2006 MIni Cooper base 5 spd. Push starts every time, but starter does not spin often, when I start with ignition key. It will click, though. Recently replaced starter because the braided wire was severed and not even a click at the starter. New clutch neutral switch. Alternator charges at 13.6 volts. Battery is also brand new, and 12 volts at rest. Last start up I held in the clutch and repeatedly turned the key on and off, it started ion the 7th turn. Starter does not seem to turn slow when it finally engages. Any thoughts?

 

Possibly a bad starter solenoid. I have a BMW 2002 which has the same problem. Newly rebuilt starter intermittently not cranking, only clicking. (It would fail to start about once every 5 or 6 tries, but was totally random) Took it out and gave it to a very good starter guy. He pulled it apart and found nothing wrong except a tight Bendix bushing causing excessive friction when the starter was cranking. He massaged the bushing and that problem went away. He told me that the solenoid was suspect but he tried it about two dozen times without a failure on the bench. Told me that if the problem continued to replace the solenoid. Since then it has no cranked about 3 or 4 times (in the past 3 months). So the solenoid is bad, but not bad enough to cause real issue. I will replace it this winter.

If I were you, I would pull the starter and have it checked by a competent repair place. It could be that the replacement starter/solenoid is bad.

 

Have you tried the other key? If the key's internals are failing, the car may not start per the EWS (drive-away protection system). [Source: page 121-18 of Uncle Bentley, 'Starter Troubleshooting' and a friend to whom this happened on an early 2000s Beemer 3 series]

 

Check the ground connections before you take it all apart!
Main one is by the right side engine mount - must be clean, bright & tight.
Plenty of other threads....

 

How many miles are on the car? If it is relatively high then you could just have a bad ignition switch or a bad relay (if it uses one, which I think it should). Also, the solenoid being bad from the get go is also a possibility.

 

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I'll look at the car again tomorrow. It is a 2006 with 108,000 miles on it. I had the Bosch starter which appears to be factory original, rebuilt by a local professional whose work I trust. The problem occurs equally with either of my two keys.

 

+1 on Mikes suggestion. A good ground is necessary and it seems this comes up a lot with Minis.
Plus like he says, it's easy to check. Always try the easy stuff first.
rob

 

+1 on the solenoid being bad out of the box or failing prematurely then, even if he otherwise did a fine job on the starter.

 

Thanks. It was way to cold to look at today, even in the garage. Will get to it soon.

 

UPDATE

Still too cold to get into or under the engine compartment, but, now it starts and runs every time, but the charging system is not working. I am hoping that if an alternator is needed, it is not as much of a PIA as the starter was to replace. I really don't want to fire the parts cannon at it, just want to get it running and reliable, and sell it or trade it. Could a failing alternator have caused the intermittent no-start-situation? (It starts with a dead alternator). Could something other than a dead alternator prevent charging voltage?

 

Has anything changed since your first post?
Re-reading it, I see it took 7 attempts so I'm thinking the ignition switch may be the cause & could also affect the charging, which was working earlier.
Before you tear things apart, check the wiring plugs & try a little switch cleaner in the switch.
13.6V is a little low although I too had a new alternator last April that charges at that rate. It is not yet causing me any problems.

 

The voltage of the battery is the same now, whether the car is running or not. 11.22 volts. How does one clean the switch? Sounds worth a try.

 

So now the alternator is not charging at all?

Just a little of this in the key slot - don't flood it!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-5103-...SABEgL9PvD_BwE

Also useful for cleaning corroded electrical plugs, which is where I think your problem is.
You should probably look at getting a battery charger too.

 

Thanks. I have contact cleaner, and sprayed the plug connections, but haven't sprayed inside the key slot. I'll do that next. I have a couple of battery chargers to keep the new battery fresh, and I won't be driving the Mini until this is fixed. Fortunately not my daily driver. I'll test voltage after the alternator and before the ignition switch, if that is possible. Thanks.

 

I started the Mini, first try and now the charging system is working fine. After about 30 minutes driving it stopped charging. Shut it down after I got home. Waited a few minutes, started back up again, charging working again. Started and restarted it, occasionally the charging did not work, most times it did. Same with the starter motor, although starter working/not working does not seem to correlate with the charging working/not working. After shutting it down for the last time, I sprayed the contact cleaner into the key slot, with a drip pan on the floor. Now I wait...……..

 

Sounds like you need a new starter with solenoid, and also a new alternator

Bryan

 

Well, I'd say that's progress of a sort.
The switch cleaner evaporates very quickly, so give it another little squirt & then slide the key in & out a few times & twist it off & on several times. The contacts should free up - hopefully.
Then see if the starter & alternator are any different.
It sounds as though the car hasn't been used for a while & needs some exercise!

 

Good point, it does not get a lot of use, and is not garaged. It didn't start this morning, but push started fine. Alternator not charging until after driving for about 5 minutes, then it charges. I have my digital volt meter plugged into the lighter for temporary real time readings. After a 15 minute drive it charges and starts. I'll hit it with another spray of contact cleaner.

Next time it doesn't start I'll immediately try jumping it at the solenoid and gather more data.

 

I prepared to hot wire the solenoid to determine if the problem was the starter or the starter circuit. I removed the PITA heat shield and saw that the terminals on the solenoid had loosened, although I don't know how or why. I tightened them up and she started right up and now charges at 13.8 volts. Since the solenoid terminals were loose, the alternator was not contacting the electrical system. I had to push start the Mini to get it into the garage, and for the first time ever, the power steering was also inoperative. Now it works fine again. I can assume that the power supply to what must be electrical power steering (?) was not getting juice as a result of the loose terminals at the solenoid.

Thank you everybody for your ideas.

 

good to know it's fixed.....this is a good idea to check the simple things first

Bryan

 

Good news indeed!
13.8V is on the low side, although mine is the same & causing no problems so far. MINIs are very sensitive to electrical issues.
& yes, the power steering is electrical. It shouldn't need attention, but make sure you use CHF11 fluid if you need to, not ATF.