Had a great day driving the z3 on backroads, no traffic, sunny day with the top down. Next day, turn the key...nothing. No click, no slow turning over, nothing. Battery read 12 volts, tried to jump it, nothing. I'm guessing it's the starter or the starter solenoid. My question is, why did the make it so difficult to get to the darn thing? Looked it up on the internet, and it seems like you have to diassemble half the engine to get to it. Since nobody in this town will work on bmws, I'm afraid I'm going to have to get real familiar with working on it myself...
Why did they?
- Thread starter Guinn
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2016
- Points
- 218
- Location
- Maybole , South Ayrshire
- Model of Z
- Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
Is the car manual or auto transmission.
Stephen
Stephen
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2012
- Points
- 178
- Location
- Newport, South Wales,UK
- Model of Z
- Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
If its a manual then it can be push started without any problem.
I have never heard of pushbstarting a car being a pri lem. However, I read that it coukd cause a problem with electrical components, like the ignition system, in bmws. That sounded bizarre to me, which is why I asked the question. Thanks for letting me know I'm not crazy. 
It might be irrelevant but if the timing chain is hydraulically tensioned then push starting might result in the chain jumping a tooth. It's early here in UK and my brain is still asleep so if this is a stupid worry I apologise!
I had a Jaguar with a diesel engine and manual gearbox and I know for sure that engines have been wrecked by starting (or trying to start) in gear without depressing the clutch pedal. The engine is thrown into a degree of reverse rotation as the starter fails to continue turning it against overwhelming resistance, and because the hydraulic tensioner has not yet deployed, the slack in a long run of the chain is sufficient to allow tooth jumping.
I had a Jaguar with a diesel engine and manual gearbox and I know for sure that engines have been wrecked by starting (or trying to start) in gear without depressing the clutch pedal. The engine is thrown into a degree of reverse rotation as the starter fails to continue turning it against overwhelming resistance, and because the hydraulic tensioner has not yet deployed, the slack in a long run of the chain is sufficient to allow tooth jumping.
I never heard of that being a problem. The tensioner is spring loaded. Push starting is just done at "couple-mates-huffingpuffing-and-pushing" speed in second gear. So, ignition on, clutch down, engage 2nd, get your mates up to speed and release the clutch.
But towing the car up to 50mph and popping the clutch in first gear and you're asking for trouble
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Points
- 174
- Model of Z
- 2.2i Sport
It'd get you plenty of views on youtube, though. Got to be worth it, surely?
We all need the validation of "likes" from total strangers, don't we now? Or is it just me? Questions questions...............No, well I did suggest that I hadn't thought it through but if it did cause someone to think twice about push starting until they'd given it due consideration then that's all to the good. The Jaguar diesel problem is certainly real and it was reported as having happened to more than one owner on the Jaguar forum. It is a different scenario I admit. Dual mass flywheels might not appreciate a vigorous push start either.
It looks like I'm going to be giving the push start a go. Weather here is calling for severe thunderstorms, hail, possible tornadoes, for most of the next 10 days...can't chance leaving the car out in the open. If the driveway to my shop was level I'd just push it in inside , but it's uphill a bit. If for some reason I can't get it push started, I'm really going to be up the creek...
Okay, it pays to investigate all possible reasons your car won't start...as I was about to begin the push start process, I decided to give it one more try. Still no go, but I notice the plastic ring around the ignition, where the key inserts, was half off. Push it back into place and the car started. So glad I didn't have it towed to the bmw authorized dealer for a new starter...I didn't know that little plastic piece would keep the car from starting...
So glad I didn't have it towed to the bmw authorized dealer for a new starter...I didn't know that little plastic piece would keep the car from starting...That is weird! It must be something to do with the engine immobiliser and sensing the presence of the key. Anyway, that's good news!Okay, it pays to investigate all possible reasons your car won't start...as I was about to begin the push start process, I decided to give it one more try. Still no go, but I notice the plastic ring around the ignition, where the key inserts, was half off. Push it back into place and the car started.
