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MikSchreib

BMW 3 Series petrol 2005 does not start: Possible malfunction of the engine control unit relay

Hello everyone, I'm having problems with my 2005 BMW 3 Series petrol engine. It just won't start. Could it be a malfunction of the main relay of the engine control unit? Does anyone have any experience with this and can give me a few tips? Would love to know how your garage fixed the problem. Thanks for any help.

(Translated from German)

Summary of the thread

A 2005 BMW 3 Series petrol engine is experiencing starting issues, potentially due to a malfunction of the engine control unit's main relay. The engine briefly howls but then stalls, suggesting a possible relay fault. A similar issue in a 2003 BMW 5 Series was resolved by replacing the main relay, costing around €120. It is recommended to have the main relay checked at a garage to confirm and address the problem.

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4 comment(s)

SabineWinterDrive

Hi I had a similar problem with my 2003 BMW 5 series, don't worry I'm not a car professional overall but have had some experience. At my garage they found that the main relay was faulty. The repair cost me around €120 and the car ran perfectly again afterwards. It may well be the same problem for you. Could you provide more detailed information about your vehicle and the symptoms? That would help to narrow down the problem further.

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MikSchreib (community.author)

Hey, thanks for your quick reply, really cool. My car has already done 231789 km and the last service was about a year ago. I've noticed that the engine howls briefly when I try to start it, but then stalls again straight away. I think I'll pop into the garage and ask them to check the main relay. Glad you mentioned that, I would have totally forgotten otherwise! Thanks again!

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SabineWinterDrive

Hello again, the engine howling and then immediately stalling again does indeed sound like a possible problem with the main relay. A check in the workshop is certainly a good idea. If the fault is found there, a repair or replacement shouldn't be too expensive, if we go by my own experience. I'm glad I could help you further. I hope your BMW runs smoothly again soon!

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MikSchreib (community.author)

Hey, it's really great that you're so helpful! I have an appointment at the garage tomorrow and I'll definitely talk to them about the main relay. Your experience has really helped me to better classify the problem. I'll get back to you when I know more and whether it was the main relay or not. Thanks again and have a nice evening!

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BMW

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3