Z4 gone nuts!

J

Joefreegard

Member
Hello I hope someone can help? I'm not sure if the two are lelated, but I fitted a new starter yesterday as mine packed up. Today it ran fine for a while and then warning lights started lighting up. Slowly but surely nearly all of them came on and then the power steering failed, radio went all sorts.

I got home, turned off the car had a think then when I went back to it again, it started. Fine and then after a few minutes everything died again. I'm lost. Any ideas?

I did notice that the smaller wire going in to the starter was a bit loose so I tightened it up but it made no difference!

Help!!!
 
When you fitted the new starter I presume you disconnected the battery. Have you made sure all the connectors on both battery and starter motor are tight.
 
Yeah disconnected the battery and made sure the connections are tight. I'm wondering if ive put the wire on the wrong terminal. There where 2 the pos and a smaller one. But there were three connection points. One for the pos and two smaller ones.
 
mr wilks said:
Alternator

Welcome btw :)
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking. But I was hoping there would be an Easier solution. Also...it seems a coincidence that it would go the same time I changed my starter.
 
Joefreegard said:
mr wilks said:
Alternator

Welcome btw :)
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking. But I was hoping there would be an Easier solution. Also...it seems a coincidence that it would go the same time I changed my starter.
Click to expand...


Well your starter is working & by your fault description your alternator isn't so maybe its either not connected properly or its fooked :cry:
 
Welcome. Maybe the problem was the a dead battery +/- alternator in the first place!
 
It was def the starter to begin with as it started once I gave the starter a good knock. Then once I changed it it ran for a few hours then I started to get problems. To me it seems that the battery isn't getting charge, if it wasn't for the the fact the fault coincided with the starter change I'd say it was the alternator.
 
Sounds like a earth fault to me definitely! So the starter could have a short in it. If not check all earth connections to the body etc...
 
Do you think it could be the actual starter it's self? I've got the starter back out again to check all the wiring. I can see the earth going to to the tranny. It looks good to me. I'm losing this fight haha
 
Yeh the starter could be shorting out to earth inside causing the errors, put your meter on live terminal of starter and the other on the case of the starter see if you get a beep using continuity test
Or if you know what the resistance of the motors coil should be from a known working motor could determine if there's a fault that way
 
Ok mate. I think it must be a fault with the starter to be honest. I've been over everything else and it's all good. Either that or my starter and alternator just packed up at exactly the same time, which seems unsightly.

I'm gonna have to wait till Sunday to test it as you've said now though. I'm not great with car electrics, but I'll get my multimeter out and see how I get on. Cheers mate.
 
There was probably nothing wrong with the the starter. I had exactly the same problem with a Z3 (starter would just click, give it a whack or rock the car in gear and it would usually start after that), and it was because the battery was on its last legs
 
I wish it were as simple as that, but I tested the battery and it's not getting charge from the alternator. Obiously it's a bit dead, but that's probs because of the fore mentioned.

Also, the second time I got the starter going with a hammer, it screamed like hell then ground to a holt, that plus the fact that it ran fine for half a day once the new starter was in tells me it is unlikely to be the battery.
 
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