Here's one for the dumb luck crowd:
Car's been taking just a beat longer to start each time for about a month or so. Other day, I go to get my stepson at school and it takes three, four seconds longer crank to start. I think nothing of it. I go to pick him up, we walk back to the car, and it's dead as a door nail. I got power, but not so much as a click of the solenoid under the hood.
I can't tap the starter beause it's packed under the manifold and air intake assembly, but above the block. I do a little research, and on that car (a '06 BMW X3) it's one of a couple things:
- battery (Nope; 11.6 V at the battery, low but ought to at least throw over the starter)
- solenoid (Haven't ruled it out)
- starter (Not likely; not even getting a click on the solenoid)
- fuses (Nope; checked each one)
- ground strap (Nope, visually checked it; it's off the exhaust to the frame. It's green-ish, not a great sign, but looks intact.)
- Ignition switch (haven't ruled it out)
- EWS, a security system on these cars (Ruled out the key side by using the spare key, nothing. That means it still could be the EWS module)
- the ECU (haven't ruled it out)
So I'm down to:
Solenoid; a $85 part, but I have to take the manifold and air intake off the engine, as well as relocate the engine compartment electronics. For a pro, about 2 hours work, for me, likely 3 at least, and that's if I can get the two special tools from my stepson.
Ignition switch; a $75 part, but I have to take apart the steering column, not the biggest deal, maybe an hour's job for me, but need a special tool.
EWS module: a $125 part (though less refurbished), but I need a dealer because it needs to be coded to the ECU and coded to the keys or it is useless. This means it's about $600 at least.
ECU module: over a $1250 part (though I can get them for about $750 refurbished), and I need a dealer because it needs to be coded by the dealer or it is useless. This means it's about $1500 at least.
So I get the car towed to my house, and I'm fucking around on Bimmerworld forums, and I see something about "ground straps", plural. I know what they are, and checked the one I knew about, but I didn't realize there are two of them on my car, the one off the exhaust to the frame, that I can see, and one off the engine to the frame, under the heat shield under the car. I also found out that a visual is not enough; if it's green, enough of the threads could be broken inside to make it effectively useless. So I figure, what do I have to lose and I go out, in the rain, shimmy my fat ass under the back, check the rear ground strap, and sure enough, tight as a drum. It ain't it. Go to the front, jack up the car, look at it, see where it connects to the frame and it's silver and looks intact. I can't reach it to pull it, but I am able to reach in the wheel well and touch it... and it falls to dust in my hand. Twenty minutes, a $16 cable from NAPA and a couple washers from Home Depot (the ends were different) and it fired up first try. I ordered legit ones from an aftermarket/OEM site (with the correct ends) and I'll replace the rear one just to not take the chance, but I'm glad I didn't have to involve the dealer (FYI, the $16 cable was $59 and change from the dealer.)