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    Inconsistent Starting Issues

    Hey guys, I wrecked my E30 a while back and since then I have had a ton of issues starting the car. I slide it out on some ice and backed into a wall, damaging the rear bumper, wheel, and quarter panel. My car immediately shut off when it was wrecked. I looked in the trunk and the negative terminal had come off the battery. (Don't ask me how) Once I attached it, it would not start. It made a quick clicking noise like a dead battery. When I got it home that night I tried starting it again. It cranked VERY slowly but then sped up and started.
    But the next time I tried starting the car it would not start. For about an hour I messed with it. I tried jump starting the car and I have tried swapping out the batteries but that didn't work. It would click like a dead battery or just SLOWLY crank like it was dying. It did start once with no assistance but I turned it off just to try and start it again and it would not start. I gave up and tried the next day.
    Interestingly, the brand new battery I put in was dead. So I jumped it and it started immediately. So I let it run for about 15 minutes and then turned it off. I tried starting it again immediately and it cranked slowly and then nothing. Sometimes the car has power, and other times it doesn't. Sometimes it starts with no assistance, other times it just slowly cranks until it dies. Sometimes jumper cables start the car, other times they do nothing. New battery didn't make a difference as the old battery was able to start the car as well. (Old battery is also a new battery, so.. 2 new batteries)

    What else should I check? There must be a draw from somewhere but for the life of me I can't find it. Bad ground? I'm getting a new ignition switch just in case but that doesn't really explain why it sometimes starts or why it sometimes just slowly cranks over. I know that the ground is attached the the body where the car hit, but I'm not sure that actually makes a difference.

    Any ideas?

    #2
    Try jumping the car using the block under the hood. Put the positive cable on that connection, the ground on the engine block someplace. I'm guessing you have a bad ground some place. How is the main engine ground? How about the strap by the valve cover?

    I would also clean the main relays, both the post and the connectors all of which can cause some crazy symptoms.
    2004 525i Manual - 1985 325E Coupe Manual

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      #3
      I haven't tried jumping it from under the hood. I wasn't sure where I was supposed to ground it. I didn't want to cause more electrical issues. So anywhere on the engine?

      There is a grounding strap from the block to the frame. With the jolt in the wreck I wonder if its loose or something.

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        #4
        You can ground to just about any metal part of the engine that isn't an electrical component. Engine mounts are ideal if they are clean, if not just wire brush.

        If it starts with the ground on the engine try again with the ground on a clean metal body component, if it does not, that would tell you if you have an engine grounding issue.

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