electrical and ignition Car will not start.

[aholderith]

If you have the type of aftermarket battery terminal which has two little bolts and a metal tab that clamps the wire, you might try taking it apart and cleaning the connections.  Those are often problematic... just a thought.  

Thank you for the advice, did that last night to no avail.

['76mintgrün'02]

Years ago a friend declared that he HATES that style of clamp...  I now share his sentiment. 

 

I bought a set of OE BMW cables (from Blunttech) when I first got my car.  They cost a little more than the ones you might get at an auto parts store, but I really like the look of the braided ground strap.

[esty]

just a electronic sounding "click" when the key is turned. headlights dim in the start position.

try another battery....have you tied jump starting it

[gaius]

just a electronic sounding "click" when the key is turned.

 

 

one click, or click,click,click... if the latter, is low voltage to starter. clean all contact points, check battery for dead cell. (bad battery)

[aholderith]

it's just one click, we have also replaced both the ignition switch and the starter. neither of those have solved the problem. we have tried jump starting it aswell with similar results.

[Son of Marty]

Look up under the dash just to the right of the steering shaft you'll see a relay about the size of a pack of playing cards with 2 larger wires and 2 smaller wires to it  put your hand on it and turn the key if you feel a click but the car still won't start that's your interlock relay,remove the relay and jump terminals 87 and 30 together, the 2 large wires one should be black with a green stripe and the other just black if memory serves me, and your car should start. take the old relay and toss it over your back fence into the neighbors pool and your problems are solved

[Hans]

when you connected teh jumper cables, did you connect ground cable to the block or the battery?

[aholderith]

when you connected teh jumper cables, did you connect ground cable to the block or the battery?

battery

[esty]

my money's on a bad battery...

[aholderith]

my money's on a bad battery...

even if we tried jumping it could a bad battery prevent a start?

[Buckeye]

any of below scenarios match yours ?

[esty]

even if we tried jumping it could a bad battery prevent a start?

yes sir...if the battery is completely dead or otherwise bad...just clicking when turning the key is classic bad battery symptoms in my experiences

 

if you keep trying does the starter/solenoid soon stop clicking....bad battery or battery with no charge...

[ray_]

If your negative lead is bad or loose, jumping to the battery will not help.

 

Other suggestions above are all good, too...

[Hans]

Try booster cables with the neg ground clamp on the exposed head bolt at back of head. Hot cable can go on hot lead at battery - assuming it is not the culprit. Otherwise attach it directly to the starter. How old is the battery? If you try jumping via a weak battery, you are not putting all the juice to the starter. I recently replaces all the big cables - they are getting on for 50 years.

[aholderith]

Look up under the dash just to the right of the steering shaft you'll see a relay about the size of a pack of playing cards with 2 larger wires and 2 smaller wires to it  put your hand on it and turn the key if you feel a click but the car still won't start that's your interlock relay,remove the relay and jump terminals 87 and 30 together, the 2 large wires one should be black with a green stripe and the other just black if memory serves me, and your car should start. take the old relay and toss it over your back fence into the neighbors pool and your problems are solved

nothing happened.