Car starts then immediately stops?

KEBIRDIE

MEMBER
2006 BMW X3
3.0L
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
160,000 MILES

It's been driving absolutely fine, but today as I started it, it began to rev up and down. I turned the engine off and plugged in my OBD reader. I tried starting again, now the car will just about start then die immediately. No codes. I'm hoping this is just a battery issue. The current voltage from the battery reads 11.80. I'm going to try a jump start first, but is there anything else I should check?

1 Reply

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
42,959 POSTS

The battery voltage is low, which is what I would address first. Also, I would check the charging system.

Here is a guide to help us get started:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator

Also make sure the cables are clean and tight.

Here is a guide to help:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/everything-goes-dead-when-engine-is-cranked

Here are guides to help you change out the battery and have it checked/replaced. If everything checks out, I would do a CAN scan which is different than a simple engine scan. You can get a CAN scanner (Controller Area Network) which will work on most cars from Amazon.

Here is a video to show you how:

https://youtu.be/u-4syLc-ifQ

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/can-scan-controller-area-network-easy

Here is one for about $99.00 if you need it:

https://amzn.to/3ZixY4v

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