Starter isn't being a very good starter

[liam821]

I've gone through 3 starters in the last 3 years, about to order another one which makes 4.

The first starter, unsure if it was original or not but was an OEM BMW, the car had ~115k miles, and randomly would not start if the car was warm. Kept turning the ignition key enough you'd get lucky and it would start normally. Always started while cold. Replaced the starter with the 2nd fixed it.

The 2nd starter, off my old Interlagos car with 18k miles and again was an OEM BMW (but 15 years old), lasted 2 years and 15k miles, and finally just stopped working. The car acted like it had a dead battery, turning over very slowly. Finally, it would not turn over the engine at all. I tried three different batteries and a jump box and all had the same synonyms. Replaced the starter with the 3rd and it fixed it, problem solved.

The 3rd starter lasted 4 months, perhaps only started the car 3 dozen times. This starter was a Valeo purchased from Rockauto, but it was probably remanufactured. It is now doing the same thing as the 2nd starter, acting like the car has a dead battery but it's fully charged. If you connect a jump box to the car it pulls HUGE power from my jump box but won't turn the engine over.

Is this just bad luck?! The car works fine otherwise...

[Slideways]

Are the contacts clean for the positive cable to the starter or any damage to those cables?

[liam821]

Are the contacts clean for the positive cable to the starter or any damage to those cables?

Double-checked all that and cleaned everything when I installed the 3rd starter.

[Slideways]

Double-checked all that and cleaned everything when I installed the 3rd starter.

I assumed you might, but thought I'd get the easy stuff out of the way lol

The only other things I can think of are alternator or battery. After that, bad luck with the starters. A new Valeo unit should last a long time. Mine is original.

Is there significant resistance turning over the engine by hand from the crank pulley?

[Maxima SE]

Hmm I got a new valeo in both my E46 and Z4M and never had issues. I have had the hot day starting problem with both and later found out it was the clutch stop that expands in the heat and wont let you depress it enough to start the car. Either adjust it or open the door and let it inside cool down. It won't cause it to turn over slowly like you're describing though, it would act like a dead starter

[cornerbalanced]

Hmm I got a new valeo in both my E46 and Z4M and never had issues. I have had the hot day starting problem with both and later found out it was the clutch stop that expands in the heat and wont let you depress it enough to start the car. Either adjust it or open the door and let it inside cool down. It won't cause it to turn over slowly like you're describing though, it would act like a dead starter

I’m experiencing the same exact issue currently—when the car is warm, the starter will click but won’t start the car. Eventually after enough tries, or once the car cools down, it will start normally.

Was on the verge of ordering a new starter tonight but will have to check the clutch stop (if I have one)

[liam821]

I assumed you might, but thought I'd get the easy stuff out of the way lol

The only other things I can think of are alternator or battery. After that, bad luck with the starters. A new Valeo unit should last a long time. Mine is original.

Is there significant resistance turning over the engine by hand from the crank pulley?

The alternator puts out 14v like normal, I tested that. I have not replaced the battery, but I've swapped batteries with my daughter's e46 325i and my battery starts her car just fine while her battery makes no difference to mine and still won't start. I also generally leave my car on a trickle charger which says the battery is full.

The engine is fine - I've push-started the car so many times I don't want to talk about it - once it's started it runs and drives fine.

Hmm I got a new valeo in both my E46 and Z4M and never had issues. I have had the hot day starting problem with both and later found out it was the clutch stop that expands in the heat and wont let you depress it enough to start the car. Either adjust it or open the door and let it inside cool down. It won't cause it to turn over slowly like you're describing though, it would act like a dead starter

Mine has had its clutch stop coded out, so you don't need to press the clutch to start the car. My original warm start issues only got worse and worse until it was almost impossible to start the car warm. Replacing the starter with the 2nd fixed that.

[Stilt]

I'm experiencing the same exact issue currently—when the car is warm, the starter will click but won't start the car. Eventually after enough tries, or once the car cools down, it will start normally.

Was on the verge of ordering a new starter tonight but will have to check the clutch stop (if I have one)

That happened to me lol. Went to a friends house to drop parts off, went to start the car, wouldn't start, even tried bump starting it as well as using a jump pack and bumper cables.

We drove 5 minutes to my house, to drop me off, I forgot my keys / garage door opener in my car. Just for the hell of it I tried to start it up and it fired right up.

Drove home and parked the car up. Then, a couple times I turned the car on and it worked to my surprise. Bought a new Bosch starter and then promptly found that the e12 bolt was stripped and now I am defeated.


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[liam821]

Bought a new Bosch starter and then promptly found that the e12 bolt was stripped and now I am defeated.

oof yeah, those bolts are a massive pita to get out. Trust me, I've done it 3 times already!

[sapote]

TBought a new Bosch starter and then promptly found that the e12 bolt was stripped and now I am defeated.k

Previous guy stripped it? Probably trying to loosen the bolt thru the firewall gap with a wrench and not a proper E12 socket. Stripped head doesn't look too bad, so I would use a E12 socket on a long 24" 1/2 drive extension (don't use 3/8 extension), try to align the socket on the bolt as good as you can (for the outer left bolt you can see it with the tranny tail lowered and use left hand to guide the socket on), then tap the extension with a hammer to drive the socket fully until it bottomed on the bolt base, then keep pressure on the extension and loosen the bolt with help from 15" breaker bar or wrench with extension on the handle.

It's not hard to remove the starter 2 bolts from the rear: lower the tranny tail down until engine oil pan touches cross bar, then the inner bolt is visible from tranny tail end. Always use hammer to tap the socket fully in before apply the torque.

[sapote]

I've gone through 3 starters in the last 3 years, about to order another one which makes 4..

All happened on the same car? Second starter was removed from other car and used on that same car?

I start to think the problem is not bad starter; something else.
1. With alternator running and output 14v, measure the batt posts voltage and if it's less than 13.5v then the big cable connection from starter to fender post to batter post is not good. Remove and clean up the fender jumper post, and the engine short ground cable connection.
2. Maybe the starter motor doesn't get full current to spin it. Could be solenoid doesn't get full voltage to engage the starter motor contacts due to connection from starter to EWS module pin. Starter has the big red cable bolted down by the 13mm nut, and the smaller EWS cable bolted by the 10mm nut. I would try to short out from the 13mm nut to the 10mm nut directly using a screwdriver (working from under with the left front wheel removed and maybe the lower control arm two 16mm bolts removed for more room). If this crank the engine strong, then look for bad connection from 10mm nut to EWS connector, or even the EWS board with pitted internal relay contacts.

[Rekpoint]

I had the same issues with my starter. Bought the magic T handle ratchet from Harbor Freight,

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-drive-t-bar-with-flexible-ratchet-57175.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNDk0NDgyODciLCJza3UiOiI1NzE3NSIsImlzIjoiMTMuNDkifQ%3D%3D

A new Valeo starter. Fixed my issue! Starts every time, cold and hot!

[PSUEng]

Anyone have any experience with this tool for starter bolt removal?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4TZWB3C/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1L4LS2KNDBWYV&psc=1

[enjoy_m3]

Anyone have any experience with this tool for starter bolt removal?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4TZWB3C/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1L4LS2KNDBWYV&psc=1

I don't but that's a good tool even just to loosen up the bolt, then use a 1/4 flexible long ratchet

[bigjae46]

I’d check the resistance of the starter wire, could be a damaged wire which would burn up solenoids. Should get a reading close to 0.