My car won't start & my insurance is suspended

fran

fran

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After work, I tried to start my car and it wouldn't start [???1] (the battery was fine, lights and radio turned on) It made clicking noises when i turned the key but nothing else. since my insurance is suspended, is there any way my brother and me can fix it? [V] I don't understand why my car has sooo many problems.
 
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epj3

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Isn't it under warranty until next year??

The starter needs to be replaced, that's usually kind of easy, and the insurance doesn't matter when it comes to repairs - just when driving it on the road.

I hope it works out for you, fran!
 
wood_e

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well lets not jump to conclusions so quickly... maybe the battery isn't putting enough amps to the starter by means of a drain somewhere? Did you try to jump it? It could be possibly your ignition lock switch may have failed. Does it click once or many times?
 
jszar

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actaully, if the battery was weak, the starter should still wind. if the starter is bad, then it just clicks. if it doesnt click, its the cylinoid. odds are its the starter if it clicks.

the lights will dim no matter what, the starter pulls a butt load of power.

try turning on the headlights, are they weak? if they arent, then I am sure its the starter. if they are very dim, i would try the battery first.

BTW, jumping a very dead battery is dangerous, so be careful if you do it.
 
B

Big Daddy

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The clicking noise is ususally the bendix not engaging due to a weak battery, and in most cases the starter is winding but cannot get enough juice to engage the bendix. I have had this problem before. Getting the battery charged or jumping the car would always start it.

Usually even a weak and almost dead battery carries enough power to light the lights and or listen to the radio.

Maybe the "Cancelled Insurance Relay Safety Device" has kicked in and is not allowing the starter to function. [joke]
 
andreyiv

andreyiv

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Camshaft sensors? Where do you get that? heh

A weak battery is the first thing I thought of too so you might want to try jumping it.
 
MrElussive

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tool fan said:
Buy A BMW (as if those are problem free) [thumb]
Click to expand...
Isn't her BMW the car that died?

I think it's your battery. Sometimes the starter will click when the battery is low on power. It could be something worse.
Our ML500 just got back from service because of a similar problem. We could get it started by jumping it so we thought it was a dead battery, but we tried fully charging it with a battery charger multiple times and it still wouldn't start. All the lights would go on and off whenever we tried to start it up...finally we took it to the dealership and they said it was something electrical/mechanical but I didn't hear anything more specific than that. Maybe it's the same problem.
 
andreyiv

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Wow, germans have really gone down the drain with the electrical stuff lately. My dad works with this guy who has a brand new merc, doesn't know what model but a convert and he has had it iin for 2 weeks already because the airbag light is slightly lit up and the dealership can't find the problem at all. Imagine how much that would be if the car wasn't under waranty.
 
Kirby

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jszar said:
actaully, if the battery was weak, the starter should still wind. if the starter is bad, then it just clicks. if it doesnt click, its the cylinoid. odds are its the starter if it clicks.
Click to expand...

The battery is shot. Here's what is happening:

1. The battery has enough initial power to engage the starter solenoid. CLICK
2. The battery does not have enough power to crank the starter motor.

When the battery gets a little weaker, the starter solenoid will chatter because the battery doesn't have enough power to hold the solenoid in.
 
dzervit

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I had this issue with our 325i. Jumped it and it was fine. Worked fine for a day or so, then back to no-start. Took it to the dealer and they replaced the battery. Go figure. Rumor has it bimmer batteries suck. Or it could be the solenoid bearings. Or Canuter valve. Maybe even the secondary fan belt is slipping.

EDIT: I'm kidding about those last three, for those who don't know... [fake]
 
B

Big Daddy

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Kirby said:
The battery is shot. Here's what is happening:

1. The battery has enough initial power to engage the starter solenoid. CLICK
2. The battery does not have enough power to crank the starter motor.

When the battery gets a little weaker, the starter solenoid will chatter because the battery doesn't have enough power to hold the solenoid in.
Click to expand...
Exactly, That is what I was trying to say but failed, well said!
 
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epj3

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#18
Kirby said:
The battery is shot. Here's what is happening:

1. The battery has enough initial power to engage the starter solenoid. CLICK
2. The battery does not have enough power to crank the starter motor.

When the battery gets a little weaker, the starter solenoid will chatter because the battery doesn't have enough power to hold the solenoid in.
Click to expand...
Come to think of it, the one night in January when it was snowing, and 10 degrees out, at 3 am i decided to go change the cars around in the driveway (put my car in front of my mom's van in the driveway).

Anyways, I moved the van out, it started very poorly but I sat in it for about 10 minutes to warm it up so the battery would be warm too (under the hood). I double parked the van next to my dad's car which was in the street, and it was super early so it wasn't a problem. Anyways, I moved my car in, and when I went back to move the van, the battery was dead! Woohoo.

The point of my reply is that the van made the same noises, it would click but then the lights would dim and nothing happened.




By the way - my dad wasn't too happy that he had to come out and help me jump start the van at 3 am, when it was 15 degrees out, when he had to go to work...oops.
 
fran

fran

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All you guys are sooo good. It was the battery. [thumb] The guy thought that I looked like a girl he could scam and make a couple extra hundred dollars. The battery was weak/poor so he said that I needed a new one so I sat in the car while he went digging through his warehouse of batteries and he comes back with this battery and tells me that BMW only makes one size battery that will last 6 years. So he tells me that the battery is something like 400+ and of course I was skeptial. He went all into this mumbo jumbo talk aboutbatteries and how i had the buy the battery now or i'll die but I had no clue what he was talking about [idea] hence i couldn't argue with the mofo. I tried telling him that i didn't want to buy a battery from their company if it was going to cost that much money and he goes into how he already took out the old battery and now i was obligated to have him replace it so i start arguing with him, causing everyone inside and outside to stare and his buddy comes over and whispers something in his ear and he gives up and finally tells me that there's "another" battery thats only 100. but its the same one he had next to him and he goes off all huffy puffy when he finished. after my rambling, are there more than one type of battery that could fit in my car? if there are, what are the differences and advantages?
 
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