M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Electrical => Topic started by: Kacandpa on September 25, 2010, 11:08:38 PM
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I've been reading this forum for ages now, thought this is the first time i've posted as it's actually the first time I haven't been able to find a thread with the problem that i'm having already discussed!
I replaced my starter motor about a month ago, happy to have my car starting on the first turn of the key again! I had no problems until the registration ran out and I figured it was a good time to prepare him to be painted! The car sat in my drive way for about 3 weeks, during which it was started and driven a few times but the other day when I went to move the car, it wasn't turning over. At the turn of the key it sounded like a freaking rattle gun, as if the gears weren't meshing correctly or the pinion gear wasn't engaging. The problem is intermittent as after two days I attempted to start it again and it started immediately. :confused: Are these symptoms consistent with a (hopefully) faulty solenoid? Or could I perhaps have a worn ring gear? I only hope that maybe somebody has had a similar problem to me as pulling the starter out again is going to be a huge pain in the butt!
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Likely it's a bad solenoid, not throwing the pinion all the way against the flywheel ring gear. The pinion spins against a few ring gear teeth and sounds like that. I don't think any BMW starters are shimmed, so it wouldn't be a mis-alignment.
To be sure it isn't a few teeth stripped off the flywheel get a wrench on the crank bolt & turn the motor over a bit. 1/4 turn or so would do it. Or start it down a slope in neutral and pop the clutch into gear to bump the motor over. I'm with you on the starter...they're not easily accessible.
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thank you for your input!! im going to change the solenoid over tomorrow!