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DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: tumbler on March 07, 2009, 10:31:21 AM

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: tumbler on March 07, 2009, 10:31:21 AM

I'm on the home stretch of a headgasket replacement on my 93' 318is. I've installed the lower intake manifold and connected the wiring harness. I connected the battery because I wanted to test crank the engine. I can hear the starter motor rev its its not engaging anything. I have reconnected the two wires from the harness back to the starter (one smaller black wire and a red wire to the big post.) Is it because I don't have the rest of the motor put back together or did I do something wrong?

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: Cobra Jet on March 07, 2009, 11:38:48 AM

What do you mean by you can hear the starter engage - is it engaging but not turning over the engine - or is it engaging and just "spinning freely"?


Whatever you do, be 100% certain that your timing components are 100% timed and lined up correctly before trying to start the vehicle...

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: tumbler on March 07, 2009, 11:51:07 AM

My timing is good. I cranked it around by hand and everything looks good. Intake/exhaust valves are opening at the right time, etc...

I can hear a reving, almost like a fan when I turn the key to start it. Thats it. But its not cranking the engine around.

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: tumbler on March 07, 2009, 12:30:09 PM

I'm pretty sure I have the solenoid wired wrong. The starter motor is getting power  and spinning but its not kicking out to engage the flywheel.

I'll try to describe how I have it wired.

Looking at the solenoid from the front of the engine I have three posts. I have the red power cable and the cable from the alternator going to the same post on the far right. I have a smaller cable going to a small post at the top left of the starter solenoid. I have nothing on the post down and to the left of the right most post (where I have the power connected).

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: RED IS 91 on March 07, 2009, 06:36:59 PM

maybe this will help............

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r73/bogeyman700/words016.jpg)

Title: Almost finished with head gasket replacement, starter won't engage.
Post by: tumbler on March 07, 2009, 07:42:49 PM

Thanks for the diagram. I ended up figuring it out.

To anyone that has the same problem in the future you need to have the skinniest wire on the post at 11 oclock, you need to have the wire coming from the battery and the wiring coming off the alternator on the largest post and the second smallest wire on the post at about 5 oclock.