X5 e70 not cranking

[andrewb_1985]

Hey all. I’ve search high and low for possible causes to my issue but only found similar issues with no solutions.

This morning I took my 2012 x5 35d out to the store with no issues. When getting back in my car 20 mins later it just wouldn’t turn over. I haven’t done much troubleshooting other than checking oil level and trying a different key. Both inserted. As my car is stuck in a parking lot and my mechanic is closed till Monday, I am wondering what I can try before towing it Sunday night to my mechanic.

When I push the start button nothing happens. No click, no flicker. There are no check control on engine codes. Almost like the button is disconnected somehow?

I’m heading there in a few hours with booster cables to charge up the battery. Just wondering what else I should try?

Thanks for your help!

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Check the Engine ground straps, pretty common they become corroded and just break off.

[TwinSnailz]

If you have a jump cable, just clip a wire from the engine(hook) to any body frame bolt. Just so you can start it and get the car home and figure out the ground strap.

[NorthCountryGuy]

I had started a thread about accessing the X5 ground cable.
Search is your friend.
I think I titled it something like 2013 X5 35i ground strap location...

Add : https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/show....php?t=1632755

[andrewb_1985]

Update:
I went and had a look at it last night. first thing I hooked up the booster cables from my car and let it idle for 20 mins to charge up. In the mean time I searched for the ground straps but couldn't see anything from the top of the engine. I hooked up a separate set of cables as instructed from the engine hook to the main frame anyway just to try it. Still nothing happens when I press the start switch. So I dont think its the battery or the grounding. I did however manage to pull a few codes using carly.

I had all 6 glow plug codes: 004A4E,004A3E, 004A2A, 004A14, 004A6E, 004A54
Also have Alternator code: 004A07.

I highly doubt I have 6 failed glow plugs and a bad alternator. So I will be towing to my mechanic for Monday morning. I will report back with findings.

[NorthCountryGuy]

Best Wishes

[Sophisticated Redneck]

I don't know much about diesels but from what I remember driving an old peugot 504 back in the day, you had to let the glow plugs warm up for a bit before starting. I am sure today it's all automated today and the engine will not crank until the glow plugs are a certain temp. All this circles back to either a bad glow plug controller or ground/battery issue....check out this thread, exact same issue as yours, turned out to be a ground issue. On the second page their are pics on the proper ground points.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...eat-issue.html

[andrewb_1985]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

I don't know much about diesels but from what I remember driving an old peugot 504 back in the day, you had to let the glow plugs warm up for a bit before starting. I am sure today it's all automated today and the engine will not crank until the glow plugs are a certain temp. All this circles back to either a bad glow plug controller or ground/battery issue....check out this thread, exact same issue as yours, turned out to be a ground issue. On the second page their are pics on the proper ground points.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...eat-issue.html

It's a good write up. And it is very similar to my issues. I was hoping that the jumper ground would work. It's quite possible I have a ground issue, it just doesn't look like it's the engine to chassis in my case. The battery terminals also were secured. I'm sure there are other places it could deteriorate.

What if I took a jumper from the engine hook and connected it to the battery negative post? Seems like it could work. But with bmw the car would probably explode.

[TwinSnailz]

Try jumping from another car. Running car battery connect pos+ and neg - straight battery terminals.
Non working car , positive to the engine bay pos terminal and “ Neg to engine hook”.
This is how I got mine to start, due to bad grounds.

[andrewb_1985]

Originally Posted by TwinSnailz

Try jumping from another car. Running car battery connect pos+ and neg - straight battery terminals.
Non working car , positive to the engine bay pos terminal and “ Neg to engine hook”.
This is how I got mine to start, due to bad grounds.

I will try that tonight. Thanks!

[andrewb_1985]

Originally Posted by TwinSnailz

Try jumping from another car. Running car battery connect pos+ and neg - straight battery terminals.
Non working car , positive to the engine bay pos terminal and “ Neg to engine hook”.
This is how I got mine to start, due to bad grounds.

So I just tried that and it worked. Well almost. I set up as you said and a got a very weak crank but couldn't start. So I then hooked up another jumper from the engine hook to ground. Got it started but with difficulty. Then after a long idle I shut down and tried again with both red and black on the hook to ground and it started perfectly. 1 side of the cable just doesn't provide enough current flow. So when I get home I'll get under the car and replace that ground strap. Maybe I'll even put an extra one somewhere.

Thanks to all who helped out.

[TwinSnailz]

Glad it worked. I had replaced my factory ground strap along with adding a few more around the engine just in case. The factory strap is at the location where any kind of moisture from the road will get on it. Thanks to the wonderful geniuses at bmw.

[NorthCountryGuy]

On electrically complicated cars, ground point status is a very important issue. I maintained a 32 year old Porsche 928 S4 for 15 years very well. All the inherited gremlins were due to ground issues, and some were very hard to diagnose. There were 12 masse punkt that all grounds wires from components attached to. If one were faulted it jeopardized all grounds that were attached to that particular masse punkt/ground point.
I had a recent problem with my 650 due to two ground wires/points being faulted. Caused a myriad of symptoms that even outdid my ability to repair. Was even difficult for a seasoned BMW indy to conquer. A loose bolt to a grounding harness in the bridge of the engine coils and a broken small brown ground wire in the circuit to the BUS from the crankshaft sensor was causing the DME to go ‘bananas’. Codes for transmission overheating when car cold, chassis stabilization codes, invalid crankshaft rotation codes all simultaneously caused car to go into immediate
Safe Mode. This was intermittently, and left car undrivable.
In my X5 once I was able to locate and see my engine ground strap was green, I changed it immediately. Had no symptoms, and didn’t want any. The engine ground straps in the N55 and N63 are basically in the same place low down on driver’s side just above the half axle. Prone to road moisture riding in from the front. I definitely consider this ground as something requiring preventative maintenance. This means change it out periodically depending on your mileage, geographic location (road salt v. none), etc...
On the X5 it is a PITA to replace.

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by NorthCountryGuy

On electrically complicated cars, ground point status is a very important issue. I maintained a 32 year old Porsche 928 S4 for 15 years very well. All the inherited gremlins were due to ground issues, and some were very hard to diagnose. There were 12 masse punkt that all grounds wires from components attached to. If one were faulted it jeopardized all grounds that were attached to that particular masse punkt/ground point.
I had a recent problem with my 650 due to two ground wires/points being faulted. Caused a myriad of symptoms that even outdid my ability to repair. Was even difficult for a seasoned BMW indy to conquer. A loose bolt to a grounding harness in the bridge of the engine coils and a broken small brown ground wire in the circuit to the BUS from the crankshaft sensor was causing the DME to go ‘bananas’. Codes for transmission overheating when car cold, chassis stabilization codes, invalid crankshaft rotation codes all simultaneously caused car to go into immediate
Safe Mode. This was intermittently, and left car undrivable.
In my X5 once I was able to locate and see my engine ground strap was green, I changed it immediately. Had no symptoms, and didn’t want any. The engine ground straps in the N55 and N63 are basically in the same place low down on driver’s side just above the half axle. Prone to road moisture riding in from the front. I definitely consider this ground as something requiring preventative maintenance. This means change it out periodically depending on your mileage, geographic location (road salt v. none), etc...
On the X5 it is a PITA to replace.

You are not kidding about the PITA factor, I have the heads off mine (N63) as I am redoing the valve stem seals and cleaning up the carbon mess on everything. Even with the heads/intake/heater lines out of the way it still looks painful to get to either from above or below....To the OP, in the PIC below you can see what North was talking about as the ground cable is located right above the rusty half-shaft (and really BMW?!?!, on a near 90K vehicle you could spring for painting the half-shaft a bit?)

[TwinSnailz]

Mr. Rednex. I hope you’re taking pic as you’re tackling your one hell of a project. You must love your e70 to pour all that $$ and time.
I would have put it on an F85 for sure

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by TwinSnailz

Mr. Rednex. I hope you’re taking pic as you’re tackling your one hell of a project. You must love your e70 to pour all that $$ and time.
I would have put it on an F85 for sure

I think its love mixed with enjoying a good challenge with a dash of masochism . The N63/S63 really an amazing platform when its running right and I am addicted, its just to bad BMW dropped the ball on the design for the heat shielding/thermal dissipation that is the root cause of nearly all of its issues.

I really tried to like the F85 but just cant..I am to in love with the E70, still the best looking X5 (especially with the Aero kit)IMHO.

I was originally just going to do the valve guide seals and rented the entire AGA tool set to do it but when I borescoped it and saw the amount of carbon build up, I knew I had to clean it up before I start messing with the boost levels so I decide to pull the heads so I could properly clean the valves, pistons and combustion chambers. Was tempted to just replace the entire engine while they are discounted but the bearing surfaces and cylinder walls look excellent for 150K so going to make this my test engine for how far I can push it. I am snapping pics (some below) along the way and will create a separate thread for anyone interested.

[TwinSnailz]

Looking sharp Mr Rednex. Carbon looks pretty good for the mileage.

You see boys and girls, you can do all this in your backyard.

I kid i kid!!