Here’s a little back ground about me,,,I’ve been a German car technician now for 31 years now.I had a family owned German car repair shop for 17 years,,We worked on Mercedes,Porsche and BMW .back in the 1980’s it was kind of normal to work on 3 type of cars,,,,all the German cars we very closely built the same,,,,they all had Bosch fuel injection and ignition systems,,,,but over the years that all started to change,,,,, I then removed myself from the family business and moved on to the R/V business.,,,where I was promised the world by a friend if I came to work for him,,,,Big mistake in my life,,,but learned a lot about the diesel R/V motor homes.,,,,During the R/V years I never stopped working on German cars for old customers or old friends cars.,,,,I was always playing around with German cars,,,,,and I personally drove a old 1984 528e 5 speed trans that I put over 300k miles on before the odometer stopped working,,,,,it still had the original engine and transmission and rear differential in the car,,,,the engine finally was burning to much oil to fix,,,,,I loved that car,,,,good gas mileage and a solid car on the road,,,,After 4yrs working and being shop foreman at the R/V shop.,,,,,I got a call from a friend at my local BMW dealership,,,,they wanted me to work for them,,,,,so I moved back to the BMW dealership,,,, .Where my heart belonged with German cars.,,,,,Where I became a BMW master technician.,,,,I’ve decided to show you the life and the different types of jobs we do and see everyday working on BMW .
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Recent Comments
Learner on N20 rod bearing bmwtechnician on N20 rod bearing bmwtechnician on N20 timing chain issue Learner on N20 rod bearing Luke N on N20 timing chain issue
2011 328i N51 – Whistling Noise, oil cap difficult to remove but also fault code 2A7C – Front of engine noisy. Replaced Valve Cover. I inspected Vanos Bolts when valve cover was removed and appeared to be OK. No more whistling noise. Runs much better however Fault 2A7C still present. Removed, cleaned, swapped Vanos Solenoids, Vanos Filters, oil filter and oil changed. Fault 2A7C still present. Any suggestions? Love this site and thanks in advance
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That code 2a7c what else did the fault say
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Hi technichian.i have a bmw x6 and i need to change acouple of coolant lines.i was wuoted $1100.
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Which coolant lines,,,,coolant hoses from the radiator,,,,or coolant hoses for the turbo
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From coolant turbo.i can see the leak from the hose.
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$1000 is about right for all 4 factory hoses with the steel lines and labor
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Ok i thought it was a easy fix,beacause it only looks like its leaking from two spots .
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It looks easy,,,,but the new hose comes with new steel line also,,,,and the steel lines bolt on the turbos
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Why cant i just replace the hose.i just recently got a new alternator and battery so trying to save some $.can i put bmw coolant in that small coolant reseviour for the turbo.or is that a diffrent bmw coolant.im also getting a light smoke from under hood.is tgat from coolant leak burn off.sorry to be a pain.
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I guess you could just replace the hose,,,,I have seen it done before,,,,Yes the small coolant tank is for the turbos,,,,,,and I don’t know where their smoke is coming from.
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HI are you local to nj,your knowledge is amazing. I was wondering what preventative emission advice you can give me for my 2009 328ixdrive sulev 120,000. I am having a issue with acceleration and gas seems to be burning fast. Just got blower recall done-fuel pump replaced car just shut down,then they said alternator was faulty.got that fixed, 6 months ago got power steering pump done-still having hard time turning wheel,
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Sorry I’m not from NJ ,,,,I’m from the west coast area,,,,ok I’m alittle confused you have some other post that your fuel pump might be going bad now you said it was replaced I’m confused,,,,,ok your power steering being stiff that can be a lot of different things without seeing the car that would be tuff. Could be a suspension issue, steering rack issue maybe, bad power steering hose maybe.
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hello i am working on a 2011 bmw x3 28i i get codes 100001.100101,100a04,140501.140601 i cannout find any info on this
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I’m sorry I don’t know those faults,,,,I need BMW codes to help you out.
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To remove the front crank seal without a tool you said you put two screws through the seal and pull using pliers? Are we talking wood screws and what do you use to get the seal back in. Is that all you need to do besides remove belt and pulley?
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Yes some wood screws not long one about 3/4 inch long and then use pliers to pull it out
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Would I also need a special tool for the installing of the seal or does a regular autozone tool suffice?
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Sorry I don’t know what the autozone tool looks like or if it will work,,,,I have put crank seal in with just a hammer and a small socket if your really careful ,,,,so I would think if the autozone tool is made to put seals in then it should work.
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I tried the screw method but the front crank seal wouldn’t come out, was anything left out?
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You put the screw into the seal,,,then you grab the screw with some pliers and try and pull out the seal,,,the seal is in very tight,,,,it’s not easy to pull out
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Not trying to be a bother but I put the screws between the seal and the crank and three people pulled and it wouldn’t come out. Not even budge, is there any other way?
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You said you put the screw between the seal and rank,,,,you need to put the screw into the seal,,,,,put a small hole though the seal and put a screw in the hole and then pull,,,,you could buy a seal puller tool
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So it’s been a couple hours and I got the seal out, I got the seal 80% in but I can’t hit it in anymore wih a hammer and oil filter the same size as the seal. Any ideas on the install?
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I have used a small deep socket,,,,maybe a 10mm not sure on the size,,,and then just go around the seal just tapping it in trying not to damage or dent the seal
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Great Blog ! Vielen Dank!
MfG
lukafoto
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Danke
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Hi,
I have a female friend with a 2102 Z4 (N20 engine) who is at the mercy of her local BMW dealer. Here is what they are quoting to replace the turbo waste gate. Does this seem reasonable?
REPLACE TURBO WASTE GATE ON TURBO AND CLEAR
ADAPTATIONS. COMPLETE DRIVE CYCLE (TURBO
WASTEGATE FAILURE)
Fail $3,953.91
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That’s seems to high,,,,the N20 came with either a electric wastegate or vacuum wastegate,,,,I don’t know the prices of the parts,,,,but I can tell you the labor for the electric wastegate is 3 hours and the vacuum wastegate is 2 hours,,,,are you sure they didn’t quote her to replace the whole turbo with the wastegate,,,,to replace the whole turbo with wastegate is 5 hours labor
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2012
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I think they quoted her to replace the whole turbo
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Yes, you are probably right. Thank you for your prompt reply!
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Hi Bmwtech, we are a shop in Ontario Canada and have a 535Gt (F07/N55 154800mls)with a puzzling shudder feel will driving in Grandma mode. Actually feels much like a misfire and more so in 3rd and 4th gears I believe. Zero fault codes. When driving in moderate or sport modes the trans works great. have you had any experience with this? Will a trans fluid and filter change remedy the issue? have you heard of a product (magic gu) call shudder fix in red tube?
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No I haven’t heard of the magic gu,,,,lol,,,,if you have a shudder in the trans I think it’s to late to change the trans fluid and filter,,,,the damage is already done inside the trans
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Pomdering what to do with my 2014 F30 328i xDrive (n20). Im at 145,000km (90,000m).. so far no timimg chain noise.. no smoke on startup.. but.. i know im due to do all the fluids. Diffs, tcase, tranny… trade aint worth much.. but the idea of the chance of the timing chain & turbo have me doubting my luck. Opinions? Dealer says fluids are “lifetime” but.. whats that even mean?
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That life time fluid I hate when the dealer says that,,,,life time is good until 100k miles.
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is it good to change the transmission oil on f01 i am very aggressive driver. Transmission was replaced at 30K now im at 85K?
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No you should be ok on trans fluid
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Hi Andreas,
Not sure if this is the right spot to ask a question regarding my 2012 Bmw X1 N20 (Canada).
At idle, when outside the vehicle, you can hear a…. hard to explain….kind of a ‘rotational thumping’ or ‘soft knocking’ noise that seems to be coming from underneath the car. The thumping happens maybe 2 times a second and isn’t perfectly consistent in intervals.
I had the BMW foreman listen to it and he wasn’t overly concerned but I feel it has gotten louder since seeing him and it’s just driving me nuts even if it’s not a serious problem.
Any ideas?
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I would have someone lift up the car and listen from under the car while it is idling and see exactly where the noise is coming from.
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Dear Andreas,
maybe you can give me a short estimate from your point of view:
My F13 /650ix with 77.000miles makes a squeaky clunking noise by low speed over bumps or bad roads from the front left side. It can be also repruduced when the cars is pushed down in the front. Then it can be heard in the engine bay in the area of the strut bearing when the car rebounds.
This nois can also be heard sometimes directly after i stoped the car on a trafic light. Then it makes two times “clunk clunk” from the left front side.
We have allready changed:
Wishbones
Trailingarms
Sway Bar Links
Track rods
My workshop suspects the EDC Damper. This is for the front very exepensive (2000 Euros) 😦
My question is, Do you know about such problems with the EDC Damper or do you have another Idea what can be checked to a avoid this high cost for only a suspicion.
Thank you very much!
BR
Simmerl
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It sound like you have replace everything on the left front of scepter the EDC damper,,,,,yes we have seen the EDC damper make some weird noises,,,,you said you can hear the noise coming from the left side of the engine compartment from the top of the EDC damper,,,,I sound like that is your problem,,,,I know it’s a very expensive repair,,,,good luck
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Thank you! It is very hard to detect the direction from the noise. It could also possible that it comes from the space between the strut and the engine. from deeper. Do you think that also the engine mount from the n63 can be a problem in my case?
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It could be the mount,,,,have someone rock the engine and see if it makes that noise,,,can you get some chassis ears so you can listen from where the noise is coming from,,,,chassis ears clip on to any parts of the car and you can listen to see where the noise is coming from.
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Did you unplug the Left front EDC damper and see if the noise goes away
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Dear Andreas, the noise was also to hear when we had rocked the engine instead of the chassis.
Unfortunately chassis ears are not available in Germany.
To unplug the damper is a very good idea! We will try this!! Thank you for your effort!
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Dear Andreas, after some weeks of searching and frustration I found today the possible cause. It looks like a broken engine mount, do you agree?
Again, thanks a lot!
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Thanks for the video,,,,it hard to tell from the video if the motor mount is bad,,,,you have to see if the motor mount is collapsed,,,,,see if the rubber part of the motor mount is cracked or damaged,,,,also see if the engine mount bracket is resting on top of the mount mount,,,,there should be a gap between the two.
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Hi there BMW tech,
Great blog mate!! Please help if you can!
I have a 2014 F11 LCI 530d
I have just replaced the front pads, the job was simple and fun but now after finishing the job, one side of the car is sitting 1.5cm higher than the other.
When I did the pads, I jacked up the front of the car using the subframe and then i placed jack stands at the jack points under the door sills….
Have i possibly bent the subframe or something? Any advice would help?
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This doesn’t make any sense,,,,I don’t think you bent the subframe,,,,are you sure you didn’t jack the car up on one of the front suspension arms?,,,,,also take a look at where you jacked up the car on the subframe,,,,look and see if you put a dent in the subframe,,,,,question for you did you loosen the front shocks by any chance.
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No dents on the subframe where I used the jack. I jacked up using the point of the subframe that pokes out underneath the car with the hole in it….. I did a fair bit of reading around and this was identified as the place to jack the front up from.
100% sure I didn’t jack up on any arms or suspension components.
I used a trolley jack under the middle of the front, then placed jack stands under the left and right jacking points.
When it came time to take out the jack stands, one side was able to come off after about two pumps of the jack, the other side took quite a few more, say 5-6…. that’s why I’m worried. Yes both jack stands we’re set at the same height. I was on level ground (as far as I can tell, it was on a concrete slab in my barn) and yeah, it was only after I took the car outside I thought “Jeez that’s weird”
After closer inspection one side (front and back) is sitting higher.
Any ideas?
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Sorry no ideas,,,,it sounds like you did everything correctly
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Oh and sorry, no I didn’t do anything on the car apart from change the front brake pads and sensor!
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You know you could check the front shocks,,,,make sure that both sides are all the way down inside the steering knuckle,,,,not that one side slipped out alittle causing the car to ride higher on one side.
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That could totally be it I hope. Maybe when I was pulling on the caliper to create room for the pad to clear the rotor this had happened and it’s popped out, 1.5cm or so would probably be the amount it would be out maybe….
I can’t do it myself now, I have to go away for two weeks. I’ll get the mrs to take it to the stealership 😂 and ask them to have a look.
Thanks a bunch for replying!
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HI Andreas,
I was wondering if you could take a look this video of my control arm bushings. Just in the last month a clunky sound has started, and gotten progressively worse fast. I’ve inspected the usual suspension components but I can’t jack the car up high enough to get a proper pry bar in there.
The control arm bushings are the only components I can see that might have unusual play in them.
Thanks in advance
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Thanks for the video,,,but it’s hard to tell if they are bad by prying on them,,,,even the new bushing will move around when prying on them,,,,,what you have to do is look at the bushing and see if any black staining is on the bottom of the bushing,,,,them you need to look at the side of the bushing where the rubber is,,,get a flashlight and shine it at the rubber part of the bushing and see if there are any cracks in the rubber,,,you can use your pry bar at the same time to get a better look,,,,if they are cracked or broken or fluid stains on the arm then they are bad.
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Dear Andreas,
I am driving a F13 650i xdrive and have to change the starter. Can you please tell me if the engine must be mandatory lifted up to get access from below?
Thank you very much!
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No you don’t have to lift the engine to replace the starter
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Thank you I am asking because BMW writes in IST* that the right engine support arm must be removed (after securing the engine in installation position) to get access to the starter. But I know that you technicans are normally better then the documentation. So I can access it from below with no need to remove the engine support arm? Thank you very much again!
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Hi Andreas, maybe you can confirm? Thank you for your time!
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Sorry it took so long,,,,yes the repair instructions say to remove the motor mount support arm,,,,it pays me 2.5hr labor
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Greetings from Australia. I have 2006 BMW X5 3.0D, 230,000Kms. Car went into limp mode, engine running evenly, no misfires at idle, but no power. I can hear the turbo spinning up, so probably OK. Lifted the engine cover and found 20mm hole burned through the intake manifold, just by the firewall. Car starts and idles OK! Have removed EGR which was clogged and have just purchased another intake manifold. No signals on the dashboard of error. BUT I would really like to know what has caused this. Any ideas would be most appreciated.
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I have never seen a hole in the intake manifold,,,,I would think a bad EGR could cause that,,,,also if you have bad fuel injector and too much fuel
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Hi again, can that be caused by a blocked catalytic converter please?
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I don’t know if that can cause the problem ,,,,I guess it can with to much back pressure will just back up into the head and intake manifold,,,that can cause a lot of different problems.
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Hoping you can point me in the right direction. 2011 E70 Diesel w/ adaptive suspension. About a month ago, I drained and refilled the Power Steering reservoir. About two weeks later, it got very cold here (I’m in Minnesota) and on cold start one morning, iDrive showed a steering warning for low hydraulic fluid. I popped the hood, and the top of the reservoir was covered in fluid. I assumed the gasket on the cap failed. Replaced the cap, problem persisted.
This has been going on for a while, to the tune of a bottle of CHF a week.
I first tried the old fashioned “jack it up and turn the wheel a bunch” method, assuming it was just air in the lines. Lock to lock for several minutes with engine off, until no more bubbling was present. Cycled engine a few seconds, and repeated several times. No cavitation and no leakage. Drove it for a few minutes, and CHF clearly leaking out the bleed on the cap.
Swung by the shop to see my Indy one morning. We learned two things: On startup, flow from the return into the reservoir is VERY aggressive. If you start the system uncapped, it will spray everywhere. If you start it, let it run for a bit, you can remove the cap, but it’s very turbulent in the reservoir. We looked at a 7 series with adaptive suspenion, and there is almost no fluid movement in the reservoir when running, even on a cold start.
I have tried vacuuming down the system repeatedly, even applying vacuum while running. It generally gets to the point where there are very few bubbles, but once I take it for a drive, the leak returns.
I ran the recalibration for the system in ISTA. It seemed to eliminate the aggressive return, and when I checked the reservoir, all looked good. Upon driving it, the problem persists, and the excessive flow back into the reservoir is back. I vacuumed down the system again, got the fluid level set, and then ran the calibration again. Same result.
Next thought is to change the reservoir: it could be the filter is clogged, so the system is starved for fluid, trying to compensate by boosting return flow, or that something which is to regulate the return flow in the reservoir has failed. The system is not storing any meaningful codes, just the code for low fluid. The proper procedure for start-up calibration is to run the vehicle w/ the harness disconnected from the valve block, turning the wheel lock to lock for several minutes, then running the recalibration. I have yet to disconnect the valve block harness. I’ll be doing that this go-round when I replace the reservoir.
Any other thoughts or things you think I should have my Indy take a look at?
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Ok is the CHF fluid flowing out the top of the reservoir cap almost like a volcano and is the CHF fluid foaming?,,,,if it is and what it sounds like your power steering pump is cavitation internally which will cause this problem.,,,,,the only other problem we have seen only one time was a power steering hose at the steering rack collapse inside causing a blockage but what happen usually the hose will split open causing a major leak from the bad hose,,,,so I don’t think that is your problem,,,,,I would think your problem is more like the power steering pump
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Re: the problem is the a/c compressor and expansion valve http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho…d.php?t=679219 Post #6…
Can you elaborate? I took my car in to the dealer with your limited description above and they were reluctant to replace parts without knowing exactly which parts to replace as the car refused to cooperate and make the noise when they had it. I didn’t see anything on your blog about this. I want to get this sorted before the warranty runs out…
THANKS!!!!!
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I would love to elaborate but I can not open the bimmerfest post,,,,please remind me what the problem is with your car again,,,thanks
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It’s a cyclic sound that happens about every 6 seconds. I uploaded a clip to youtube. It’s titled “BMW F10 engine noise” by Michael Hall.
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Does this work?
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=679219
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Ok thanks for the video,,,,ok what’s going on is the a/c pressure is changing and when the expansion valve opens or closes this noise sounds likes it’s coming from behind the dash area,,,,ok on the 3 series it was common problem and BMW had a fix which was to add another expansion valve which was electronic controlled,,,,BMW made a special bulletin about this problem,,,,,I don’t have the bulletin with me,,,,well that never fixed the problem,,,,the only way to fix it was to replace the a/c compressor and expansion valve,,,,I hope this helps
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THANK YOU!!!!! I’ll pass this on to my dealer so they can fix it under warranty.
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Just received these 2 codes at idle…. car went into limp mode, drive moderately
1. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL, plausibility;
Pressure too low
11A002
2.Rail Pressure Signal: Solid Lying
119404
I restarted the car and it drove like normal…I get a rough idle every now and than on cold starts… always thought that was just normal. Is the beginnging of fuel pump problems??
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Yes it could be a start of fuel pump issue,,,what type of car and engine are we talking about
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N55…2012 Bmw 535i
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Ok,,,,it’s a good chance your high pressure fuel pump is going bad,,,,have it checked out
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Hello, i have an issue with the N20 turbo oil line (you have a few blog entries about it). Im after the updated version with a valve. I just went to the BMW service and they dont find this updated version in the system, just the normal one without valve. I have this issue with my F30 328i where the more the car is parked, the more smoke i get when i turn the car on.
Is the updated turbo oil line an original BMW piece? Will i have anyissue if i install it on my F30 328i?
In case i dont find this piece, could i buy it from you? (if so, how can i contact you?)
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Yes the updated oil line is a BMW part,,,here’s the part number 11 42 8 678 840,,,,,here a bulletin 11 11 16 which cover N20 engine 10 years 120k miles
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Hey I have a F30 328 which threw some erro “Valvetronic motor adjustment too frequent” and i was told to replace the valvetronic motor. I went ahead and puchased the motor and had it changed. On my way home the error popped up again “Drivetrain Malfunction” with the same reading. The mechanic said he did the whole relearn process and everything. What should i do next because im very frustrated with the this stupid valvetronic issue everyone is having. Also, will driving with this error destroy the new valvetronic motor?
Thanks
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First did the mechanic put a BMW part in your car not a BMW replacement because I have seen those cause problems,,,,next you need someone to look at the intake camshaft bearings and make sure they are not scorn or damaged because that could be your problem,,,,,if that is ok you probably have to replace the eccentric shaft and bearings
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I bought a brand called VDO Continental which they said is the same brand in the Genuine package. He told me he would try again to retrain the motor and see what happens but I will ask him to recheck the the bearings and stuff. I been doing plenty reading about the 328 and 528 and it seems there is a massive issue with the design of these valvetronic system. So do you think i should just go ahead and purchase the shaft and bearings along with another motor to just have him do a complete change? He also showed me that the motor is wired to the ECU and it could also be an ECU issue. What do you think on this?
Another issue im facing with the vehicle is the fan. The fan isnt spinning how it should. There are times it spin but most of the times it doesnt spin. I ended up buying a fan and we are having the same issue. When we checked the fan harness the live and grounds gives a reading however the small activation/signal wire is reading up and down (mostly 0.2 and and rarely goes up to 1.2 then back down). We checked another 328 in the shop and its activation/signal wire reading is constant (1.2) so we are thinking there is a problem with wherever this wire comes from. Any thoughts?
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Before you buy the eccentric shaft I would check out the camshaft bearing first,,,,,on the fan not working I would have to look at the wiring diagram and figure out where that wire comes from
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Thanks…Appreciate it
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Hey any luck on the diagram?
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Sorry I have been very busy at work.
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Ok no problem.
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Hi Andreas, would be nice if you could help me with my problem.
The pneumatic wastegate actuator on my N55 failed.
I replaced it with a new used actuator, but I don’t have any parameters to adjust it …
Now I found a document from the tuner DINAN which says that the wastegate has to be fully closed at an applied vacuum of 5.9 in-Hg(-200mbar). But I don’t know if this also works for the OEM turbo with stock ECU? I can’t find any official documents about it. They are available for the N54 only…
Do you know if this value is correct?
Greetings from Germany!
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On the n55 with vacuum wastegate you should be able to adjust it to the old wastegate rod length and be ok
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Hi, I tried that … Problem is I get a low boost error. Part numbers are matching, but the rod of the new one is 3mm longer. I need to adjust it, but have no values 😦
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If the new rod is 3mm longer then adjust the rod and try is again
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Hi Andreas,
I have a wrong DEF fluid used warning on my BMW X5 35d and we have always used the correct DEF fluid. DEF fluid tank is full and the mileage counter to “No Start” is counting down. Any ideas why this is happening?
Additional problem with this X5 is I get a yellow Parking break light that comes on with a ding warning? If you turn the vehicle off & back on it shuts off. Any thoughts?
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On the DEF fluid ,,,,first make sure you have enough DEF fluid in the car,,,,,maybe you got some old or bad DEF fluid we have seen this happen,,,if that isn’t it could be something serious and should be checked out by a BMW shop,,,,,the parking brake sounds like it is having some issues,,,,sounds like it might be malfunction sometimes and when you shut the key on and off it is resetting
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Okay, thank you very much!
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Hello there! Any chance you would be having the plastic silver “cover”, the light guiding trim piece for the right side cornering light module for this pre-facelift 6-series (F06/F12/F13) laying around that I could buy? Would be really amazing.
Thank you in advance.
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No I don’t sorry
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Thanks for all your help with my turbo oil return fix. Although I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot, I decided that the N63 was too much of a mental burden, and I sold the car.
I’m thinking about an I3. Do you like yours, and did you get the range extender?
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I loved my I3,,,,no range extender,,,,my wife really enjoyed the car,,,,you have to really get into the green experience with the i3 it’s a new way thinking and where you are going to drive,,,,I have a back up car for long trips
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Hello i have a 2011 535i xdrive F10 N55, that throws this code 0x11A210, now i had the intank fuel pump replaced by the dealer for a recall, any suggestions what can cause this code… hpfp, sensors ?
thanks
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Sorry I have never seen that fault code,,,,BMW does not use P codes,,,,BMW has there very own codes that they use,,,,,if you get me the BMW code I can help you.
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Hello thanks for reaching out, here’s what i found, I thought u’d have a good way to trigger the issue..:
0x11A210 low pressure fuel system, plausibility: power electric fuel pump for actual pressure too high.
Thanks
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Hi
I am hoping you could help me. I have an N20 328i which had the timing chain replaced about 500km ago. I just had the car breakdown with BMW saying its a hole in piston 1. Is there anyway something was done incorrectly when the timing chain was replaced? I find it crazy that timing chian is replaced and 500km later the engine fails.
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That does sound kind of strange,,,,yes they could have done something incorrectly,,,,but what did they do is hard to tell.
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Amazing and like the E38 M60 engine swap with S62, it must be an awsome car. I have M5 S62 donor to swap on a 1995 840Ci E31. I have been studying possibilities what to do that only a the very few have accomplished and done….
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Help, I own a bmw i3 Rex 2014, I was suspecting a low capacity high voltage Battery, so went to dealer and he performed battery capacity test (the short one). The test show good battery. I wanted more information but he couldn’t tell me more (% of lost, remaining battery life, etc.), the test show enough battery capacity only. So I install ista-p on my computer and run the full battery capacity test (10 hours descharging and charging), at the end of the process, the computer tell my it need to write the result to the SME and need to stop the high voltage contactors switch in the SME and start a countdown of 15min and do not disturb or stop the comptuer because contactors are off. After 7 min. the contdown stop and never went to zero so I cant’ finish the process, Now my car is “brick”, I have no voltage from the high voltage battery going to EME or everwhere else, because SME contactor switch are still off from the failed countdown. What can I do to restart the switch? I tried each test plan without succes except battery change. The only thing I saw that could possibly help me is to do a battery restart, witch involve a BMW EoS tester that I don’t have. Do you know a tip to restart the high voltage switch? I saw in SME that the contactors are still of but I can’t trigger them to on.
Your input or question are essentiel for me, I can go to the dealer (towing) but need to tell them what I did and where to start looking because my dealer is a new “i” dealer and don’t know well I3.
I still don’t understand what happened and why the computer stop working, I used ista a lot to do tests and never let me down.
In the past I used your blog to change my N20 turbo and oil feed turbo line in my X1 at home without problem.
Thanks
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Hi Pascal,
I’m basically in the same situation. I can’t restart the high voltage system without the BMW EOS tester. How did you get around this in the end?
Thanks,
Tom
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I believe you can’t get around it without the EOS tester,,,,I don’t know what happened to Pascal car
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I’ve contacted a few BMW dealerships to ask if I can just take the battery pack down to them so they can do the test and give me the 12 digit code. I wonder if they will sell me the computer to do it…
I’m actually pulling the drivetrain out of the i3 (has been in a crash) and transplanting it all into a BMW 2002 from 1974. I think I’ll probably have to have the battery eos tested a few times in the process and BMW makes that extremely difficult, sadly.
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Thomas, I towed the car to dealer, they do lower the high voltage batterie to put the EOS tester and get the 12 number and put that number in ISTA to restart the car. Unfortunatly the EOS tester can’t be plug with the batterie in position. They need to lower the batterie to plug the pressure connector, the electrical connector is ok. They charge me 5 hours of work to empty the AC, remove the high voltage batterie, get the code and put back everything together. After I pay, I ask them if the problem occur again, can I only bring the batterie pack, they say yes but you also need the VIN number besause to use the EOS tester they need to fill a form with your VIN.
Since then I did an adaptor to put on batterie that let used the EOS tester with the batterie in the car… I don’t understand why BMW didn’t have this adaptor. So next time it will take less than 30 minutes instead of 5 hours. The adaptor is a aluminum elbow to plug the pressure connector, the electrical connector was already accessible with batterie in the car.
The EoS tester is absolutly necessary, you can’t restart the batterie without it, and BMW will not sell this equipement. The tester put the batterie under pressure to see if there is any possible leak or water intrusion, and look for each cell reaction, when all the test is good, it give you the 12 digits number.
If you have others questions, let me know.
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That’s really interesting, thanks Pascal! I’ll speak to the dealer again and tell them I have already drained the AC so they just need to plug the tester in. Do you have a link for the elbow you bought?
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Thomas, I didn’t bough the elbow, I made it in a machine shop.
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Nice work! Are you able to send me a pic of your solution to tom@aragoautomotive.com?
Thanks!
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2013 N20 engine. Failed intake cam bearings, rounded off intake cam sprocket and broke timing chain retainer. I have not found any metal particles anywhere. Oil tested fine as well.
I am rebuilding the engine. The main bearings are perfect. Look like zero wear. Can I just use new bolts and reuse the bearings? If not I note my crankcase does not have bearing classification like that shown in newtis. (A/B/C) mine has following numbers 121029 00614 12102380810. Crank has 22112 rrrr so I am okay with rod bearings.
Thanks
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Yes you can reuse the same bearing as long as they check out ok,,,,also you must put them back into the same place,,,,my concern is that the metal pieces from the intake camshaft has to be somewhere,,,did you check the oil filter,,,is there metal inside the oil filter?
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I expected to find metal someplace. Oil tested fine when I sent it out. All the main bearings are perfect. The rod bearings are worn at the sides so I will replace those. I just flushed out the oil pump. Nothing there either. I will have to flush out the oil cooler and have a really close look at the oil filter housing. There was nothing in the oil filter. Nothing I could easily see in oil pan. There should have been metal bits from the sprocket teeth and intake cam caps.
Only explanation I can see is the pick up screen plugged causing low/no oil pressure. Intake cam partially seized, chain rounded off sprocket teeth. Since very little oil pressure no metal bits circulated and engine stopped as soon as low oil pressure. So maybe all were in oil pan and drained out first or last. Oil was cold when I drained it so I took sample mid through draining. Also I never found metal when I emptied and cleaned my oil drain pan either.
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Sounds like you really checked everything out,,,,looks like you have everything covered,,,,good job
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Hi, I own a 2012 Activehybrid 5, I was rear ended, and several errors came up, auto start stop, hybrid battery, and of course the passenger restraints. My only visible damage is the bumper cover and the center piece underneath. There is no check engine just the restraint system lights, but I want to have all systems (Hybrid, drivetrain,suspension, alignment) checked correctly. My local BMW mechanics including dealer are blah, in Myrtle beach, I had a great knowledgable guy (Werner Ott) that took care of my e46 but he is more in tune with the post 2005 tech. Do you have any recommendations on the east coast. Found you on bimmerforums when I was looking to read and clear the restraint code with my software. I was going to drive to Charleston to get this done and I travel to NYC often, but if you have a recommendations along the east coast and anything else I should have checked, I would really appreciate it.
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No I’m sorry I don’t have anyone on the east coast,,,your best thing is to find a good BMW dealer near you that can check out the newer car.
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Hello, I currently own 528i N20 155k, km on it, I’m having problems with my car, it seems to be running VERY rich, I’m getting fuel/air mixture too rich, my check engine light is on, comes and goes sometimes, when the engine is cold it runs ok, when when it heats up, it hiccups, almost feels like misfires, pulses of darker smoke from tailpipe, and just last week it looks as if my vacuum pump is leaking oil, I do t know if it’s the pump, or valve cover, but problem was there way before I started smelling burn oil, is there any suggestions?
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Ok on the car running rich I would remove the spark plugs and see which spark plug is fuel soaked,,,,on the oil leak you need to look at the back of the valve cover where the vacuum pump is and see what is leaking,,,,,if there is oil back there I would replace the vacuum pump.,,,,if the side of the valve cover is wet where the exhaust is then the valve cover is leaking.
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any suggestions for the rough running?, as i said, when it starts cold engine runs fine, then when it gets up to temperature it runs rough, when accelerating rpm drops and goes up, feels i got rear ended, and when its in D and idling, it idles more smooth, and when i put it into P RPM drops and goes up few times before it stabilizes and then hiccups every 5-10 seconds
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You could bad fuel injectors because of the smoking,,,the roughness could also be injectors or ignition coils faulty
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and occasionally it stalls when when trying to accelerate
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I had valve stem seals done on my 2011 550i about 15k miles ago along with carbon blast etc. BMW dropped the engine and re and am now trying to throw on new Alpina turbos that I acquired. Wanted to check and confirm if I need to replace the oil return housing under the turbos and the oil feed lines since that adds to the complexity of removing the exhaust manifolds. Also, do I need to remove the alternator for removal/installations of turbos? Trying to get it done quickly but also done right and not take risky short cuts. Your expert opinion is greatly appreciated.
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Yes replace the oil return lines might be different and the oil feed lines also might be different,,,,yes you have to remove the alternator I will give you more room to work around,,,,good luck
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Just to clarify, I know I will be replacing the oil return lines that are attached to the turbo. But oil feed lines/Oil housing replacement requires removing exhaust manifolds and the upper heat shield.. I was thinking since the oil housing was replaced recently already, It would be safe to just replace the oil return pipes along with the turbos.
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Yes it would be safe to just replace the oil return pipes
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I have installed the new turbos but I’d like to understand how to crank the car without starting it since it’s a button start. I put some oil in the oil inlet hole and spun the turbos prior to installation but the instructions from Garrett call for cranking the car without starting it. Wondering if you could advise how to?
Thanks much
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Those instructions are from Garrett,,,,,BMW instructions don’t tell us to do that we just start the car,,,,I guess the only way for you would be to unplug the DME and then crank over the engine.
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Started the car! Got some smoke from one of the turbos but that’s most likely where I dropped some oil when trying to prime the turbo before putting the oil inlet line on. All the coolant hoses look great, torqued to BMW specs. Even wrapped the new coolant hoses with some heat shield tape since they tend to get a lot of heat from the bottom. One final thing im concerned about: When starting the job, I didn’t remove all the coolant from the radiator. I just sucked up all I could from the expansion tank and when I replaced the hoses there was minimal leakage. I also replaced the Water Valve for the heater since I was getting hot air from the footwell vents and read that the water valve is the most common cause for this (Car has 95k miles). However, when I put everything back together, I simply poured coolant in. But then I read that BMW only wants to fill coolant using the Vacuum fill procedure. I didn’t have compressed air either. I have a shop about 2 miles away that I would like to drive the car to to get the coolant filled properly. Do you recommend I drive it there and have them do a coolant fill via vacuum system? Its the Water Valve replacement that I fear might have introduced the air in the system since I followed the Bleeding procedure for the Intercooler and that ran for 12 mins. (I have the ISTA+ SW and it showed the pump speed setting when running the procedure.)
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BMW recommends a lot of stuff,,,,lol,,,,I never use the the vacuum bleeder and some guys always use it,,,,it all up to you,,,,can can bleed the system and see how it goes if it didn’t work out you can always go to a shop and have it done.
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I`m having a problem with my N55 f10 535ix, on the highway when i do and medium acceleration not full power , in some gears at 2800 -2900 Rpm it cuts the acceleration for 1-2 second like a limp mode then it accelerates normal.
It happens everytime at 2800 -2900 Rpm and the most in the 5 gear like a limp mode with no error.
I had an error on the blow off valve and i replaced but the car do the same with no error.
I have also replaced the throtle body and the spark plugs.
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I need some kind of BMW fault codes to help,,,,I don’t understand why you replaced the throttle body?,,,,but what you told me and the problem sound like the vacuum valve for the turbo is causing your problem,,,the electronic vacuum valve is right next to the valve cover on the exhaust side,,,,you will see 2 vacuum hoses and 1 electrical plug going to it,,,,that might be your problem with out some fault codes to help
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bmw technician,
I have a 2014 328i F30 around 55000 miles. Lately I have been hearing a squeaking/screeching sound from the front right (passenger) when I accelerate from a halt (red lights for instance). The sound occurs during the 1st gear between the 1000-2200rpm range and then goes away after that (Perhaps something is resonating at that rpm frequency??). No sound while revving the engine in neutral, no sound on start up or cold start, no sound when braking, no sound when accelerating from low rpm while driving.
The sound only comes during the initial movement of the car. The sound is like something like a screeching noise from a bad fan belt in a really old car. Just that it comes only during the starting movement of the car for 1-2 seconds and goes away. Doesn’t matter if the car is run in the morning or has been running for 45mins or so, always comes when I resume from a halt, red lights.
Any suggestions will be appreciated, thanks.
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I really have no idea,,,you could have some stand outside the car on the right front and see if they can hear where the noise is coming from,,,,you said it only happens when the car is rolling,,,I would think the problem is with the right front suspension area, tire or wheel or brake squeak,,,maybe one of the brake pads is worn out?
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Hey great to talk to you. I have a 2011 BMW 328i xdrive. I’m getting a 2a7c and 2a82 code upon startups. I don’t have any performance issue, however as soon as I start the car the rpm will go up to 1000-1500 rpm, and then back to normal idle. I’ve always had a bit of a rough idle but no codes until recently. I’ve changed both vamos solenoids, cleaned the non return valve a, and all coils have been replaced a couple months ago. Wondering if there’s anything else I can check.
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What type of engine do you have,,,,also did you replace both vanos solenoids and did you also change the oil and filter,,,,sometimes dirty oil or filter can cause problems
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I have an n52 engine. Yes I replaced both vanos solenoids, and took out the non return valves to make sure the screens weren’t gummed up.
I also did a filter and oil change when I replaced the solenoids but still having the same issue.
Start engine, rpm’s fluctuate for about 5 seconds, returns to normal, and no performance issues afterwards. Engine light still comes back on after clearing codes and a second startup.
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Ok,,,,you could have a vanos unit going bad
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I’ve read some things where they say that the oil control ring on the ends of the cam could wear out the block where it rides, causing oil to bypass the vanos. Can I rule this out as this being the issue since the problem only seems to happen on startups and doesn’t cause any performance issues?
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We used to see that on engines that were not taken care of,,,when we find sludge in the engine that would cause problem,,,,I have only seen that problem 1 time.
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I own a 2010 750 LI XDrive and am trying to find my Vanos selenoids to clean or perhaps even replace. I have been using your post from 2015 but am not able to find them. Any help would be awesome! Just need to do this to clear up some codes that I’m receiving.
Thanks,
TJR
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The vanos solenoids are behind the intake cooler on both side,,,you have to remove the intake cooler on both bank,,,,I recommend to replace do not clean because that doesn’t always work,,,,and beside after all the work to remove the intake coolers you don’t want to do it twice because the cleaning of the solenoids didn’t work.
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Is there any chance i can Google or find pictures to where they are at behind the intake coolers? And gotcha thank you very much!
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Yes on my blog under N63 vanos solenoids,,,,you should find something
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I have a 128i 2009 with the N51 sulev engine and I wanted to do a muffler and maybe a resonator delete. Will they void the warranty for sulev if I do this since it is part of exhaust even though it is not the emissions part? Thanks.
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Yes it will void the emissions warranty,,,only if someone reports it during one of the repairs
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How do they void the warranty if it’s not covered by the sulev and it’s after the cats?
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I understand,,,but sometime when a tech see a vehicle modified they don’t what to work on it,,,and we don’t know if the DME has been flashed with a aftermarket tuner which could cause problem,,,,so when that happens we make a notification about car has been modified and is not covered under sulve,,,,,,no me I don’t care I will still work on it as long as it didn’t effect the emissions in any way
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It’s all a judgement call on the technician that works on the car.
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So if I was to talk to my service advisor and explain what I was going to do and no tunes or intakes or anything other than muffler delete and resonator delete. Would that work since nothing else is done and they know about it before I do anything
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Yes that will help,,,
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Hi Andreas,
Can you tell me if part #12637591534 (power distribution module) for 2012 328i, F30 requires programming after installation? And if so, is this the same as the battery registration programming?
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Sorry I don’t have a answer for you,,,it all depends on the type of vehicle some of the cars need to be programmed and some don’t depending what that module does on that car,,,,if it does need to be programmed it is not like register battery,,,,you have to actually program and encode the car tell it has a new module.
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Hi I have BMW X6 after I replace the valvetronic motor the I tried to learning the valvetronic it not continue and show fault : lower limit position not found
Any information about this problem
Thanks
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Ok did you also replace the eccentric shaft and bearings with the valvetronic motor?,,,,that might be a problem,,,,,but what we also have been finding out that the problem might be the DME,,,but you will not know that until you replace the valvetronic motor and eccentric shaft with bearing first and if that doesn’t fix the problem then it could be the DME,,,,,if you look under the valvetronic post on my blog other members have had the same problem
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I have an E84 X1 that the sunroof liner won’t move it used to work perfectly until today that it made an odd sound and got stuck the sunroof itself works perfectly but the liner will not move here’s a video of it https://youtu.be/_M6pw-s_rHk and if you have any ideas how to fix it I’d appreciate it.
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Thanks for the video,,,first thing to do is check the fuses,,,because the sunshade has its own motor and fuse,,,,I believe it’s in the rear fuse panel which is in the right rear corner of the car,,,,if all the fuses are ok,,,,then next thing you would have to lower down the headliner to check out the motors.
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Hello and thanks for your help over the years.
I have a ’11 535i M-Sport with 118k miles that gave me following codes a week ago (of course I got the overheating warnings on the idrive also):
421722 DME/DDE interface: Forced upshift due to thermal engine protection request or signal invalid (switch status, warm-up, powertrain, 0x3fb) – km 191,103
20A804 Engine cooling system: coolant pump switched off due to blockage – km 191,105
20A701 Engine coolant system: Motor speed, cooland pump outside tolerance – km 191,111
I ordered the water pump kit and replaced the electric water pump and thermostat then added coolant. I followed the bleeding procedure (ISTA says to leave expansion tank cap open) but it would not stop even after 30 minutes. I did hear a sound coming from the water pump during the bleeding procedure which makes me think water pump is working.
I drove the car for about two miles, I added some coolant after that so now is at the correct level but the engine still overheats.
any thoughts
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Update
I deleted the stored faults and now the only code I have is:
20AB08 Charge air, cooling system: no emergency operation signal at coolant pump
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Sound like its not bleed correctly
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Question when you bleed the cooling system did you notice some coolant pumping back into the expansion tank,,,you can miss it,,,,it looks like someone is pissing into the tank in the opening of the expansion tank,,,if you didn’t see that then you didn’t bleed it correctly,,,,,I think I have a video on how to bleed the coolant somewhere in my blog
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I did notice coolant pumping back when I tried the bleeding procedure first. Eventually it stopped but the sound of the pump did not even after about 30 minutes. I had to turn the ignition off to stop it.
I did watch your coolant bleeding video – I will try with the ac on also and door latch. Tom’s reply under the video had exactly same issues like mine but doesn’t say how he solved it.
I did try to activate the pump with ista and it’s not responding. please watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcjZ0cCYCAg&feature=youtu.be
thanks in advance Andreas,
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Ok it looks like it’s not bleeding,,,,ok first thing top off the coolant,,,second disconnect the hose to the top of the tank and then pressure test the system to push out the air until water comes out the hose then reattach hose to tank,,,,third I don’t think the water pump is operating,,,check the fuses for water pump could be your whole problem
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Andreas,
Your 3rd point – pump was not operating bc the power connection came loose.
Thanks a million!
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No problem
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Andreas,
I’m looking to replace the oil filter housing and heat exchanger gaskets.
Not sure why my ‘11 535i M-Sport has a different heat exchanger than what I’ve seen so far – they kit I intend to purchase is the rectangular one.
Can’t attach pics here so I found one online. This is an ‘14 x3 535i that has same setup: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=491658&d=1423529044
I am looking to purchase this but I’m not sure it will fit.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-engine-oil-filter-housing-gasket-kit-11428637821kt2
Anything in particular I should be aware with this job?
Do you recommend replacing the oil sensor too?
Thanks in advance
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FYI: when entering my vin at realoem.com this is what I get:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=FR73-USA-10-2010-F10-BMW-535i&diagId=11_4466
But again, mine looks different
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What are you looking for,,,,and what is different in the picture
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Yes that kit will fit,,,no reason to replace oil switch unless it is leaking
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