Soviet Taught
A brief guide. 2003 BMW 540i. Reference your fuse locations if you have another model. Perform at your own risk. I am only writing this for my specific year and model.
TLDR:
- Open your glove box. Fig 1
- Look at the top of the glove box, and you will see these two white flat knobs you can turn. Turn both, while holding your hand between both. The fuse box will drop down after the second is released. Lower it carefully. Fig 2
- Take a picture of the fuse box for future reference
- Take out the fuse reference sheet from the bottom of the fuse box. It is marked with the white arrow in the fig 3 reference photo below. Look for Fuel Pump. For my car, fuel pump lists fuses 22, and 31 shown in figure 4. I will pull these two using the red fuse puller tool found in the middle of the fuse box, above the fuses, shown by a red arrow in the fig 3 reference photo below.
- Pull fuse 22 and 31. Recognize that the two fuses are probably two different colors. You will need to put them back in their proper places afterwards. Fig 5
- Put the fuses in a place they won't get lost. fig 6 is where I put mine. Though, this area was empty in my car. Don't do this if you have things in there. Find another place.
- Crank the car for 10 seconds.
- Turn the key to the off position.
- Wait 5-7 seconds.
- Crank the car for 10 seconds.
- Watch for the oil pressure light to go off. It's the one one the left of the dash with a droplet. Click the link to view the image. My car's oil light went off at the very end of the 2nd 10s crank. The light will fully dissapear once the oil pressure has been built.
- Reference your picture and replace fuse 22 and 31 to their proper location
- Turn the key
- Enjoy.
REFERENCE PHOTOS:
Text is above the photo. The photo is always below the text. Had to clarify. #besian is hard AF to follow
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Figure 1 refers to the picture of the glove box below
IMG_7010.jpg
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Figure 2
IMG_7011.jpg
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Figure 3
IMG_7013.jpg
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Figure 4, figure 5
IMG_7016 copy.jpg
You can see how fuse 22 and 31 are listed under the fuel pump
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Figure 6
Attachment 679537
Disclaimer:
I am not a professional mechanic... Nor a mechanic. Please wait until this guide is given the "All Clear" by other commenters before following it yourself. While I do my best to make sure I did not miss anything, I could have. If you are an experienced mechanic, please read through this and give it an "All Clear" by commenting below. Thank you
Q/A:
"Will my car start even if I have both fuses out due to fuel in the lines?"
- I can only talk from my own personal experience. My car was not turned on for 6 months. I followed the procedure, and the car sputtered a little, but ended up not starting. After the first second of cranking, there was no chance for the engine to fire up. I was able to crank it (dun dun dun!)
"I heard I should pull relay K96 to prime the fuel pump. What's the deal with pulling these two fuses instead?"
- I'm guessing each of these fuses are for cylinders 1-4, and 5-8 respectively. I'm not sure why people recommend pulling relay K96 instead of simply pulling these two fuses. They are much simpler to access than the relay, because to access the relay, you have to take out the glove box. From personal experience though, specifically for when you want to prime the oil pump when your car has already been turned off, pulling fuse 22 and 31 work.
"I have a start up rattle that sounds like this. It goes away pretty quickly. It sounds like it goes away when oil pressure builds. Will priming my oil pump in this way stop this sound from starting when I start the car?"
- Yep! My running hypothesis, for my specific car, is that this noise is caused by the VANOS. Specifically, caused by the VANOS seals failing, and letting oil out when the car is off. Hence, when the car starts, the VANOS does not have adequate oil pressure to work properly, hence rattles a bit until it builds enough oil pressure. I will update this post after replacing my seals on if it solves this start up rattle sound.
UPDATE: I created a makeshift mechanic's stethoscope and put it right above where the VANOS sits. I got my sister to turn on the car, and lo and behold, RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE. I had a mechanic check my car before a big road trip, and he also mentioned it's VANOS. So - If your car sounds like my car does in the video above - Consider it to be VANOS. Will update about seals after.
"Ok, I did what you wrote. My car wasn't turned on for a while, and after I turned it on by following this procedure, I have a loud ticking sound that sounds like this, and this. What's that noise?
- The general consensus, including my personal findings, is that this noise goes away after you drive the car for a bit, and the lifters fill with oil. Reference thread here
Last edited by E0339; 10-14-2020 at 12:53 AM. Reason: Start up rattle noise has been identified
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point of this?
Almost There
Moderator
Pre-TU fuel pump fuse is in the trunk.
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Jbird
The easiest way to prime is either remove the spark plugs or don’t install the coil pacs on the plugs crank the engine until the oil light goes out
Member
Yeah removing the spark plugs is very important. No plugs means no cylinder pressure which results in less load on the bearings and faster cranking to build pressure sooner.
To get oil flowing to all components before startup after performing major service. Standard practice really.Originally Posted by TiesTorN
Member
remove the spark plugs AND disable fuel. Removing the plugs makes the starter's job easy, you can crank it a long time without compression load.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
☀ ☁ ☂ ☃ ☏ ☠ ☢ ☣ ♕ ♫ ✂
Yeah pulling the fuelpump fuse or relay prevents fuel from washing away the oil on the cylinder walls.
Member+
well I don't see how this is important... there may only be a 2-3 second light wear if you start the car without doing this. who cares? is it really that important?
Member
You have clearly built an engine.well I don't see how this is important... there may only be a 2-3 second light wear if you start the car without doing this. who cares? is it really that important?
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
Almost There
Moderator
Always best to not pump in fuel when priming the oil.
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Dismembered
LMAO.... Was thinking the same thing today at work when I glanced at this thread....
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Member
Tell that to all the N55s that seized after not having the oil system properly primed after an OFHG job. Surely they'll take your opinion into account next time.well I don't see how this is important... there may only be a 2-3 second light wear if you start the car without doing this. who cares? is it really that important?
Last edited by MotorMouth93; 10-13-2020 at 07:29 PM.
Member
yeah, shop foreman at Rod Knox Motors.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
Dismembered
The shop owners name was Wa Da Fak, assistant managers Sumting Wong, and Cletus’ helper is Itritootellhim Buttnolisten....
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Member
well theres two fuses in the glovebox for the fuel pump and the fuel pump relay in above the battery
Artifically Aspirated
Moderator
Not on all E39’s.
My ‘00 540tu has a fuse and relay in the trunk and another fuse above the glove box.
Last edited by JimLev; 10-13-2020 at 11:01 PM.
Almost There
Moderator
Yeah, my fuse is in the trunk. Check it.
98 540i 6, 525 whp, 120 mph 1/4, V3 Si S/C'er @16 psi, W/A I/C, Water/Meth, Supersprint Headers, HJS Cats, 3" Custom Exhaust, UUC Twin Disc, Wavetrac LSD, GC Coil Overs, Monoball TA, AEM FP, Aeromotive FPR, AEM Failsafe AFR/Boost, Style 65's w/275's, M5 Steering Box, Eibach Sways, M3 Shifter, Evans Coolant, 85 Deg Stat, PWM Fan, 10" Subs, B.A. speakers, Grom Aux/BT, Still Rolling as my DD!
Member+
lol.. I haven't, but I was there when my engine was rebuilt 2.5 years ago. I've seen the first crank after rebuilt. the guys there lubed the cylinders and other essential parts while rebuilding, so there was no need for priming oil pump. and OP didn't state that this procedure was for the rebuilt engines anyway. just explained how to prime the oil pump.
Member
Outstanding credentials.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
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"I'm a virgin but I watch lots of videos on the internet so I am an expert lover."
Member
Even more so when the engine has hydraulic cam chain tensioners. Case in point - I did an engine swap, replacing a blown engine in an Audi A4(?) with a known good used unit. We did lots of work on the new engine, replacing all those leaky oil gaskets under the intake, etc. Plus the engine had been sitting for who knows how long. On the date appointed, I wanted to prime the engine, but my friend hopped in the car and fired it up. Major noise ensued until the adjusters pumped up. Annnddddd... one of the exhaust cams jumped a tooth. He was so da*n lucky that he didn't bend valves. All could have been avoided with a simple prime. I just miss the old days when you could put a tool down the distributor hole and prime the engine with a drill.
Current stable:
2002 525i (Daily Driver)
1994 SN95 Mustang 'Vert (The Bumblebee)
2001 325i Convertible (Beach cruiser project)
Dismembered
Or how about a time when most friends had basic common semse.....
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Member+
nice example, though it's not the same thing.
building an engine is a straight job, you just need to know the parts and how they assemble. even if you're only observing when someone else is rebuilding, you know exactly what's going on.
I'm not saying I'm a 100% expert on it but I'm at least capable of commenting on it.
Member
building an engine is a straight job, you just need to know the parts and how they assemble. even if you're only observing when someone else is rebuilding, you know exactly what's going on.
I'm not saying I'm a 100% expert on it but I'm at least capable of commenting on it.
We've been poking a bit of fun at you my Turkish friend. There is a LOT more to it than just screwing all the bits together, don't fool yourself.
Last edited by ross1; 10-15-2020 at 05:56 PM.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
Member
other than that pull the oil switch ,install a pump into the system & manually pump/prime the system.....
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