BMW 5 Hybrid Cold Start Issues, Help Needed

I've got some experience working on hybrids and had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW 3 Series Hybrid last winter. Your symptoms sound exactly like what I dealt with, rough starts, multiple cranking attempts, and higher fuel consumption. Turned out it was indeed a faulty injector. Took it to my regular workshop and they diagnosed a defective injection valve. The replacement and programming cost me 515 Euro, but the car's been running perfectly since then. Before I share more specific details about my repair experience, could you share: How many miles/kilometers are on your car? Are you getting any warning lights? Does it run fine once warmed up? These would help me give you more relevant advice from my experience with BMW hybrids.

I've got some experience working on hybrids and had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW 3 Series Hybrid last winter. Your symptoms sound exactly like what I dealt with, rough starts, multiple cranking attempts, and higher fuel consumption. Turned out it was indeed a faulty injector. Took it to my regular workshop and they diagnosed a defective injection valve. The replacement and programming cost me 515 Euro, but the car's been running perfectly since then. Before I share more specific details about my repair experience, could you share: How many miles/kilometers are on your car? Are you getting any warning lights? Does it run fine once warmed up? These would help me give you more relevant advice from my experience with BMW hybrids.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've got 184420 KM on the clock, and yes, it does run smoothly once it warms up. No warning lights showing at the moment. Good to hear you had a similar issue fixed, gives me hope it's not something more serious. Did you notice any specific sounds when your injector was failing? Mine makes a slight ticking noise during those cold starts. Just had my service last month and they didn't catch this, which is a bit frustrating. Might need to take it back and specifically mention these symptoms.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I've got 184420 KM on the clock, and yes, it does run smoothly once it warms up. No warning lights showing at the moment. Good to hear you had a similar issue fixed, gives me hope it's not something more serious. Did you notice any specific sounds when your injector was failing? Mine makes a slight ticking noise during those cold starts. Just had my service last month and they didn't catch this, which is a bit frustrating. Might need to take it back and specifically mention these symptoms.

Hey there again! Yes, I remember that ticking noise very well from when my BMW had the same issue. Mine made a distinct ticking/clicking sound during cold starts too, it's actually one of the classic symptoms of a failing cold start injector in these hybrids. The frustrating thing is that regular service checks sometimes miss this because the problem only shows up during cold starts. When I took mine in for the regular service initially, they didn't catch it either. It wasn't until I specifically asked them to check the cold start system that they found the issue. My car had about 165000 KM when this happened, so we're in a similar range. The fact that yours runs fine once warmed up is exactly what I experienced too. The ticking noise you're describing is practically identical to what I heard, it's like a metallic tick-tick-tick sound, right? Just a heads up, when you take it back, make sure they check the electrical connections to the injector as well. In my case, they initially only looked at the injector itself, but there was also a small issue with the wiring that needed attention. Might save you a second trip if you mention that. Have you noticed if it's worse on particularly cold mornings? That was another telltale sign with mine.

Hey there again! Yes, I remember that ticking noise very well from when my BMW had the same issue. Mine made a distinct ticking/clicking sound during cold starts too, it's actually one of the classic symptoms of a failing cold start injector in these hybrids. The frustrating thing is that regular service checks sometimes miss this because the problem only shows up during cold starts. When I took mine in for the regular service initially, they didn't catch it either. It wasn't until I specifically asked them to check the cold start system that they found the issue. My car had about 165000 KM when this happened, so we're in a similar range. The fact that yours runs fine once warmed up is exactly what I experienced too. The ticking noise you're describing is practically identical to what I heard, it's like a metallic tick-tick-tick sound, right? Just a heads up, when you take it back, make sure they check the electrical connections to the injector as well. In my case, they initially only looked at the injector itself, but there was also a small issue with the wiring that needed attention. Might save you a second trip if you mention that. Have you noticed if it's worse on particularly cold mornings? That was another telltale sign with mine.

Thanks so much for all that detailed info! Yes, that's exactly the sound, that tick-tick-tick noise is spot on what I'm hearing. And you're absolutely right about it being worse on cold mornings. Today was particularly chilly and it took four attempts to start. I really appreciate the tip about the electrical connections. I'll definitely mention both the injector and wiring when I take it back to the shop. Honestly, it's such a relief to hear someone else went through the exact same thing and got it sorted. Was starting to worry it might be something major with the hybrid system. I'll schedule an appointment with my mechanic tomorrow and make sure they do a cold start test. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's been super helpful in figuring out what's going on with my car. I'll update the thread once I get it checked out!

Thanks so much for all that detailed info! Yes, that's exactly the sound, that tick-tick-tick noise is spot on what I'm hearing. And you're absolutely right about it being worse on cold mornings. Today was particularly chilly and it took four attempts to start. I really appreciate the tip about the electrical connections. I'll definitely mention both the injector and wiring when I take it back to the shop. Honestly, it's such a relief to hear someone else went through the exact same thing and got it sorted. Was starting to worry it might be something major with the hybrid system. I'll schedule an appointment with my mechanic tomorrow and make sure they do a cold start test. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's been super helpful in figuring out what's going on with my car. I'll update the thread once I get it checked out!