Grrrr X5 Engine issues..... Please help!
 

Hi Fellow X5ers!

Ok my issue is this....

Started a few months ago now but my x5 3.0d e53 (2002) really hates to start from cold! takes roughly 3 turns of the key cranking for long periods of time each time.

Took to the garage and had full set of glow plugs replaced
= No difference!

Replaced the 5yr old battery with brand new premium batt
= Cranks faster but still no difference!

Took to garage for diagnostic and comes up with "low rail pressure on crank" garage replaced Diesel pump and fuel filters
= No difference!

Took to garage again still showing "low rail pressure on crank"!

Personally from googling around im thinking it could be a sticky injector?
Any ideas guys? Any help much appreciated....

It could also be a leaky injector. Have them remove the injectors but leave them connected to the car and see if any one of them leak.

If i'm not mistaken the diesels have TWO fuel pumps. You mention only one has been replaced.

Yea they changed both of them. I have found a place on the internet that you can send the injectors to that will test them and refurbish if needed. Is removal an easy job? cant seem to find any guides or info on the net.

You gotta think about why "Cold"? What can change under low temperature?

Does warm weather help reduce the symptom?

I would guess you've got some leak in the fuel line, and the condensation in the fuel line forms icy particles under cold weather, which will block the fuel running.

Just a theory. I agree the injector would be a good start.

GL

I don't know much about the 3.0d but I know that on my freightliner I had a a leaky fuel line on the low pressure side of things and even though it didn't noticeably leak that much after I changed the fuel line it starts much quicker. My assumption is that the line was leaking and getting air bubbles when it sat and then it had to take a couple seconds to pump through. If you have low pressure in the rail I wouldn't think it could be an injector.

Using the right Winter Diesel fuel?

In cold places, there is Winter Diesel that doesn't glug? up as much (I think it glugs up). Low Pressure warnings could be the pump cant pump the gluggy fuel.

Also, Diesels have a Webasto fuel heater when temps are less than 2 degrees Celsius, pre heats the fuel.

When cranking, do you let the glow plugs do their job first??? IE: turn key to position 1, wait 3-5 secs or longer, then turn key to position 2 to crank?

Apart from that, and after the above, then I agree with the leaky injectors.

You don't say if you (or the actual garage) have pulled any other codes other than low rail pressure. Did you replace the glow plugs because the codes said they were bad?

Rob