No start, no click, no grind, I can hear the fuel pump cycling

O

Old-Duckman

Active member
 SW Pennsylvania USA
Lights and horn work. Put in a new battery, no change.
I have an appointment with a mechanic but that is on 30 June.
Will probably get it towed to my house on Thursday.
Car is 2004, E85, 3.0L, manual transmission.

Any suggestions?
 
Yes, all manual Z4s get a clutch switch (even replaced mine as it was throwing errors.) I imagine it's used for cruise control cutoff and fuelling on gear changes.

I bet America gets it as a start inhibit too since they can't be trusted with clutches (or ignition switches. Or doors. Or anything else that makes my bloody E70 bong endlessly.)

I doubt it would prevent a bump start though.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: RMB
If it’s the starter, have it in gear (ignition off) and rock the car really firmly against the gear a number of times. Then try the ignition (out of gear!) If it’s the starter sticking, you might at least get it started this way.
 
My starter went on my E86 in 2012, same symptoms. Everything worked, just no crank. RAC came out, we bump started and I got it to my parent's house (driveway) and replaced the starter. Easy job.
 
IME, the usual failure mode of starters is sticky solenoids rather than anything burning out. Remove starter, removed solenoid, clean plunger and tube, give a light wipe over with WD40, put back together.
 
smorris_12 said:
Yes, all manual Z4s get a clutch switch (even replaced mine as it was throwing errors.) I imagine it's used for cruise control cutoff and fuelling on gear changes.

I bet America gets it as a start inhibit too since they can't be trusted with clutches (or ignition switches. Or doors. Or anything else that makes my bloody E70 bong endlessly.)

I doubt it would prevent a bump start though.
Click to expand...
Ah yes. The ‘safety’ part confused me there 👍🏻
 
MikeyH said:
It's still confusing me. :unsure:
Click to expand...

Americans must have a safety catch on their cars in the form of a clutch switch to avoid starting them in gear and driving into a tree because they only have to demonstrate a minimal amount of competence to get a driving license.

Americans don't bother about safety catches on their guns so that they can accidentally go off and put holes in their/their friends'/their friends' childrens' heads because they don't have to prove any competence to buy a gun.

That must clear up the confusion, I feel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RMB
smorris_12 said:
Americans must have a safety catch on their cars in the form of a clutch switch to avoid starting them in gear and driving into a tree because they only have to demonstrate a minimal amount of competence to get a driving license.

Americans don't bother about safety catches on their guns so that they can accidentally go off and put holes in their/their friends'/their friends' childrens' heads because they don't have to prove any competence to buy a gun.

That must clear up the confusion, I feel.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I see now, Americans are idiots. :headbang:
 
But in the defence (defense) of Americans, they can at least quickly build smooth, wide roads and don't tend fill the verges with copious amounts of litter (unlike modern Britain).
 
  • Like
Reactions: RMB
They build them (I always admire American get-up-and-go) but I believe they're quite bad at maintenance after. There's a huge backlog of federal bridge inspections and some are in quite precarious states as I understand it.

I think the littering thing is because we can diffuse from one area to another easily so happily make a mess (I live by the sea and the beach was a state after bank holiday); America is more provincial so they'd be dumping it on their own backyard as it were. Bring back the Public Information Films, I say!
 
smorris_12 said:
Americans must have a safety catch on their cars in the form of a clutch switch to avoid starting them in gear and driving into a tree because they only have to demonstrate a minimal amount of competence to get a driving license.

Americans don't bother about safety catches on their guns so that they can accidentally go off and put holes in their/their friends'/their friends' childrens' heads because they don't have to prove any competence to buy a gun.

That must clear up the confusion, I feel.
Click to expand...
Are you absolutely sure we are not related?
I read that post and it sounded just like me (and my late dad before I took over the torch TBH). :p
 
MikeyH said:
Thank you, I see now, Americans are idiots. :headbang:
Click to expand...
I think it's more about their 'litigation culture'. If they drove into a tree because the car had no 'safety', they would look to sue the manufacturer (and probably win). So manufacturers try to mitigate potential law suits, as they can come from anywhere for anything in the USA.

They love a law suit nearly as much as they love carrying loaded lethal weapons around in public.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom