Car wont start

[Chakueem]

My 2000 323i wont start. Here's the situation: when I got out of school at 2:20 this afternoon and went to my car to leave, i turned the key and noticed a slight delay between the turn of the key and the car cranking up. I kinda said to myself 'hmm...i wonder what that was, i guess it was nothing'. After a quick stop at home, i was on my way to the golf course. As i was leaving home i cranked my car again. This time the delay between key turning and engine turning over was more pronounced. Finally, i moved my car a few hundred feet from the golf course parking lot to the nearby pool parking lot. This time i was away from my car for maybe 30 minutes. During this time i had the key in the ignition and music on, but the engine was not running and the lheadlights were not on. 30 minutes later i return to my car to find out that it will not start. First attempt at cranking it up: foot on brake, turn key and every electronic gadget in the car flashes itself on and off until i let off of the key. Second attempt: i put my foot on the brake and realize that when i apply a little pressure to the brakes all electronics in the car shut off. After these attempts i try a few more times and then call my Dad. He comes, jumper cables in hand to jump me off. We remove the cover to the battery compartment in the trunk to find that the battery is in fact fine. The indicator on it says there is good charge. We try to jump it anyways but the car still will not start. All of this happened in one afternoon. Yesterday and everyday before, the car started the first time. Not sure what the problem might be. Alternator? Starter? any ideas?

 

[bmwrocks]

Are you sure you had a good connection with the jumper cables? Sometimes you have to jiggle them to make sure they are making good contact.

Batteries can be good one second and dead the next.

Do not believe the indicator. Those things are unreliable. I had one showing green in my X5 yet my battery was DOA.

Make sure it isn't your battery is my recommendation. I would take the battery out and bring it to an auto parts store or better yet, an Interstate Battery store and let them check it. BTW I highly recommend Interstate as they are more expensive, but the best out there.

If it is your battery, make sure you get one made for BMWs, with a vent kit, and hook up the vent correctly. As your battery is inside your car, it needs to be vented to the outside to prevent explosive gases from building up and to prevent corrosion.

 

[aNoodle]

Hmmm....that could be something happening to me. I've been neglecting a bad engine check light for a while now...waiting for graduation. It comes on and goes off and comes on again. I stopped looking at it.

A couple times my car wouldn't start recently. Then it'll starts up and runs fine for a week or more without any problems. Wierd.

Some gremlins are in the engine compartment, I'm convinced. I need to take it in. The problem with these advanced engines is that it is so hard to diagnose the failure because all the computers will do stuff to control things in ways that are not strictly mechanical.

 

[Chakueem]

thanks for the reply. hopefully the battery is the problem. I'll check and get back to you.

 

[epj3]

BTW I highly recommend Interstate as they are more expensive, but the best out there.

I have to second that!!!!