Starter Replacement Woes. Please Help.

I have a 1987 325is. The starter recently went out so I ordered a new one. The reason I know it was the starter is that I successfully started the car will banging on the starter but could not start otherwise.

So the new starter arrives and I manage to get it installed only to realize that there are more posts for wires on the new solenoid than there were on the old on (original starter had 2 the new one has 3) So I wire it up as it was, more or less, with the large black wire and red wire on the large post and the small black wire on the small post below. Nothing. I switch the small black ground wire to the top post and the I can then hear the starter spinning when I try to start the car.

Eventually I discovered that if, in this wiring configuration, I ground the bottom post too the car will start but the starter will not disengage. At this point I figured that I had an incompatible starter and, being unwilling to install some kind of a improvised starter kill switch in my car I sent it back and order a remanufactured Bosch start (hoping it would be OEM) . .

When it arrived it had 3 posts and also a sticker that says something like " This may not be identical to the original part; however, it is an authorized replacement". Great. So I installed this one and found that I Could get it to click (sounded like it was engaging the starter gear but not spin. With this starter I was unable to jerry rig any kind of start whatsoever. So now I'm really hesitant to swallow shipping and another restocking fee etc.

I'm not confident that I'll be able to find a 2 post starter period, none of the one's for sale have adequate pictures of the solenoid for me to be sure.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like it doesn't have a proper ground. Advanced auto has a $40 buck off on online purchases. Order a Rebuilt or New Bosch unit. It will be trouble free.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...m_content=xxxx

I had the same problem on the starter I purchased a few months ago... The black connector goes to the bottom of the starter.. If connected on the top it makes a buzz noise n won't engage connect on bottom n should work