When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
No start - solenoid fires, starter is good, battery good, alt good, doesn't crank.
This is a 2005 Mini Cooper S 6speed manual, I don't know a lot about these cars and I'm guessing that it's an R53. I've been bump starting this car for about a month. It has a new starter, starter relay, no service engine light, the battery is good, the alternator is good. If I turn the key in the engine the solenoid fires off for a bit then quits. If I hot wire the 16 gauge black\yellow wire starter terminal the engine cranks but doesn't fire with the key in the running position or in the starting position. I think the problem is the 16 guage wireblack\yellow wire, but I'm not sure and I don't know where it goes and can't chase it without pulling the whole engine apart.
If you've seen this problem before or know where that wire goes, or know more than I do about my car I'd appreciate your input.
The symptoms if trying to start it normally: the solenoid fires briefly, the head lights flash, some times the immobilizer or something (I really don't know what or where that is) will beep, and when I take the key out of starting position the dash gauges will fiddle around, and the clock and tripometer will reset. If I bump start it no service light and runs like a champ.
@Isaac Boyle I had the same symptoms a few weeks ago. The problem was a faulty connection inside the ignition switch so it may be worth checking out. Easy to take apart, just go slow so you don’t break any little plastic tabs. They’re also not expensive to replace if you don’t want to mess with investigating it.
Here’s the post I wrote (with pics) about fixing mine. Hope yours is something simple like this too.
Wow, yes sir! My symptoms are exactly the same as in that video. And I did the same thing you did and replaced the starter. Then ran around checking every wire I could find two ends of in the circuit on the starter side of the firewall. I tried to make a video of the fault, but it was starting with the camera on it, but I didn't even know the problem was intermittent until then, it always failed 100% of the time.
Will repost with results. (Wish I'd been able to find your original post before -- it's exactly what I was looking for.)
Originally Posted by Tragesaurusrex
@Isaac Boyle I had the same symptoms a few weeks ago. The problem was a faulty connection inside the ignition switch so it may be worth checking out. Easy to take apart, just go slow so you don’t break any little plastic tabs. They’re also not expensive to replace if you don’t want to mess with investigating it.
Here’s the post I wrote (with pics) about fixing mine. Hope yours is something simple like this too.
When you replaced the starter motor did you reconnect both positive 12v power leads to the positive terminal on the starter motor?
Not many cars have two positive leads that connect to the same terminal on the starter so it’s not an intuitive configuration, especially with limited visibility.
Last edited by Tragesaurusrex; Aug 6, 2020 at 02:04 PM.
Thanks everyone for your help. I appreciate it. After I made the video of me showing the fault, I dug for that yellow black wire that goes to the solenoid and cut it off just after where it goes into the harness underneath the air filter, twisted in a new peice end to end and shrink wrapped it -- replacing the last foot and a half of wire. Still the same problem. My neighbor was walking by when I was trying to start it and then stuck a jump box on my battery. It started right up. So if you listen to Trages' video of his no start and listen to the video I posted, my solenoid was only firing at about half the rate his was. So I probably got a false positive on the battery being good because of my "drain and drive" method (how many miles does it take to charge the battery). I bought a high ampere battery, and its doing great. I want to share that the solenoid speed can maybe suggest the battery (which seemed normal to me from working on old volvos and fords). Well, forgive me -- this is the first car I've ever owned that wasnt older than I am. Thanks again everyone! Because you all know so much and I'm a fool I learned a lot.
PS: I did make a video of me doing Tragesaurusrex's fix and I'll post it if anyone asks, but I do talk like Treebeard, so it's a little long.
When you replaced the starter motor did you reconnect both positive 12v power leads to the positive terminal on the starter motor?
Not many cars have two positive leads that connect to the same terminal on the starter so it’s not an intuitive configuration, especially with limited visibility.
Yeah, when I started putting that back together I was like WTF, but I figured it out because those two leads are stamped to fit that fin in-between the terminals at 90 degrees from each other (they only go on one way), and are the same length and that terminal is taller. I definitely didn't realize I was taking two leads off when I removed it though, I just thought one big wire on big terminal, and one small on the small terminal.
Because you all know so much and I'm a fool I learned a lot.
Not at all. Your experience only underscores how important batteries are, and how they're the first thing we all have to check, and keep checking, when hunting down electrical gremlins.
Remember 5 year warranty batteries? So do I. Not that many years ago but not any more! AGM or flooded, they just don't go that kind of distance anymore. And they hate being left unused for long periods of time; these days you have to make double sure you get a fresh one at the store, just like eggs or cheese.
Glad it wasn't something more painful or expensive, thanks for taking the time and sharing your experience with the rest of us fools here in the BMW Step Child Nation.
