Starter motor

[Kacandpa]

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!

[DesktopDave]

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.

[Kacandpa]

thank you for your input!! im going to change the solenoid over tomorrow!