Wont start but cranking.

mel23816 · #1 01-17-2009, 07:49 PM

I started my car last tuesday and turned it off after 1 minute. Wednesday morning it cranks with a different sound but wont start. Am I looking at a big problem? Pls. HELP!

boqibama · #2 01-17-2009, 07:55 PM

I had the same issue before on my Nissan, it turns out a fuel pump regulator failed.

mel23816 · #3 01-17-2009, 08:01 PM

What makes me wonder is that it sounds different. I wonder what it sounds like if the timing belt is shut.

JCL · #4 01-17-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel23816

What makes me wonder is that it sounds different. I wonder what it sounds like if the timing belt is shut.

Well, if you have an X5 (you don't say in your profile), then you don't have one, your engine has a timing chain. I know the sound an engine makes when a rubber timing belt breaks, essentially no compression. Not possible in this case, and it is unlikely that a timing chain breaks.

You need a proper diagnosis, and it is a little hard to do it over the web with such little information.

mel23816 · #5 01-17-2009, 08:09 PM

Would it be the starter? bUt I know it wouldnr crank if its astarter problem. right?

JCL · #6 01-17-2009, 08:34 PM

You answered your own question. You already said it cranked.

We still don't know what model or year it is, or any more of the symptoms. Back to you.

01 BMW_X5 · #7 01-17-2009, 08:43 PM

Check if you getting fuel.
Check if you have spark.
May be a sensor that is messed up.

flyingmachine · #8 01-17-2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel23816

I started my car last tuesday and turned it off after 1 minute. Wednesday morning it cranks with a different sound but wont start. Am I looking at a big problem? Pls. HELP!

try to see if you can read any obd codes. there are several posibilities. similar thing happened to me and it was alternator.

mel23816 · #9 01-18-2009, 05:08 AM

Its a 2002 x5 3.0 125K miles. What bothers me is that it has a diffrent sounding crank when I start it. It sounds like the starter is working but the engine is not turning. Is that possible?

Weasel · #10 01-18-2009, 05:39 AM

It will sound different if it isn't getting spark and fuel... sometimes it is as simple as having the DME and EWS realigned as sometimes one will skip a turn with the rolling codes. (DME being the engine computer and EWS being the anti-theft system)

Unfortunately the only place to have that done is the dealer, and if that is the case then an independant without the proper equiptment or knowledge would likely spend days and way too much money trying to figure it out before giving up...