320d starter motor on the blink

chrissyw · 10-06-2021, 10:52 AM

I left for work this morning, no issues after it being left overnight.

At lunch, the car wouldn't start, it was just clicking quite loudly.

Went out to it before I called a taxi to go home and it started straight away first time.

I'll check in a bit on INPA to see what the voltages are like but it had a new battery 4 months ago.

Where is the starter on the M47? Keep thinking I saw it when I had the manifold off to do the injector seals??

therealdb1 · 10-06-2021, 04:09 PM

Look at the simple stuff first.
Are the battery connections tight on the battery terminals?
Is the main power cable to the fusebox behing the glovebox good? Have you had the recall upgrade?
Is the engine earth strap making good contact?

chrissyw · 10-07-2021, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therealdb1

Look at the simple stuff first.
Are the battery connections tight on the battery terminals?
Is the main power cable to the fusebox behing the glovebox good? Have you had the recall upgrade?
Is the engine earth strap making good contact?

Battery terminals are fine, double checked those last night.

I'll check the main power cable later on.

Recall was done by BMW last Feb.

Is the earthing strap by the washer bottle fil cap on the M47?

Since yesterday mornings episode I have driven it around 5 times, no issues. Weird.

Thanks

chrissyw · 10-10-2021, 11:58 AM

Well, on Friday morning after a short journey the same thing happened again.

Car wouldn't crank. AA man came out, checked the battery which was 12v.

He messed about with the wires on the starter and it cranked and started straight away.

He did say he noticed the voltage dropped to 8v when it started. That doesn't sound normal?

nemz · 11-18-2021, 06:34 AM

Check the flexi earth strap on the N47's which is located on the right side of the engine just under the high pressure pump by the engine mount. These often corrode quite badly and cause all kinds of electrical problems, such as starter issues. Another thing to check is the main positive feed off the battery where it connects to the post down at the bottom of the battery tray, I've seen these badly corroded as well, most of the time due to water ingress.

Starters do fail more quickly with start/stop enabled. Usually code in the memory function so if I turn it off, it stays off when I start the car again.

chrissyw · 01-08-2022, 02:23 AM

It was the power cable running from the B post to the starter.

It looked tight behind the 13mm nut but it wasn't.

I tightened that down and the issue hasn't returned.

therealdb1 · 01-08-2022, 12:49 PM

Well done. Nice cheap fix we like those and useful info for anyone else having similar issues.

10-06-2021, 10:52 AM	#1
chrissyw Second Lieutenant 36 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 320d M Sport Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Midlands iTrader: (0)	320d starter motor on the blink I left for work this morning, no issues after it being left overnight. At lunch, the car wouldn't start, it was just clicking quite loudly. Went out to it before I called a taxi to go home and it started straight away first time. I'll check in a bit on INPA to see what the voltages are like but it had a new battery 4 months ago. Where is the starter on the M47? Keep thinking I saw it when I had the manifold off to do the injector seals??
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10-06-2021, 04:09 PM	#2
therealdb1 Lieutenant 106 Rep 576 Posts Drives: Graphite E93 335i Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Norfolk UK iTrader: (0)	Look at the simple stuff first. Are the battery connections tight on the battery terminals? Is the main power cable to the fusebox behing the glovebox good? Have you had the recall upgrade? Is the engine earth strap making good contact?
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10-10-2021, 11:58 AM	#4
chrissyw Second Lieutenant 36 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 320d M Sport Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Midlands iTrader: (0)	Well, on Friday morning after a short journey the same thing happened again. Car wouldn't crank. AA man came out, checked the battery which was 12v. He messed about with the wires on the starter and it cranked and started straight away. He did say he noticed the voltage dropped to 8v when it started. That doesn't sound normal?
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11-18-2021, 06:34 AM	#5
nemz New Member 2 Rep 20 Posts Drives: F31N 320d & E92 LCI 320d Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Liverpool iTrader: (0)	Check the flexi earth strap on the N47's which is located on the right side of the engine just under the high pressure pump by the engine mount. These often corrode quite badly and cause all kinds of electrical problems, such as starter issues. Another thing to check is the main positive feed off the battery where it connects to the post down at the bottom of the battery tray, I've seen these badly corroded as well, most of the time due to water ingress. Starters do fail more quickly with start/stop enabled. Usually code in the memory function so if I turn it off, it stays off when I start the car again.
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01-08-2022, 02:23 AM	#6
chrissyw Second Lieutenant 36 Rep 242 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 320d M Sport Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Midlands iTrader: (0)	It was the power cable running from the B post to the starter. It looked tight behind the 13mm nut but it wasn't. I tightened that down and the issue hasn't returned.
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01-08-2022, 12:49 PM	#7
therealdb1 Lieutenant 106 Rep 576 Posts Drives: Graphite E93 335i Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Norfolk UK iTrader: (0)	Well done. Nice cheap fix we like those and useful info for anyone else having similar issues.
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