BMW E39 Starting Issues

[ayd]

continuation of my Facebook post about 'all modern cars are shite' rant and to paraphrase for those have haven't seen it....

 

Wifes E39 2.5 D wouldn't start, flat battery it seemed, AA came, jump started, fired up, ran for `5 minutes on tick over, turned it off, went to restart and it just cranked without firing.

Many things were checked by Mr AA and his finaly diagnosis was that the key must have had the code wiped from it...quick trip to get the spare...car started, Wife came home, told to buy a new battery.

 

Anyway today bought a new battery, fitted it, fired up, Wife popped to the shop. 20 mins later I get a call...it won't start...just cranking.....shit.

 

20 mins later again she calls, it's started, I'm on my way home, she arrives and says it wouldn't go above 20mph all the way home.* It ticks over fine, runs smoothly and no smoke when running.

 

I've just been doing the rounds of google and have read everything from crank sensors, cam sensors, ignition switches, leaky injectors etc. but was wondering if anyone had any experience or could maybe shead any light ont his or is it a case of get it booked in and on to a diagnostic machine? Worrying thought on this is it seems others have had this problem and diagnostics have never shown anything up.....

 

I've just been out to it now it's been sat outside for 20 mins and it started on the B of Bang so obviously something intermittent.

 

* It does need the ATF changing and is booked in for this next week, this maybe why it's low on power as we lost the kick down last week and this week lost hard acceleration and can see nothing in the service history to see it's ever been changed.....level looks fine but I know the previous owner said he'd topped it up and wondering if he used the right fluid or even if that would have anything to do with it.....

 

so any ideas or do I kiss my Xmas bonus goodbye?

 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

If it's a 2.5d as opposed to a 2.5td,they have the same pump set up as the 3.0 d,I think. Anyway I had very similar symptoms on a 530d that took ages to diagnose ,but was the pump under the car,roughly under the passenger seat, not the end of the world, from memory it cost about £150 including someone to change it. These things have got 3 pumps and that's the most common and luckily the cheapest. Good luck, I always found one of the forums excellent for this sort of thing,buggered if I can remember which one now, there are a few and most of them are shit, unless you want to know how to fit m badges or fake sat nav aeriels.

[ayd]

sorry it is a td and I wouldn't usually post somethiing like this on here but I've been on a lot of the BMW forums browsing similar issues and it just gets so confusing as to what it could / couldn't be>

Just thought I'd post here as I know there's a level of knowledge and sensibleness to get a decent response.

 

Oh and the AA man was wrong, not wiped the code for the key, just tried it and it fired straight up.

 

[Fat_Pirate]

My 530D had this problem, it would fail to start/cut out when the fuel level got below quarter of a tank.  I lived with this for 2 years until finally pulling my finger out and replacing the pump submerged in the tank (~£30 from GSF, 1 hour to replace it - easy DIY job). As already mentioned, it could be the other low-pressure inline pump, below the front seat (that failed too but was done under warranty).  Can you see fuel reaching the filter?  

[alf892]

My 530 had the middle pump give up too.........that showed itself as poor acceleration/kick down response in the classic type of misfire from a lack of fuel under high demand. As above there are 3 pumps one in tank one under car and the engine mounted HP one. The first two are electric and presumably are relay operated.

 

Get some one to operate the key and listen out for operation of pump (esp tank one)before trying to start. Might take a while as the law of sod dictates that it will be fine while you listen..........

 

Or allow the fault to develop ie stop worrying until it stops working completely and fix it then.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I had one of these things in a while back with a shagged underfloor tank AND in tank pump. On the advice of a master bodger I fitted the fuel pump from a petrol model (higher pressure) and binned the underfloor one. Worked a treat.