turn the starter - worked for me - maybe I got lucky but that was a month ago

[devon.818]

a screw drivver?
be a man and hit it with a hammer, jeez.

[bcausey]

a screw drivver?
be a man and hit it with a hammer, jeez.

Keep hitting and don't be shy- it's pretty solid - keep tapping and cranking until it begins to click- if your battery is good it should eventually click and then keep going knowing all the while a new starter is probably in order- but at $100 bucks after a core fee to keep it starting - every penny worth it

[5Toes]

Ill go at it tomorrow and bang the fucker up.

So considering it doesn't even "click" that means my solenoid is not firing, correct? Im getting the car in the air tomorrow for sure to check all the connections down there.

This is looking appealing...

http://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/products/REPAIR-KIT-STARTER-MOTOR/1275420/12411721297.html

[Baby30]

This happened to me. If you have removed your steering wheel in the last few days or even weeks and disconnected and reconnected anything, go back and see if anything has come lose. That turned out to be my problem a few days after changing the dash lights.

[5Toes]

^ lol what?

[5Toes]

Okay so the solenoid is getting power when the key is turned. Test light confirmed that.

However, after beating on it from underneath and from above... no luck. SO I guess it needs replaced.

What is the easiest way to access the far bolt?

[5Toes]

So after a bunch of reading... I came across this post that is similar to my situation

After replacing the starter and still not getting anything to turn over I broke down and took the car down to my mechanic. After several hours of tests he finally tracked down the problem to a loose cable that connects the engine to the frame. The connection was not providing enough voltage to the starter. He tightened the connection and everything was back to normal. I guess it was a good excuse to paint the manifold at least and I only spent $25 on ebay for a used starter plus $75 for the mechanic's help, now I'm going to put it all back together.

Anybody able to shed any light on this so I can check? His symptoms were identical to mine.

And for those of you who have done it... how did you reach the torx bolts facing the abck of the car? Looks like I gotta get these - http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece...set-68016.html