Car: 1999 E36 M3 Coupe
Miles: 155k
Synopsis: When the car is cold, it typically starts on the first try. Occasionally cold starts are plagued by this intermittent issue. When the car is hot, it almost always suffers from the issue at hand.
Issue: When the car is hot/warm I can hear the starter spin but not necessarily engage. Sometimes you can feel the engine spin over a few times and struggle to start; but, it won't complete the process. After 3-10 tries it will eventually start and I'll be on my way. I've gone down a rabbit hole on bimmer forums of no start issues but they are all not similar to what I'm experiecing. I'm thinking it's a bad bendix and I'm trying to avoid just throwing a new starter at it just to throw a new starter at it. If that's the case I will, I wanted to pick the hives mind first.
Warning Lights: None
Other Issues: None
Also: Someone please buy this off me
It's either the starter or the battery. Put a jump box on it and see if you can "fix" it.
If you can hear the starter spin every time even if it doesn't engage I'll bet starter. It sounds like a mechanical issue so everything between the key and starter is working as intended. That's just leaves the starter itself.
Broken E36 M3ty car, I'll give $500. $2500 if it starts three times in a row.
+1 on starter
Sounds like the starter.
If I remember right (10 years ago) I had the same issue on my 1999 M3 and it needed a starter.
buzzboy
HalfDork
12/19/19 9:26 a.m.
Had that exact thing on my S52 car. I let the problem go for a month and it slowly got worse and worse. New starter solved it.
Starter.
Same thing was happening on my e46 M3. Just got the starter from Rock Auto, be thankful you dont an S54 as its a pita to change it.
Thanks for all the input! To rockauto it is for a starter.
It’s a pain in the S52 I’m afraid.
In reply to DirtyBird222 :
Do you have pics/more info about said M3? I am always interested in E36s...
CyberEric said:
It’s a pain in the S52 I’m afraid.
It's a E36 M3ty job, unfortunately.
Wizard_Of_Maz said:
In reply to DirtyBird222 :
Do you have pics/more info about said M3? I am always interested in E36s...
If it's the purple one with the freshly recovered dove interior, get in line.
In reply to ebelements :
Hah - just saw the classifieds post. Can't do techno, I need something marginally more inconspicuous for the mean streets of nyc :) All yours!
