2003 BMW X5 Fuel system failure

MUIRHEADS123

MEMBER
2003 BMW X5
112,000 MILES

Car starts after five or so turns then puts out black smoke from exhaust and have to rev engine high to clear then I can drive all day but recently the car drives well then on the motor way it cuts out dead and comes on the dash fuel system failure and after leaving for a bit and doing the same thing turning over five or mabe more it starts and drives again for a couple of day also I have notice it will do this more often when the fuel is low when just the fuel light comes on or just before it
So can you help as I love the big car but thinking to trad in because of problems

5 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,256 POSTS

Hello,

thanks you for using the site. It sounds like you have one of two things going on, either the fuel pressure regulator is starting to fail allowing fuel to enter the vacuum system of the engine , or one of the fuel injectors has an intermitted short which causes the injector to go full open. Do you have any engine codes or a check engine light? Also this link might be helpful.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-black-smoke

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Monday, June 24th, 2013 AT 3:33 PM

MUIRHEADS123

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3 POSTS

There is no warning light on the dash also I replaced the fuel fillter with one out of Andrew watts a car parts shop do you think I should have got a bmw one out the dealership and mabe it's the filter but everything looked the same as the one I took out also someone said I should change the glow plugs also but not done this yet should I do this aswell

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Monday, June 24th, 2013 AT 3:49 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,256 POSTS

You should remove all spark plugs and look at them, one should be black on the spark plug insulator while the others will be normal color. (Same) The fuel filter should have nothing to do with it. If you find the black plug that's the cylinder that is having problems. Please check and let me know.

, Ken

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Monday, June 24th, 2013 AT 3:52 PM

MUIRHEADS123

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3 POSTS

It's a diesel so do you mean the Heater plugs (glow plugs) sorry just to make sure we are talking a bout the same thing

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Monday, June 24th, 2013 AT 4:00 PM

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
47,256 POSTS

Yep, diesel changes everything, black smoke is produced from too much fuel entering the engine, this means the fuel injection pump on the engine might be the cause. Or you might be right with the fuel filter not working properly, when it comes to diesel, always use factory parts. Did the problem happen before you changed the filter?