I go to start my ‘06 Mini Cooper Cabrio/Base/Manual: Everything seems normal - I turn the key to start the engine and nothing. Cockpit lights up as normal but engine doesn’t turn over!!!!

1. Battery - Good
2. Alternator - Good
3. Starter Relay - Good
4. Starter: Sent wrong Bosch starter by mail, so bought local auto parts store brand and immediate start up! Whew?!
5. Same starter as 3.: Hesitation upon initial start up then starts up as normal for rest of day. Repeat everyday
6. Order Bosch Starter. Ran fine for ~10 cranks then nothing. Engine won’t turn over.

Search internet/forums beyond above issues:

7. Clutch switch - Good. Used “SNAP ON” OBD Solus Ultra V??.? Automotive Scan Tool... Saw that when I mashed the clutch in OBD showed Starter enabled and on clutch release, Starter disable, ensuring clutch switch was good (no magnets to actuate clutch switch)
8. Immobilization Module - Good: Started car by popping clutch.
9. Immobilization Module/Key - ?: Get in car, close door, manually lock/unlock door then get out, close door, use key FOB to lock door, get in start car - nope
9. Key FOB - ?: Turned switch from on/off 4 times with 10+ seconds between - nope

Investigate on your own with former military motor pool buddies (I’m not former military):

10. Take jumper cables, hook same color red or “black” cable to “bottom starter bolt” and hook other end red or “black” cable to chassis ground - I used right (passenger side) engine mount where the chassis ground is located. Get in, turn key to crank car - success!!!!!
11. Starter Ground - Bad!!!

Solution:

12. Go to Tractor Supply Store and buy “36 in. 1 Gauge Black Switch-To-Starter Cable” and run from motor mount ground to bottom starter bolt - problem solved!

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...k?cm_vc=-10005

(You will need to open the hole up a bit (use drill bit or Dremel type attachment) on the cable to fit starter bottom bolt through.)

Motor pool buddies tell me, you have 199744 miles and somewhere a ground may have rusted out and is no longer a good ground. You can spend another 199744 miles and 14 years searching for the bad ground or you can simply run a new ground and problem solved.

Good luck!

 

That pr the ground strap up by the motor mount is not connected or bad. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-it-rains.html