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Your car needs fuel, and spark to start.
Check for the spark first, check all the fuses under the hood, see if theres anything amiss. Next, see if your coil packs are working.
Here’s post on how to test your coil packs. You’ll need a multimeter for this. If you don’t have one, borrow one from somewhere or something. http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1345252-e36-How-to-test-coil-packs-(w-pics)
Finally, is the check engine light coming on? If there is, you can do the “Stomp Test” Like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7FZMso8qio He says brake, but really meant gas pedal.
Good luck!
Not really BMW specific, but the car will not start if the crankshaft position sensor isn’t working. The computer looks at that sensor and when it sees the engine start turning (from operating the starter), it begins injecting fuel and firing spark at the right times. If you have no spark or fuel delivery during cranking, the crank sensor and the DME unit (BMW name for a engine computer) are the areas to be looking. 4 years ago I replaced the DME in my 1989 BMW because it had some barely visible corrosion inside on the board, which was causing the engine to cut out randomly. It was just that the car was old and rusty and has spent a lot of time sitting during it’s life.
There are a lot of things that can cause a vehicle not to start. A lack of fuel is only one of them. Also, the fuel pump can be inop for other reasons besides a bad fuel pump. To check for fuel, you really need to check the fuel pressure. I cover that, and other tests for a vehicle that won’t start here.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-no-start-problems
Please look it over and report back with what you find. Good luck.
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