3.0d X5 e70 wont crank and therefore wont start

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:23 pm

So, the X5 refused to start the other day, would not play ball, charged battery via terminals under bonnet, no joy. Put a jump on it off wife's mini and hey presto! fired up. Great i thought!! drove around for a bit, went to start again and same situation, along with dsc failure etc on dash and clocks reset.

Plug code reader in and keep getting code

BSD message failure BMW 42CE

Which to be honest I can only assume is something to do with the intelligent battery sensor?

Im at a loss, put a new Varta 100ah battery from battery megastore on it and still no start! so thought hmmmm could it just need a quick charge as it was a tad flat, so put wifes mini on it and hey presto it started via jump points under terminals. Took the jumpers off and left car idle for 10 minutes and drove round etc, Tried it again after knocking ignition off, and you guessed it, no start.

Im losing the will now.

And now the car refuses to start even if its got a jump lead on it. I hear all the relays clicking etc, but just no crank.

Code reader back on, and this code seems very persistent!! I clear it and it comes straight back in.

Ideas anyone?

Any one had similar issues? reading it could be a bad starter, bad ibs, bad alternator, a current draw pulling battery down to point where it wont start!!

Frustrated. [emoji20]

Sent from my iPhone

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:01 pm

The only code I can find that matches '42CE' seems to indicate "Communication with Alternator", though quite what that actually means is not given! If all the lights etc come on then there must be an inhibit running.

It's still over the BSD interface ( Bit Serial Data ) between the DDE and Alternator. Are all the leads reconnected to the battery including the sensor wires? Though why that would stop it cranking does not make sense, unless there is an inhibit if the alternator and DDE cannot communicate with each other?

It's not misreading the gear position lever is it? That would inhibit.

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:12 pm

inhibit? can you explain that further if possible?

The gear shifter and wheel lock don't seem to be making the usual noises I would expect when jumping in car actually Richard now you mention it.

I will check in morning to confirm this.

Also, what battery voltage would you expect when checking directly off the battery with the boot up in the air? would one of you mind checking yours for me tomorrow to confirm my car isn't dragging the bottom out of battery that is connected.

I will do same and report back findings. Its something to do with this bsd isn't it. But what.

Will try and get it going tomorrow. And yes, every cable I reattached, the pos, neg, vent etc. The ibs is part of neg terminal and i didn't unplug any of that. And the pos was all clipped back tidy.

Im guessing the dsc 4x4 inactive fault is a result of battery voltage or something else and isnt genuine as I did manage to clear it on ine occasion when i got it started. The car drove 100% when running. Might be worth checking alternator fuse maybe?

Sent from my iPhone

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:22 pm

4x4 warning is the battery one. Steering full lock one way, hold for 3 secs then to other lock. Should put the light out.

'Inhibit' is a system where unless certain conditions are met, for example the car is in Neutral or Park then the on board computer prevents the starter motor from being engaged e.g. It is 'inhibited'. I wondered if there might be an inhibit elsewhere that would prevent the starter from turning.

Battery volts at front or rear should be not less than 12.6 for a charged battery, though with the load these babies place on a good battery (mine is 60A just sitting with the ignition on but not running!) it might be a little below that at 12.4. It should be just over 13.2V if the car is asleep with a fully new charged battery. Anything below 11 is bad news and indicates a dead battery.

It will take 12 hours to recharge a dead battery fully. It takes 20 minutes with the engine running just to put one starting charge back..

Richard

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 11:31 pm

I swear even that new battery when connected was 12.2 volts!! ( im currently charging the disconnected bosch s4 battery inside house now ) and will swap over in the morning to see if that makes a difference with a full charge on it. Wondering if i have something draining the battery maybe?

Will do some more digging in morning and report back.

Do you think its worth disconnecting battery for 1/2 hour and trying again?

The bmwhat app is proving invaluable here at mo on the iphone. Allowing me to see lots of things.

Thanks for advice on dsc also

Sent from my iPhone

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 8:57 am

Quick check before i drop wife to work Richard, key out sat in car, the gear shift indicating P, and i can move it physically back n forth. And steering lock isn't functioning?? ie, the wheel is not locked and upon entering the key i dont hear the lock unlock itself and the wheel if i remember correctly wobbles a bit also when lock is disengaged. i can with turn wheels as much as I want?? thats not normal surely?? key in and gearstick instantly physically locks in position.

Sent from my iPhone

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:29 am

and just put a meter across the brand new battery after it was installed yesterday and it is reading 12.1volts!!!

Sent from my iPhone

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:58 am

You may be seeing the 'loaded' voltage because the car is awake.

Need to check it with the car asleep. If you can, leave the bonnet up (or down but raisable without needing to get in the car if you see what I mean) and lock the car. Leave it for a while and then check the volts again. If it's still around 12.2 then the battery is flat.

You can try disconnecting, waiting and reconnecting as it might get over its tizzy fit.

Is the replacement the same type (AGM rather than wet) Ah rating (approx) and CCA? If not the battery needs coding via INPA as the car may not be charging it correctly. There is a difference of opinion on line as to whether the coding is really necessary as cars are running just fine without the IBS in the system. The debate is as to whether the battery will last as long with no IBS.

Richard

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:07 am

Richard it was a Varta 100ah battery, and originally it was a bosch s4 013 battery which has been charged over night indoors and seems to be perfectly fine??

Regarding car not charging new battery correctly, its not really been run or started since new battery fitted!

will do as instructed with the battery test. Ive already disconnected the battery for 10 minutes to see if it liked it.

No joy so far.

Sent from my iPhone

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 3:31 pm

I could cry [emoji25] will not crank or start!! why are these things so stupidly complicated!! so annoying.

Looks like its off to dealers on flat bed!! can they get an auto up on a flat bed??

Sent from my iPhone

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 5:09 pm

Mine was winched up via the towing eye when the fuel pump relay went. They'll need to release the parking brake and shift it into neutral with the red handle you should have in the boot where the tools are. Instructions are in the 'Driving' section of the manual.

Handbrake release is near side rear boot cubby (shown in the Owners Manual) below the warning triangle - you may need to move it out of the way.

Transmission lock release is under the front left cupholder on the tunnel (need to remove the liner). Needs re-engaging when the car gets to the dealer.

I'm sorry the simple stuff has not worked in this case. There is nothing else I can think of, or have seen on line that gives any pointers. There is no 'special' procedure to restart a car after a flat battery is there? I don't have a UK manual for that year, only a US one.

Richard

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Thu Nov 06, 2014 5:29 pm

thanks for the info Richard. Will report back to help findings once its hopefully sorted, to potentially help anyone else stuck in this situation in future.

Typical, in process of trying to purchase a new house and could really do without this expense. Its frustrating.

Sent from my iPhone

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:04 pm

Latest update:

AA man came out, seems to think its definitely the starter motor at fault and is stuck. So attempted to recover it to my friends house ( work shop controller for BMW Daler down here ) so he could sort the starter motor for me. Then discovered the transmission manual unlock, under cup holder, on mine is bizarrely a Key barrel ie the blade part of your key and is not working, stiff and will not move therefore cannot unlock to tow! thankfully said friend is going to do the work on my drive instead, so will report back!

Starter motor ordered ( Bosch ) for £151.25p with a £110 surcharge that gets refunded when I send old one back.

Will wait for Friday now.

Sent from my iPhone

kjb1 · Post by **kjb1** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 6:12 pm

New starter fitted. - Shock! same issue!!

Its off to Bmw tomorrow hopefully.

My transmission manual unlock is an ignition key style, and its not operating!! typical!! wont turn!! so its going to have to be dragged onto low loader.

It's definitely something to do with this BSD message error code.

Im losing will to live!!

Sent from my iPhone

Horizon · Post by **Horizon** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 6:31 pm

I was talking to a BMW tech years ago, and was told a story about a 5 series E60 they had in their workshop a few weeks previously, it was shortly after the E60 was introduced, so maybe early 2004.
The fault was non cranking non starting. This old school tech said he would have a look and was told that several master techs had plugged their laptops in and no fault was found. Eventually BMW sent someone over from Germany, he was stumped too. Then whilst everyone was on their lunch break he had a butchers and separated the multi plug from the ignition switch, re fitted it after there was no signs of anything obviously wrong. Tried the car and it started. This was reported to the factory and they said it could not happen

as the connecter was designed to prevent bad connections..
I always check starters by bridging the selenoid connection with the live feed to the starter, if the starter fires up, the i would look for a control wiring problem.

XSeries-forum

XSeries-forum