Hard cold start

[Clownshoe]

The MOTHERSHIP X5 3.0d is having some cold start issues. Been getting worse steadily for about 6 months. Car has been serviced in between.

It cranks and occasionally hints at starting but never quite makes it. It took a good 10 goes when I started it on Sunday. Blows white cloud when it gets going.

It is not that cold here in Windhoek and car is in the garage overnight.

I have added some 2 stoke oil to this tank and see what happens. Could be injectors or glow plugs? Otherwise everything is cool. Power and fuel economy looks OK.

 

[ChefDJ]

My best guess is glow plug as I've seen many diesels that also take forever to start, after trying three or four times, and then massive massive smoke comes out the exhaust, especially when cold.


Battery maybe as well?

When I first bought my car it would take forever to finally catch after cranking. Turned out to be a dead cell on the battery. No white smoke, though.

 

[Clownshoe]

Battery replaced recently, the long cranking probably lead to its early demise. But no change after the battery was replaced.

How do you check glowplugs?

 

[RAArmstrong]

Have the codes read. It will show up there

 

[ChrisBrand]

I can help with codes

 

[ChefDJ]

No idea how to check myself :sorry:

 

[Clownshoe]

I can help with codes

No you cannot... I have relocated to Windhoek

Thanks anyway :ty:

 

[ChrisBrand]

O okay you a namib boy now. Enjoy!

 

[netercol]

unlikely to be glowplugs, unless its really really cold, like europe winter cold..

difficult cold start is usually related to fuel pressure.. maybe low pressure pump not feeding enough, or rail pressure not building quick enough due to a leaking injector (leakback- internal)

can also be the starter, if the starter is slow (dragging , sticky) the engine will also struggle to start since a diesel engine has to rotate at a specified rpm to heat the air in the cylinders enough by rapid compression to ignite the fuel.. the white smoke is unburt diesel..

 

[Solo Man]

I had a problem with my E53 X5 2003 model diesel for a very long time in that at night the lights would go dim when idling. Replaced the good battery with a new one but did not solve the problem. Eventually traced the problem to a "bad" earth. The bolt that the earth cable is attached to the chassis felt fine but something told me to just check it to make sure it is tight. Could tighten it about half a turn - problem solved. Car started everyday afterwards like it had a fully charged battery. Was actually very nice to start the car as the starter really turned the engine with a new zest. Have to remove the spare and you will find the cable is bolted to the left hand side in or just above the wheel well (cannot remember exact location). Hope this helps! Was a very cheap remedy to a looooong standing problem that had me very worried.

 

[Clownshoe]

I had a problem with my E53 X5 2003 model diesel for a very long time in that at night the lights would go dim when idling. Replaced the good battery with a new one but did not solve the problem. Eventually traced the problem to a "bad" earth. The bolt that the earth cable is attached to the chassis felt fine but something told me to just check it to make sure it is tight. Could tighten it about half a turn - problem solved. Car started everyday afterwards like it had a fully charged battery. Was actually very nice to start the car as the starter really turned the engine with a new zest. Have to remove the spare and you will find the cable is bolted to the left hand side in or just above the wheel well (cannot remember exact location). Hope this helps! Was a very cheap remedy to a looooong standing problem that had me very worried.

Definitely worth checking!!

 

[Clownshoe]

No start now

I have been away and not had a chance to look at the car. What would deteriorate to a no start condition?

 

[DieselFan]

Starter? Faulty fuel relay? injector going faulty? MAF?

Have you had the codes read?

 

[KPM3_30]

No start now

I have been away and not had a chance to look at the car. What would deteriorate to a no start condition?

As Netercol suggested, have you checked your fuel pump? That could be a starting point.

 

[Solo Man]

The hedgehog is a known culprit causing a dead battery. When it is problematic it does not shut down when switching off the car and drains the battery. It is that little thinghy in the a/c duct under the dash by the heater. Easy to get to if you have done it before but a pig the first time. Had to do my old X5 twice in the three years I owned it. Some or other "Final stage resistor". I got mine from the local Silverton radiator guy here in Hermanus at about R650 (agents I think is about R1000+) Called "hedgehog" because of the bunch of pins it has on the one side.

 

[Clownshoe]

I checked all the self check able things. Battery good and all the battery leads are firmly attached.

I am waiting for my Patrol to get back from the shop otherwise the Missus is without transport. It will go to BMW for diagnostics.

It did a week towing caravan in the Etosha last week and it never did not start. I doubt it is the glow plugs as it stood in the sun in 32 degree weather for several hours after a 400km drive and still battled to start. Leaving the ignition on and pumping the pedal definitely help. It will randomly start first go as well when cold.

 

[20001621]

The MOTHERSHIP X5 3.0d is having some cold start issues. Been getting worse steadily for about 6 months. Car has been serviced in between.

It cranks and occasionally hints at starting but never quite makes it. It took a good 10 goes when I started it on Sunday. Blows white cloud when it gets going.

It is not that cold here in Windhoek and car is in the garage overnight.

I have added some 2 stoke oil to this tank and see what happens. Could be injectors or glow plugs? Otherwise everything is cool. Power and fuel economy looks OK.

I had a 2008 X5 30d with cold start issues. Rough idle with white smoke. Did diagnostic - error codes on all 6 glow pugs. Before taking it to an indy decided to clean the egr first. Got Liqui Moly Diesel intake cleaner and used it as per instructions on the can. Glow plug error codes were gone and car starts just fine now. Hopefully this will work for someone with similar issues.