[x3-diesel]

Hi All,

I replaced a diesel inejctor today (https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...7#post29193437), re-coded the injector using Autophix 7910 hand held tool. The hand held has a Electric Fuel PUmp menu which I was expecting to allow me to prime the fuel pump, but the feature is not supported.

The car just turns over and does not start (with out priming the fuel pump via computer). I am assuming this is because of air in the fuel line?

Does anyone know how I can prime the fuel pump with out computer? Just keep turning over? Turn ignition on/off several times?

Thanks

UPDATE:

Used ISTA to bleed, car wouldnt start, thread below details ISTA journey for N00b.

After ISTA bleed, got error code 249300 "Rail pressure monitoring on engine start. Rail pressure too low during engine start". For me this turned out to be airlock or air bubbles trapped between injectors and rail. ISTA bleed would not fix this issue.

SOLUTION: Enabled suggestion to free air lock after fuel rail. Crack each injector nut one at a time, crank car, see bubbles exit. Turn over for 10-15 seconds, car starts. Thank you

[x3-diesel]

Foxwell 510 hand held scanner is unable to prime the fuel system on F25 (2015 X3 xdrive28d). Going the route of learning about ITSA install and determining cable. Looks like I have a car stuck in garage that wont start for a few days while I sort trying to prime a fuel system.

ITSA guide states:

F/G/I/MINI/RR-SERIES:
• Interface = ENET Cable or ICOM

From online threads, seems that ITSA is a pain to setup from downloaded binaries. Does anyone sell ITSA on usb ready to go?

[robert58]

https://www.bimmerdiagnostics.com/

[Enabled]

Originally Posted by x3-diesel

Foxwell 510 hand held scanner is unable to prime the fuel system on F25 (2015 X3 xdrive28d). Going the route of learning about ITSA install and determining cable. Looks like I have a car stuck in garage that wont start for a few days while I sort trying to prime a fuel system.

ITSA guide states:

F/G/I/MINI/RR-SERIES:
• Interface = ENET Cable or ICOM

From online threads, seems that ITSA is a pain to setup from downloaded binaries. Does anyone sell ITSA on usb ready to go?

Just crack open the fuel line to the injector (or all the ones that have been touched) and crank a few times. It will fire up. Then close all shut and keep the car running for 5-10 more minutes.

[x3-diesel]

Originally Posted by Enabled

Just crack open the fuel line to the injector (or all the ones that have been touched) and crank a few times. It will fire up. Then close all shut and keep the car running for 5-10 more minutes.

Thanks Enabled I did try to turn car off/on dozens of times thinking it would activate the fuel pump, but was going to consider cracking the line.

In my case (during replacement of inj), I disconnected the high pressure side, then low pressure side, a few posts mentioned doing this in reverse. Possibly I had airlock?

I purchased an ENET cable from Amazon $22 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V3C47YD...roduct_details

robert58 Thanks for the link https://www.bimmerdiagnostics.com/

The install of ITSA+ from the download link runs just fine! They charge about $19 USD, but when you install ITSA+ is says "this software is free, if you paid, ask for refund". The person at bimmerdiagnostics.com does host a valid working build of ITSA that installs everything you need I guess that can justify the fee.

Lessons learned:

You need a laptop with ethernet port, I had an old one with Linux & Windows 8. You need windows 10 to install ITSA+. Required me to upgrade windows, and luckly that worked. The other catch, you need 150 gigabytes free on disk. I had an SSD in sata case I could hook up over USB. Lots of legwork to get a computer in place to run ITSA, I was verify skeptical how a beast of application (huge install) would go wrong, skeptical on large software package downloaded from internet and many different setup guides out there. To be clear, the ITSA installer from the link above didn't require anything other then running setup, Microsoft C++ libraries are installed automatically.

OK, hooked the laptop up and followed these steps to bleed the fuel system:

Connect -> Vehicle Management -> Service Functions -> Power Train -> Diesel Electronics -> Fuel System Bleed

The procedure takes 120 seconds, displays current pressures in realtime chart. I could hear bubbles purging for most of the 120 seconds. Perhaps I did have some airlock in the lines.

Thanks everyone for your help. Good luck to the next guy that reads this.

[x3-diesel]

Ugh. Bled the fuel system with ISTA, took the engine cover off to check for leaks, no leaks. Tried to start, No start. Just keeps turning over. Verified the injector I replaced is coded correctly, it is. Even tried to put old code back, and new code hoping ITSA would do additional reset vs hand held.

Any ideas anyone?

[x3-diesel]

I put the old injector back, re-coded, bled the fuel system with ISTA. No start.

ITSA reports "Battery voltage (terminal 30) below threshold value.

Getting code 249300 "Rail pressure monitoring on engine start. Rail pressure too low during engine start". The battery fell to ~%45 after all the priming and car in accessory on. Going to re-charge, prime again and try to start tomorrow.

[capt_slow]

There is a leak somewhere in the high pressure rail. ISTA can create a test and diagnosis plan for you based on that fault. The voltage error shows up when the car is running on battery and not connected to a power supply. I recommend one of these if you intend to further tinker ISTA or coding.

https://www.amazon.com/PowerMax-PMBC.../dp/B0094K8AAO

[x3-diesel]

Originally Posted by capt_slow

There is a leak somewhere in the high pressure rail. ISTA can create a test and diagnosis plan for you based on that fault. The voltage error shows up when the car is running on battery and not connected to a power supply. I recommend one of these if you intend to further tinker ISTA or coding.

https://www.amazon.com/PowerMax-PMBC.../dp/B0094K8AAO

After priming the fuel system with ISTA several times, I checked around the fuel rail and each injector, no leak.

During the priming, when fuel pump is activated %50, I get 3500 mbar, and when second stage of priming kicks in, I get well above 4000 mbar (min pressure indicated by ISTA).

I'm not sure why you recommended the 100amp charger when you suspect a leak. I have a schumacher which charged the battery to %100 over night. Going to try again.

[Enabled]

Originally Posted by x3-diesel

Ugh. Bled the fuel system with ISTA, took the engine cover off to check for leaks, no leaks. Tried to start, No start. Just keeps turning over. Verified the injector I replaced is coded correctly, it is. Even tried to put old code back, and new code hoping ITSA would do additional reset vs hand held.

Any ideas anyone?

Oh, for some reason I thought you had started it.


I would still crack open all 4 fuel line nuts *at the injector* and crank it a little bit. If there's an air lock, then it will go away. I've started these like this even without ISTA's help in bleeding.

Next, I would also make sure that you've connected everything back correctly, just in case it's not an injector bleeding issue.

[x3-diesel]

Originally Posted by Enabled

Oh, for some reason I thought you had started it.


I would still crack open all 4 fuel line nuts *at the injector* and crank it a little bit. If there's an air lock, then it will go away. I've started these like this even without ISTA's help in bleeding.

Next, I would also make sure that you've connected everything back correctly, just in case it's not an injector bleeding issue.

Hi Enabled - This morning with battery at %100, I ran ISTA bleed 4-times. Still no start. I am trying your specific suggestion next - thanks for the suggestion of cracking nut *at injector* instead of fuel rail. Thanks

[x3-diesel]

Enabled With your suggestion of cracking each nut and turning over, bubbles came out, MY X3 F25 DIESEL STARTS! YES!!! I was feeling so useless, and was getting ready to have it tow'ed which would probably result in being bent over.

Guys - if you find this thread, and went the ISTA route to bleed - it may not work. Take Enabled's suggestion.

Thank you again Enabled, you are a GODSEND.

[Enabled]

This is highly satisfying.
I am glad you are up and running again! You're welcome!

[x3-diesel]

Originally Posted by Enabled

This is highly satisfying.
I am glad you are up and running again! You're welcome!

Yeah! I could/should have listened to your suggestion 2 days ago! But stubborn brain/way of thinking says "have to use the computer to bleed". There are so many opinions, videos, comments that are all over the place (Just like today's news/media). At the end of the day, there is just one truth.

[capt_slow]

Originally Posted by x3-diesel

I'm not sure why you recommended the 100amp charger when you suspect a leak. I have a schumacher which charged the battery to %100 over night. Going to try again.

Glad you got it sorted out. The charger is to let you essentially run the car's ECUs on grid power rather than the 12V battery, prolonging the time for you to diagnose the car (as well as anything else using ISTA or E-Sys), also avoids riks of the 12V dying on you mid diagnosis or (worse) mid programming. But back to topic...

Definitely an interesting trick that Enabled brought up. In retrospect, it sounds like ISTA's "Fuel System Bleeding" ABL bleeds only the low-pressure side of the system, but what you actually needed was to bleed the high-pressure side.

Does anyone know if the "Rail Pressure Control, System Test" ABL would accomplish the same task? I stepped through as far as I could without actually performing the test and it seems like it will bleed both low and high pressure sides of the fuel system.

[Enabled]

Once a large amount of air makes it into the injector lines, then diag bleeding doesn't always work. The reason is simple too.

The bleeding routine activates the in-tank pump and opens the HPFP metering unit/solenoid (to allow around 3.5bar of fuel into it). Then what happens next is the pressure goes into the rail, and onwards to the injectors. The fuel/air should presumably return via the injectors' return line (rubber hose on top).

If one line is heavily air locked, the fuel will simply continue in the return circuit around via the other 2 or 3 injectors. Opening the nut allows for the majority of the air to escape. Then you can start the car.


Now DO NOT do this for a new/dry HPFP, as the diesel is the lubrication for it. However if the HPFP is already wet with diesel, it's fine to crank it.

This method often works better than the ISTA method to bleed, which I've used plenty before.

ISTA method is excellent for a completely new fuel system, new major components, etc.