Another 4.8 not starting.FIXED!!!

[four.8is]

A bit longer of a post but please bear with me..

As I see it's a pretty common occurrence with these cars, I'm not surprised it hit me too.I just need to figure out what's causing it .im planning to have my Indy take a look at it tomorrow since it started behaving like this a few hrs ago and don't have software handy to diagnose it myself. I would just like some input before taking it in tomorrow evening.


It started like this..fired it up after a 2hr church service, it started just fine but died on me while I was backing out...I'm like what was that?

started it again, all was good ...drove to a restaurant, parked there for roughly 40min and when I returned to the car, it would not start just click 3-4 times then nothing...
it started after the 5th attempt..I immediately got a CEL ...drove it home, parked it,turned it off, tried to start it again and it would not start..

Went inside and came back after 20 min: unlocked OBC Test 9:

Car off:11.9V
After a few more tries the car started : 13.8V

CEL turned off by itself.
Drove around, still getting a solid 13.8V

Turned off the car after driving around for 10 min and now I'm getting 12.5-12.6V ....so different than the first time I let it sit for 20 min and I got 11.9V..

Stopped at gas station, turned off, same story, just cranking but not starting.after the 10th attempt it started again and CEL light is on again along with TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE PROGRAM.

parked it for the night, will fire it up tmw , read the codes and go from there.im just curious what causes this..

Spark plugs changed 2000 miles ago.
I ruled the alternator out.
Checked all battery connections all good.
Battery was changed 3 months ago..
Could be the Ignition switch ?
Coil packs?
Fuel pump going out?
Any fuses to look out for?
I'm lost...

The problem would be much simpler if it would just die and stay that way but it's starting after a few tries...any input is appreciated !

Maybe I should mention a few weird things I noticed...PDC sensors don't work sometimes now , only after a restart they come back to normal.

While cranking , oil temp gauge and temp gauge go all the way up to the max .is that normal?as soon as it started they went back to normal.

I don't hear the secondary air pump/fuel pump engaging when key in position 2.

Let me know what you guys think.thanks

[electricalserv x5]

why can't it be that Your starter motor is going?

[Jungerishere]

Not X5 but I had similar problem with another car. It turned out to be corrosion on the connectors to starter. No problem since I clean the corrosion from the connectors.

[BigBlack48is]

How many miles on the clock four8.is?

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by four.8is

A bit longer of a post but please bear with me..

As I see it's a pretty common occurrence with these cars, I'm not surprised it hit me too.I just need to figure out what's causing it .im planning to have my Indy take a look at it tomorrow since it started behaving like this a few hrs ago and don't have software handy to diagnose it myself. I would just like some input before taking it in tomorrow evening.


It started like this..fired it up after a 2hr church service, it started just fine but died on me while I was backing out...I'm like what was that?

started it again, all was good ...drove to a restaurant, parked there for roughly 40min and when I returned to the car, it would not start just click 3-4 times then nothing...
it started after the 5th attempt..I immediately got a CEL ...drove it home, parked it,turned it off, tried to start it again and it would not start..

Went inside and came back after 20 min: unlocked OBC Test 9:

Car off:11.9V
After a few more tries the car started : 13.8V

CEL turned off by itself.
Drove around, still getting a solid 13.8V

Turned off the car after driving around for 10 min and now I'm getting 12.5-12.6V ....so different than the first time I let it sit for 20 min and I got 11.9V..

Stopped at gas station, turned off, same story, just cranking but not starting.after the 10th attempt it started again and CEL light is on again along with TRANSMISSION FAILSAFE PROGRAM.

parked it for the night, will fire it up tmw , read the codes and go from there.im just curious what causes this..

Spark plugs changed 2000 miles ago.
I ruled the alternator out.
Checked all battery connections all good.
Battery was changed 3 months ago..
Could be the Ignition switch ?
Coil packs?
Fuel pump going out?
Any fuses to look out for?
I'm lost...

The problem would be much simpler if it would just die and stay that way but it's starting after a few tries...any input is appreciated !

Maybe I should mention a few weird things I noticed...PDC sensors don't work sometimes now , only after a restart they come back to normal.

While cranking , oil temp gauge and temp gauge go all the way up to the max .is that normal?as soon as it started they went back to normal.

I don't hear the secondary air pump/fuel pump engaging when key in position 2.

Let me know what you guys think.thanks

Sounds like a fuel pump on it way out. If it cranks but doesn't start it probably the fuel pump. Easiest way to verify this is to connect a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail and see what you kind of pressure you have with the just the key in the run position and if you can start it, what type of fuel pressure you have with the engine running. Don't be surprise if you have good pressure with the engine running, since the brushes for the fuel pump could be making good contact once the pump is running, but you may have a dead spot when the pump has stopped and that is why you can't restart the engine.

Had this problem when I had an E34. Sometime the pump would work, other time it would leave me stranded. Changed the pump and never had any more no start problems afterward.

[four.8is]

^if the fuel pump ends up to be the culprit, what kills them?since I have the maintenance records since new, I searched through them and seems like PO had to change it twice , both times because he ran low on gas...do they just give up?
Gotta go read the codes..

[four.8is]

Originally Posted by Jungerishere

Not X5 but I had similar problem with another car. It turned out to be corrosion on the connectors to starter. No problem since I clean the corrosion from the connectors.

Will check that as well thanks!

[four.8is]

Originally Posted by BigBlack48is

How many miles on the clock four8.is?

105.000 miles

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by four.8is

^if the fuel pump ends up to be the culprit, what kills them?since I have the maintenance records since new, I searched through them and seems like PO had to change it twice , both times because he ran low on gas...do they just give up?
Gotta go read the codes..

A dead or dying fuel pump will not give any codes. The only code you will get from a weak fuel pump is a lean condition since the quantity of fuel being pumped will give you a lean condition. Like I posted before get a fuel pressure gauge and verify the pressure in the fuel rail.

Were the last two pumps that were replaced BMW OE or some cheap made in China Crap?

[BigBlack48is]

I killed mine at 110k miles ... now I fill up at 1/4 tank

If you wait for the light, it's already too late!