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320i 5 speed manual 160k Wouldn't start up Weird....

3K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  DavidCrevenston 
#1 ·
Hello To all,
1st Off Thanks for everyone helping me in the past and responding back to me you guys are the best. I have a 83 320i Manual with around 160k miles on it. I experienced something strange that happened recently and wonder if some of you could chime in and give me some expertise/opinions on what/how this could happen....
So I drove my car on a hot day 90f long distance around 160 miles and stopped at gas station to get something to drink. When I came back to the car it would not start. I had this problem once before (which it was the starter wire positive got corded) so I checked the basics then everything you can think of still no start. I saw good ground connections, new battery, alt. & starter good connections, good on the spark plugs , cap, & distributor.... So after checking everything for a while I called tow truck. When the guy gets there we had to push the car backwards to get it aligned to go on truck. Then low and behold it started up fine just from us pushing it backwards..... That to me says ground or short somewhere but I am not so sure.....
After I got it home I rechecked and wire brushed all points of contacts & grounds that I could get to. Since then the car has done nothing wrong and is running fine. However this was a real headache for me and I want to know what is going on here..... I was looking on the forums and someone mentioned that the fuel relay sometimes would have solder joint problems and open/spread open when hot causing the car not to start. I believe they were talking about a different model 316 or 323 I think. The problem is I can't find that thread anymore.
To the point of the story can someone chime in here and please give me some pointers as to what could cause this to happen to my car & what is the possible culprit of the problem.
The car would not start on hot day then after pushing it backwards it then started go figure WEIRD..... please HELP.....
 
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#2 ·
I had a car one time do something like that once. What happened to me was I turned the ignition to start it and heared a click. The drive on the starter stuck , gave the starter a good tap and heared it let go. Fired up right away and never had the issue again.

That was just what happened to me , what happened to you may have been the same thing or it could have been something different.
 
#4 ·
Change the fuel pump fuse for a new design one. WAs the starter jammed (engine not turning over) or turning over but not starting?
 
#5 ·
Hello thanks for responding back...
To answer you 1st off it was not starting at all (engine not turning over). I believe (still confirming this) that the problem was 1 of the fuses. Can't remember which one right now but probably the one you said (fuel pump fuse). I just bent it over and adjusted it to fit better & made it not touch something else that was probably the cause of the problem.
Please advise me of what new fuse design you are talking about e.g. a website or where I can buy that. I would appreciate it much as I still have the originall fuse in there.
Dave
 
#6 ·
I hope I'm not leading you wrong on this one. Old style fuse is ceramic body with the two prongs sticking out. New style have a plastic transparent body with the prongs sticking out. You can see through that it is stamped out of one piece of material. The older style have a welded construction that can been seen from the top but not checked if the fuses become unsound with age (been caucht on that one). I hope you dont have the much older design that is a 'sausage' with the fuse material on the outside. The only 'fix' for them is remove, clean the touching areas, bend the retainers together and refit fuses. Not Bosch's best design..
 
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