BMW 5 Series No Crank, No Start FIX for less than $10!

This 2009 BMW 535xi E60 wouldn't start after a routine oil change. With no prior issues with hard starts, it could only be one thing. The ground strap! In this video I diagnose the faulty ground strap and fix it with a very cost effective option.
Battery Cable from AutoZone:
www.autozone.com/batteries-st...
Tools Used:
13 MM Socket/Wrench
T10 Socket/Wrench
Jumper Cables

[@txjoey]

Excellent simple instructions! Hopefully that’s all my 2006 E90 325i needs!

[@crazy4gta1]

For those wondering about the 4x4 light, that’s a result of the battery being disconnected. Something to do with the steering angle sensor. To fix it you literally need to drive and turn the wheel from lock to lock and then it fixes itself

[@patriciacordova9375]

It’s Nice if you have a shop in ur garage lol! I don’t even have risers that I can move my car onto but it’s a great video tho! Thanks!

[@dominicancutttie1212]

Go under 🤦

[@fredfolson5355]

This is amazing if you know how to do this. I'm the same way with computers & smartphones, but I'd never be able to do this on my car.

[@angkeyobd4395]

Super , thanks for video .

[@lythuongkietsuc6379]

Brilliant! My daughter’s 2007 530i experienced this same problem today and this trick did work. I’ll look into fixing the ground strap tomorrow, but the car starts fine now even after removing the ground jumping cable. Thank you so much!

[@TrulyMotors]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@christyhopkins78]

So the cables in the trunk are on the positive and negative, then the front ones both grounded?

[@TrulyMotors]

@@christyhopkins78 No, both are to ground on both ends. One would probably do, but I just used both for a better connection.

[@christyhopkins78]

@@TrulyMotors Thank you so much for the quick reply! I'm dealing with a no crank issue. Battery/alternator are new couple months ago. It's done this before, but after 2, 3 tries it would start. Now it's nothing, many attempts since last night. Gonna try that to rule out ground issue.

[@christyhopkins78]

Also, if my cables aren't long enough, can I attach 2 cables? With someone assisting?

[@landenremsburg]

Did you get a click at all when trying to start it?

[@ItseMvS]

I just got my 550i 2008 and I think it has the same issue, I know the video is few years ago but will try this ground strap method thanks

[@alimirzoev3211]

Did it fix it?

[@bunuelo791]

You should have added it on the right front side of the engine ( place strap from frame rail to the right side engine mount bolt) it’s a better fit away from the shafts. Check for water ingress in the rear trunk, those modles also have problems with the micro power module ( located in the spare rear well) getting submerged in water. This might be the real problem and the ground is unnecessary.

[@TrulyMotors]

Good tip, thanks! It looks a lot closer to the drivshaft than it really is in the video but the other side would work too.

[@joew.8111]

7:04 4 You don't have to go to the trunk. I connected my negative jumper cable to the oil cooler and the body. My car started just fine. Sadly, I don't have a way to lift my car that high to replace the strap. Other videos don't include twin turbo N54 engines.

[@joew.8111]

I only did for 2 minutes to move the car 25 ft.

[@TrulyMotors]

You're not wrong but that's assuming the ground from the battery to the chassis is good. A bad ground connection from the battery to the chassis could cause similar problems.

[@davegavin7914]

I did this earthed my engine it started replaced earth strap with genuine ground strap fine worked 6/8 starts came out to drive exactly the same as before ? 🤔 no crank no start ?

[@CamboCustomzVisualWorkz]

Are you doing the black cable on the rear or the front when you do the black cable ground , I can't tell.?

[@TrulyMotors]

This is on the rear of the engine facing forward. The drive shaft in the video is coming from the transfer case and going to the front differential.

[@escoejr]

Nice, i will be trying this. But do i disconnect the cable with the car running or not? you mentioned an arc/voltage issue if disconnected incorrectly..

[@TrulyMotors]

Which cable are you referring to, the jumper cables? Don't remove them while the car is running. That could cause issues because the alternator would be generating a current that can't get to the battery if there is in fact an issue with the engine's ground strap.

[@10kTre22]

I used the jumper cables on my 525i and put them in the same place as you but the cables started smoking. Once I took off the cables I tried to start the car and it roughly started. Turned it on and off a few times. Next day she was dead again. Today I just replaced the ground strap and still no start. Any pointers?

[@TrulyMotors]

Make sure you're only jumping the negative side of the battery to the engine block with the jumper cables. I would make sure you're battery is fully charged and if it still doesn't start I'd look into the starter. Check the voltage at the starter and if it's cranking slow, it's very possible the starter is bad.

[@LuxxMa]

Are you in GA? I have an X5, I think the battery is good but the car has no power. The remote sets the alarm but won’t actually lock the doors anymore

[@TrulyMotors]

I'm in Pennsylvania. My advice would be to disconnect the battery and give it a full charge then go from there.

[@erickalcazar3741]

Hey this is a great video! but I can’t seem to figure out if it’s the same issue with my 2008 bmw 535xi. My alternator was bad so we replaced it but beforehand we replaced the battery. Battery wasn’t the issue however we left the new battery in. This was about a month ago and today I attempted to replace the battery back to the old one, we had to jump start it and it turned on after a few times trying and leaving it connected for a good 30 min. Left it on for 1 hour and turned it off and tried turning it on a few times but wouldn’t work. We reapplied the new battery and same thing, this time it wouldn’t make a sound while turning on but all the electrical components work and it was reading 12.1 v to 12.3v. Do you think it may be the starter after attempting to start up the vehicle after many many times? Or what could it be

[@TrulyMotors]

It could be a bad ground like in the video. You can can get proper voltage with a bad ground as long as you're not cranking the starter. Then once you try to start it, the starter doesn't have enough ground and nothing happens. I would recommend trying the jumper cable method I used in the video!

[@erickalcazar3741]

@@TrulyMotors sounds good will keep you updated thank you!

[@erickalcazar3741]

@@TrulyMotorsso my car still won’t start

[@erickalcazar3741]

@@TrulyMotorsmy car screen also says no signal. Not sure if that helps or has to do with anything

[@bmwfixer1359]

@@erickalcazar3741 what is the problem did u get it fixed i have same on the screen no signal what was the problem?

[@gerardoroman8460]

Got a 2008 528xi, 2nd new battery on it already & one day it wouldn’t start then awd malfunction light came on. I started by jumping it under the hood to jumping the battery. If it sits over night it won’t start up again unless I jump it what can be the issue? Someone mentioned that it could be the alternator? Not sure

[@TrulyMotors]

Test the voltage at the battery while it's running to make sure the alternator is working. It should be over 13 volts while it's running and around 12.5 when the car is off.

[@MordecaiBlackshade]

Same symptoms had a few hard starts then nothing all Lights work is it starter or ground braid ?😊

[@TrulyMotors]

I would start with the battery. Once you're sure you have a good battery, then do the test I did with the jumper cables in the video and go from there. If it fixes you're problem then ground strap. Otherwise the starter would probably be a safe bet.

[@capturxz4614]

HOPE U SEE THIS You most def you yo shi dawgy, i got a question i got a 06 235i was running good and all parked it one night next morning didn’t wanna turn on, I would but key in and only light would come on break paddle was hard as well. I went and replaced my realy, 4, number 5 amp fuses and 2 big green 30 amp fues and it fired up was running it the whole day all good it was even running better then before 100%, night time comes I park it, morning comes and it don’t start up again, just doing basically the same thing as this car I put my key in no crank just lights come on and break paddle is hard still, it’s a push to start as well HOPE U SEE THIS DAWGY OR SOMEONE

[@TrulyMotors]

I would start with making sure your battery has a good 12.5 volts. Also make sure the connections on the battery terminals are good. If they're loose they can move around and work intermittently.

[@bmwfixer1359]

Same as mine the brake pedal is so hard how did you fixed and what cause ?

[@sanchezf6947]

My bmw 2009 328! Trunk started opening by itself 2 month ago only for 2 day and then back to normally problem 2 months later started again when the car is on and when I stopped in red lights trunk started making a sound. 4 days ago my car doesn’t want to start. And the trunk problem is still there. Does any one had experience this same issue?

[@juliasrandle5797]

Can you give me a little more information on what you did with the jumper cables. I’m nervous because I don’t really get what you did there

[@TrulyMotors]

I suspected the problem with this car was the engine block did not have a good enough connection to ground for the starter motor to turn the engine over. All I did with the jumper cables was jump the ground connection from the battery straight to the engine block. I used both cables attached to ground for the best connection possible. When it started with a good ground from the jumper cables, I knew the issue was with the ground strap which is what normally gives ground to the engine block.

[@datboydodi8764]

@@TrulyMotors did you hook both the cables to a negative in the front?

[@TrulyMotors]

@@datboydodi8764 Yes. And both to ground at the battery. Twice the cable, twice the available flow of current.

[@nicholasesquivel]

Thanks you you just save me $300 from the towing company 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@ogundelejames9774]

Can this technique work for 06 530I? It just won't start since 3 days ago

[@TrulyMotors]

Yep, theoretically it could work on any car.

[@livingthelife8443]

On mine I hear electrical flowing through mine starter and my alternator and when I put my ear to the oil filter housing I hear it in there as well

[@TrulyMotors]

The noises you're hearing are most likely the various servos all round the engine. The electric throttle body, for example, makes electrical noises when it has power going to it. The starter shouldn't make any noise unless it's starting the car obviously.

[@livingthelife8443]

@@TrulyMotors yeah it's weird I have 135i 2010 n54 it's a convertible as well and when I try to activate the top I hear a click I believe from where the immobilizer would be

[@BoyNblue053186]

Can I access those points to put the new ground with a floor jack ?

[@TrulyMotors]

As long as you can get under the car, it shouldn't be hard. I'd recommend using jack stands if you're spending anytime under the car.

[@laminsecka2755]

so what if literally nothing turns on ? I have a 04 530i and not even the lights when I open the door , using my key , etc works

[@TrulyMotors]

I would start with a new battery or at least make sure the current battery has a full charge and is putting out over 12 volts.

[@essayglizzy7319]

Mine cranks but won’t start after messing with the fuses

[@user-wn6pr4qh5v]

Hello there, I appreciate the video so much. My 08 528i suddenly wouldn’t start today with full light tree in the dash. I’m suspecting either this or the starter is bad. It has always had a kinda slow start up and I was worried either the battery is about done or the starter. Should I try this 1st bc it seems an easy diagnosis. Or should I start with the battery being checked? Thank you again!!

[@TrulyMotors]

I would start with the battery. BMWs do weird things if the battery isn't perfectly healthy.

[@user-wn6pr4qh5v]

@@TrulyMotors Ok I will. Is there a special process of taking it out, putting back in? I know there’s a registration process isn’t there? My 1st bmw as you can probably tell.

[@TrulyMotors]

@@user-wn6pr4qh5v There is a registration process, but that won't affect a new battery's ability to start the car. So if you try a new battery and it still doesn't start then the battery isn't the issue.

[@user-wn6pr4qh5v]

@@TrulyMotors Ok man, thanks so much for taking time to help me out.

[@user-wn6pr4qh5v]

@@TrulyMotors No luck so far. Battery checked out ok but was only at 65% charge but I think the lights were left on when it didn’t start. I know it has always had a slow start. It wouldn’t turn over fast at first when you start it, it had that slow 1st crank and then turnover fast. I’m wondering if the starter was weak and finally went bad?

[@97runnin]

Car doesn’t have no power at all. While trying to jump, car emits lights and everything works for a few seconds and dies again. Do you think bad battery? Tried to start but just cranks when trying to jump

[@TrulyMotors]

Double check the connections to the terminals on the battery but if it's completely dead, it's most likely a bad battery. A dud battery could keep it from running, BMWs are super weird about having good batteries.

[@moneymoney4259]

I have crank no start in 2006 325 and super low fuel pressure goin to engine

[@moneymoney4259]

Please help

[@roberttorres5195]

Can I use the battery cable on a 2008 525i?

[@TrulyMotors]

Yeah definitely. There's no reason this method of troubleshooting and fix wouldn't work on any car!

[@geswith]

My E60 has a Similar issue. Sometimes when I try to start the car, It works. After some hours if I try again. There will be no crank, nothing. If I change the battery, it starts up. Then it's fine. So I will try it and see what happens.

[@TrulyMotors]

Good luck!

[@KRiSuomg]

Its works? :p

[@omarflores2973]

What was your issue At the end

[@bosslife5903]

My car cranks when n wants to when it don't crank I let it sit a hour n then it cranks

[@UnKnownn2520]

My bmw wont start at all. Got a new battery car ran fine for a week then was dead again. Tow guy said the car was getting power but not turning over. Jumped it again. Ran for a week or two and died again. Can the ground strap be the cause? Edit: figured it out i had actuator issues with my front doors and didnt even think about it because i just saw it as a minor inconvenience that can be fixed any time. Well the actuators wound uo being parasitic to the battery. The actuator basically kept the car thinking someone was trying to constantly lock/unlock the door. Got actuators fixed..1200 later..no issues. Again an example of owner neglect..not the fault of bmw

[@ohnelly4310]

wait does that happen when you try to unlock and lock it where it glitches out and locks and unlocks and makes the sound ?

[@UnKnownn2520]

@@ohnelly4310 exactly

[@capturxz4614]

If adding a new ground strap do u need to replace old one if u can’t find it ? Or can you just add a new one somewhere

[@TrulyMotors]

You can just add a new one like I did in the video. I never found the old one but also didn't look very hard.

[@capturxz4614]

@@TrulyMotors thanks fam

[@donnaclarke8595]

really? Did you move to tow. I put in neutral and now can't get back in park..

[@tkokami1380]

Same problem

[@user-rh1tx5fb1y]

My 2007 335i just clicks but wont turn until u hook it up to jumping cables

[@TrulyMotors]

When you say hooking jt up to jumper cables, are you talking about hooking it up the way I do in the video or just the traditional way of using jumper cables? If it's the traditional way, you need a new battery or at least a good charge.

[@user-rh1tx5fb1y]

@@TrulyMotors no hooking up to another vehicle

[@user-rh1tx5fb1y]

@@TrulyMotors battery new

[@TrulyMotors]

@@user-rh1tx5fb1y Interesting, I would try a third battery just in case. It's not uncommon to get a brand new bad battery these days. Happened to me twice this year.

[@user-rh1tx5fb1y]

@TrulyMotors lol it's the 4th battery already

[@User-qu7pq]

how do i do this on the 550i

[@TrulyMotors]

It should be very similar. Remember, the goal here is just to make sure the engine block has a good connection to the vehicle's ground.

[@sethturner6399]

How’d you know It wasnt the starter

[@TrulyMotors]

When I jumped ground to the engine with the jumper cables and it started, that confirmed to me that it was a grounding issue. Thanks for watching!

[@nuevopikete4315]

I need help with one BUDDIE🙏🏼

[@txngasnguns]

Cool video! Maybe you can help us. We had a battery installed in our 2011 528I. The battery WAS NOT registered. Car started and ran fine, everything functioned. Drive the car home. About 5 hours later we loaded up to go somewhere and noticed the car would not turn over. So far we've gotten an ignition malfunction warning and while the car recognizes the fob the doors will not lock. The center locking switch is also not working, but the hazard lights DO WORK. NO ONE remotely works on BMW's, and our mechanic is not in great health and thus not dependable. Fuses as best as we can tell are good. A tech is coming tomorrow to exchange the battery. Help us!

[@TrulyMotors]

The only advice I have would be to make sure the battery is fully charged. I would disconnect it from the car, charge it fully, and go from there.

[@txngasnguns]

@@TrulyMotors We tried that once already. Nothing changed. For the sake of others lets keep this thread going. If you learn something or I end up paying thousands...everyone will know what happend. So yeah, if you learn anything or think of anything it would be greatly appreciated.

[@txngasnguns]

@@TrulyMotors I will say all the car experts at this point think the problem is soley the battery.

[@TrulyMotors]

@@txngasnguns A bad battery is very possible. Lately I've had a several brand new batteries be bad. All different brands.

[@mou_oso33]

So did you get it fixed? I'm guessing not registering the battery was part of it ?

[@mikenigatu3933]

Instruction on the connection of the cable is not clear and you should slow down with your explanation

[@safeplayZ]

basically he took bolts out of where they already were and put the strap under them so that it was touching metal so it could ground then he just put them back on and he did that to 2 different sides of the car if i’m not mistaken

[@bosslife5903]

U think this ground wire is my problem

[@patricioaguayo9088]

Hmm. You are a mechanic? Is that your shop? Hmmm

[@TrulyMotors]

It's my side hustle, yes.

[@razzy530]

Now go wash it