Ground strap! Just throwing it out there for others who might have a no start, no crank condition, you may also consider the engine to chassis ground strap as a possible culprit. I have a 2010 E83 x3 w/ e52 engine. One day it just would not start, the starter was only a few months old, but I did replace it anyway. Prior to that I had also used a long screw driver to test voltage going to the starter when turning the key and that tested fine. I tried a jumper between slots on the EWS as well. I had codes for alternator missing, water pump missing, intake solenoid. I finally found the idea to try grounding the engine. Ran a jumper cable from a good point of contact from a manifold bolt to the chassis. Car started right up! Checked the ground strap (by front right wheel with bottom cover removed) and found my ground strap was broken in the middle and was now two pieces.

If your immobiliser is not syncing or your key is a problem reset the whole system by unplugging both battery terminals. Touch the positive and negative together to discharge any residual charge in the system for 20 seconds. Leave the terminals off the battery no longer touching. Turn on the headlights to continue the discharge - of course no lights will come on but your aim is to reset the electronics entirely and drain any residual charge. After 15mins have passed, connect up the terminals to the battery don’t worry about the small spark when connecting the terminal. Get back inside the car and start the car up. This saved me walking 5miles home or calling emergency pickup. Credit to the BMW guy from England and his YT vids. He suggested it, I tried it and it worked.

Whoa this is kinda crazy, I was checking out your “oil filter housing gasket replacement” video which was 6 years ago and you look much younger now brother !!!!. Happy to see you being healthy and I’m about to fix my oil filter housing gasket tomorrow by myself. Thank you for your best tutorial and happy new year my friend :)

Thanks for this. I appreciate the effort it took to do this, informing the non-technicians! Now to do the test.

Brother you just saved me probably $1k and a tow plus about 3 hours of time...thank you!

Wow this could not have come out at a stranger time, i had just watched the other video with Ismael and couldve sworn it was just released, so seeing a 3 year difference was a bit of a surprise!

I love the video, but your leaving out a huge detail to diagnosing a no crank no start. Check the ews harness. They are prone to corrosion and will short out pins on the ews. It will give the same symptoms of a bad key. Please do a video on this. Check your ews harness if everything else is OK and you think you have a bad key.

As already mentioned, key beep is only to be trusted if you know that your car beeps. The ones with Euro factory settings don't. If the car does the crank/no start, it could also be the instrument cluster (as also already mentioned in the first video), since it is a bridge between networks on which EWS and DME reside.

My car has an intermittent no crank, i take the key out turn it around and it usually starts, I guess the key is bad but I've never heard the door beeps (maybe European cars don't do it?) I've taken the ignition switch out and cleaned it but it didn't make any difference. I don't have a spare key to try and its £170 for a new one from BMW :(. Keep up the good work

THANKS Guys for ALL YOUR HELP AND TIME. SAVED ME ALOT. BLESSINGS

I have an E46 2002 320i intermittent crank but no start, i can tell when the engine is not going to start because everytime it is going to fail/only crank when i turn the ignition key the orange image showing a birds eye view of the car does NOT light up all the other dashboard illuminations light up correctly., i then have to just keep turning the key on and off until the display illuminates that orange car icon/ i.e car door and lights check 'picture'. Do you have a tips for as to were to start looking. 50's kid its awesome to see you keeping up the tutorials, simply my favorite e46/bmw utuber content creator..

Thanks for another good DIY! on the E46....Please keep posting your videos.

WOO THANKS. yesterday I was pretty sure my key went bad. No beeping with the door open anymore. I wasn’t sure but I got a new key ordered anyway. Glad you guys mentioned the key thing in the beginning. Thank you!

Thank you that was very good info, i would just like to add that i had the problem where as my e46 320d did not crank and it was a blown 50amp fuse behind the glovebox

Watching in 2024 and you guys just saved me so much time and money

Thanks guys, you saved me an expensive trip to the garage, I took the chip out of my key as I was swapping out the battery, couldn’t work out why it wasn’t starting 🙄, was about to call a tow truck to the repair shop.

So, your vid was just what i was lookoing for; thanks. Bought a 530i with one key. Down the line it wouldnt start one day. Battery was charged and it was defionately like something was grounded. Fiorst bypassed manual clutch switch. Began to wonder about key as i had split it open trykiong to replace fob battery.. it did work after that. Anyway, first click open door trick worked; no beep. Got valet key made it working great. I couldnt find any other source on that info and even BMW parts guy said he hadnt heard that. Anyway; a big thanks for the info. John

Great video! Would be great to watch an E46 battery drain diagnosis.

Thanks alot my zhp started a no crank and no start just befor I laid it up for winter. It was intermittent. Work good sometimes and not other times I know my batt is getting old. 6 yrs so I'm leaning g towards that cause if the dme dosnt see 12 volts or more it will do the same thing, no crank no start. I will definitely be testing the ews in the spring I seen them slots but didn't know that what they was for. Thanks for the info

Hi advice please I have e46 1.8 petrol in uk. Normally it works fine but when it’s super cold and freezing I dont hear any fuel priming on ignition and car doesn’t start, if I crank and give it gas it will eventually start and be fine for the rest of the day. What would you say is the problem here? I’m thinking relay or pump?

You guys are absolutely brilliant! Thank you very much.

Great work man!

Thank you for the video! I'm on E46 M3 SMG clutch. No start and SMG cog light on. Can not change the gears. Any hints what is wrong with the car?

Wow so useful, this guy is very confident you should have him more

If battery is low below some threshold , will not try to start?

My 2001 bmw 325i it cranks but it doesn’t start it has low fuel pressure I changed the fuel pump twice fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator and it still don’t start what could be the problem

Ciao , ho una bmw alpina b10 3.2 , è uguale alla e39 528i, ti scrivo la sintomatologia del malfunzionamento: avvio intermittente, a volte riparte dopo qualche ora o la mattina dopo ; l'ha tenuta un elettrauto 2 giorni ma non ha trovato problemi dalla diagnosi, pensando fosse la chiave ho provato la seconda ma il problema si verifica con entrambe ; ho cambiato il switch di accensione pensando fosse quello ma nulla ; la batteria ha 5 anni ( solo una volta il primo giorno che si è presentato il problema ho smosso la batteria e ho sentito una sorta di sfrigolio proveniente dal portabagagli quella volta l'auto è subito partita). Non so se può esserti utile ma il problema si è presentato dopo un lavoro di saldatura sulla marmitta

I'm having a no crank no start issue with my e53 x5. I'm hoping that these steps can help me figure out what is the problem. Thanks for your content!

Hey what’s up? I have a 2003 bmw 330xi and whenever it gets a bit hot(70 plus degrees) or when I drive my car a little hard, the car won’t crank. I have to wait about 10 minutes and then it starts up perfectly like nothing happened. It seems it is a temperature issue but how do I diagnose what the actual problem is? (Starter, fuse, wires, cables, etc) Thanks.

Hey 50’s Kid, Do you know if a car with a bad EWS or ignition cylinder can still be roll started? My car will roll start but nothing happens when I turn the key, EWS plugged in or bypassed. That is the short version of my question. More detailed. Started reviving a car that sat for 5+ years. Got it running and driving and eventually it stopped starting. Diagnosed it with your video to the starter. Replaced starter and the car would turn over, I forgot to plug the EWS back in so it wouldn’t start. Now that I figured that out. The car wont turn over at all even when I do the bypass truck but like I said above it can be roll started with 0%. Will run and drive until I run out of fuel

The Clutch switch seems like it could be a culprit also. My e46 has had a no crank condition on warm ambient air days. when the weather cools, the car starts!

Holy shit. This is so fucking simple I’ve got to try this. Everytime I look into this people be so complicated this was perfect simply clear and to the point thank you

Thank you for the video I have an e53 with intermittent no crank no start. Moving the steering wheel column up and out makes it start. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Great video! I tried this on my e83 (2008 x3) and I could not fit a fuse in the immobilizer cable harness. Fortunately, the car started after having the immobilizer unplugged for 10 minutes!

Yo 50sKid, I love your videos. You give me confidence to work on my e46. Thanks a lot!

Did what you said to test weather it was the starter , Ing.or the Ews and it was the Ews my question is when replacing the Ews will you have to reprogram the Ews and how do you do this ? and will a used Ews be good the work with thk u Ranman Olde school automotive

I have a 2001 E46 318i It does have an instrument cluster thats from a USA model 323i and was able to code all ZCS values to it, but not the VIN does have an error code for EEPROM. It's Euro model and it does beep when in position 1 and when it does beep the key turns the car over and starts as it should, but when it does not beep the car does nothing I sometimes have to do this a dozen times or so to get it going, so is this a Key problem awesome video BTW...

Omg! Thanks guys! Question, I found a company that says maul the module and they will repair/ replace and ship it back...is this possible??

Thanks this helped solve my issue. I got a new key and it started right up. My car doesn’t beep at all with the door opened and the key turned on so just a heads up for others.

Hi i put fuse in to hot thise wires. Also took out strater and tested it. It works. It cranks when on car and connect wires straight to strater from battery on a side. It cranks. Also replaced ignituon switch. Still no crank. What else could it be? Is there any more relays in e46 related to starter except the one in aws block?

I’ve also did the fuse in the ews & no crank no start my question is why are my fuses not working when I remove them and test with the test light only one side of the fuses is getting power basically it’s not a full connection

Does this apply to both doors on a 2 door 330ci? What if the right side door gets a beep bit left side no beep?

Question! So I’ve heard that if you disconnected the ews with the battery connected, that apparently It would mess up the ews. Is this true?

Okay guys, my 2001 325Ci will not crank. Battery is +12.5 volts good. Checked all fuses in glove box and under hood with DVOM, all okay. Per the video, key in ignition position 1, open door and the car beeps, indicating the EWS is recognizing the key, but the engine will not crank in key position 2. Following the second part of the video, I bridged the EWS connector slots with a 30 amp fuse; the car cranks but doesn't start, thus the starter and ignition key are good. First test validates the EWS and key, second test validates the ignition switch and starter. What am I missing?

Good morning. I have a start sequence problem on my BMW E46. On stage 1, all the lights on the dashboard light up as if we were in stage 2. And in stage 2 it remains the same. Then in step 3 it starts normally. So, I would like to fix the problem from step 1 and step 2. If you have any idea. Thanks in advance.

Great troubleshooting tips! Thank you!

quick question when I connect the fuse it cranks , I have already replaced the ews n starter & still no crank , only when I take out the ews n put a fuse it cranks, could it be the ignition switch ?

If I'm not getting power to pin 1 on ews could it b egs cause I get the beeping and power to ignition switch and it cranks when I jump the ews4.3 this is on 01 525i

Great video and good info. I’ve got a question on ABS system. Is there anything manual process to troubleshooting the module before I send it out for repair and not waste people’s time and money?

I can a bmw e46 318i cranking but not starting..... it was blowing a 30 fuse in the engine box and it stop after I change the coils and the plugs.... still crank and no start..... could it be the ews? The immobilizer is showing up when I scann it

Hi Jason, So I rebuilt my engine with your video guidance and when I went to crank it with the fuel pump fuse removed so I could build oil pressure without starting I have no crank. The battery is new, I did the checks from this video and your 2018 video and nothing. Everything electrical works but cranking. The car was without power for at least a year if that might be the issue? I looked up the INPA scanner and it says doesn't work with Windows 10 so I wonder if there is a new scanner to see if I have lost sync? A

If it was the ignition module would it start right away when I attached a jump pack and then turned the key?

So i watched the video and hoped this was going help solve my no crank no start on my e46 99 323i. But when went to pit the fuse in the harness plug there was only one actual point of contact. No wire going to one of the slots. So what would i do from that situation. Thanks for any help. Your videos are great!

The key in ignition beep can be coded off

Does this also apply to a 1995 740il e38? No crank no start issue over here too!

Hey man, when you put the fuse to skip the EWS, my car just does 1 click,same with the EWS connected, any sugsestions? battery is okay,checked it already

Would this test work on a 2006 535 e60? I’m having the no crank/no start which happened very unexpectedly & sudden. Trying to properly diagnose before I pull intake manifold to get to starter. Thanks in advance

My e46 has no start issues but it cranks. I checked the ews status the reading seems ok with no issues at all. Fuel pump working but it has no injector pulse.

So what happens if it beeps without the key in the ignition? And we'll here is my issue....03 325xi 132k unhooked the battery to check fuses (fuse area in glove box has obvious corrosion) checked fuses, then hooked battery back up. Started the car and the abs and brake light came on and stayed on. I then read where someone said they drove theirs around for a little bit and the lights went out. So I start the car, drive around my town for about 15 mins and parked back in my driveway. Lights did not go off. Shut the car off. Cycled the key a couple times and went to start it and nothing happens, does not turn over. So with the key in my hand, I open the door and it starts dinging ( and no the headlights are not on) put the key in turn the 1st click, and mileage and airbag light come on, then 2nd click and nothing, I'm pretty sure that's when all the other lights and the fuel Guage is supposed to come on. But nothing, and then attempt to start it and nothing. Please help. I just traded my only transportation for this.

Great information Thanks for this if you replace the battery in or key fob. Could this fix it? But you need EWS can you recode and do you need a new key?

So what do I do when I already replaced my key and the door is still not dining and and I already got my ews replaced

What is the process to replace my EWS or repair it? on 2003 325i. I followed your instruction and found that my problem is my EWS?

I have a 2002 525i that wont crack or start, I did the test for the key, one click and open the door there is no beep, the second test the car turned over fine, does that mean my key is the problem?

Before this you had to check all fuses and relays related right?

Hey there l just did a m54b30 swap on my 2002 525it. I get a crank no start issue. No fuel delivery or no spark. Also I can not connect to the ecu for some reason. I swapped the m54b30 with intake manifold and all accessories into the 525i car. Used 525i engine harness and old style bolt in coil packs. I've swapped the fuel pump and crank position sensor with know good parts and no change. I've swapped the ecu and dme with key and ignition barrell from a known good car and still the same. Do you think you could point me in the right direction of what to check next by chance?

I have no power on entire bottom row of fuses in fuse box will the starter being bad cause this

It’s been almost 5 years since your M54 rebuild. How is the oil consumption going in your E46 with the M52TU oil control rings?

First thanks for the videos! Unfortunately in this case after watched this more than a dozen times and THINK there is an error here in the last statement you 50sKid made at then IF I follow the logic of what you are testing here..... The fuse test mentioned jumps the 12V line AROUND the DME (effectively bypassing for the unit for the purposes of accessing crank). As such IF you HAVE crank (during bypass) you can diagnose the problem of no crank/start (with NORMAL hookup ie NO bypass) as one of the 2 active components present (ignition switch or starter).... Makes sense. HOWEVER you state at the END a conclusion I don't think can be inferred..... IF No crank/start BEFORE bypass, and NO CRANK after bypass MUST BE DME.... I don't see how that can be true. Since we NEVER have successful CRANK can't conclude what part(s) are defective. Any one, two or three could be preventing spark out of starter (starter it's self, DME, Ignition switch.... Right....? A negative ONLY test is not conclusive. Or so would think as this is MY current situation (after checking battery/fuses/key)... Any thoughts?

Don't forget, if you don't tighten down that positive cable running across the engine bay to the 19mm its not going to crank obviously. Because that positive cable runs to the starter solinoid. ✌️ Also your battery can surprise you as well. Can show 13v but it doesn't mean it necessarily has the amps to turn the car over if its damaged. Literally can happen out of nowhere.

hello there , i have 1999 e39 cranks no start after i replaced 12v battery, fuel pump works good ignition coils sparking when i crank, fuel pressure is good in the injectors bar. still won't start....... wish u can help me to solve the problem .... best regards

The info is a lil conflicting for me because you say when you put the fuse in EWS and start car and it cranks then starter and ignition switch are good and if it doesn't crank then 1 of the 2 starter or ignition is bad so what tell you if the EWS is bad that's the part I'm missing

Absolutely check your clutch position sensor, mine fell out of place and replicated a faulty ews problem

Hello Jason, Thank you for the great videos, I'm a big fan of yours! I have an interesting case that happened to me and my E46 330xi recently and I wanted to share with you, and if possible to get an advise. Couple of weeks ago when I was starting off with the engine warmed up, I got the brakes, ABS, DSC warning lights on. Maybe a few moments later the engine stalled and the wheels like suddenly stopped- it was like a violent/sudden stop of the vehicle and the engine was dead. After that I managed to start the engine again and I noticed that there was a warning sign next to the gear selector indicator on the dash board. Therefore, my first thoughts were that there was a kind of problem with the automatic transmission. I drove the car for like a 500 m, and then it happened again- the engine stalled and the car violently stopped (wheels blocked). Next I was towed to a garage, where after a troubleshooting, they determined that there was some kind of problem with the engine control module (DME). The diagnostics software determined that the ABS and transmissions modules have recorded errors of not receiving CAN-bus data from the DME. The DME module was sent for a repair and it is now working- the vehicle, it's engine and transmission are now working fine. However, what bothers me is that they could not determine the root cause of the DME failing and also I cannot fully understand the reason why the wheels are blocked when the engine fails. Is it because of the ABS system applying the brakes in an emergency mode or the transmission is "locked" because it receives no signal from the engine module... The DME repair shop stated that it was probably a kind of high voltage shock and they had to replace the CPU module of the DME. Now due to all of this I'm really worried to drive the car since I do not know what's the root cause of the DME failing and also I do not know what would be the effect if this happens on the highway at high speeds.. Will the wheels/transmission be "locked" again? I would be very interested to hear your opinion on the case and especially if you have some experience with something similar. Many thanks!

How do you recode the ews. 🤔

UPDATE! I hooked a jumper cable to the negative jump connect and the "hook" bracket to the right of the VANOS and crank city....so my engine must not be grounded?

Mine had no crank then I follow all directions til the last one that u put that fuse on the connection and mine crank and started but died right away... you didn't say if it started and died what could it be??😅help

Happy New Year Jason!

Hey guys. I have a E46 320 diesel. It just clicks when I want to crank it. The starter seems ok. I took it out, cleaned it, replaced the carbon brushes. It works perfectly of the car. When I put it back in it just clicks. On push start, the engine starts in a second. Do you know what could be the problem ? Thank you

How do you what key to order? What info do I need? Does it have to be bought from d dealer bmw?

Only thing I’ve noticed on many e46 going bad is ews module or ews module internal relay which can be fixed in 2 seconds with a piece of wire , or if the car shows electrical problems u gotta go through canbus .

What about EWS delete. How hard is it. Could a video be done on that?

Thanks guys,I got 2 e46 check engine light is on I have no idea what the problem is if you want to make a video on my cars please comment love your videos

Does the apply to smg m3 too?

Nice upload mates!

My e46 320d doesn't do the beeping. But it does the beeping when I have the lights on. I have no crank no start. New battery fitted, starter motor tested. Still won't start. Any ideas guys?? Not even cranking its just clicking

Mine only start when i jump the starter with a screwdriver. Lights and everything goes on but no crank. any ideas?

Hola Jason ma encanta el trabajo que haces eres un profesional y lo bien que lo explicas todo sigue hacin eres grande gracias te veo desde España concretamente de Andalucía, Málaga .

Thanks guys very helpful.

If the key is no good would jumping the EWS allow the car to start?

What if you jump the two wires on the ews and the car cranks and turns on?

Just tried this I get no crank so I’m guessing it’s my starter or ignition switch just I just got a new battery

Good day to all 2002 BMW 325ci Convertible I have the beeping sound key is good car cranks has spark but the fuel pump will not stay on HELP!!!!

Hello, thanks for the video as I was able to follow your steps and sure enough I found my problem. After pulling the intake to put a starter on my daughters car and getting the same no start I was blown away. I found this video and it got me back on track. So, I realize quickly after performing this test my EWS lost communication bc it cranked over but no start up. So, to Ismael, what can you do to fix the EWS box. I also changed the switch after seeing this video.

Thx!

Usually I just wait 12 hrs and it fixes itself

how can i get in touch with you about replacing my ews

What’d ones it mean if the car doesn’t beep with the key in the first position but it cranks when I try the ewe test

If it is manual Transmisson maybe clutch switch is defective

Tried the fuse in the EWS and now none of my lights are coming on and I have full rotation available when turning the key

I wished I would have seen this 3 months ago. F*** the EWS!!! lol