Hey all.. Has anyone heard or experienced this before? I'm dumbfounded to what the problem is.. Here's my story.

I have a 2007 Mini Cooper S Convertible (Automatic)

Friday morning get into the car, car started perfectly no problems at all. I drove about an hour and a half, came to my destination and stopped the car. After about 7 minutes, I got back to my car and tried to start it and all I get is a tick when I turn the key in the ignition. One tick that's it. All lights turn on on the dash. Windows work, lights, radio, etc. Tried it about 5 times didn't work. Asked someone to jump it for me and it didn't work for about 5 tries and then it finally started.

Drove the car for two and a half hours. Parked on the driveway. Shut the car off. When I try to start it, just one tick when turning on the ignition.

First thing I thought it was the battery. But to my amazement it's not! Tried jumping the car at home, doesn't start. Same one tick sound. The battery has enough power in it.

So I sat in the car and started counting how many times I turned the key in the ignition. Same one tick sound. After 15 times turning the key, the car started. Shut it off. Same one tick sound. 4 turns, car started. Shut car off. 15 turns, and the car started. Shut the car off. 40 turns and the car started. Shut off. 21 turns and the car started. All those times it's just one tick. Lights on the dash all light up.

What could be wrong? It's not the battery because it eventually starts, and I don't think it's the starter cause it actually starts fine once you turned it enough times.. What could be wrong? Any help would be appreciated!

**Forgot to mention.. Never had any issues starting the car before. And like I said, started just fine Friday morning with no issues. Also, the battery is about 7 months old, so it's definitely not the battery, because it starts sometimes (after a certain amount of key turns), and because jumping the car doesn't help..

 

Get a new starter......

 

Get a new starter

 

Check ur ground contacts. Happened to my other car. Dug into both battery & starter to no avail. Main engine ground had poor contact even when tight. Cleaned & retightened, started everytime since.

 

Went out this morning to give a shot to starting the car. First three times, the car started on the first turn is the key without ticking. Shut car off, and it never started since. This time, no matter how many times I turned the key, nothing.

Checked the main engine ground. Unscrewed it, cleaned it, no luck. Checked a few other grounds.. No luck.. Checked the trunk battery connection and the negative wire.. Still no luck.. It can't be the starter cause the car does start just not every single time, and when the car starts it starts like another time without issues and from the first crank.. Any other ideas?

 

my suggestion too...
old trick when this would happen is to HIT the starter with a Hammer...it would then usually work (start the car)....it means it is failing internally...the windings, etc....but after a few times, it would usually be 100% dead!!

 

It's not the windings that are failing in Zippy's example, it's the brushes...tapping the starter causes the brushes to make contact again and it works for a while.......... till the brushes are finally just too worn to make contact anymore.

It's the same issue with the power window motors and even the power steering motors on the 1st gen cars.....

I think you may need a starter too, however it could also be the contacts in the electrical part of your ignition switch. One way to test this theory would be to jump the starter by going from the main contact to the solenoid contact with a jumper wire, if it works, - it's probably the ign switch. if it doesn't, it's probably the starter.

I know you said you checked the ground cable at the battery, but are you sure both connections are clean and tight?

Many starters have been replaced over the years only to find loose battery cables were the real culprit.

 

Could anyone point me to the right direction where the starter is?

I was also going to say my Cooper S only has 26,000 miles on it.. Can't believe the starter went out so soon..