N52 long crank cold start

michaelalex17 · 10-26-2021, 03:54 PM

Installed new fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, and spark plugs last night. Will keep you all posted

Pittz1 · 10-26-2021, 08:23 PM

I've got $20 its your starter. I had the same issue and sounded just like that. I would come out one day and it would start up great, next day it would struggle. Sometimes it would be good for awhile, but I knew it was a matter of time. Didnt matter if it was warm or cold. It was hit or miss.

I went for the less expensive route and did the battery. I was at 9yr old BMW battery. As soon as I did the starter, no more problems and fires right up.

michaelalex17 · 10-26-2021, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pittz1

I've got $20 its your starter. I had the same issue and sounded just like that. I would come out one day and it would start up great, next day it would struggle. Sometimes it would be good for awhile, but I knew it was a matter of time. Didnt matter if it was warm or cold. It was hit or miss.

I went for the less expensive route and did the battery. I was at 9yr old BMW battery. As soon as I did the starter, no more problems and fires right up.

But if it is the starter then wouldn't the issue also occur after driving the car? The issue I have is only on cold starts.

Pittz1 · 10-27-2021, 08:09 AM

I would say 95% of the time it was cold start issues. I can only remember a few times where it would happen after. The deal breaker for me was when I came out of work and it almost did not start. I got home, parked it over night, and it struggled really bad the next morning. I was not taking a chance after that.

When I went to go put it in my garage to work on it after the parts came in, it fired right up. Starters are finicky.

mike5124 · 10-28-2021, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelalex17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pittz1

I've got $20 its your starter. I had the same issue and sounded just like that. I would come out one day and it would start up great, next day it would struggle. Sometimes it would be good for awhile, but I knew it was a matter of time. Didnt matter if it was warm or cold. It was hit or miss.

I went for the less expensive route and did the battery. I was at 9yr old BMW battery. As soon as I did the starter, no more problems and fires right up.

But if it is the starter then wouldn't the issue also occur after driving the car? The issue I have is only on cold starts.

Same here, I only had issues with cold starts, after driving it would fire right up, then the starter died. If you're 80k miles + I would look into ground cables and starter.

cghempel · 10-28-2021, 12:55 PM

I'm not ruling it out, but the starter doesn't make sense to me here. In my case, the car cranks fine and just the same as a normal start - It's what happens while the car is cranking (firing) that is amiss.

I'm interested to hear what the OP finds on fueling.

michaelalex17 · 10-28-2021, 01:25 PM

Ok so I have only had the new fuel pump, filter, fuel pressure regulator, cleaned MAF and spark plugs, for one day, but my first cold start-up today the car fired right up. fingers crossed that one of those things ended up being the fix. Will keep you all posted.

cghempel · 11-07-2021, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelalex17

Ok so I have only had the new fuel pump, filter, fuel pressure regulator, cleaned MAF and spark plugs, for one day, but my first cold start-up today the car fired right up. fingers crossed that one of those things ended up being the fix. Will keep you all posted.

Any updates?

michaelalex17 · 11-08-2021, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cghempel

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelalex17

Ok so I have only had the new fuel pump, filter, fuel pressure regulator, cleaned MAF and spark plugs, for one day, but my first cold start-up today the car fired right up. fingers crossed that one of those things ended up being the fix. Will keep you all posted.

Any updates?

So the cranks feel a little weaker than before but I think that's because it's getting cold out but the number of cranks before starting is definitely less than it was before during a cold start ever since I did the latest round of changes.

cghempel · 11-08-2021, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelalex17

So the cranks feel a little weaker than before but I think that's because it's getting cold out but the number of cranks before starting is definitely less than it was before during a cold start ever since I did the latest round of changes.

Interesting. Would you say the car is back to normal? Cold cranks and warm cranks are equivalent? Or better, but not totally resolved?

michaelalex17 · 11-08-2021, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cghempel

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelalex17

So the cranks feel a little weaker than before but I think that's because it's getting cold out but the number of cranks before starting is definitely less than it was before during a cold start ever since I did the latest round of changes.

Interesting. Would you say the car is back to normal? Cold cranks and warm cranks are equivalent? Or better, but not totally resolved?

I would say it seems resolved. Cold cranks around 3-4 and warm cranks around 2-3. Cold cranks used to be 5-6. I think it was likely either a clogged fuel filter or the fuel pressure regulator.

Pittz1 · 11-09-2021, 04:53 AM

Do another video so we can compare. I'm still saying your starter. I had a weak start for almost two years. Hit or miss.

michaelalex17 · 11-09-2021, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pittz1

Do another video so we can compare. I'm still saying your starter. I had a weak start for almost two years. Hit or miss.

Will take another video as a comparison

michaelalex17 · 12-09-2021, 02:09 PM

Whelp Pitz1 was right my starter died. Replaced the starter and now she fires right up.

I think I was having two separate problems, the first was a long crank the second was a weak crank. The long crank seemed to be fixed by changing the fuel filter and fuel pump. I still had a lingering weak crank problem though. A week ago the car wouldn't turn on. Replaced the starter and now she fires right up.

Lucky1 · 12-17-2021, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike5124

Hi

Just wanted to chime in again, after a succession of slow cold starts my starter decided to give out. Went to replace it and it fires up immediately every time.

Hope this helps.

This happened to me as well.

blackedout330i · 12-18-2021, 03:18 AM

Had same problem. It was the battery. Battery was 2 years old.

10-26-2021, 03:54 PM	#23
michaelalex17 Brigadier General 632 Rep 3,400 Posts Drives: Manual Wagon Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	Installed new fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, and spark plugs last night. Will keep you all posted __________________
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10-26-2021, 08:23 PM	#24
Pittz1 2018 M3 ZCP / 06 330xi 214 Rep 278 Posts Drives: 330xi 2006 / 18 M3 ZCP Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I've got $20 its your starter. I had the same issue and sounded just like that. I would come out one day and it would start up great, next day it would struggle. Sometimes it would be good for awhile, but I knew it was a matter of time. Didnt matter if it was warm or cold. It was hit or miss. I went for the less expensive route and did the battery. I was at 9yr old BMW battery. As soon as I did the starter, no more problems and fires right up.
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10-27-2021, 08:09 AM	#26
Pittz1 2018 M3 ZCP / 06 330xi 214 Rep 278 Posts Drives: 330xi 2006 / 18 M3 ZCP Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	I would say 95% of the time it was cold start issues. I can only remember a few times where it would happen after. The deal breaker for me was when I came out of work and it almost did not start. I got home, parked it over night, and it struggled really bad the next morning. I was not taking a chance after that. When I went to go put it in my garage to work on it after the parts came in, it fired right up. Starters are finicky.
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10-28-2021, 12:55 PM	#28
cghempel Second Lieutenant 27 Rep 224 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: - iTrader: (1)	I'm not ruling it out, but the starter doesn't make sense to me here. In my case, the car cranks fine and just the same as a normal start - It's what happens while the car is cranking (firing) that is amiss. I'm interested to hear what the OP finds on fueling.
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10-28-2021, 01:25 PM	#29
michaelalex17 Brigadier General 632 Rep 3,400 Posts Drives: Manual Wagon Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	Ok so I have only had the new fuel pump, filter, fuel pressure regulator, cleaned MAF and spark plugs, for one day, but my first cold start-up today the car fired right up. fingers crossed that one of those things ended up being the fix. Will keep you all posted. __________________
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11-09-2021, 04:53 AM	#34
Pittz1 2018 M3 ZCP / 06 330xi 214 Rep 278 Posts Drives: 330xi 2006 / 18 M3 ZCP Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Maryland iTrader: (0)	Do another video so we can compare. I'm still saying your starter. I had a weak start for almost two years. Hit or miss.
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12-09-2021, 02:09 PM	#36
michaelalex17 Brigadier General 632 Rep 3,400 Posts Drives: Manual Wagon Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: CT iTrader: (4)	Whelp Pitz1 was right my starter died. Replaced the starter and now she fires right up. I think I was having two separate problems, the first was a long crank the second was a weak crank. The long crank seemed to be fixed by changing the fuel filter and fuel pump. I still had a lingering weak crank problem though. A week ago the car wouldn't turn on. Replaced the starter and now she fires right up. __________________
	Appreciate 1 cghempel27.00 Quote

12-18-2021, 03:18 AM	#38
blackedout330i Private 9 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: chicago iTrader: (0)	Had same problem. It was the battery. Battery was 2 years old.
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