No start after cooling rebuild...

[elfhearse]

problem....

Wiring harness/intake manifold/cooliing system back together....turn ignition and just get a whirring fan* sound - no ignition/engine won't turn over.

(*sounds like a large fan is turning on 'whirring", not a starter whirring/turning over sound.. is ya know what I mean)

I checked the starter wiring : large red hot cable and large black cable from squid go on the large post on drivers side top of starter. Two small black wires on small post pass. side of starter. I didn't leave any thing loose.

Serpentine belts are on correct / all connections tight.

Peake code just says "battery disconnected"...it is now hooked back up obviously. Battery is good, full dash lights, headlights when key is on.

WTF? anyone have a detailed photo of starter connections?
Assuming that is the problem since I'm just getting a whirring noise and no engine turnover or ignition. Starter decided to die after I disconnected it's wiring.

[elfhearse]

update/ x-post here:
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthrea...078#post136078

Off to buy some external torx sockets (E12) to remove starter and buy a remanufactured one (minimum of $143 + core )

I'm getting really good at removing the intake manifold and wiring harness by now.....

[cooljess76]

Aww man, that sucks! I just fixed a charging system issue, which involved cleaning the terminals on my starter and I feel your pain. That thing is a MF to get to! I imagined how bad it would suck to have to replace it. I read your post in the link above, are you absolutely sure it's a bad solenoid? I could see if you didn't disconnect the battery and the wires kept zapping it, but man, it just seems like a coincidence that you were working in that area and now it doesn't work. Maybe something isn't making good contact or you got some wires crossed. I know that the alternator shares a positive terminal on the solenoid and then goes to the junction box just forward of the cabin filter. The small blue wire from the alternator goes to pin#12 on the datalink connector. The solenoid has a ground on the lower left corner(if you're looking at it from the front) that goes internal to the starter. And then the starter itself is grounded to the engine through direct contact. I'm not sure what the other two tiny wires are for, but maybe you have them crossed or something. I removed my alternator, airbox/ASC, secondary air pump and datalink connector to gain access to the starter and even then I had to use a mirror to see it. I doubt you could remove the starter from the top of the car without removing the intake manifold. Have you tried reaching it from underneath? Best of luck to ya. Hope you get it sorted out.

[aceyx]

Originally Posted by elfhearse

update/ x-post here:
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthrea...078#post136078

Off to buy some external torx sockets (E12) to remove starter and buy a remanufactured one (minimum of $143 + core )

I'm getting really good at removing the intake manifold and wiring harness by now.....

Use a long-handled, preferrably insulated screwdriver to cross the contacts on the solenoid. The car should start if your solenoid is bad. It WILL spark. A lot.

You can also sometimes hit it with a hammer to loosen the brushes. Just make sure you're not standing in front of the car, or your feet under the tires. Some woman in france ran herself over a few years back after doing that.

[elfhearse]

I had removed the complete intake manifold to replace the plastic coolant manifolds on the side and rear of engine block (preventive maint.)
I had to remove the wiring harness in that procedure which included the alternator hot wire (Large red) and small blue signal wire AND
red hot to starter and two small black wires on starter. (No way to cross any wires up re-installing as they are different sizes)

I can't imagine why the starter would act up after working in the general area. I did have one "event" when I was replacing the serpentine belt. I moved the tensioner pulley over with my breaker bar and inserted a long nail to hold it in place. Problem was it was an aluminum nail and after a minute the spring tension sheared the nail off and the tensioner pulley flew back to the right ....shock of the tensioner slamming back "could" have done something back at the starter solenoid ?? ( I really stretching for symptoms now)
I guess I'll throw some more preventive maint. $$$$ at it and replace the starter since I've already dismantled the intake manifold again.
Rationalization: 11 yr. old car with 96K on it ??

[elfhearse]

from the cooling rebuild post:

UPDATE Part Deux: (I am a D*ckhead/or/don't wire ur starter after a 14 hour day & waiting two weeks to reinstall)
Got the remanufactured starter/PB Blaster soaking for about 5 hours and finally got the (2) E12 torx bolts off. In my late night wiring harness install, I had placed both "small" black wires on the post @ 11 o'clock (#30) = symptoms described above. Well, I have a nice "new" starter to go with the cooling system.

For future reference if anyone (like me) forgets where the starter wires go, here is a description.
Facing the starter solenoid from front of car:
(1) 14 ga. black wire mounts on pin at ~ 11 o'clock (#30)
(1) Red heavy ga. wire from battery mounts on large post at 2 o'clock
(1) 12 ga. black wire mounts on pin at ~ 5 o'clock (#50) below red cable.
a bit embarrassing to post...but it may help the next guy

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

I'm not sure what the other two tiny wires are for, but maybe you have them crossed or something.

Or just bolted them onto the same terminal, lol! Glad you were able to get things fixed, don't feel bad, it happens to the best of us.

When I had my charging system problem, people kept telling me that I had a bad alternator. I knew it had to be something else. No way three alternators would all test good on the bench and then not work when installed. My grounding kit would have worked, but I broke the A/C compressor bracket instead which lead me to find that the engine earthing cable was arcing.

Same thing with my cooling system. People kept saying I had a blown headgasket, when I knew I didn't because I drove the car for about 6000 miles after the problem started and the only symptom I had was coolant loss. I found a small hairline crack on my radiator that would only leak at high speed or heavy load. It was such a small crack that I wouldn't have even noticed the coolant loss if I didn't check my engine fluids everyday.

My neighbors and family always think my car is broken because they see me under the hood so much. I just don't like to drive my car until I pop the hood, check fluids and take a peek at things. Every morning I check the oil, coolant, pwr steering and brake fluids, belts & hoses.

Congrats on finding the problem and fixing it yourself, even if it was operator error. Lesson learned.