Car doesn't fire up, turns over without clutch depressed, randomly...help..

[Moto-Mucci]

Every once in a while my car won't fire up. Today, it was running, then while I was trying to pull out of a parking spot, it shut off. It felt like a stall, but I had the clutch in at the time it did it.

When I went to turn it back on it wouldnt start, it would just wind out the starter. I could even try to start it when I didn't have the clutch pedal in. ..that scares me.

I went out to eat and came back and it fired up like usuall.

Any idea what it could be? It sounds like it would have something to do with the clutch cable...but i dont understand why it would be random. I'm hoping this is a familiar problem.

[boom-monkey]

Are we talkin' e30? There is no start safety switch on the clutch so they will start with the clutch engaged. Also they don't have clutch cables.

Anyways, does the starter engage the motor or just wind out like you described? If I had to throw out a random guess judging by symptoms I would say ignition problem. Check the distributor cap?

[fretburnr]

There is no clutch cable on an e30 (hydraulic clutch), and also no clutch interlock switch; you can start any of them without hitting the pedal.

Sometimes if a car stalls shortly after a cold start, it can flood a bit, and it can take a little time or more cranking for the excess fuel to dissapate. Next time try cracking open the throttle a bit on the restart to allow more air to enter.

[Moto-Mucci]

Ahh good to know, that would explain why I couldnt see any active cables with the gf was depressing the clutch. I'm still new to these cars.

I'll have to check the distributer. It bogs if I try driving it before it warms up when it's cold out too. Could both these problems be a faulty cold start inj.? Do these cars have cold start injectors...?

[mikekristine325ic]

Check the Ohms on your coil. My Vert was doing this and found out that it was my coil heating up and going out. As soon as it cooled down, my car would start and run fine. MSD Blaster 2 Coil is an awesome replacement.

[AndrewBird]

Is the starter spinning but not the motor? If so, sounds like the drive on the starter is bad and the starter isn't engaging the flywheel.

[Moto-Mucci]

How can you tell if only one or both are spinning? Sounds like just the starter, there's no attempt at firing up.

[SpecM]

How can you tell if only one or both are spinning?

is the engine turning over or not?

[PhillyG]

How can you tell if only one or both are spinning? Sounds like just the starter, there's no attempt at firing up.

Well does it sound like a little motor spinning up or a engine trying to fire?

[Moto-Mucci]

like I said, there's no attempt at firing, it just sounds like the starter.

[Adrian_Visser]

ughh that's not very helpful, if the starter isn't engaging it will just whirr away making a much higher pitch sound than when cranking the engine because it will spin way faster as there is no load on it, if it sounds the same as normal starting then it is engaging properly.
i had a similar problem on my old e28 once. i traced it to the ignition, repalced the coil and it worked again, for a while then it happened again. It turned out the connection at the main relay was intermittant... fixed that no problems ever again

if i remember correctly the main relay powers the reference signal sensor or tdc sensor (maybe both i can't remember), anyways the ecu uses the signal for ignition timing so check the connections at the relay and sensors too

[Moto-Mucci]

Ahh ok, then it is engaging. Sounds normal, just doesn't fire.
Good info though, thanks.

[nando]

I'll have to check the distributer. It bogs if I try driving it before it warms up when it's cold out too. Could both these problems be a faulty cold start inj.? Do these cars have cold start injectors...?

is your car a 325e? if it's not, then it doesn't have a cold start injector.

are you getting spark? Have you tested the crank sensor? does the fuel pump turn on?

[PhillyG]

is your car a 325e? if it's not, then it doesn't have a cold start injector.

are you getting spark? Have you tested the crank sensor? does the fuel pump turn on?

If thats his car in the sig than its most likely a b25. I'm thinking ignition.

[nando]

I have sigs turned off ;)