E46 M3 will not crank, start

ok, since the temperature has gotten cold, the car won't crank. all dummy lights come on, radio is fine. had battery and alternator tested at autozone. all tested GOOD.
when the car will actually crank, it fires up just fine, like a full charge. no hesitation at all. this is an intermittent problem, and i cannot find a pattern to it.

i am thinking a bad fuse? which should i check? is there a starter fuse, an ignition fuse, an immobilizer fuse? any other fuses to check? anything else to check? any recommended procedures? car is 6MT

thanks

I won't insult your intelligence and ask if you have the clutch depressed....

A fuse is either bad or it is not...it won't be intermittently good (or bad) to make it a sometime start issue.

Have you pulled the codes?

Have you tried a different key?

Might try replacing the main and start relays, but I would pull the codes first before throwing unnessecary money at the problem.

Originally Posted by Bruce

I won't insult your intelligence and ask if you have the clutch depressed....

A fuse is either bad or it is not...it won't be intermittently good (or bad) to make it a sometime start issue.

Have you pulled the codes?

Have you tried a different key?

Might try replacing the main and start relays, but I would pull the codes first before throwing unnessecary money at the problem.

harharhar.. this is my second stickshift-driven vehicle.. of course it is depressed.. even gave it a few good mashings to make sure a sensor wasn't sticking

i have not yet pulled codes. trying to avoid the dealership and trying to diagnose on my own.. better to learn that way. i have tried different keys. doesn't make a difference.
but where would i find the relevant relays? i just got the car back in march '08 and haven't been able to poke around in the engine compartment other than doing oil changes.

So, you turn the key and nothing? No clicking or slow cranking of the engine?

Could be a bad starter.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showt...hlight=starter

turn key and nothing. hold it at start position for a bit, maybe a min or so, and then it decides to start, get up and go.

is it common for it to do this? i never had this issue with my previous car. though, i am trying to narrow it down specifically to the starter, which seems like it would be a PITA to change.

Since you are getting it to start, take it to an autoparts store and get them to read the fault codes. many do this for free.

If you check out the linked thread in my earlier post, this seems to be a less than rare occurrence on M3's. It's the starter.

It could be an ignition switch; it might need to be replaced. Same thing was happened to mine.
Hope it help!

check all relays..fuses...if you open the main fuse box in the glove box compartment you will find the purpose of each fuse..check all that...you will have to get a workshop manual...try Robert Bentley's book..it has all the circuit diagrams in it....good luck...but it sounds like an electrical problem....

fuses are good. i even gave the glove box a few taps just for kicks

now how do i go about diagnosing the ignition switch, and maybe even the immobilizer?

So I tried to leave my office this week and had this same problem. My dad came over to help. We suspected a bad spot in the starter. I checked this forum while he drove over...saw it was a common problem. I pushed the M (yes...while wearing a suit)...my dad popped the clutch...she fired up immediately...Thanks!

did you ever get the problem fixed?

Is this the same for SMG transmissions?

i had this last week, couldnt figure it out, i pulled fuse 14 and put it back in.....car fired up fine....no idea what the problem was....

I used to have that same problem on My E36 M3 and all it was the clutch ... When its "Cold" I have to step hard on the clutch when I start it . Maybe the clutch fluid line is clogged I not really sure never had the time to send it to a shop and have it checked. I got the starter replaced on it and still having that problem but only on the morning or when I have not started the engine for days .

I just started having a similar problem with my 330xi. It has plenty of juice but it won't turn over at all. I tried jumping it even to be sure. All the lights come on. I have tried a couple times to start it but nothing is a go. I had let the car sit for a few days while it was pretty cold out. I am hoping it will warm up enough today to get it to go.

I can't get the codes pulled since I can't move it anywhere. If it doesn't start this afternoon when it reaches the astronomically high temp of 31'F this afternoon I will be out of luck.

I am holding off on calling a toe service. Anyone have any suggestions on what I could try before I result to bringing it in?

Originally Posted by chadwn

I just started having a similar problem with my 330xi. It has plenty of juice but it won't turn over at all. I tried jumping it even to be sure. All the lights come on. I have tried a couple times to start it but nothing is a go. I had let the car sit for a few days while it was pretty cold out. I am hoping it will warm up enough today to get it to go.

I can't get the codes pulled since I can't move it anywhere. If it doesn't start this afternoon when it reaches the astronomically high temp of 31'F this afternoon I will be out of luck.

I am holding off on calling a toe service. Anyone have any suggestions on what I could try before I result to bringing it in?

I'd start with the battery. Is it the original? If so, it's probably toast. Get a battery charger and charge it up. If it does turn over, get it replaced.

Battery was really drained.... I got it to start or I should say triple A did. There jumper pack had a lot more juice then the one I used earlier and it started right up. I charged the battery last night with a charger and everything is working great. Glad I didn't have to spend a bunch of money on my car.

I just got back from vacation, and my car was sitting for a few weeks undriven. When I tried to start it, no clicking or turning over, no electronics or lights on either with the key in, no response from the buttons on the key either.

I attempted to jump it with the terminals under the hood, no go. I would've gone to Autozone to get the battery tested, but it was pretty late already... any thoughts on what the most likely culprit is?

Sounds very similar to what happened to me. I was not even able to jump my car with another car. I had to get a very powerful jumper pack. Do you or someone in your house have tripple A? They will come to you and test your battery to see if that is the problem. They will check it for free. If they find that is the problem you can get a battery charger at walmart for $40 and charge it over night. Or if you find that the battery is junk they will sell you one right then and there.

Sadly no one I know in the area has AAA. I'll give replacing the battery a shot tomorrow first..

just a heads up the battery typically runs around $140 and the majority of the time they can be saved by giving them a good charge over night.

Ugh... I'll definitely test it first, but I hate the idea of being minus transportation an extra day to charge the battery overnight. Thanks for the info though!

Battery normally lasts about 5-7 years, if your cars around this age with original battery I would just change it out because you don't really want it happening again

Yes, it definitely sounds like some type of battery problem. It is draining and I have seen this happen before on other model cars.