BMW 3 Series Diesel Starting Woes: Troubleshooting Help

I had nearly identical issues with my 2013 BMW 5 Series diesel. After the symptoms you described happened to me, I took it to a garage where they diagnosed a faulty fuse box and corroded electrical connections near the starter. The mechanic also found that moisture had gotten into some crucial electrical components. The repair involved replacing the main fuse box and cleaning all the electrical connections. They also had to replace some wiring harnesses that had deteriorated. It was definitely a serious electrical issue that needed immediate attention, as it could have left me stranded anywhere. From my experience, while the ignition switch could be the culprit, it's worth having the entire electrical system checked, particularly the fuse box and starter connections. These symptoms typically point to electrical issues rather than mechanical ones in these BMWs. Don't wait too long to get it checked, electrical problems tend to get worse and can damage other components if left unaddressed.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! This definitely sounds similar to what I'm dealing with. Great to know about the electrical system being the root cause, I'll make sure to have that checked thoroughly. Do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for all the repairs? Also, just curious, have you had any related issues pop up since getting it fixed?

Hey there! Happy to give you an update about my repair costs and experience. After getting the ignition switch problem fixed, I haven't had a single starting issue, the car runs perfectly now! The total repair ended up being relatively reasonable at 52 € to replace the defective fuse, plus they cleaned up all those corroded connections I mentioned before. Honestly, I'm so relieved I got it sorted when I did. The mechanic explained that these electrical gremlins can snowball into bigger problems if left unchecked. My car starts right up every time now, no more of that frustrating rough running or stalling. One tip though, make sure whoever works on it really knows BMWs. These electrical systems can be tricky, and you want someone who knows what they're looking for. But once it's fixed properly, you should be good to go. I've put about 20,000 km on mine since the repair without any related issues popping up. Hope this helps with your decision-making! Let me know if you need any other info about my experience.

Thanks for all that detailed info! I actually bit the bullet and took it to a BMW specialist yesterday. You were spot on about the electrical issues, turns out I had similar problems with corroded connections and a damaged fuse box. The mechanic was super professional and fixed everything up in about a day. Cost me a bit more than yours at €350, but they did a thorough job replacing several worn components. Honestly, I'm just relieved it's sorted now. The car starts perfectly and runs smooth as butter, what a difference! Really glad I didn't keep putting it off. They showed me all the corroded parts they replaced, and yeah, it definitely could've gotten much worse. Should've done this weeks ago instead of stressing about it. Thanks again for pushing me in the right direction with your advice!