hifix

Hi guys. I just got the car two weeks ago and stumbled across this great site today. I hope you can help me out. Sometime she fires right up fine and sometimes I turn the key and...nothing. No cranking no clicking. Battery is fine, I figure maybe the starter or the ignition switch. I'm not familiar with the operation of the DME relay.If that goes out will the car still turn over? Any help would be appreciated.

Legoland951

Sometimes its the starter. One time I had a defective ignition switch, the electronic part behind the lock cylinder. Make sure the starter is getting power (load test at the starter), remove and test the starter, then check the power in and out of the ignition switch.

Scootin159

Sounds exactly like when my starter was dead. Only one of (four?) coils was blown, so if it stopped on that coil it wouldn't start, but if it stopped on one of the other three (the last time I started it) then it would do just as you described.

Mine was accompanied with another phenomenon as well. If it stopped on a bad coil it would drain the battery. This made it look like a bad battery, but even after jumping it it would still do the symptoms you described. I replaced the starter and haven't had trouble since then.

Chris_924s

Before Sid Vicious chimes in.. check the grounds. The power cable from the battery to the starter can also be a culprit. Clean the contacts with a wire brush and fine grit sandpaper just in case.
Oxidation and built up crud is our enemy!

adrian_jaye

replace the DME relay

most probable cause