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Cutting Out

Discuss your latest mods or ideas, and anything to do with the BMW X5 (E53).
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henrym3
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Cutting Out

Post by henrym3 » Fri Feb 06, 2026 6:01 pm

X drives perfect then just cuts out, doesn’t matter what speed, idling along in traffic or 50mph. Will restart and run perfect again. Has happened about 4 times. Diagnostics does not show any faults. I have sent for a new ignition switch, Does this sound like a good idea or has anyone got a better one.
This is an edit :- passed the MOT yesterday without any issues.

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X5Sport
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Cutting Out

Post by X5Sport » Fri Feb 06, 2026 6:21 pm

IGN switch/wiring. Dodgy wiring around the injectors? As in a loose connector/cruddy pin? Loose earth? The only way to stop a diesel is cut the fuel/supply, so something causing that to drop on the electrical side.

I hate modern cars as the computer just shrugs it’s shoulders and takes the ‘nothing to do with me’ line :x

Good news about the MOT. :driving:
:ant: Never anthropomorphise computers. They hate that.

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Cutting Out

Post by Leslie » Fri Feb 06, 2026 8:11 pm

Do a smooth running test on the injectors , mine showed injector 5 but injector 6 was also faulty but didn't show up as a code . It cutout as I was driving along too. :driving:

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henrym3
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Cutting Out

Post by henrym3 » Sun Feb 08, 2026 5:39 pm

Thanks for both reply’s. I’ll look into the both as it is very disconcerting when you haven’t got any power steering or decent brakes. I think as an added precaution I’ll bung on a new engine to chassis earth lead.

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marti
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Post by marti » Sat Feb 14, 2026 8:42 am

Have you checked for water ingress on injectors 5 & 6, this happened to me and it was the plastic scuttle panel which had a crack in allowing water to drop on the wire to 5 & 6.

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Cutting Out

Post by Greydog » Sat Feb 14, 2026 12:50 pm

If I recall Henry is driving a V8 4.6is, injector failure 5 and 6 tends to be common on the 3.0 Diesels, though why BMW programming cuts the engine instead of causing a misfire is a mystery.
I would be more inclined to look towards the ECU pins for corrosion or poor contact

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Post by Leslie » Sat Feb 14, 2026 4:46 pm

if its a petrol id be more inclined to think crank sensor for random cutout but it could be a lot of things :D

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henrym3
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Post by henrym3 » Sat Feb 14, 2026 8:05 pm

Just an update smooth running is really good all cylinders. ECU pins are as new. Can’t see any issues with injector wiring. Removed the earth lead which is in good nick but cleaned all contact surfaces anyway. As for the crank sensor it’s not very old (2 years) and is genuine BMW, when it went south it showed on diagnostics. I was changing the ignition switch today when friends turned up so had to abandon till tomorrow.

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