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Out of the blue, I go to start it, and nothing, no weird sounds, the ignition key just turns. I had been driving it around town beforehand no problems.
Fresh battery, the headlights, radio, etc. work fine.
Ignition related I say? Any ideas before i take it to the garage?
Thanks.
does it feel normal when you turn the key or it just turns with no resistance?
It was the braided wire between the starter and solenoid. Not repairable so the starter/solenoid unit was replaced for Cdn $325 plus labour.
This is a generic picture of the E34 starter/solenoid unit in my 535i - the issue I had was the highligthed wire was badly frayed/rusted.
BTW the mechanic said it was the original starter (21 YRS OLD - WOW).
that's the ugliest starter I've ever seen :D
Its not ugly, its antique! :D