Bonziat

Yes I hear a click, I tried the spare key , disconnected the IBS but still no start. The brake lights work so I ruled that out too. The battery's fine even had it jumped. Any more ideas please let me know. The cars sitting in my driveway untill I can get it started or tow it to a mechanic.

BimmerFan52

If you are hearing a click that is probably the starter solenoid engaging. Voltage is sent to the starter solenoid and the solenoid physically moves a plunger (the click you hear), engaging a gear into the flywheel and also closing a set of contacts which then sends battery voltage to the starter motor so the starter motor begins to turn the engine over.

If the click you hear is the starter solenoid, then chances are the starter motor has gone bad. There are a set of brushes or flexible contacts that carry current in the starter motor to the rotating center of the motor. These can become worn and will not make contact. Sometimes you can jar or physically strike the motor and the brushes will again make contact so the starting sequence can begin, but this is a temporary fix as the brushes will get progressively worse and not make contact more often.

There are several ways to positively confirm it is the starter motor but both include physically getting to the starter motor itself (which is not easy on E60s). The first is to get a multimeter probe on the positive terminal of the solenoid to measure that voltage is indeed being supplied when the key is turned. The second was is to strike the starter motor and then try turning the key to start it. This may take several attempts but if it starts you know it is the brushes in the starter motor.

A final way is to have someone who knows what the solenoid engaging sounds like to stand with their ear just over the engine while you turn the key to confirm it is the solenoid.

If you finally determine it is the starter motor you will have to remove the intake manifold to get at it.

Bonziat

Thanks Bimmerfan52, I really appreciate your input during my time of need. I will try those steps and see what happens. Any idea how much it costs to replace the starter?

BimmerFan52

Starters remanufactured start at around $150 with new $250+

If you have someone do it I would guess in the $650-800 range including the starter, depending upon who you had do it. The most time consuming part of the job is that the intake manifold must be removed.

Starter replacement is even worse on my 545i, as part of the exhaust system must be removed!

I remember working on my old Camaro. A starter or an alternator could be accessed from above or below and was a 15-20 minute job. On these cars everything is packed so tight that replacing anything is a nightmare. I swear the Germans stay up late figuring out how to make things difficult.

Horatio5000

This problem is not be propogated enough and I had to go through a year of going to different shops and the dealer twice just to find the answer here.

If your car is not starting but after a while it just starts up is the IVM module. Or Integrated voltage module. You would think that this module is expensive but it is actually about $100 at the dealer. It is 5 inches squared and about 1 inch thick. It has 7 relays, 7 resisters and many fuses.

This box caused me not to drive my car for over a year and just wanted to get rid of it because no one seemed to know what to do until I found the answer online. After I replaced the module my vehicle went back to normal operation. The dealer should of known what the problem was but instead they pointed out other issues and billed $1,300 for a new Alternator and tried to get me to buy a $560 battery which I did not need.

This module is located underneath the cab filters right up against the firewall. You just need the right allen key to open the box and the connectors are easy to unplug by hand.

It is very simple to change it requires no programming. I fixed a year long problem in one hour with no help from the technicians. This is my first and only post but I wanted to make sure no one had to go through what I did.