Need help w x5 not starting

[vnlecom]

Hi everyone. Just an update. My indi suggested I floor the gas pedal and try to start the car and after 10 to 15 secs the car started up. It was rough at first but settled down afterwards. Just a hint if your car been sitting for awhile. Thanks for your ideas.

[TwinsPoppa]

So, it was fuel starved. Hmm, gotta remember that. Thanks for the update. Well at least, you won't have to worry about a new battery for this Winter!

Originally Posted by vnlecom

Hi everyone. Just an update. My indi suggested I floor the gas pedal and try to start the car and after 10 to 15 secs the car started up. It was rough at first but settled down afterwards. Just a hint if your car been sitting for awhile. Thanks for your ideas.

[primetime]

Wow. thats crazy..I guess I'll remember that. Are there any negatives to doing this? (Flooring it before starting the car I mean) it can't be good for the car...

[vnlecom]

motordave,
my thought exactly at the time when the car first didn't start. I bought a replacement from AA Auto (SAMS club has one that fits too). Still didn't start. I recharged the original BMW battery (it was replaced in 2006). Still wouldn't start. This is now about 6 weeks. Then I tried the pedal trick and it worked. Go figure.

[motordavid]

vnlecom,
Hard to diagnose that stuff by mail, but I would still suspect the
battery, esp. if it is orig., or has a few years on it. There are
some anecdotal postings of Xs that sit for weeks and start right
up, but many of us run a trickle charger for long sits, and most of
us have replaced an oem batt after 5 or 6 years, and some of
the older Xs are on their third.

Many batts., at near dead, will still give some lights for a few mins.
GL,mD

[x5skiddr]

nice tip. it pays to come here...

[motordavid]

vnlecom,
Good tip and I believe you...
though I have never had a fuel starve prob. and my
'01 regularly sits for several month. I admit it does
run a touch rough for several seconds, maybe close
to a half a min., when I do a "wake up" start after
4-5 months of it sitting. I use a trickle charger, so
firing is fine, but it runs roughly for a min...next time
I'm gonna floor the sumbitch before I crank it. Thanks.
mD

[victor2002]

I have a similar problem, I have 2 keys, one that's been used regularly and starts the car great, but have the other that opens all doors and turns in the ignition but doesn't start the car, what could be happenning to it?

[danGIMP]

My 2003 X5 will start up fine if I drive it every day, but if I let it sit 3 days without driving it, it will need a jump. I'm the 2nd owner and apparently this happened to the first owner too. Does this sound like a problem with the battery? The battery has been replaced once (about 2 years ago), and two years seems awfully short life-span for a battery.

[vnlecom]

It sounds like something is draining your battery. Maybe the dreaded FSR (final stage resistor) that every x5 seems to be plagued with at some point.