Car will not start, new battery, not starter

thatblackbimmer · 08-15-2019, 09:55 PM

Yesterday, after I left work and returned to wait on a coworker, and left the car on accessory to listen to the radio as I waited. After 30ish minutes I go to start the car and the starter goes but the engine won't turn over. Got a new battery but still nothing. Others have said it sounds like the engine was not getting any fuel and my MHD is giving:
2A61 - Ignition relay and injectors, supply voltage, fuel injection: line disconnection
2DB6 - Valvetronic relay, activation: line disconnection
371E - Relay, ignition and injection systems, activation: line disconnection
Thinking it's a wiring issue but I'm not that experienced in wiring issues or problems of this kind at all. Nothing out of the ordinary happened before the issue to hint that there was a problem. It's a 2012 BMW 135i and is only has a CP and MHD Stage 1+ Flash
Car also makes a clicking noise that sound like it's coming from the dash or rear engine bay when I attempt to start it.
Thanks in advance

JimD · 08-28-2019, 07:25 AM

This is now a couple weeks old but I haven't noticed it. You may have resolved it but I will comment. The way the starting circuit works is there is a relay, I think it's on the starter for our cars but sometimes it is in the engine compartment, that is triggered when you push the start button. The relay has to handle the large current flow necessary for the starter to work. The relay has a power feed direct off the battery that it switched to turn over the starter. It sounds like you are getting the click from the relay but not the actual rotation of the starter. It could be that you jumped the car and did not get a good enough connection to flow the current the starter requires. If you replaced the battery, then either the electrical connection to the starter relay is bad or the starter is bad. You can jump directly to the starter relay to eliminate that possibility. If you do this, you can also jump across the two lower power contacts that are engaged by the push button on the dash to see if the starter will turn the motor over. Be sure it will not cause damage, however, if the engine turns over or starts - no hands in the way and car well supported, not on a jack.

thatblackbimmer · 08-28-2019, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimD

This is now a couple weeks old but I haven't noticed it. You may have resolved it but I will comment. The way the starting circuit works is there is a relay, I think it's on the starter for our cars but sometimes it is in the engine compartment, that is triggered when you push the start button. The relay has to handle the large current flow necessary for the starter to work. The relay has a power feed direct off the battery that it switched to turn over the starter. It sounds like you are getting the click from the relay but not the actual rotation of the starter. It could be that you jumped the car and did not get a good enough connection to flow the current the starter requires. If you replaced the battery, then either the electrical connection to the starter relay is bad or the starter is bad. You can jump directly to the starter relay to eliminate that possibility. If you do this, you can also jump across the two lower power contacts that are engaged by the push button on the dash to see if the starter will turn the motor over. Be sure it will not cause damage, however, if the engine turns over or starts - no hands in the way and car well supported, not on a jack.

Thanks for responding! I took it to a shop and they tested the coils and injectors and said they were getting no power. I replaced what I believe to be the ignition and injection relay (the one in the engine bay with 3 fuses above it?)and got the same codes plus a few more, both about Valvetronic and ignition and injection systems' relays having a short circuit to earth. Could you possibly tell me the parts I should test and their location? I also have a spare relay now. Thanks.

thatblackbimmer · 09-10-2019, 03:48 PM

Okay, so I took it to a trusted mechanic (Euro-Sports in Spartanburg, SC) and it ended up being the distributor box. The ebox in the engine bay was only getting 2v and now it works just fine.

tracer bullet · 09-10-2019, 04:10 PM

Odd but makes sense. Strange coincidence with it going with listening to the radio for a while. Thanks for the followup - so many threads go unsolved!

thatblackbimmer · 09-10-2019, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Odd but makes sense. Strange coincidence with it going with listening to the radio for a while. Thanks for the followup - so many threads go unsolved!

It is very odd but in the colder months my car would have long starts, and sometimes stall so maybe that was the issue for that as well? And you're welcome, I wanted to hopefully help someone in the same predicament.

dtla1 · 09-11-2019, 10:55 AM

Sorry I didn't see this post earlier, I had a similar issue and it was the relay that is adjacent to the fuses under the glovebox. That's what I traced the clicking noise to and replaced.

daltasam · 01-30-2022, 09:16 PM

I have the same error codes,
what was the fix for your car?
Which distributor box? front or back

blanmgr · 10-28-2023, 10:01 AM

I reviewed some of these answers and I am going to try to fix the car. I live quite a ways from any kind of repair shop or BMW shop.

I have a similar issue as with this post. The car has been sitting up for a couple years now. I had replaced the battery new once to see if she will start. It will only "turn" but never start. I noticed the fuse box in the passenger glove box has corroded. I was going to see about getting a part from somewhere like eBay or other.

I most like will have to pump out the old gas and put new gas in it. I was going to go and replace the passenger relay box first. Is this hard to remove out? The next step is someone commented about a Distro box in the engine bay. What and where is this and then how to remove it? Are there any other suggestions I can try?

08-15-2019, 09:55 PM	#1
thatblackbimmer New Member 3 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2012 135i Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	Car will not start, new battery, not starter Yesterday, after I left work and returned to wait on a coworker, and left the car on accessory to listen to the radio as I waited. After 30ish minutes I go to start the car and the starter goes but the engine won't turn over. Got a new battery but still nothing. Others have said it sounds like the engine was not getting any fuel and my MHD is giving: 2A61 - Ignition relay and injectors, supply voltage, fuel injection: line disconnection 2DB6 - Valvetronic relay, activation: line disconnection 371E - Relay, ignition and injection systems, activation: line disconnection Thinking it's a wiring issue but I'm not that experienced in wiring issues or problems of this kind at all. Nothing out of the ordinary happened before the issue to hint that there was a problem. It's a 2012 BMW 135i and is only has a CP and MHD Stage 1+ Flash Car also makes a clicking noise that sound like it's coming from the dash or rear engine bay when I attempt to start it. Thanks in advance
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08-28-2019, 07:25 AM	#2
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	This is now a couple weeks old but I haven't noticed it. You may have resolved it but I will comment. The way the starting circuit works is there is a relay, I think it's on the starter for our cars but sometimes it is in the engine compartment, that is triggered when you push the start button. The relay has to handle the large current flow necessary for the starter to work. The relay has a power feed direct off the battery that it switched to turn over the starter. It sounds like you are getting the click from the relay but not the actual rotation of the starter. It could be that you jumped the car and did not get a good enough connection to flow the current the starter requires. If you replaced the battery, then either the electrical connection to the starter relay is bad or the starter is bad. You can jump directly to the starter relay to eliminate that possibility. If you do this, you can also jump across the two lower power contacts that are engaged by the push button on the dash to see if the starter will turn the motor over. Be sure it will not cause damage, however, if the engine turns over or starts - no hands in the way and car well supported, not on a jack. __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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09-10-2019, 03:48 PM	#4
thatblackbimmer New Member 3 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 2012 135i Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	Okay, so I took it to a trusted mechanic (Euro-Sports in Spartanburg, SC) and it ended up being the distributor box. The ebox in the engine bay was only getting 2v and now it works just fine.
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09-10-2019, 04:10 PM	#5
tracer bullet Brigadier General 2406 Rep 3,535 Posts Drives: '11 135i , '15 X3 35i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Saint Paul, MN iTrader: (1)	Odd but makes sense. Strange coincidence with it going with listening to the radio for a while. Thanks for the followup - so many threads go unsolved!
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09-11-2019, 10:55 AM	#7
dtla1 Colonel 828 Rep 2,232 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, Space Grey Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (2)	Sorry I didn't see this post earlier, I had a similar issue and it was the relay that is adjacent to the fuses under the glovebox. That's what I traced the clicking noise to and replaced.
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01-30-2022, 09:16 PM	#8
daltasam Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: BMW X5 Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Hi did you get it fied? I have the same error codes, what was the fix for your car? Which distributor box? front or back
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10-28-2023, 10:01 AM	#9
blanmgr Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW 3281 2008 Join Date: Oct 2023 Location: Tipton County TN iTrader: (0)	Old Guy (64) with Wifes 328i 2008 starting issues I reviewed some of these answers and I am going to try to fix the car. I live quite a ways from any kind of repair shop or BMW shop. I have a similar issue as with this post. The car has been sitting up for a couple years now. I had replaced the battery new once to see if she will start. It will only "turn" but never start. I noticed the fuse box in the passenger glove box has corroded. I was going to see about getting a part from somewhere like eBay or other. I most like will have to pump out the old gas and put new gas in it. I was going to go and replace the passenger relay box first. Is this hard to remove out? The next step is someone commented about a Distro box in the engine bay. What and where is this and then how to remove it? Are there any other suggestions I can try?
	Appreciate 0 Quote