It has just come to my noticed that are dealership has shut down due to the Coronavirus,,are dealership was hoping to stay open with a skeleton crew of technicians to help out are customer,,,,but with the pressure of the government and for the well being of his employees,,,,we have shut the doors,,,I will still try and answer some questions for you,,,I just don’t have access to BMW information or wiring diagrams at this time,,,I hope everyone is safe and healthy.
-
Recent Comments
vic san on N20 vanos unit broken Mark on N55 intake camshaft beari… JC on F30 A/C noise Jordan on New B engine mechanical water… jmiddle204 on X3 4×4 transfer case
bmwtechnician 
Hello BMW Technician, first i would like to thank you in making this blog, it has been helpful and always a good read regarding repairs, issues and fixes on BMW’s, very much appreciated.
I’m having issue with an F10 N20, with fault code 118002 (Air fuel mixture rich condition), rough idle on warm starts, slight hesitation at low rpm when accelerating, and sometimes rough shifting at low rpm. Other than that the car drives nicely at wide open throttle and no hesitation in mid to high rpm acceleration.
In diagnosing this issue the following have been replaced:
– New BOSCH MAF sensor. Old sensor had reading values was 22kg/h-24kg/h at 860rpm, which is considered out of range.
– PCV Valve
– Bosch Spark Plugs & Delphi coils
– Vacuum Pump (changed it after reading your post, and yes oil was dripping from the vacuum hoses).
Car currently has 53,000 miles and have been well maintained. Hoping you can provide further steps in rectifying this issue.
Many thanks,
KR
LikeLike
No problem,,,what you can do when you have that rough idle on warm start up you can remove the spark plugs and see if they are fuel soaked,,,if they are which ones are fuel soaked and that fuel injector could be your issue.
LikeLike
Checked the plugs, no abnormalities, they all look fine. They were changed approximately 1-2 months ago.
LikeLike
They probably look ok,,,,was there any fuel on them,,,,did they look wet or smell like fuel?
LikeLike
Hi, Question is this normal reading for Battery voltage 13.29 V for 2014 428i xdrive n26.
LikeLike
Do you know what the amp out was,,,,You have a smart alternator in your car,,,the voltage and amperage will change according to how much voltage and amperage the vehicle needs,,,so when the lights are on and the a/c is on it will need more voltage and amperage,,,also if your battery is old it needs more amperage the volts so your voltage might be low like it is right now,,,,the best thing to do is have the battery and alternator both tested
LikeLike
I took a picture of the plugs, but i don’t think i can post here. I previously had issues with plugs on cylinder #2, that was fouled. Changed it out about a week ago when i changed the PCV (The one on the valve cover.
All plugs seem ok now, nothing stands out in terms of how it looks.
The center electrode are white with a very light hint of brown. They didn’t look wet at all. Cleaned them up with brush and reinstalled. Coil number 3 & 4 smelled like gasoline. Coil 1 & 2 just a slight smell of gasoline.
Maybe a slightly clogged injector?
LikeLike
These injectors never clog,,,,they will alway dump to much fuel and not shut off causing a fuel soaked spark plug and rich mixture
LikeLike
Noted. Will check the plugs again to see if there is an injector leak. Thanks again..
LikeLike
I cleared check engine code its gone but when i check the O2 with ista bank 1 o2 heats up right away and goes in green zone but the bank 2 never heats up so it stays red. They changed the o2 and also wiring harness under warranty and still nothing helped it heat up and go into green zone. If you have a way i can post the picture to show you what i mean please let me know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. I’ve got an issue I’m struggling with any would certainly appreciate any suggestions. I have a 2012 X5 E70 N55 that’s having a fuel dilution problem. The engine was replaced 30K miles ago by BMW due to a knock (rod bearing?). Oil testing I did at that time wasn’t showing any fuel dilution problems.
Last winter I found high fuel content in the oil. At the time I thought this might be due to a lot of short trips. But recently I’ve only used the vehicle mainly for long trips and am consistently finding about 2% fuel dilution in 2000 miles, typically over about 3 months.
I read this may be related to leaking fuel injectors, but that this was more of an N54 issue than an N55. I pulled the plugs and none were showing any sign of fuel. Is there any better way to test for leaks, or should I just go ahead a replace the injectors to rule this out?
What other ways the fuel can be getting into the oil? I understand the Bosch HPFP that mounts on the block can leak fuel, but this engine has the HPFP that mounts on the back of the vacuum pump. I understand it’s possibly due to a bad ring sealing, but is this likely? Any other thoughts? Thank you!
LikeLike
Ok this is going to be a process of elimination,,,you can start with the injectors and retest,,,,then the next thing would be the HPFP to be replaced,,,,question for you has any of these been replaced yet.,,,they might have replace the injectors when they replaced the engine,,,,if that the case maybe start with the HPFP first,,,,is is going to be a process,,,,we are dealing with a N20 right now at work which is doing the same thing and we don’t know what causing it.
LikeLike
Thanks for the advice. I’m ready to replace the injectors, but am having trouble figuring out which injectors to use. I’ve pulled the part number off the current injectors, but there’s a service bulletin that says to use a different part.
The work description on the invoice from the engine replacement says that the injectors/HPFP/fuel rail with lines were all transferred to the new engine. I can see what looks like a 0411 date code on the injectors, and the car’s an 05/11 build, so it seems reasonable that the current injectors are the original.
Service bulletin SI B13 03 15 says that there are ETK Part Number errors with the injectors, so the proper injectors need to be determined by other methods. The March 2017 version of the bulletin says to read the number off the injectors, or if injectors have been changed and the wrong ones used, open up a PuMA case to get the proper part number. Then an April 2017 version of the bulletin says to use ISTA to determine if the injectors are EU5 or EU6 versions, and if they’re EU5, choose the injector part number based on the HPFP model (Continental or Bosch). I can’t run the ISTA test, but the current injectors are a EU5 part number. However the current injector part number is the one for use with the Bosch fuel pump, but the engine has a Continental HPFP.
So do I stick with the current injector part number, or move to the one the bulletin recommends for use with the Continental pump? Normally I’d just stick with what’s in there, but could the fuel dilution issue be relate to the wrong injectors being used?
Any thoughts on which way to go or how to get an answer from BMW on the right part to use? Thanks!
LikeLike
Ok,,,what I would due is stay with the EU 5 injectors because like you said stay with what you remove from the car.
LikeLike
Hi Andreas,
So I’m still fighting this fuel dilution issue and it seems to be getting worse. I’m now seeing 3% fuel in the oil in 1000 miles.
I’ve replaced first the injectors and now the HPFP. Any thoughts on what to do from here?
Thanks!
LikeLike
Hi Andreas,
Coming back here to ask for your advice as my N20 F10 went into limp mode (drivetrain malfunction), scanned it with a generic scanner and 3 fault codes came up:
118002 : Mixture control fuel-air mixture too rich (still troubleshooting this code as per my last message to you..)
Causing Drivetrain Malfunction:
130308 : Vanos Exhaust Control Fault, position not reached
120408 : Charging Pressure control switch off as consequence
Should i go ahead and replace the Vanos Solenoid or is it the Vanos Solenoid Valve that needs replacing. Is this anything related to timing chain failure? I believe changing the Vanos solenoid will require special tool and a trained mechanic correct?
Many thanks again…
KR
LikeLike
Ok,,,,you have 2 issues the running rich issue,,,,and the timing issue,,,,the charge pressure issue could be due to the Vanos fault,,,the vanos faults could be vanos solenoid or the valve hard to say without performing other test,,,it also could be a timing chain issue where it has stretched and it can’t reach limit,,,,so I would have the timing chain issue check and they can also run test on the vanos units.
LikeLike
Noted. We were able to clear the codes, but definitely will get everything checked out.
Thanks,
KR
LikeLike
The car has been in the shop for 2 days and sure enough the timing chain rails have snapped in a few places. Funny how there was no whining noise or excessive rattling from the chain? The only symptoms was intermittent hesitation upon acceleration and the vanos exhaust fault.
The chains have definitely stretched though not so much.
LikeLike
Yea the timing chain issue is a funny thing,,,sometime you get the whine noise,,,or vanos or oil pressure issues you never know what you get.
LikeLike
Hey bud I currently have a 2016 550i bmw I threw a jb4 on it it came up with these codes 1b5302 terminal15N_2 electrical short to ground p2092 A camshaft position actuator control circuit low bank 2 and p2094 B camshaft position actuator control circuit low bank 2 I took off the jb4 it threw a drive train malfunction car sounds fine though statists right up nothing seems to be wrong car sounds good runs good it’s just the 1b5032 code keeps popping up putting the car in limp mode should I replace the camshaft sensors cause they seem to be the culprit here what you think
LikeLike
You could give it a try and replace the camshaft sensor,,,but I think something else is going on because it a low circuit fault,,,which is telling me a voltage issue or damaged wiring or bad connection.
LikeLike
You don’t think what can be causing this before I take it to the dealership I m thinking it could also just be a fuse sense I didn’t bother to unplug the battery before I installed the jb4 seems I was to excited
LikeLike
You could check the fuses,,,but I don’t think there is a fuse for the camshaft sensors,,,the sensor sends a signal to the DME
LikeLike
Which fuses should I check those ones in the glove box I’m puzzled a fuse woul put the car in limp mode?
LikeLike
Like is said I don’t know if there are any fuses for the camshaft sensor,,,,because they are sensors and they send a signal to the DME.
LikeLike
Hi, I e got a f30 n26 that is setting a mixture too rich and large deviation. 150k and just replaced timing chains. I’ve been doing a lot of those lately and stumped by a rich faults Bmw typically go lean faults ha. No air leaks no other faults replaced both solenoids valves during chains and no exhaust leaks. Sets on cold starts and runs rough when occurring. Oxygen sensors crank case vent valve or injectors at the top of my hit list. One odd thing I noticed is a lot of oil in the vacuum lines runs out of the reservoir in the decorative cover. Could a fuel tank vent valve or a MAF also be a culprit? Just thought maybe there would be other collateral faults stored too. Any advice would be great! Thanks
LikeLike
The rich mixture could be a couple of things,,,the high pressure fuel pump could be going bad,,,fuel injectors,,MAF sensor but they don’t go bad that often,,,you need to check and see if spark plugs are fuel soaked could help out and see if you have a bad injector spraying to much fuel,,,,,on the oil coming out of the vacuum reservoir your problem is the vacuum pump at the rear of the valve cover is going bad pumping oil into the vacuum reservoir.
LikeLike
Thank you for you contributions and help. What are your thoughts on the B46/B48 engines? Are they likely to have the valve cover and OFHG leaks like the old bmw engines? Im looking at getting an X3 2018 with 100k miles. What about the timing chain issue- is that still present like from the N20?
LikeLike
No timing chain issues,,,and no oil filter leaks,,,some valve cover leaks
LikeLike
Hello,
If possible, could you please provide the torque specifications for the tie rod replacement on an F30 328i? 1) Tie rod torque 2) Clamping bolt torque 3) Combination bolt torque
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=3A53-USA-01-2013-F30-BMW-328i&diagId=32_2075
Thank you in advance,
Alex
LikeLike
Hello 2013 x5 E70 35i 3.0 liter twin turbo I recently did an oil change with bmw 5/30 full synthetic oil that is recommended. I normally use MANN HU 816x oil filters. This time I chose to use a K&N PS7014. I received a check engine light the next morning with a code of 2D54 vairiable camshaft timing control(vanos) exhaust cold start not controllable. I brought it to my bmw certified mechanic in Mn Eurotech. They are amazing in every way. I was told that the filter was the cause of this. (Replaced K&N with factory oem filter) I have not had an issue since codes were cleared. Side not I had no issues prior to this oil change either. Do you have any experience with this type of situation? I have read on this forum and others that these banks solenoids do go bad. My mechanic said he has never replaced one on this engine. Any advice and expertise would be great. Thank you in advance.
LikeLike
Yes I have seen cheap oil filters cause that problem,,,and yes I have seen solenoids go bad but not that offen.
LikeLike
I don’t know off hand what the torque spec are.
LikeLike
We just make sure it is good and tight,,,if it is the tie rod end at the steering knuckle we use a impact gun to tighten that nut #7
LikeLike
Thank you for your reply. I had a few more questions.
1) While loosening and tightening the inner tie rod to the steering assembly, I read that the steering should not be at full lock. At what position should the steering be kept?
2) While tightening the inner tie rod, is that also done using an impact gun, or is it set to a particular torque spec, if so is it set using a crows feet wrench?
3) Can I get away with putting some masking tape and measuring the length of the old tie rod and estimate the length of the new one so that I don’t need a toe alignment?
4) I know you don’t have the torque specs off hand, but I found this on FCP Euro:
https://blog.fcpeuro.com/how-to-replace-control-arms-end-links-tie-rods-ball-joints-bmw-e90-x1-325i-328i-330i-335i
BMW tie rod = 110Nm or 81.1 lb-ft of torque
BMW tie rod end pinch bolt = 40Nm or 29.5 lb-ft of torque
BMW tie rod end ball joint nut = 80Nm or 59 lb-ft of torque
Do these seem about right (they are for an E90, not an F30), I just don’t want anything to come apart?
Thank you in advance!
Alex
LikeLike
1) the steering gear should be at straight away position while tightening and loosening the inner tie rod
2) you use a crow foot or a wrench will also work,,,just get it good and tight
3) yes you can use masking tape,,,or count the thread on the tie rod that are showing to get it close,,,but you still have to alignment
4) yes those torque spec sound about right,,,,,you might have to calibrate the steering angle after all these repairs
LikeLike
How do I do zgm coding according to vin code?
LikeLike
You need BMW programming software diagnostic equipment
LikeLike
Which is the best option?
LikeLike
Best option would be have the dealer or a good independent BMW shop do the work
LikeLike
Hi Andreas, I read on another forum that the F-series doors can be opened with double pull from inside even when the car alarm is on. I checked my doors, and for some reason the passenger door does not do that(the door latch just bounces back down after the first pull). I thought either all 4 doors are “deadlocked” with alarm, or all are double-pulled with alarm, so is my passenger door lock/pin malfunctioning? That lock was replaced by dealer when it unlocked slowly, does it mean a 2nd lock is now needed?
LikeLike
No your passengers door lock is not malfunctioning,,,I believe that’s the way it operates,,,only the drivers door will unlock in double pull.
LikeLike
Thanks for confirmation! Interestingly, with alarm on, rear doors can also double pull to open(same as driver door). So it looks like BMWAG decides only front passenger should not get out. 🙂
Or maybe this is a security feature to prevent someone to break passenger window and double pull to quickly open passenger door and ransack the glovebox.
LikeLike
Interesting; sometimes (maybe 1 out of 50) my driver latch won’t unlock the door at all. I have to unlock via center switch to get out. Should this be a covered safety issue? If crash to right rear and battery is damaged/disconnected and latch fails to unlock, then what? Can only break to break out the glass.
LikeLike
No this is not covered under a safety issue.
LikeLike
Hello, Andreas! I have a 2018 BMW 328d. In the past, had issues with EGR and rough idle, but a tune solved that issue. Even having had a tune for 12K miles, I continue to baby the car and hardly drive it hard. To prolong life of engine, I installed Mishimoto catch can. That has been on for maybe 9K miles. No problems. Changed oil 3K miles ago, zero oil consumption.
Yesterday, noticed the car was smoking unusually. We just had our first snow. Plugged OBD and noticed EGT 600-700C, above normal even for regen. Verified regen was NOT happening. Drove up to the house. Oil level at minimum. No oil messages or check engine light/malfunction messages. Did get code stored however for lambda and air mass quantity implausible to fuel injection. Also got a code for EGT temp calculated vs measured different. Parked the car for now. So we know the car ate 1 liter of oil, the question is why? The car has 53K miles, just 3K miles out of warranty. Took charge pipe off that come from turbo to intercooler, got about 30 mL of oil. So turbo seals leaking! At 50K miles? I will check for shaft play, but last time I checked there was none whatsoever. If for some reason my catch can is creating some PCV restriction – could it potentially cause backpressure in oil return line to cause an otherwise good turbo to leak? Since these turbos have metal pistons, they are prone to leaks I think with restricted PCV. Have you seen anything like this happening on low mileage cars and what was the most common culprit? Thank you so much in advance!
Eugene
LikeLike
I’m sorry I’m not familiar with the mishimoto catch can,,,,so what I would do top off the oil and remove the catch can and drive the car again and see what happens
LikeLike
Thank you, Andreas! That is what I did last night. It was definitively confirmed that the catch can is the one that stopped up and had very limited flow when I tried to blow into it. The sad part is that I cleaned it regularly, but I guess it is a poor design overall. Now I realize that rise in crankcase pressure is what caused the oil to back up into the turbocharger and made it leak through seals. I removed the catch can and reinstalled original PCV hose into the intake. I cleaned the charge pipes downstream of turbocharger. I actually had to refill 1.5 liters of oil – I am still not sure why the car did not notify me of low oil, I guess it was still barely within limits.
Checked EGTs during drive today, they are back to normal. Car no longer smokes, but I can still faintly smell the oil – probably still burning off the 1.5 liters it leaked. It may have leaked all that into intake and exhaust, I was able to clean some out from intercooler also. Time will tell whether I damaged anything else, I imagine this catch-can clog likely happened over the last couple of weeks as weather got colder and clog has increased in severity that finally resulted in turbo seal leak. Andreas, my understanding is that these Honeywell/Garrett units basically have metal pistons and no true “seals” per-se. They sling the oil away from the turbo piston seals and also create positive pressures on both intake and exhaust sides that will reduce leakage. Which basically means that once PCV system is restored, the oil outflow will normalize, and the turbo should reseal itself? Am I correct in that thinking? There is no play in the turbo shaft and no scoring on the sides – looks like brand new. Andreas, what other things could I have damaged or weakened by the PCV blockage? I am sure the rocker cover seals may have weakened if I ran too high crankcase pressure for too long – no leaks yet that I can see though. But what else should I look for in the future due to causing this condition? Thank you so much for being available here for us DIY enthusiasts!
LikeLike
I think you will be ok,,,the turbos a pretty tuff,,,and yes just drive it and burn off the oil inside the exhaust system
LikeLike
my 320 has a mishimoto and i get several drops of oil every 2k miles under normal driving. worth the expense IDK cant hurt
LikeLike
i might add recently if have found the canister about 1/3 full of brown liquid (water) and i dont do very much of short trip driving at all.
LikeLike
N55.
What are the typical signs of a lazy thermostat? I’ve noticed that mine temp gauge is just shy of 12 O’clock in cold but not freezing weather. I seem to remember that it would remain at 12 O’clock during hwy driving.
Thoughts?
LikeLike
The idea of a lazy t-stat is old school because of the way they worked with a bi-metal spring that would expand when it got hot,,,now the new t-stat are DME controlled to open and close,,,,also the temp gauge is not completely accurate,,,it is just a reference for the driver,,,some of the new car don’t have a water temp they have a oil temp instead.,,,if your temp gauge is below or at 12 o’clock position you are ok.,,,,now that being said you could have the water pump be lazy and not pump enough coolant.
LikeLike
Hello Andreas,
I hope you are well. I’m back here again needing your advice regarding Vanos fault code, as the following;
130308 : VANOS, exhaust: control fault, position not reached
120408 : Charging pressure control (consequence of the vanos fault)
I changed the vanos solenoid actuator, thinking that this was the issue and Drivetrain Malfunction came back on within 10 miles of driving. Later did i read around the forums that it’s the Solenoid valve that needs to be changed? Or should a DME reprogram is needed as per Service Information Bulletin SI B12 15 13?
The car is an N20 2012 built. Timing chain and rails were changed around approximately 3,000 miles ago.
Many thanks and hope to hear from you soon..
LikeLike
Programming would be the easiest thing and it would be a good idea to update the modules
LikeLike
Just did the programming with negative results Andreas. I assume it/s the Vanos solenoid valve that needs to be replaced?
LikeLike
Ok,,,the next cheapest thing would be the vanos solenoids,,,this is a process of elimination,,,,I hate to say that it’s just because of the design of the vanos units and the electronic software of BMW.
LikeLike
Hi Andreas,
I hope all is going well with you and things get back to normal very soon this year. Thanks again for all the info and advice over the years.
I am wondering have you had experience with exhaust fumes (direct from tailpipe, not leak) smelling like ammonia? I read that it may be a cat going bad, or bad fuel, etc. It definitely smells exactly like ammonia and is very strong. The smell dissipates quickly. There is / has been no CEL, gas mileage is fine, everything looks OK and running fine. 2014 328i (N20) no mods. If it might be a cat I’m thinking I need to schedule an appointment at BMW quickly since I am almost at 77,000 miles and emissions warranty is until 8yr/80K miles. For now I can just think to use up the tank of gas and fill up with a different brand and see if it goes away.
LikeLike
Usually when the Cat goes bad it smells like rotten egg or a sulfur type of smell
LikeLike
So lets talk failing idler pulley or alternator. N55. 59k miles.
I’ve occasionally heard an intermittent speed dependent flapping/clicking* sound coming out from the area of the alternator. I’m guessing the bearings in the idler pulley are starting to go bad but it’s not so much as a guess but hope. The tensioner isn’t exhibiting excessive wobble and I’m not getting any sort of belt squeaking which is what I commonly associate with these components when they fail.. Thoughts?
*Playing card in a bicycle wheel kind of flapping sound.
LikeLike
Hello, Andreas,
Thank you again for all the advice you have given! We are family of diesels. My 2018 328d with N47 has given me a few issues over the years. But wife’s 2017 X5 35d with N57 engine has been trouble free. However, after our last freezing spell, the X5 threw low coolant warning. Sure enough, coolant was below the minimum line. I noticed blue dried coolant flicked by the drive belt – it was basically everywhere the belt would change direction and appears to have been flicked by the edge of belt and edge of pulleys closest to the engine itself. The car is still under warranty, so first thing I did was to take it to dealer, car at 42,000 miles. They are not the best dealer there is but the only one in town. All they did was to connect it to a pressure gauge and left overnight. They claim no pressure was lost and said no problem identified (despite coolant stains everywhere). I am thinking the leak happens somewhere behind the accessory belt shroud – below the EGR cooler (since everything above EDGR cooler is clean), but due to engine size, will need to take the fan assembly out to even get to the shroud. As I took the car back and they refilled coolant, a week later I noticed the coolant level is dropping again (about 1 cm per week). I am thinking maybe the loss is occurring somehow during engine operation only and not when car is off as they tested. Do you have any recommendations as to where to start? The good news is that it is leaking outward. I think the water pump on N57 is mechanical, thinking maybe that is the culprit. Any suggestions great appreciated!
Eugene
LikeLike
Yes it sound like it might be the water pump,,,,maybe the dealer can run the engine and get it good and hot then check for the coolant leak when it’s hot.
LikeLike
Hope things are better now! I stumbled on this blog today (4/22/21) googling NVLD issues and was hooked the moment I started reading. You’re doing some great work! Sent you a small donation as a token of appreciation!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello,
Not sure you will be able to answer this currently but… I have a 2015 335i. I believe the right side fuel level is dead. The one on the lpfp with the float etc. I have the pump assembly out and can test the level sensor etc… My question is what should be the ohm range for the float down (if tank was empty) and up (if tank was full)? I havent been able to find this info anywhere.
Appreciate it if you can help!
David
LikeLike
Your right I don’t know the ohm reading off the top of my head,,,BMW has them in the diagnostic test plan when we perform the test for the fuel level senders,,,,sorry
LikeLike
Question. I have a 2013 bmw 550i xdrive. Was doing an engine swab and a screw fell inside of the hole where oil feed line for turbos. Tried wire magnets. Any suggestions are helpful. Will it damage anything is I leave it or possibly fall down in oil pan?
LikeLike
I think that screw is stainless steel that’s why the magnet won’t pick it up,,,,you have to get it out if you can,,,it could case a restriction on oil,,,,are you sure it went down the oil feed hole?
LikeLike
Hi There! Hope you are keeping safe in these Pandemic Times. I have a 2019 320i F30 model made in South Africa. I had a small stone enter my grille and puncture my radiator. I have received an expensive quote from my BMW dealer to replace the whole radiator and part of the replacement includes installation of what they call ‘rock-guards’.
These are part number 17118485042. Now, a look at REAL OEM shows that this rock guard became available to fit on F30 in 2017…however, on my 2018 built F30, this rock guard is not fitted.
A quick look at other 2018 and above F30 vehicles showed that these rock guards were not fitted. I suppose the rock-guards were introduced for fitment only if a repair is required (correct me if I am wrong).
Further research on online discussion boards suggest that a SIB or something similar was issued for installation of these rock-guards on F30 or similar vehicles to protect their radiators from stone punctures.
My question is, does some communication such as a Technical Bulletin or similar authoritative communication exist to your knowledge or in any BMW records you may have access to? I ask because if such exists, I would want to try and have BMW assist me with paying for the repairs if they were officially aware of this potential design weakness and also had made some sort of move to prevent it but did not inform customers who had exposed vehicles.
Thanks again and keep safe.
LikeLike
Yes there is a SIB about this,,,but what the bulletin is saying is to update with the rock guards if you are replacing the radiator so this problem won’t happen again.
LikeLike
Hi! I hope you are fine 😉
I have a question for you. I have 535i F10 and recently noticed some wobbling on crank hub pulley. Of course I suspected faulty harmonic balancer but when I removed it and then started engine it turned out that my crankshaft hub I wobbling. I don’t know why it happened but ordered new hub and “Jesus” bolt and replaced them today (of course according to BMW specs). Guess what…
It’s still wobbling. And it’s wobbling like 5mm to 10mm (didn’t measured it but it’s shaking like crazy)
Have you ever seen this kind of problem?
LikeLike
Yes this is normal,,,they all wobble,,,I know it’s crazy a lot,,,but would worry about it
LikeLike
Incredible. So it turns out my crankshaft is bent? Only solution is to replace whole crankshaft? I’m wondering how long will last bearing shells driving with such vibrations on crank
LikeLike
I’ve got two problems I can’t solve and one new one, hoping you might be able to help:
2015 535i GT, all stock.
1) I went over the oil change interval, changed the oil and tried to reset the interval but the reset failed. Then I tried checking the oil level and the car says oil level measurement is inactive. I found that a rabbit had chewed the sensor wires, spliced them, same thing. Took to a dealership, they cleared codes and played with it and got it it say measurement is active, but it won’t read the level. It says “Car needs to be level and at operating temperature” but never gets past that, even when it’s up to temp. Then a couple hours later, it goes back to inactive. Changed the oil again recently, cleared the codes with a scanner, oil level measurement was active again but wouldn’t read the level, then went inactive again. I’m starting to think software issue.
2) I got a “voltage level low” code for the thermostat, changed the thermostat w/ a BMW manufacturer brand (not BMW, but listed as a supplier on Pelican Parts) and the pump, still have the same code. Everything looks to be good, just trying to verify before I pull it again. Any ideas?
3) Driving home today, car felt funny then I got the “Drive Moderately” thing. Got home, scanned it, random misfires and misfires on every cylinder plus a low fuel pressure code. Engine bay smells like gas and the fan was running super high. I’m seeing stuff all over the place in forums – HPFP, LPFP, pressure regulator, etc. Any ideas before I start swapping parts?
Thanks if you can help.
LikeLike
Sounds like the high pressure fuel pump might be going bad
LikeLike
Hi, Just wondering if your dealership opened and you are back to work? i enjoy your regular blogs and need some more light reading! Thanks
LikeLike
Yes my dealership is open and back to normal,,,sorry about not posting anything new,,,,but I’m sorry to say I will be shutting this down at some point,,,I don’t have the time to be posting and answering a lot of questions,,,, my life has taken a major turn during the start of Covid,,,my wife and I have opened a ETSY store that has taken off and is growing each year and has taken me away from blogging,,,,I hope I helped a lot of people with their car issues though the years.
LikeLike
Hey brother,
Whats the name of the store, would love to support your business.
Omar
LikeLike
Sorry I work at a dealership in California
LikeLike
I was referring to the name of the etsy store.
LikeLike
Musicalkeepsakes
LikeLike
Wondering if you’ve had any hands on with the B57’s in the 540d’s? Seem’s they dont come up for resale very often..
LikeLike
No I don’t,,, we don’t see those cars that often
LikeLike