Turns over and dies
 

Car turns cranks, turns over and immediately dies.
It is an 03 3.0 X5 with 199k miles. Here’s some background:
-Spent the past month or two with the car in the garage doing the following:
- replaced intake manifold gasket, coolant pipes, starter, power steering hoses and reservoir, valve cover gasket, ignition oils and plugs, vacuum valve, vacuum lines, ccv components, oil, filter, dipstick o rings.

Put the car back together and it will not run. It has gas. Spark and air.

It turns over but immediately kills?

Fuel pressure is my first guess. Does it have any codes?

It show no codes (using a cheap obd scanner). No codes pending.

The fuel level was nearly empty before starting…. Tooped it up to ~ 1/4 with a jerry can. I have pressure at the rail but don’t have a pressure gauge

Thanks for your reply!

You'll need at least 1/2 tank or more. It's a saddle tank. One side gets pumped into the other side. The driver side runs it. I think it's fine. Add more fuel to it.

Thanks, X5Chemist. Was searching through the forums last night and was reminded of the saddle tank. Appreciate you confirming a good next, simple step is more fuel…. Will grab some more and update the thread. Thanks!

UPDATE: now have 3/4 tank and unfortunately same result. Cranks & starts then immediately kills. I purged fuel at the fuel rail and have fuel pressure (no pressure gauge).

I have started the car 20 or more times and each time it starts then kills. If I give it gas while cranking it will start and surge but still immediately kills. Any other ideas?

unplug your maf and see if it starts. also, make sure none of your o2 wires are pinched.

it would be really helpful to plug into a real diag tool. starts then dies immediately can be an EWS or maybe DME issue.

Thanks, Nick. Will try the MAF unplugged now and hope to get my hands on a good diagnostic solution. Recommendations welcome and I know there’s a lot of threads on that topic too

DIS / INPA / ISTA. I'm not sure what other tools can do an EWS alignment.

Yea, I was going to say check the MAF sensor next. Check all the electrical plugs you disconnected. Plus, check the fuses! Key on, use a test light on important fuses. Does the RPM gauge move when cranking?