My 2000 323i wagon (130k on it) did not crank and was towed to the mechanic. It was not a battery issue.

He said that the cylinders were flooded by gas, which is a common symptom just after a short distance driving. It could not be fired due to lack of oxygen. He flushed out the gas by pumping gas pedal all the way cranking it until it started, more than 5 minutes. He let me go without replacing any parts, saying I need new spark plugs soon.


After one week driving, the car did not crank again. My friend mechanic suggested ignition coils or relays since it was flooded with gas.

Should I replace ignition coils? They are very expensive.