lady in distress!!

[316injection]

Okay, no doubt its a dumb blonde thing, but please keep the sarcy comments to yourselves!!

My beautiful F registration 316i wont start (sometimes)

I stopped off at a service station yesterday after a hundred miles or so doing around 80/90 mph.

After a quick coffee and a cigarette I got back in my black beauty to find an empty click sound when I turned the ignition.

I check it was in P (park mode - its an auto) and tried again - no sound, no noise.

It wasnt the battery as the lights and radio all worked. I thought maybe the starter motor had gone and was preparing top call the AA.

Then, I took off the stereo panel and the car started.

Same thing this morning, it starts and then sometmes, it doesnt. This time I put it into N (neutral) and it started.

Whats the problem boys!!

[DanThe]

Ignition switch

[Rav335uk]

Sounds like your starter motor solonoid is on its way out, or maybe a lose wire to the starter.
Have you checked the wiring??
And are you really Blonde????

[mash320i]

im going to guess inhibiter (spelling) switch is at fault especially if u go from neutral to park and it will start

[Rav335uk]

Clicking sound could be the starter

[town325i]

Ignition switch

i would check this before you go looking at the starter

[patch]

Could try moving the shift lever (jiggle it) that will show up the selector switch if its dodgy

[bss325i]

Could try moving the shift lever (jiggle it) that will show up the selector switch if its dodgy

1+. I had this on a 325i auto. Inhibitor switch was loose.

Next time it wont start, when holding the key in the crank position, wiggle the gear stick at the same time and see if it starts.

[E30BeemerLad]

guys guys, youze know naathing.................

It's the flex capacitor

[Brianmoooore]

Open the bonnet and take the cover off of the diagnostic socket (large socket on the bulkhead, near the fusebox.)
Identify pins 11 and 14, and mark them with Tip-ex or paint.
Get yourself a short piece of wire with bared off ends, and the next time it won't start, make sure it's out of gear, turn the ignition on, pop the bonnet open, and use the piece of wire to short the two pins together. This should start the car and prove that the problem is with the starter control circuit, not the starter, (or otherwise.)

[Banjo1981]

I had the same problem on an '87 M10. Mainly after a long hot journey. The next time i went to start it I got a dead clicking sound.

Usually a bit of rocking in 4th did the trick (appreciate this wouldn't work here) and failing that giving the starter a clout with a 7/8 spanner did the trick.

[jbh]

my other halves car was doing exactly the same thing as yours ( hers was a 318i cabby auto ) and i thought it was the inhibitor switch so by passed it but the problem was still there. again was mainly after it had been running a while ( could start it in the drive leave it running for 20 min's go out turn it off and it wouldn't start!! ) checked everything and eventually the car refused to start completely one day and i was checking everything again while asking her to keep trying to start it. went to the starter and you could have fried your breakfast on the solenoid as it was that hot. let it cool down changed the starter and after that had no problems

[Brianmoooore]

Plenty of suggestions above as to what it could be. My post below is the first step to finding what it actually is.

Open the bonnet and take the cover off of the diagnostic socket (large socket on the bulkhead, near the fusebox.)
Identify pins 11 and 14, and mark them with Tip-ex or paint.
Get yourself a short piece of wire with bared off ends, and the next time it won't start, make sure it's out of gear, turn the ignition on, pop the bonnet open, and use the piece of wire to short the two pins together. This should start the car and prove that the problem is with the starter control circuit, not the starter, (or otherwise.)