87 vert starting issue. One single crank!

[dgut]

I have searched and searched for a similar issues but to no avail! My issue with Furiosa (my car) is that when I turn the ignition key the car does a single crank and dies. The engine turns, stops, I then hear the starter free spin? Engine is not turning, starter is free spinning. No grinding noises. I got spark, fuel, all the relays checked out, cps. New battery. Replaced plugs, cap, rotor, coil, cps. Tested fpr and fuel pump. Swapped dme computers... I ordered a new starter but I wanted to ask...why isn’t my engine continually cranking? Is it detecting a problem? Before I go into the trouble of replacing the starter...could it be something else? Sometimes I have to turn the key on and off like 6 times and it finally starts up. Once it’s running she’s perfect! Thanks in advance friends. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ZeeVaughn]

Have you considered checking out your ignition switch? As you replaced most of the ignition system already

[e30vert]

Could it be missing teeth on the flywheel? One rotation and then gets to a dead spot.

[Nowayman]

This happened to me, not once, but twice! When it would turn over a turn and the starter would just spin I pulled the starter and looked in the hole. Broken teeth on the flywheel.

[E30 Wagen]

^Yep, broken flywheel teeth, had a similar issue on an e28 535i. The PO sold it to me cheap b/c he couldn't figure out why it wouldn't turn over even though he could hear the starter whirring. After I towed it home I put it in gear and managed to spin the flywheel away from the dead spot so the starter would catch and viola it started right up. Never ended up fixing it, would just cross my fingers it wasn't in the deadspot whenever I went to start it, and it actually managed to engage and start pretty much every time even though you could hear when the flywheel would skip and reengage lol. Fun times with that car.

edit: in case you didn't know, easy way to visually inspect without removing the starter is to just remove that little inspection cover on the bottom.

[e30vert]

Its nice to know that " I still got it" LOL

[dgut]

Thanks guys! I think it’s the starter over missing teeth. Why? Well the problem has slowly been getting worse...so either I’m missing a lot of teeth or the starts has been slowly dying. I went out and smacked it with a 24in extension and it kicked on first try. I’ll check for broken teeth...god I hope not. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IceWhite]

It seems like it is the starter's bendix drive that is done for. You could just change that out or get a complete new starter.

[dgut]

Changed the starter! Good as new! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[e30vert]

Well I guess "I dont still got it" ! LOL Oh, well glad you got it figured out!