Starting Issue - 1986 325es

[drester]

Hello to the Forum!

First Post here, and I'm looking for some help.

My 1986 325es is acting strange. The car will occasionally not start. Here is what happens.

1. Put key in, click to first position. A unfamiliar sound comes from around the fuel pump.... a hum, (behind the driver's side door)
2. try to turn the key to start the car... and Nadda. Nothing at all... the engine won't turn over.

This has happened two times in the past week, I have managed to get the car going again by doing a rolling start and just dropping the clutch while in second gear... the engine turns on and behaves just fine.
Furthermore, the next time i go to start the car, it is perfect. No problems.

Not a battery issue, and I don't think it could be the starter because when i go to start the car other times the starter is working just fine.

Well, all-knowing forum readers, any advice or suggestions would be great!

Thanks a bunch,
dré

[Dublbass_monster]

Check all connections to starter, i had a loose strap from solenoid to stsrter housing and it caused intermittent issues.

[Dublbass_monster]

And to clarify, E30's tend to have pretty quiet fuel pumps you almost cant hear then unless youre outside the car, so hearing any hum or buzz would have me checkin fuses replacing the fuel filter and ossibly adding some Sta-bil to the tank to clean things up a bit. Hope ypur luck gets better.

[drester]

Hey Dublbass,

Thanks for replying, I'll take at fuses and any loose connections. The hum is really my biggest concern, it's very strange and can't quite figure out why it would happen.... anyways i shall post with my finding as soon as I can.

Thanks again!

[Jack Dabsy]

Yeah, good advice above... If the fuel pump is buzzing then its workin, BUT the nylon fins/butterfly inside the pump could be shot... Just an idea !

[Dublbass_monster]

If the impeller was broken most likely would lock up the pump and cause it to not work at all, the impeller is what draws the fuel, almost like the turbine of a jet, i believe you have some other problem wifh delivery other than the pump side, like my car starts, i cant ven hear the pump, but i hear a click in the engine bay under the little black fuse cover where the fuel pump relay is, i crank, my fuel pressure regulators gauge rises quickly and the car purrs into 1,000rpm, only thing i can imagine that would prevent the car from starting only sometimes would be a failing electrical connection. Clean your injector harness pins where they meet the harness right under the intake boot, i did this earlier todat and picked up 3 cylinders from a bad misfire and the car runs great now. Just another precautionary idea, use baking soda and water and give the prongs plenty of time to dry and water to evap, plug in , replug the neg. Battery cable and test it out!

[drester]

Alright well, I'll add that to the list of areas to check out this weekend.

Haven't had the same issue since my post, fingers crossed, it'll hold out till I have some time to sort things out.

Thanks again for the input!

dré