[tommycopeland]

Hi guys,

So I had a problem with my 2007 BMW 328i not starting. I could hear electrical noises going on (fuel pump?) on the ignition, but there was no turnover. Tested the battery, and it was fine. Disconnected the IBS sensor, and no luck. So I figured it had to be the starter.

I removed the starter and put in a "new" rebuilt Bosch starter. In hindsight, I should have taken the time to get the original starter tested while I had the engine apart, and have the rebuilt starter tested too before installing it, just for surety's sake. Darn.

The car started and ran great with the new starter. But then later that day, it wouldn't start. I tried some time afterwards (same daY) without doing anything else, and it suddenly started.

Yesterday I ran errands with it. Started every time, all day long. No problems. This morning it got me to work. But sure enough, this afternoon I tried to start it, and nothing. It hasn't started since then, and it's been a few hours.

When it starts, it's as if nothing was ever wrong. It's not sluggish at all. Fires right up, better than it ever did before. And when it doesn't work, it's like there's no starter in the vehicle at all.

SO...time to diagnose once and for all (I do not have a code reader). Here are some possibilities, I guess:

1. Is it possible the starter was never the issues to begin with? If not, then what else can I look at if not the battery or the IBS?
2. Is it possible the rebuilt starter is bad?
3. If a starter is "bad", is it possible that it would work sometimes, and sometimes not work at all?
4. Is it possible that there is a power distribution issue? Perhaps the starter is drawing power only intermittently? Maybe the power cable going to it is frayed somewhere, or something?
5. Is it possible that I did not install the starter properly? The original starter had to be hammered out, because it so well stuck to the flywheel (or whatever the gear it connects to is). The new one was just bolted on. I'm just assuming it is making the gear connection it needs by my just bolting it on, and tightly. But I have no idea how a starter works, or if there's some special way it should be installed.

Any ideas for where to go from here would be great. Thanks, all.
Tom

[tommycopeland]

Nothing from the community, huh??

Am I in the wrong forum?

[robthewrench]

I would guess that the original starter was not bad. I've seen other people post that a poor ground connection at the motor can cause the symptoms you describe. You might was to see if using jumper cables to ground the starter solves the issue next time it occurs.

If you do a search on starter problems and a bad ground cable you'll be able to compare that to your issue.

Hope this helps.