Does Your BMW Hesitate to Start? Here are 6 Possible Causes

Starting problems are simply annoying problems in vehicles, and it becomes more annoying if such problems arise in better quality cars like BMW. No user would like that their car is taking more time to get started, no one would like to try to start the engine repeatedly but the engine is not starting. This gives a feeling of unsatisfaction. The car users mostly get irritated when they have to go for some important work, but they could not able to start their car. If you are facing such problem in your BMW then this article is for you.

Common causes of your BMW hesitating to start

Every vehicle consist of those components whose main and important role is making the engine start. There is no work that is important than making the engine start and run it. So the main causes of making the engine start are those starting components. These components in BMW are battery and its cables, alternator, starter motor and ignition switch. Problems in these parts can cause problems while starting. Here I’m gonna include some other components too, apart from starting components that can cause starting problems.

Battery or the cables have become bad

The battery provides electricity to make the starter run and crank the engine. But sometimes the battery gets a leak on it or becomes too old due to which it becomes unable to crank the engine properly. As a result the starting of the engine gets delayed. The cables are also to be blamed. Without proper connections, the both the charging of battery and the delivery of voltage to the engine would not be possible. There can also be loose connections, so the diagnosis are to be done accordingly.

Faulty starter

A starter uses electricity to initiate the running of engine by rotating the flywheel and then engine takes it over after the combustion process starts. If the starter is worn, then it would fail to rotate the flywheel properly with sufficient speed and the engine would fail to run.

Faulty alternator

An alternator generates electricity by using mechanical energy from engine. Alternator charges the battery. If the alternator is worn, then it would not consistently charge the battery. If the battery is not charged, then the energy will be consumed by the engine and other accessories, leading to draining of power from engine and after sometime, the battery dies. A dead battery cannot start the engine.

Faulty ignition system

If your BMW is not able to start, then problems can be with the spark plugs or ignition coils. They burn down the fuel to produce energy. Sometimes due to aging, the spark plugs fail to burn the fuel initially. So the combustion process fail and the engine would not start.

Faulty fuel system

There can be many faults in fuel system like, malfunctioning fuel pumps, worn fuel injectors and fuel filters. They would block the flow of fuel to the engine, as a result there will be very low fuel or no fuel in the combustion chamber. So the power generated will not be sufficient to make the engine run.

Low fuel quality

If the fuel is of low quality then it would have a lot of impurities. Such fuels can easily clog up the filter and the fuel injector, it can even lead to damage of the spark plugs. All these things can stop the engine from getting activated.

The diagnosis of the starting issue in BMW

To diagnose the car perfectly, you have to start with the most obvious cause that is the battery. Check the exterior of the battery and its mounts too. Here, the inspection of leakage from battery and the terminals are done. Corrosion on the battery terminals are cleaned with a moistened cloth or a moist brush. If the terminals are highly damaged due to excess corrosion and the current is not flowing properly, then you may have to replace the battery. Check the output voltage of the battery by a multi meter. The voltage should not be less than 11.5v.

Check the cable clamps at the battery if they are properly fitted or not. Check if the cables are in good condition or corroded. Damaged cables may fail to deliver electricity to the engine, so you have to replace them with good quality cables.

After battery, check the alternator. Better have the alternator checked in a garage.

Check the drive belt if it is good or worn. A worn drive belt cannot make the alternator run properly.

Conclusion

Here are all the common causes of BMW hesitating to start. Other causes are clogged air and oil filters, faulty engine sensors and low temperature. In many cars, you can see the starting becomes a little or more difficult. This happens if the battery has low cranking amperage. This problem is common in cars having aged batteries. So have the battery checked in the beginning of winter to prevent the problem.

We at Germany's Best INC. located at College Avenue in Oakland, CA are the most trusted German auto center in Oakland having over 25 years of exceptional service experience. We carry out maintenance & repair of some of the most popular German cars.