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Old 04-11-2017, 12:41 AM   #1
blacklabelskim
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Default 1995 Bmw 318ti Wont Start Or Crank

Hello guys i have a quick question that i was hoping some of you can help me answer. I have a 1995 bmw 318ti automatic, which wont start. The car is fairly new to me and do not have much experiences with e36's. When i plug the battery in the front and rear turn signals turn on and wont turn off, also the rear wiper turns on and wont stop. When i position the key into the second position i am able to turn on the head lights, use power mirrors etc, but engine will not crank whats so ever. I have tried multiple working battery's with no difference in results. Was told it could be the ews system that came with these cars not sending a proper signal to the dme causing it not to start. So i bought the ews delete chip from midnight tuning and plugged it in, unfortunately the chip made no difference. Figured its probably a bad starter since it would not click what so ever, replaced the starter with a remanufactured one and still having the same issue. Any Ideas?
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Old 04-12-2017, 11:49 PM   #2
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Check the fuses to start off. Make sure nothing was tripped. The odd thing is the tails and wiper, which kinda sounds like a grounding issue. Sometimes I would tap on the starter with a rubber mallet then start to see if the starter would respond. These are items I checked on a non BMW, before buying my 318.

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Old 04-12-2017, 11:56 PM   #3
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Update:

Did have a ground issue, replaced the ground cable and so far everything electrical works for the most part. Rear wiper no longer starts right away and turn signals do not automatically turn on when battery is plugged it. I went to crank it and it struggles to turn over. But atleast it is trying to start. Checked for spark in the plugs and I do not have spark. I did have oil in the plug wells. Figured I need to replace valve cover and spark well gasket. Bought a new fuel pump relay, engine component relay and a new crankshaft sensor just incase. Any ideas then that?

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Old 04-13-2017, 07:30 PM   #4
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Is the battery fully charged? If you have a voltmeter, check the voltage across the battery terminals while someone spins it over, or rig it up so you can watch the meter. You should stay close to 12 volts, even while cranking. If the battery is ok, check all your connections. Battery terminals, starter terminal, engine ground. Spin it for a few seconds and see if any connections are hot. Heat indicates high resistance. Hope this helps.

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Old 04-21-2017, 01:43 AM   #5
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Symptoms, when key is in second position everything electrical works, all lights, windows, a.c, instrumenr cluster, window wipers etc, when turning the key all the way over the engine tries to start, can see and hear all belts moving but doesn't want to fire up. I have replaced the crankshaft sensor, ignition wires, fuel pump relay, engine control relay, bought a new battery, plugs, and gave it an oil change. Removed the DME, no water or moisture what so ever in the compartment and DME looking to be in all working order.

I did try spraying a bit of starter fluid in the intake manifold and it started to puffer like it wanted to crank over but then would go back to shrugging. I'm assuming I'm not getting any fuel. I tested the fuel pump and oil did squirt out when trying to crank. Any ideas or suggestions.

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Old 04-21-2017, 03:35 AM   #6
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After trying to start, did you depress the Schrader valve on the fuel rail to check if it's pressurized?
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Old 04-21-2017, 04:10 AM   #7
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No I haven't, I'll go and try that.

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Old 04-21-2017, 04:36 AM   #8
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Wear safety glasses and hold a rag over the valve when you do this.
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Old 04-21-2017, 04:38 AM   #9
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Let us know what you find.
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Old 10-08-2017, 03:18 AM   #10
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If you have another key (second, duplicate, spare, etc.), try them first. It could be that the transponder chip on your key has gone bad, and the ews doesn't send power to the starter and ignition signals to the DME.

It happened to me years ago when I pulled into a gas station, and could not start the car later - the starter would not engage even though all the accessories would operate when the key was turned to position 2.

In my case I didn't have a spare key to test that idea. So after trying the usual suspects (fuse, ground cable, starter switch), a trip to the dealer and $65 got me a brand new key.

Started right up.

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Old 10-08-2017, 01:09 PM   #11
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Stop changing parts.
Do you have a code reader? Is the CEL on?

Perform a fuel pressure test first, then check for spark.
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Old 11-06-2017, 01:03 AM   #12
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Do you have a good ground between the engine and frame? Use a volt/ohm meter and check the resistance between the engine and the negative terminal ground the on the battery. If have high resistance the engine will not turn over. Another thing you could do is to just hook-up a single jumper cable somewhere ( a good place to hook it up is to the aluminum motor mount which is bolted to the engine) to the engine and the other end of the cable to the negative battery terminal cable. this will give you a good ground for testing.
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