hello to all...i read through all the forum posts on this that I could find that had the same or similar issues
this is for a 2006 m45

symptoms:
intermittently depressing the start key will result in a 'click' (this seems to be from left driver side of engine compartment) and then nothing, if A/C is on it will come on in a few seconds - repeating the process results in the same click sometimes 5 10 or 15 times - have gone back to off started fresh with same results
eventually it will start (or has so far) - the longest time took probably 15 minutes
the starter sounds strong when it engages - 1x i think it sounded a little delayed but cranked right up

things confirmed working:
no codes are set of any kind
brake switch engages fine i checked it at night so I don't believe it's the switch
car battery is brand new - voltage /lighting/ screen/fans etc seem fine as if no voltage drop, starter spins quickly for fast start when it does engage
keyfob battery is good - system see's key - key in receptacle doesn't seem to change situation either so far as I can tell
battery connection is good posts are clean no buildup - they are tight

special notes:
one time lithium battery pack booster connected to battery (tried out of desperation assuming solenoid was stuck) seemed to engage start - this was after failing 10x or 15x (at least) attempts at starting
this made me think the extra power might have helped a sticking solenoid engage or it was coincidental that it just happened to start at that time

instinct /experience tells me the solenoid is intermittent/sticking and failing but after reading posts and problem 'disappearing' for some I don't know for sure
also- I do not know all the steps the car takes before start and the loud click (then nothing) on the left driver side engine compartment makes me
wonder if there is a relay there that may be failing to engage that controls the starter (if so can you please provide details/location/info on this)
this sound may be coming closers to the firewall/dashboard but definitely sounds like it's on the left side (driver facing from drivers seat) by proximity

i saw that others have had the problem and it disappeared after a while - this has been ongoing for several months - i have returned from a trip and restarted car 4 or 5 times in row w/o any issue - it truly is 'intermittent' and fickle

the only other thing I noticed that might be strange is that when I was putting the lithium booster onto the battery I noticed the cooling fan engage at the front of the car (engine was stone cold) - I'm pretty sure I have heard that from inside a few times as well when I would get the click and no start situation - there is also a slight delay before a/c system kicks in (if left on) after the click at times - could there be some strange electrical issue that could be causing this? I read about fickle electrical systems and bad batteries in other posts....but this battery is brand new and seems quite powerful w/o issues

if i missed anything else I should consider/try please let me know - the battery is a few months old premium class correct for the car and does not seem to have any issues whatsoever

if it is the solenoid is it possible to tear those down and lube/clean them? or are they sealed

getting close to just ordering a replacement starter and swapping it...but i wanted to reach out to the community for ideas/pointers in case i missed something
any info on what may make that 'click' may prove helpful ...possibly there is a relay there that sticks and I don't know much at all about the m45 circuitry

thanks in advance


PS: to be clear this click sound seems to be on left driver side not the passenger side where the starter is ..sound does not seem to come from starter
the click is something else that is engaging..maybe not fully or has too much resistance or is just part of the normal start sequence
would hate to replace starter and find out it had nothing to do with the issue

Hmm this is an interesting one. Sounds like a battery but yours is brand new. Does it happen more or less depending on things like weather, etc.?

Same thing has been happening to my car for the past 3 months.

Ilya wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:37 am

Hmm this is an interesting one. Sounds like a battery but yours is brand new. Does it happen more or less depending on things like weather, etc.?

Thanks for reply. There's no indication of battery voltage drop or weakness that I can discern. As to weather no. It does not seem to be heat dependent which leans slightly against a sticking solenoid. Usually if the solenoid begins going there will be more resistance when it is very hot after operating the engine - in this case I can drive 15 or 20 minutes park and it will start up 4 or 5x without any issues as I mentioned in the first post and other times the car will be stone cold I come out and it will just do the clicking thing. This very much goes against the typical failing solenoid in my experience and when the starter does engage it is very powerful without any latency except the 1x i thought it sounded like a slight latency in the starter motor

It is a strange one for sure. I don't know these cars that well - there might be an electrical issue/relay someone has come across that causes this.
I'm certain the system see's the key - the brake light switch engages etc. The click -- what is that and where is it and could it be the culprit?

LIBRILZ wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 27, 2019 10:15 am

Same thing has been happening to my car for the past 3 months.

Sorry to hear this - hope we can figure it out and isolate where the issue is. Have you checked all the items that I confirmed were not an issue in my case?

A few pointers for you:

1. The starter of the 06 M45 is indeed on the left side, driver side in the US

2. The radiator cooling fan should not run all the time.
Check with a dealer if your vehicle qualifies for the recall and have the module replaces for free. Otherwise, it's approx 50 bucks online.

3. A brand new battery of the proper specs can indeed be faulty out of the box - not dead, but just goofy enough that the car sometimes trips out. I wouldn't eliminate this as a potential cause, unless replacement batteries do the same thing.
What is the rating on this battery you have?

4. Here is a link that might help you with fuse locations: major-fuses-relays-and-modules-and-thei ... 21712.html

EdBwoy wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 28, 2019 10:27 am

A few pointers for you:

1. The starter of the 06 M45 is indeed on the left side, driver side in the US

2. The radiator cooling fan should not run all the time.
Check with a dealer if your vehicle qualifies for the recall and have the module replaces for free. Otherwise, it's approx 50 bucks online.

3. A brand new battery of the proper specs can indeed be faulty out of the box - not dead, but just goofy enough that the car sometimes trips out. I wouldn't eliminate this as a potential cause, unless replacement batteries do the same thing.
What is the rating on this battery you have?

4. Here is a link that might help you with fuse locations: major-fuses-relays-and-modules-and-thei ... 21712.html

Thanks for reply and info/pointers

Ref pointer 1. I think it's pax according to several references - all this extra plastic for presentation sure makes it hard to visualize things. If I'm wrong please correct me.

2. Rad fan doesn't run all the time it only would strangely come on when system was cold and the click instead of crank was encountered.
This might be normal for software I just don't know - I didn't make repeated observations on this but after turning off AC system I heard a blower and checked under hood to find the fan at high speed which I thought was strange. I did all recalls not long ago that were open (airbag etc and 1 or 2 other). Thanks for info on that potential recall issue I'll investigate further.

3. Yes you're definitely right on the battery potentially being bad however there isn't indication of this as I explained in the first post. I will volt test just for the sake of it. I do not have a load tester however. When I get past the click issue it cranks up with enthusiasm and quickly I cannot overemphasize this - there is no hesitancy in the starter motor save the 1x i thought it sounded a little off out of dozens of starts. Also with regards to all the posts on weird battery issues I had a fairly older battery in the car previously and it's reserve capacity was clearly going downhill - if you used accessories for a few minutes (10 or 15) it would be too weak to crank the car etc but otherwise started the car fine (unless you ran it down even in the slightest..if you went to start immediately w/o using any accessories or lights etc it was good to go after last drive)
I believe the battery to be good but will check voltages just out curiosity. Also when that old battery was weak I think I got clicking not this single click. I could be wrong on that but I'm pretty sure it was clicking in repetition. This click is left drivers side or drivers dash..or near firewall somewhere around there

I'm still focusing mainly on something like a relay sticking/not fully engaging (esp. with the sound that appears to be on the drivers side assuming starter is on pax side bottom..sound is top drivers side front of drivers seat so far as i can tell) or solenoid ... open to any other input or way to know definitively if there is one. Anyone know precisely where this relay might be located?

Thanks again to everyone

I'd hate to mislead you on the starter location. I've seen quite a few M45s and what I typically see is what is shown approx 55 seconds into this video below:
(I'd still encourage you to take a look under your car in case your setup is different)

EdBwoy wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 28, 2019 5:14 pm

I'd hate to mislead you on the starter location. I've seen quite a few M45s and what I typically see is what is shown approx 55 seconds into this video below:
(I'd still encourage you to take a look under your car in case your setup is different)

wow...good info thanks ...

so could be solenoid clicking and not engaging if mines on the drivers side as well.. appreciate it

Really starting to sound like the solenoid is sticking to me..... Will check voltage on battery.... also I found some more info on the starter on the 45 it doesn't show orientation but the removal procedure mentions engine bracket..that sounds like a hassle esp if you're on jackstands / ground w/o a lift

battery is 750 CCA

I remember reading a thread about this maybe a month ago, a much older thread but whenever one of the people with this issue replaced their starter they said issue went away..It could just be a start solenoid or something