Your car has an antenna in the ring that surrounds the ignition switch. The antenna and the key do a handshake with each other. If the handshake goes well, the car starts. If the handshake does not go well, the car does not start -- no crank, no clicking sound, nothing.

You can prove this by using a different key. If the other key is more reliable than the one you are using now, then the one you are using now is loosing its mind. You have to buy a new key. Sorry.

 

is it a manual? if it is, try turning the key to on position (don't crank), and step on the clutch a couple of times. you should hear a clicking noise. if not, it's your clutch pedal switch

 

jd-tried that today. Used a different key today there is no difference whatsoever, so I don't think my key is the issue.

dirsh-just went out and tried your suggestion. There is a definate audible clicking sound a little past halfway of depressing the clutch in.

I'm stumped. And unfortunately, so is my mechanic. This makes issue #2 my car has which nobody seems to be able to figure out. Awesome.

 

jroath; is there a difference between the dashboard lights you're seeing on the first attempt and the second attempt. I had an issue that turned out to an ignition issue in which on the first attempt I wasn't getting all of dashboard lights and on the second attempt all of the lights were showing up and my bimmer would start. Just my two and a half cents worth...

 

Check your battery connections. We've had many issues just because of bad cables.

Also, because of dying battery...check your voltage.

There are a few things that seem to fail intermittently before failing entirely...I know the fuel pump is one, and that's not your issue. The starter too, and that could be your issue...thus all the stories of getting one more start out of it by hitting it with a hammer!

Start with the basics...make sure your cables are connected (pull up), clean, and check under the hood + and ground terminal also.

 

hmm...starter relay?
*just searched the forum and it seems the relay is built in to the starter.

I agree with the post above. Check first to make sure all the cables are tight and making good contact

my guess would be the starter though. too bad it's not easy to get at to give a good whack
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=732743&highlight=starter

 

Just a thought...I had the same issue. I changed the fuel pump. It didnt make sense to change but I was bored so i did anyways. Anyhow, after I replaced it I never had that issue ever again!!

 

Nice! And that gives me the thought that we didn't suggest the fuel pump relay (swap with horn relay, I think, to test). And there's a fuel pump fuse...but you said you know the pump is going? Wiggle fuse in a few times...swap relay, and see if it still takes two tries to start.

 

if it was the fuel pump or fuel pump relay (horn swap was my idea!), then it would crank and not start. OP's problem is not cranking

 

You said starter relay, that's why I thought fuel pump relay...and am in too many threads to have remembered he's not cranking. Oops!

I have to cut back. Maybe I'll just annoy one fanatic a day from now on!

Sorry, Dirsh, you get +1 for 'cranking,' -1 for relay error! It's a wash! Much better than usual around these parts!:lmao:

 

Well folks, the problem went away on it's own. Didn't really get a chance to do much troubleshooting other than checking battery and terminals for corrosion. I had this problem for approx. five days, then last Monday morning it started on the first try and has been ever since. If it starts having this issue again, I'll try some of the recommendations in this thread and report back. Thanks everybody.

 

I bet it was battery, and at some point, you just drove enough to charge it fully so you'd crank strong enough to get it going the first time.

You think maybe you'd driven further, or differently, prior to it fixing itself?

Keep an eye on the battery voltage with cluster test periodically. Also, did you happen to change brands of gas, or fill up with different gas just prior to the self-healing?

It's nice to know where intermittent failures come from...especially the self repairing kind.

Hmmm? Had you had a cooling issue and maybe spilled stuff on your belts...causing alt to not create full voltage...then maybe drove through a huge storm and it rinsed everything off really nicely? Just thinking how what happened could be. It can't be that many things, I wouldn't think.