E86 - Engine wont start ….update….now running.

[chanlon1]

Just replying to someone about something completely different and this cropped up:
Screenshot 2024-04-25 162506.png

Worth checking that the safety cut out on the battery hasn't popped.

It suggests you can bypass it to start the car. Worth a look?

Interesting…..I’ll add it to my things to look at.
Think the clutch switch thing is a no go as I recall starting the engine when I had the car on axle stands and it was in neutral and I was outside of the car when I turned the key.

 

[chanlon1]

Took a look at the battery compartment to see if it looked like the pyro fuse was at fault. (excuse the filth of it)
The photos below lead me to believe all is okay.



I also took at look at Supply module 'A6009'. (Mounted on the front of the main ECU box).
Whilst there was around 10 or so individual fuses inside, none of them had blown.

Going to go and try to bench test the old starter now....

 

[chanlon1]

okay - so just after testing the old starter motor.
See below video. Looks fairly good to me.
So given the car refused to start with this motor in it, I can concur that the new motor has no affect on things, and there must be some relay/fuse/module/dodgy wire somewhere else.

I should also mention that the car doesnt start with the spare key either.

[youtube]hAeC4q5Qc-M[/YouTube]

I thought I read somewhere that if you hook up a battery to the positive/negative terminals in the engine bay, where you would jump start the car, that that may allow you to start it?
Any one heard that?

 

[enuff_zed]

okay - so just after testing the old starter motor.
See below video. Looks fairly good to me.
So given the car refused to start with this motor in it, I can concur that the new motor has no affect on things, and there must be some relay/fuse/module/dodgy wire somewhere else.

I should also mention that the car doesnt start with the spare key either.

[youtube]hAeC4q5Qc-M[/YouTube]

I thought I read somewhere that if you hook up a battery to the positive/negative terminals in the engine bay, where you would jump start the car, that that may allow you to start it?
Any one heard that?

Looking at the wiring diagram I posted that makes sense if it is the supply from the alternator that is the issue. Still relies on the solenoid being actuated via the EWS though

 

[swanny71]

I’d try cleaning those battery terminals first.

 

[chanlon1]

Looking at the wiring diagram I posted that makes sense if it is the supply from the alternator that is the issue. Still relies on the solenoid being actuated via the EWS though

Not sure I follow. So I hook up a battery to the terminals in the engine bay, but I still need to hit the solenoid wire on the starter? Or would turning the key do that?
I would have thought it should send a signal to the starter?

 

[enuff_zed]

Ah I was thinking that you connect to the points under the bonnet and turn the key. If it starts it points to the feed from the alternator being the issue.

 

[chanlon1]

Ah I was thinking that you connect to the points under the bonnet and turn the key. If it starts it points to the feed from the alternator being the issue.

Thanks for the confirmation.
I’ll attach my spare battery to the engine bay poles tomorrow and see what happens when I turn the key. If it fires up, you may hear loud squealing coming from across the water

 

[Z4Mariner]

I don't want to interupt the flow here, because it's not likely your issue - Chanlon1, you heard correctly that there's a Hall effect sensor on the clutch for MT cars - at least for LCI cars in the North American market. My car has one. It's solid state, and failure should be infrequent, but miss-alignment, a clutch pedal with too much slop, or connector issues could cause faults. IFAIK failure for this circuit should produce a no-click, no-start.

 

[chanlon1]

I don't want to interupt the flow here, because it's not likely your issue - Chanlon1, you heard correctly that there's a Hall effect sensor on the clutch for MT cars - at least for LCI cars in the North American market.

No worries. I appreciate the input.
I am 99.9% sure I don’t have such a switch now. Recently I had the car up on axle stands and I am fairly sure on a few occasions I reached in, put her in neutral and started the engine without sitting in it, therefore not putting the clutch in.

 

[Z4Mariner]

Wishing you sucess on finding the real cause !

 

[chanlon1]

Attached the spare battery to the poles in the engine bay.
Nothing. Nada.

 

[chanlon1]

I’m going to plug in the Creator tool later on and recheck that no codes have popped up. Nothing was showing before.

 

[j3nks79]

Have you checked the earth strap. Sometimes they rot away.

 

[chanlon1]

Have you checked the earth strap. Sometimes they rot away.

No I haven’t. Not even familiar with that.
Any pointers to its shape size and location, before I go down the YouTube rabbit hole……

 

[chanlon1]

I plugged the Creator back in today and decided to check into some of the live data.
On the EWS page, the live data showed the below. So I don’t think it’s a case of the key loosing its codes etc.
however, I’m not sure if the means that the EWS has forgotten to remember the key.



Still believing that the immobiliser has stayed on preventing the engine from starting.

Anyone any ideas or suggestions as to how you would prove that???

 

[enuff_zed]

The Toroidal Coil is the coil of wire around where the key pushes into the ignition switch.
The fact that the code reader seems to say that the EWS recognises the key would suggest this isn't the issue.

 

[chanlon1]

Update:
Engine is now running
Would love to say I solved it, but alas I resorted to getting The AA out. That’s why I have it after all!
They had the car running within about 10 minutes.

j3nks79……you were right. Turned out it was the ground strap.
He put a temporary one on and advised I get a proper BMW one.
Car now fires up perfectly.
With the new starter also installed the engine starts way better than it ever has.

Need to now work out where the new ground strap was put in. Guess I just look for the shiniest object in the engine bay.

 

[pvr]

Good result, not sure what a BMW version of that is though :lol:

 

[j3nks79]

Oh that’s an easy fix then. When you were getting no fault codes it indicated a lack of power to the starter. Hence why I thought it might be the ground strap.
Glad you got it sorted in the end.
And look on the bright side. You now won’t have to change the starter motor for a long time lol