Starting problem

[tilly 10]

F11 525 D touring 75,000 miles full service history, 2010 model. Today the car would not start. Starter pressed, engaged but immediately it engine stops turning. Car won't move out of park so cannot move it. Called AA who could not identify or fix issue. Battery ok, fuel pressure fine it just will not start. He could not tow car to garage, too wide, so had to be transported. Difficult task since rear wheels locked. No fault showing on car system check but code read with the AA checker could not identify any problem. AA guy had never seen issue with this type of car before. Anybody got any ideas.

[entdgc 9]

Sorry to hear of your problem. No advice on the fault from me, sorry. But for future reference, on my old E61 (6speed auto) there was a lever under the gear lever boot that disengaged the park feature and allowed towing or even pushing! Never checked this on the F10 but I cant believe there isn't something similar. Too late now....

[nashdm2 236]

I think this is under the car, under the gearbox. There is a lever and a bolt. You screw the bolt in which activates the lever, you hear a clonk and the car is free.

Edited November 22, 2019 by nashdm2

[tilly 10]

The car is at the garage. We managed to get it off the transporter with difficulty. Tomorrow I will go over and give them your suggestions about releasing the car. thanks for the suggestions.

[sams255 105]

30 minutes ago, tilly said:

The car is at the garage. We managed to get it off the transporter with difficulty. Tomorrow I will go over and give them your suggestions about releasing the car. thanks for the suggestions.

 

I hope they didn't put it on the transporter without doing that bolt up on the gearbox Otherwise, your looking at some serious damage on your gearbox

[535i Andrew 3,268]

@nashdm2 is correct.

No way to shift out of P unless engine is runnng.

No way to manually overcome this from within the car. You need to jack it up and remove the rearmost underbelly to get to the mechanism to release it.

 

Detail here

 

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f10-535i-lim_201301/repair-manuals/00-maintenance-general-note/00-02-raise-vehicle-tow-away/1Ma7AVpq

 

Dont try that on a hard shoulder!

 

Your car needs the codes rear by proper diagnostic equipment. Anything else is just guess work at this stage I'm afraid.

[nashdm2 236]

Also, I have heard of "AA battery diagnosis" that was incorrect in stating the battery is ok.

[tilly 10]

You cannot move car out of park if the engine is not running. How did they get it on the transporter. They connected a winch to the front of the car and then hammered two plastic wedges under the rear tyres. They then put  grease on the tilted transporter deck. The car was dragged onto the deck with the winch. The rear wheels didn't rotate and the wedges reluctantly slid on the road surface but once on the  deck they easily slid on the slippery surface. To get it off they tilted the deck and slowly released the winch and when the end of the car touched the ground, still on the plastic wedges, they slowly pulled the tilted decking up back on to the lorry. The friction of the wedges on the forecourt surface held the car firm. Believe me it was quite a job. Hope the tyres are OK since they were new last week. They then jacked up the car rear to remove the wedges. They could not get to the underside of the car since it was on the drive of our house and there is a bump in the surface to prevent rainwater going into the garages leaving little ground clearance. When I had a Z3 M Roadster it regularly grounded over the same ridge. Hopefully the proper diagnostics will reveal what the problem is. The garage is a specialist independent which mainly specialises in Porsches. It used to go to the BMW main agent but in the last service they overfilled the car with 2 litres of oil and cracked the intermediate cylinder head on the roadster when they replaced the Vanos unit.

Edited November 23, 2019 by tilly

[nashdm2 236]

I may be missing something here, but, why did the not tow it from the back with the rear wheels lifted and the front wheels on the ground? Anyway, will be interested to see what the fix is for this issue.

[tilly 10]

Apparently according to the AA the rear axel is too wide for their equipment by about 10mm. So they are not allowed to lift the rear wheels; the car has to be loaded onto a trailer. In addition the handbook says do not tow with rear wheels raised since the fronts can turn. I have had the car since new and this is the first time it has really let me down. However, this problem of not being able to move the car if the engine doesn't start is beginning to worry me. I never had that problem with the E39 touring I also owned for 9 years. Car these days are getting, in my opinion, too complex and when things go wrong, which they inevitably will, your options are very limited. My wife's 22 year old Z3 is a much easier proposition.

Edited November 24, 2019 by tilly

[535i Andrew 3,268]

There is no steering lock on the F10 so the front wheels can do what they want which is why there is warnings that it can’t be lifted and towed with it’s backside in the air!
 

Makes recovering an auto version a real nightmare, hence the need to use skates 

[tilly 10]

Update on the problem. The garage managed to get the car inside on Friday by releasing the park. They carried out some diagnostics and there is a permanent fault with the glow plug control unit which apparently is a very common issue, price of the part is £120.74 + VAT and will take 0.5 hours to fit. Hopefully will get it back this evening.

[535i Andrew 3,268]

That's not too bad, appears to have been an easy enough fix.

[tilly 10]

4 hours ago, 535i Andrew said:

That's not too bad, appears to have been an easy enough fix.

Lets keep our fingers crossed. Car not back yet.

[nashdm2 236]

Interesting that the fault stopped the car from cranking over though................

[535i Andrew 3,268]

It could be that its just too clever for its own good.  If the glow plug control module is faulty it must decide it won't be able to start so then prevents the engine from turning over to avoid damage.   Perhaps if the outside temp was warmer it might let it try and start?

[tilly 10]

22 minutes ago, 535i Andrew said:

It could be that its just too clever for its own good.  If the glow plug control module is faulty it must decide it won't be able to start so then prevents the engine from turning over to avoid damage.   Perhaps if the outside temp was warmer it might let it try and start?

Interesting suggestion. Although it was colder earlier in the week on the morning it just would not start there was ice under the bonnet. I appeared that the temperature had risen early morning and the ice on the screen melted and slipped. Initially the starter turned the engine but it did not fire up. After several tries, on pressing the starter it just cut out immediately and despite repeated attempts it continued to stop within a second . I don't no if either the system had recognised is was not going to start or the cylinders were flooded with diesel. I am no engineer. I am going to ask the engineer when I pick up the car and I'll let the forum know the answer.   

[535i Andrew 3,268]

9 hours ago, tilly said:

I am going to ask the engineer when I pick up the car and I'll let the forum know the answer.   

 

Yes please do, too many folk don't come back and don't tell us what the issue was or how it was fixed so we can't learn from others experience.

 

Share the knowledge I say. 

[tilly 10]

Update: Car now starts with the  new control module but very lumpy idle from cold. They have cleared all the codes and will let the car cool before connecting up the diagnostics and restarting. They will obviously check any new faults but they are especially looking at fuel pressure. It could be a leaking injector which is causing the problem from cold and they should be able to spot this on the readout. After all it is only a car and in my experience things are never as simple as they initially appear.

[tilly 10]

Garage has just come back to me after further investigating the poor running from cold. The diagnostic is saying it is sticking inlet manifold flaps. To check they would need to take the inlet manifold off which takes around 1 hour. I have asked them to proceed. let see what the result is.

[tilly 10]

More news: The mechanics have stripped down the inlet manifold and it does indeed need replacing with the seals and actuator which come as a kit, again a common fault they led me to believe. The kit is £762.50 + VAT and is available next day. If this finally solves the problem I will not get much change from £1500. 

[Boba 151]

1 hour ago, tilly said:

If this finally solves the problem I will not get much change from £1500. 

sounds as though you’ll not get much change from £1500 even if if doesn’t solve the problem.   Running these cars without a warranty can sometimes lead to nasty shocks!

[tilly 10]

31 minutes ago, Boba said:

sounds as though you’ll not get much change from £1500 even if if doesn’t solve the problem.   Running these cars without a warranty can sometimes lead to nasty shocks!

Had the car since new. Warranty stopped many years ago but to be fair it has not been an expensive car to run. I have all the bills over the years and it costs much much lower than the ZM roadster over an equivalent time period before I sold the roadster( at my age I found it difficult to get in. My wife has no problems with hers.) Even the Porsche costs less to run than the Roadster.

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by tilly

[535i Andrew 3,268]

Tell them it just needs a clean to free up the flaps and here is how they can do it.

 

 

[tilly 10]

54 minutes ago, 535i Andrew said:

Tell them it just needs a clean to free up the flaps and here is how they can do it.

 

 

Thanks for the info. Mine was very contaminated even though I have only used Shell V plus fuel. However, quite a few of my journeys are relatively short and that might explain the buildup of all the muck. I will still replace them with new OEM parts and hope I can get another 9 years of use. I will then be 80 and I don't think by then I will care much about driving  cars any more. Electric buggies will be another thing if I live that long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!