# 2004 BMW X5 - Trouble starting in cold **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** bmw\ **Created:** [December 20, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160 "2018-12-20T13:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jose15](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@jose15](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jose15)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/1 "2018-12-20T13:48:17Z")
won’t start when it cold outside ---
**Author:** ![tcmichnorth](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tcmichnorth/32/25126_2.png) [@tcmichnorth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tcmichnorth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/2 "2018-12-20T14:05:01Z")
Check engine light on when running? If so find codes and check back in. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/3 "2018-12-20T14:48:58Z")
Does it crank normally but not start. ---
**Author:** ![JG46](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JG46](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JG46)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/4 "2018-12-23T03:01:57Z")
Is it petrol or diesel ? If it’s a Diesel and it’s really cold outside, turn the key to the 2nd position (but don’t crank it. Turn the car back off when the glow plugs light turns off and do this 3-5 times depending on how cold it is, after you’ve done it, then crank. If this doesn’t do the trick then your glow plugs are probably bad. It can also be because of the battery, the car is 14 years old and the battery can be pretty worn. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 11:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/5 "2018-12-23T11:45:21Z")
> [@JG46](#): > > It can also be because of the battery, the car is 14 years old and the battery can be pretty worn. Agree on that! Thats the first thing to check. ---
**Author:** ![JG46](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JG46](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JG46)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 11:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/6 "2018-12-23T11:47:12Z")
And don’t crank it for too long if you see that it doesn’t start because you will fry the starter eventually and that will cost you a few hundred bucks ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/7 "2018-12-23T14:24:15Z")
61 36 8 373 700 fuel pump relay in pass side rear compartment bmw forum says to give it a try ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/8 "2018-12-23T14:25:54Z")
Sorry you cannot get started when its cold outside. We need a bit more info however. How do you resolve the situation when it doesn’t start in the cold? A jump? If so… this points directly to your battery. The jump provides the system with the power and cranking amps that your battery was lacking in the first place. Now if you tell us your batt is new… the diagnosis will then change dramatically…and it will point to the charging system and or the starter motor itself. But for now…with the single clue you have provided, the only diagnosis we can give is the battery. Happens all the time and the cold is a major clue, this is how batteries show they are slowly dying internally. If you can answer the questions in my response we will all have more to work with, but for now, it strongly points to the battery. More info can easily change the diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/9 "2018-12-23T14:28:39Z")
> [@JG46](#): > > It can also be because of the battery, the car is 14 years old and the battery can be pretty worn. I REALLY hope that nobody–including the OP–is driving around with a 14 year old battery! ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/10 "2018-12-23T15:10:53Z")
Indeedy you are correct VDC… My money is on the battery at this point. We dont have much to go on but like you said the vehicle is 14 and it may actually have its original battery, which would be a surprise but not outside the realm of possibility. Cold was the only clue we have and most of us know how batts love the cold. I got $20 bucks on needing a new battery ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/11 "2018-12-23T17:49:49Z")
I got $20 the OP is not going to respond. ---
**Author:** ![JG46](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JG46](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JG46)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-bmw-x5-trouble-starting-in-cold/131160/12 "2018-12-23T17:55:22Z")
OP possibly got stranded without WiFi and can’t start his car I put $20 on that