Kinda weird "car won't start" problem

blastman

Hi guys, I started and moved my car yesterday afternoon (took about 30 seconds) and everything seemed fine. A couple of hours later I went to drive it and it didn't start on the first turn, sounding very laboured. I went to try again and it won't start. The crank is turning over, but it sounds like it is just spinning, as if it's not connected to anything else. All lights on the dash seem normal and the battery is fine. The car is an E46 320i.

Has anyone encountered this kind of issue before? It's like turning the engine over with all the plugs removed! It doesn't seem to be too bad an issue as the car doesn't seem to be registering any error, just wondering if there's anything I can check myself before trying to get it to a mechanic.

cml387

blastman wrote: »

Hi guys, I started and moved my car yesterday afternoon (took about 30 seconds) and everything seemed fine. A couple of hours later I went to drive it and it didn't start on the first turn, sounding very laboured. I went to try again and it won't start. The crank is turning over, but it sounds like it is just spinning, as if it's not connected to anything else. All lights on the dash seem normal and the battery is fine. The car is an E46 320i.

Has anyone encountered this kind of issue before? It's like turning the engine over with all the plugs removed! It doesn't seem to be too bad an issue as the car doesn't seem to be registering any error, just wondering if there's anything I can check myself before trying to get it to a mechanic.

It may be unrelated, I had an 04 Megane once. If I started it, moved it a few yards, and stopped it again, guaranteed the following morning it would be very difficult to start. I learned to drive around the block if I had to move it a short distance.

zarquon

Try a voltmeter on the battery and the alternator. Assuming these are both fine it could be a starter issue.

When was the last time the spark plugs were changed?

JohnBoy26

I'd say it could be flooded.

lway

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

I'd say it could be flooded.

+1 i'd say it's flooded, spark plugs are probably wet. Happened to my father's Subaru once, only moved it a couple of yards and it wouldn't start again. Lesson learnt that time.

AA guy explained it to me as extra fuel being injected into the cylinders to get the car started as it's cold, if you don't run the engine until it warms up then next time you try to start it injects the extra fuel again and the spark plugs get damp and don't work. Unfortunately every time you try to start it's doing the same thing. AA guy hooked up a battery pack and kept turning the engine over until she started.

blastman

Would a bump start work, then, as a way round the flooded theory? Or is keep trying with the battery pack the best option?

On turnover, it sounds like the noise you get if you try to start a car when the engine already running if that helps, not sure how else to describe it? It's not the normal turnover chug....

JohnBoy26

blastman wrote: »

Would a bump start work, then, as a way round the flooded theory? Or is keep trying with the battery pack the best option?

On turnover, it sounds like the noise you get if you try to start a car when the engine already running if that helps, not sure how else to describe it? It's not the normal turnover chug....

from what you describe here it sounds like the starter is acting up.

riverrock1

Exactly the same happened my focus a few weeks back.Just flooded.When turning over the engine does sound a bit different than normal.
Connect jump leads and keep turning it over,it will eventually fire.