Answer
Jan 19, 2026 - 04:22 PM
You'll find the starter relay buried inside the Electronics Box (E-Box) in the engine bay, right up near the passenger side firewall. It’s tucked into the lower section, so you might have to move some control modules aside to get to it. Once you are looking at the relay bank in the bottom, the relay (K6324) is located in the middle row on the far right side. It is usually a light green or salmon-colored relay.
That said, keep in mind that E38 ignition switches are also notorious for wearing out and causing this exact intermittent issue. If swapping the relay doesn't solve it, you likely have a signal dropout coming from the switch or the EWS immobilizer. If you need to trace that signal path, this repair manual contains the complete wiring diagrams and component location views to help you pinpoint exactly where the voltage is getting lost.
