1988 E30 325IS dead key problem

[Brutal:Engineering]

Turn key ,
No click just hear relays no fuel pump .
Brand new starter brand new CPS sensor
If I arc the starter with a screw driver it just spins.
It won't engage the clutch to make it catch the fly wheel.
I've had my friends running driving E30 here for test parts. Tested main fuse load bearing fuse's.
Theres ohms to the coil and power at the starter this E30 has two computers one next to the steering wheel and one under glove box.
Both look brand new.
Car had 100kkk 1 owner .
The guy I got it from said it would run and then just shut off. It's been sitting in a garage in Texas since 2008.
Like I said now I turn key dash lights up relays click over but it's like something is killing the car motor one crank no clicks nothing dead key.

I appreciate any help :thankyou:

[e30davie]

Does the motor spin by hand? and did you wire the stater properly?

[e30austin]

My guess is a bad starter solenoid, given that you have verified that this engine will turn over and has good compression.

[Brutal:Engineering]

Brand New starter , I can take the old one and get it checked.
I don't think it's the starter I'll try sping the motor over today by hand. When I turn the key , it's a dead key!
No starter noise no clicks no anything like I'm locked out.

There was an old alarm on it they said it would just stop running so they cut it out I have all that mess 😡 in the floor board.

It'd be hard to believe a brand new starter is bad but I have seen this personally 😂 so maybe.
But it's got a new CPS sensor as well.

[e30austin]

Just remember - new does not necessarily mean "good", especially if the starter came from O'Reilly's/Autozone or the like (the quality control is horrible, at best).

Another thing I've seen a lot, is when installing the 8mm and 10mm nuts, if installed too tight, the threads will pull out of the solenoid, rendering your connection null. They should never be ridiculously tight or you will have an issue there (I always use a 1/4" ratchet and get them to where they get snug and no tighter).

[Brutal:Engineering]

No power to green wire at the solenoid

[TobyB]

If the starter just spins when engaged manually, there are 2 possibilities

1- bad or incorrect starter, and the solenoid's not pushing the drive gear out to engage the ring gear

2- broken timing belt leading to bent valves and no compression, thus sounding like
no engine compression. Because there IS none.

The fuel pump for M1.3 won't run until it gets some indication from the crank sensor
that the engine's rotating.

t
no power to the brown wire.

[Robert Fisher]

Might be that alarm had a starter disable function that is still there. I have an alarmed car that can have the alarm set accidentally and it will not start but will run if the starter is jumpered. The key fob button is easily pushed accidentally and must be used to turn off the alarm to get the starter going.