2006 X3 Wont Start

I was out today picking up a new oven and it was around 30 + degrees celsius, when i went to leave the X3 wouldn't kick over, i only hear a single click once then no clicking when trying to turn it over, i tried moving the gears around, take out key, put key back in etc, then i rang road service and they cant even find the starter motor , he tried the battery and said that was fine so it was home with a tow truck 2 hours later.

What dose this sound like, starter motor, solenoid? BTW where can i find the starter motor? I'm assuming its somewhere that is a prick to get to.

Just posting the ignition lights, anything wrong here im not aware of?

Originally Posted by maxeaus

..... i rang road service and they cant even find the starter motor , he tried the battery and said that was fine .....

Yes, you can't see the starter motor by looking down inside the engine bay, nor by a quick look underneath.

From above, all the intake components block your view, and underneath a drive shaft and other things obscure it..

I think it's a 4+ hr. job to R&R, so you want to eliminate simpler possibilities first.

Of reports on this forum that had similar symptoms, the end result has been a few surprising things, such as:

- an engine control sensor gone bad and locked out the start protocol

- transponder in the key failed

- battery tested good still unable to energize the starter (more likely if continuous clicks)

It's worth checking Fuse #14 to see if that has blown as it controls the immobilizer and/or the EWS.
See: http://www.trapdoor.demon.co.uk/bmwx...use%20card.PDF

Failed X3 starter motors are not unheard of but not too common.

If the warm weather had anything to do with it, maybe the battery electrolyte evaporated a bit.
Battery testing is not a very exact science. I'd charge it up fully and try again before anything else.

Originally Posted by Supercourse

Yes, you can't see the starter motor by looking down inside the engine bay, nor by a quick look underneath.

From above, all the intake components block your view, and underneath a drive shaft and other things obscure it..

I think it's a 4+ hr. job to R&R, so you want to eliminate simpler possibilities first.

Of reports on this forum that had similar symptoms, the end result has been a few surprising things, such as:

- an engine control sensor gone bad and locked out the start protocol

- transponder in the key failed

- battery tested good still unable to energize the starter (more likely if continuous clicks)

It's worth checking Fuse #14 to see if that has blown as it controls the immobilizer and/or the EWS.
See: http://www.trapdoor.demon.co.uk/bmwx...use%20card.PDF

Failed X3 starter motors are not unheard of but not too common.

If the warm weather had anything to do with it, maybe the battery electrolyte evaporated a bit.
Battery testing is not a very exact science. I'd charge it up fully and try again before anything else.

Thanks for the help, in relation to your several points, i have now got the battery disconnected and being trickle charged overnight, but when i had road service he did try to jump start without success to eliminate battery issue/s, either way ill know tomorrow for sure when its charged and reconnected.

I have two keys with the transponders, last week i went to get in the car and the doors wouldn't open and i had to get in the boot as only that worked, after slicing open the plastic cover i found the small clicker had snapped off hence im now using my spare key, which has been working without issue all week, also i did try the old key to start as well but no luck.


- an engine control sensor gone bad and locked out the start protocol....................Not sure how i go about finding this out, code reader didnt show any faults but i have only a simple eBay one.


It's worth checking Fuse #14 to see if that has blown as it controls the immobilizer and/or the EWS.
See: http://www.trapdoor.demon.co.uk/bmwx................I will check that out as a couple of other people mentioned it could be retlated to the immobilizer.

So in regards to the fuses would you suggest i swap no 5 (horn) with no 14 and see how that works out?

I have swapped the fuses around and still it wont start which only leaves me with the engine control sensor in that list.

The only way to rule out one of the many sensors, or something else in the electronics, is with the BMW diagnostics at a dealer or well-equiped independent.

Worth the admittedly high price before going to the trouble and expense of removing things to test the starter motor.

But don't rule out the battery yet - a battery can fail in a way that prevents even a jump start getting through it.

The fact that you couldn't get the remote unlocking to work last week is suspicious - might not have been the key's fault and it got broken while slicing it open.

Originally Posted by Supercourse

The only way to rule out one of the many sensors, or something else in the electronics, is with the BMW diagnostics at a dealer or well-equiped independent.

Worth the admittedly high price before going to the trouble and expense of removing things to test the starter motor.

But don't rule out the battery yet - a battery can fail in a way that prevents even a jump start getting through it.

The fact that you couldn't get the remote unlocking to work last week is suspicious - might not have been the key's fault and it got broken while slicing it open.

I am actually getting a new battery today before i send the car to the dealer just to be sure, as its my original battery anyway which is now 7 years old!

Actually the small nodule snapped off in the key, but it still might have been because i had to press so hard because the battery wasn't full power, anyway in a couple of hours i will know for sure with a new battery.

Just to let you all know it was the starter motor that didn't work, has been replaced now and all is well.

Thanks for the help.