Car wont start, Help
 

Well i need some help, my X5 wont start AGAIN. So almost every morning(every odd day) since last 2 weeks it doesnt want to start. The car just turns over and over but wont start. I play with the fuse box in the glove box and take some out to check them and put them back in and boom it will start out of the blue, sometimes taking a minute or two. I realized it doesnt matter what fuse is out as i thought it must be related to a specific fuse but all are good. After it does start, the start up doesnt sound the same as before, the timing sounds off everytime i start the car. It will start after this all day but then next morning is ? again. Anyone have had this problem or solutions to it? I cant deal with playing with fuses to start a freekin vehicle! I dont even know if thats the problem!

Never had that occur! Recommend that you have it checked out by the dealer.

How old is your battery? That would be the first thing I would check. The X needs a lot of juice and it needs a battery in perfect condition.

The fact that the X will start the rest of the day but not the next morning makes me really think that the battery must be the issue here.

Well i will try a jump when it happens again. I just dont see why the battery would be the problem because this only occurs sometimes and always in the mornings. I can leave my stereo on and lights on for a good 30 minutes and still starts without hesitation and i am running a 1000watt amp and sub. When it doesnt start the lights are fully lit and the xenons also turn on. Could it still be the battery with me doing all this to check?

check battery and alternator. weak battery and bad alternator can cause cylinders misfire (1 to 6) it then cause the starting problems. best thing to do is to have the battery, alternator and start checked out. cyclinders misfires can cause things like rought idling, timing, unstabling reving. but you say it doesn't start on first try in the morning, that seems like battery is on its way out. search for my posts on battery and alternator replacement posted sometimes ago.

The car wont start in the mornings for numerous amount of tries. I have checked the fuses and by taking some out and putting them back in seems to start the vehicle. I cant figure out what fuse because everytime its different, i think that it must be one of the fuses and takes time to reset and then it starts but i am not sure of this. After playing around with fuses and trying to start the car numerous times it fires up out of the blue. I dont see how a dead battery will let starter fire repeatly ( i have to turn the key back to stop the starter) and wont let it turn over to start. Not a mechanic by no means, but can a battery have enough juice to let the starter fire repeatedly without turning over to start?

I had a very similiar problem occur, the sedement in the tank would cause the fuel filter to send the fuel back to the tank. Try changing your fuel filter and it would hurt to check the pressure of the fuel pump. I believe it's around 50 psi or so, most garages can help you change it and check the pressure.
Dawsen

:iagree:
Most likely you are giving the fuel pump a nudge by removing the relevant fuse and this will temporarily clear the blockage. The "off timing" noise would then also make sense as the motor starts up after fuel starvation.
Hope you get it right! :thumbup:

so the battery is out of question? I guess i should take a shot at changing the fuel filter.

Doc, the way you explained it your engine is turning over just fine. If a battery has the power to swing the engine over for a period of time then it has the energy to power everything else. Battery should be fine but it doesnt mean the supply to the fuel pupm is necessarily fine. Go with the filter change anyway as it cant do any harm. Then start looking at the fuel pump.(It could even be the power supply to the pump) Just my opinion. Good luck and let us know.

thanks i check it out tommorow with the filter.

i doubt it's the battery or fuses
 

IIRC the ignition on the car is not fused. the fuel pump could be the culprit but i doubt playing with a fuse would change it.

and if there's enough juice in the battery to turn the engine over, there's definitely enough juice to give it spark. turning the engine over requires lots of current.

although trouble shooting modern engines is a lot more difficult, you need to start with the basics. when the problem occurs, do you have spark? do you have gas (getting to the cylinders)? very often, one of those two are missing.

I have a very similar problem only thing mine tends to happen more in the afternoon and only happens every couple of weeks. It's driving me CRAZY!!! Did you figure out what the problem was??

Yes update please

This just happened to me. I can't believe it. Could it be a battery problem? Mine x5 is less than 3 years old. When I start it, the light flashes on and I hear a beep somewhere in the engine compartment. I don't hear any cranking. In fact, I don't think it's cranking at all.

The clock is blanked out. So, we lost the battery at some moment prior. After few attempt to start it, I can no longer lock the door with the key anymore. Does this make any sense?

After jump started it, I brought it home. I'm scheduling a service at the dealership. It's under 4 year 60K warranty, how much can they charge for diagnostic services?

A new batt will quickly tell the tale, imo...
There is considerable debate as to whether any
Stlr will R&R your oem batt, "for free"; it varies
considerably from dlr to dlr based on posts here.

A new, well charged batt. should cure your ills; if
it does not, then digging/diagnosing is more focused.

Heat and never being slowly & fully charged, is really
the enemy of most car batts.
GL,mD

That's where I would start.
Dawsen

I took my X to the dealership in Plano, TX this morning and they replaced the battery under warranty. The Job description says, "CHECKED BATTERY. BATTERY HAS BAD CELL. CHECKED CHARGING SYSTEM. CHARGING SYSTEM is GOOD. REPLACED BATTERY. 80N1G-G35K1". I'm hoping that is the issue and hopefully it won't die on my far away from help. :)

I am having the same problem with my 01 X5 4.4. I tend to believe this problem is fuel related. Does anyone have the silver bullet to fix this problem? Has anyone changed the fuel filter filter/pump to fix?

Yes I replaced the fuel filter and everything else. Did it help, maybe, but if in doubt do it anyway. I just found out my problem wasn't fuel related since everything checked out fine (New filter and 50psi coming from the pump). My local mechnic and the bmw dealer couldn't find the problem but my third guy did, an air mass sensor was bad.

Hey dawsenk, check out this thread

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...-starting.html

It's 12 pages but worth the read, a lot of X owners seem to have this problem and the common fix seems to be the iginition switch.

toohotdoc. try different key and let see. sometimes the key is bad.

i have tried using a different key, even the valet key but that was a no go. I recently jump started the car when this happened last time and it worked, i am convinced that it is a battery issue. I will replace my battery my tomorrow and does anyone know what is the best battery to buy for a X5?

i got the diehard at sear for 3 years now and it still good.

finally took the truck in after i couldnt get it started, and had to tow it in. Now, a week later i am told that it was a relay that was faulty and that was the reason for the mis-starting. So my starting issue was due to a relay and not battery or fuel filter/pump which i thought would be the cause.

Hello, I'm having the same starting problem. Just changed the battery but the starting pain is still there. Do you happen to know which relay was replaced? Thanks.

Ahhh, very good weed hopper (in the most oriental sounding voice I can come up with). I just came back after a long time away. As I was reading this thread I wondered if anyone would remember. After that thread my "01" has started every time. 145K and counting.

I think you should have a diagnostic check carried out as it could be cold starting issue caused by a faulty sensor somewhere.

Read previous threads on replacing the ignition switch, since I replaced mine I have had no problems.