E30 Zone

After some pointers on where to start with this please!

Car has been running fine recently, I haven't used it for a week or so though.
Went to start it this morning and got nothing on turning the key. Battery is fine as all electrics seem to work. Definitely seems to be something on the engine side.

I'm not especially technical but don't mind having a go! There is some sort of sensor that sits on a breather between the inlet and just after the afm, this seems to be making a buzzing noise that I hadn't noticed before?

Any pointers on where to start looking? Thanks

Sounds like the starter motor. It could just be jammed. Try rocking the car back and forward while it's in gear with the handbrake off.


Taylor.

Find the diagnostic socket, and remove its cap (right at the front of the engine, on top).
Carefully identify pins 11 and 14 and then short them together with a piece of wire.
This should make the starter engage, turn the engine over, and, if the ignition is on, start.

The "sensor" buzzing will be the idle control valve and thats normal.

it could be a jammed starter motor. Do you get a click when you try? All lights up on the dash and if so, they dim when trying to start?

Also, how are you checking the battery is okay? it takes a hell of a lot more to turn the engine over than to operate lights, windows etc.

Brianmoooore wrote:Find the diagnostic socket, and remove its cap (right at the front of the engine, on top).
Carefully identify pins 11 and 14 and then short them together with a piece of wire.
This should make the starter engage, turn the engine over, and, if the ignition is on, start.

Bingo!

I found a post (from you actually!) mentioning this and have just tried it. Started straight away.

Bizarrely the car also now starts from the key too. Very odd. Maybe a bit of damp setting in from not being used and the torrential rain?

More likely your ignition switch is starting to play up

town325i wrote:More likely your ignition switch is starting to play up

Or there is an immobiliser connected in the start circuit.
Not an auto gearbox by any chance, is it?

Brianmoooore wrote:

town325i wrote:More likely your ignition switch is starting to play up

Or there is an immobiliser connected in the start circuit.
Not an auto gearbox by any chance, is it?

What would be the likely suspect with auto gearbox? I've had intermittent starting issues a couple of times but never managed to figure out the cause.

Sorry for a thread hijack by the way.

The starter inhibitor switch on the selector lever can get a bit out of alignment if the rod to the box is out of adjustment.

town325i wrote:More likely your ignition switch is starting to play up

Brianmoooore wrote:

town325i wrote:More likely your ignition switch is starting to play up

Or there is an immobiliser connected in the start circuit.
Not an auto gearbox by any chance, is it?

No immobiliser on the car, nor is it an Auto. So it sounds like the ignition switch.

Thanks guys. I'm going to mark 11 & 14 with a bit of tipex for incase it happens in the dark!

5six7eight wrote:No immobiliser on the car,

That you know of!
I've found up to three disused immobiliser alarms on an E30, all still connected and waiting to give trouble.

There's a plug and socket which should be clipped halfway down the steering column that sometimes isn't pushed together fully, where the ignition switch loom joins the body loom. Wire is black one side and black/yellow the other.

Brianmoooore wrote:

5six7eight wrote:No immobiliser on the car,

That you know of!
I've found up to three disused immobiliser alarms on an E30, all still connected and waiting to give trouble.

There's a plug and socket which should be clipped halfway down the steering column that sometimes isn't pushed together fully, where the ignition switch loom joins the body loom. Wire is black one side and black/yellow the other.

True. I've seen anything which suggest one is fitted and I have a good 12+ years of paperwork history for the car too.

Will check for the plug/socket you mention. Driven it a few times since Saturday now though and it's been fine since the 11/14 trick.