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
bmwtechnician on N20 timing chain issue Paul Roberts on N20 timing chain issue bmwtechnician on N63 intake vanos solenoid 2014 bmw 550i sport on N63 intake vanos solenoid bmwtechnician on N55 high pressure fuel pump lo…
Hello Andreas, our trusty BMW mechanic. Hope you are doing well during this time. I really miss reading and seeing your everyday BMW shop adventures. Hope you guys get back up and running soon so we get to see more BMW stuff.
I got a quick question for you. After replacing either the oil pan or oil filter housing gasket on an N55 do you need to prime the engine? I heard on a forum that you are suppose to prime the engine to get rid of air bubbles in the oil lines; if not your engine could seize. And that it could also happen after doing an oil change.
They said that when doing an oil change you are suppose to pour a quart of oil down the oil filter housing to remove air bubble out of the oil lines. Is that true and is that how you guys do oil changes? Also, what is the procedure to prime the engine after replacing your leaking gasket?
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I have never had to prime the engine on a N55,,,after replacing a oil pan gasket or even a head gasket,,,,now if it was a N63 that would be a different story,,,,but if you want to be safe you can disconnect all the ignition coils and crank the engine over a few times to get oil pressure.
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https://youtu.be/0OkXy1UGavA need help
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Thanks for the video,,,but what type of help do you need.
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Hope your all safe and making the best of your time. I was wondering if you could share some advice.How do I know where the leak is coming from if I have oil on my oil pan. Also is there tool to help me see if oil is in my engine, I smell it, after I drive the car. Also do you now how I can get a diagram of the engine and what the component are. Lastly how can I clean the oil off the oil pan ?
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I would love to,,,ok first there is no tool to see if you have any oil inside the engine, the only tool is the one on your I-drive screen that will perform a oil level test when the car is warm,, now to find your oil leak the best thing is to see and follow where it’s coming from, you can buy leak tracer which you have to clean the engine then spray it where you think it’s coming from and it will show a leak after a period of time when you drive the car,,,now to clean the engine you can get engine degreaser which works ok,,,or a pressure washer works the best,,now to get a diagram for your engine that you would have to search on the internet for.,,,now question for you what type of car and engine do you have,,,,because certain engines have very common oil leaks that I can help you with,, because you did get me a hint that you can smell oil burning so I think your valve cover gasket or you vacuum pump might be leaking to cause the oil smell
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Hi so to clean the engine is it ok to get it wet ? Does the oil pan leak oil or is it something else leaking oil on the oil pan ?
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HI I don’t have a I drive screen in the car.does that matter,its a 2009 328xi sulv
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Ok that’s fine,,,there is another way to check and that would be inside the instrument cluster
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To check for a oil leak or is that just to check the oil levels ?
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The oil level can be check though the instrument cluster,,,the oil leak needs to be checked visually
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Ok on your car the common oil leaks are valve cover gasket,oil filter housing and oil pan gasket,,,,since you said you smell oil burning I would think the valve cover gasket is leaking on to the exhaust causing the burning smell
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Ok, here is what I got.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18txyAUOuNr2ZdthulyLOqHcFFaemPY3qntXtT51I6ao/edit?usp=sharing
As you can see, there was so much gunk and plastic in the pickup, no wonder oil pressure was lost.
I cant believe the actual pickup area is no larger than a quarter, about 1 inch.
Performed the leak-down test and the results are:
#1 23%
#2 21% After sitting and having fuel washing the rings trying to start the
#3 22% engine , these are some good results. held these numbers for
#4 20% 20 minutes each. No bent valves, no damaged rings, head gasket is
sealing. should be good to go, thankfully !
Will be ordering new timing chain assembly on Monday
Looking at the TIS, I dont see a keyway on the crankshaft for alignment of the gears, or did I miss
something. I am waiting for the tooling to dissassmble so I havent had a close look yet.
Updates to follow.
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No key way on crankshaft gears,,,it is just a press fit by torque,,,you will find out when you have to torque down the crankshaft bolt and try and turn it 270 degrees,,,,what are you going to do about the oil pump,,,,replace or leave it?
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Good question, looking at the way that it is built and no metal or chunks made it past the screen and it is constantly emersed in oil, I think it is probably still functional. What do you think. ? Have you had the opportunity to disassemble one these pumps, or do you just throw the old ones away and put in a new one. ?
Where can I find all the torque specification’s for this engine.
Oh, did you check out the photos ?
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Yes I checked out the photos,,,,we never take them apart just throw them away,,,I would think you are ok because it looks like no parts went inside the oil pump,,,,,you will be the first one to find out if the oil pump is ok,,,lol,,,,maybe you can find the torque specs on line somewhere.
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This repair sounds almost exactly like what happened to my N20.Oil starvation and intake cam seized.I pulled oil pump apart and it all looked fine. I reused it. I got it back running about 2 months ago. No problems so far. I had oil analyzed after first oil change. I found it odd no key on crank and just line things up on the cams. But once I thought about it, it made sense. Much simpler to do than an S54 engine!
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Yes the S54 is completely different
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I was just saying that because you really need to know what you are doing timing the S54. The N20 is way easier.
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Wow, that’s not the way it was typed, sorry
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Hi
I’ve just stumbled on your site, very interesting and informative content. I have a 64 plate 228i, n20 engine. Drivetrain fault appeared on the idrive yesterday on my way to work and it’s now driving in limp mode, had an old work friend who’s an engineer and a mechanic plug it in, came up as a turbo waste gate fault. Checked it and found the rod connected to the waste gate actuator looks to have snapped its stud weld to the 90 degree bracket for the adjustment. He was advised by a BMW mechanic he knows it’s likely a turbo change. I was thinking if I removed the 90 degree bracket and drilled it out and used a shoulder bolt for the movement so it doesn’t bite with a double nut or I’ve also found the waste gate actuator online and wondered if this was wise or to change the turbo itself or just the waste gate actuator
Thanks for your time
Sam
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Ok,,,,yes you probably could do that repair,,,,but there is a reason that broke and the reason is that arm on the turbo is jamming and the wastegate is trying to pull or push it back and forth causing it to break.
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is there a way to change the passenger side diverter valve on 2011 550i without removing the turbo?
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?
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Hello Andreas, Very useful website I must say. If you don’t mind me asking, I am looking at purchasing a 4 series (420i) in the UK but I am concerned about the potential timing chain early failure in the N20 engine. I am looking at ages 2013-2015, is it the case that this was/is a US issue? Any advice would be much appreciated.
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Yes I would look at model year 2015,,,,stay away from 2013 and 2014 model years
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Thanks, as long as I get 15 plate or later it will have new updated TC parts?
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Yes ,,,you will have a updated and newer chain design
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Hi, hope you’re doing well. I have a 2011 bmw n55 that has misfires issues. I’d say it happens a handful of times a year. Recently I’ve noticed every time I wash the car, I get misfires in the first run. Turn car off, back on again and car runs normal. I’ve done hpfp, plugs, coils and injectors in the last year. Any ideas what it could be? Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much.
Sent from my iPhone
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I’m wondering you could have a vanos unit or maybe the Valvetronic motor jamming during start up
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i have a 2013 x3 with a 2.0L turbo i’ve noticed lately i have been getting a message on my screen when i accelerate or when going up a hill message is trans axle malfunction then once i turn the car off it goes away doesn’t do it all the time car seems to run ok. someone suggested it could be turbo itself car has 117,000 miles on it. I had timing chain and guide replaced about 3000 miles ago luckily it was under warranty. thanks
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It could be a several different things without any fault codes it’s hard to say what the problem is,,,,maybe a turbo,,wastegate or pressure converter ,,fuel injector the list is to long,,,,need fault codes to help solve the problem.
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fault code is 120308
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Ok thanks,,,charge boost pressure low,,,,could be a charge pipe has a leak or cracked or it could be the pressure boost control next to the valve cover or you have a vacuum hose leaking,,,,check and inspect the vacuum hoses are not cracked or disconnected,,,,check the intake charge pipe is connected or not cracked,,,,if that is all ok then it should be your pressure boost control
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so this code has nothing to do with the turbo on my car
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Yes,,,with the boost pressure,,,I don’t think it’s the turbo because you would have major loss of power,,,,like I said maybe a charge pipe is cracked,,,or vacuum line broken or the boost pressure valve might be bad.
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Hello
can you tell me if the 2011 bmw x3 (f25) has a dme relay and a fuel pump relay (fuse)?
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Yes it does have a fuel pump relay called a EKPS and it sit by the rear seat,,,,and yes there is some kind of a DME relay.
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had bmw mechanic check out everything you said that could be wrong with my 2013 x3 all checked out ok replaced turbo charger with new one from parts supplier in California new Mitsubishi turbo charger $1006.00 free s&h no sales tax he charged me $400.00 to install it out of his own garage. So far haven’t seen any malfunctions show up on dash. bmw dealer wanted around $4000.00 to replace it saved a bunch of money. thanks for all your help!!
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I’m glad it all worked out
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Hey there , I was wondering if I could ask a question about a 2007 x5 3.0 engine whistling noise? Cheers
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Yes ask away.
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Hi thanks for taking the time to reply.
I have a 3.0 x5 2007, once in awhile when I start the engine, it surges the a high pitch whistle comes out from the engine. I have done the basic coil and plugs along with all the pulleys and tensioner. To no avail it still persist. I have taken it to a shop twice but cannot replicate the problem. It’s very intermittent, when it happens tho I shut the engine off and restart then it runs smooth … I am stumped .
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Ok when that high pitch whistle noise starts up again I want you to open the front hood and while the engine is idling and still making that whistle noise you should try and remove the oil cap,,,now there might be a lot of suction and it might be hard to remove the oil cap but once you remove it does the noise go away if it does go away then your problem is the valve cover,,,,the whole valve cover will need to be replaced due to the vent valve is part of the valve cover,,,when that whistle noise comes it causes the engine to run lean and cause lean misfires.
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Hi there, thanks for the prompt reply, I will try and do that. Given the scenario, u mentioned that if the noise goes away it’s the valve cover, and if the noise doesn’t ,what would be the case.
Sorry if I jumped the gun too early on this..
Once agian thank you for your time.
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I’m pretty sure the valve cover is your issue,,,it is a very common issue for whistle noises
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Hi there, sorry for the late reply.. been soooooo busy at work, I have placed an order for a valve cover, not cheap,lol.. itll be here in 3-4 days.. I also went ahead and order an eccentric shady sensor since the cover is coming off. I will update you when I have replaced both,
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Thanks,,,let me know what happens
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In response to the previous valve cover. You think ebay’s $100 valve cover and gasket set any good? My brother took his n55 f30 into BMW last month to get his leaky valve cover replace and they didn’t order him a OEM cover but a aftermarket market one. He told his SA that he brought is car to BMW because he wanted an OEM valve cover and the SA and tech told him that the aftermarket one are as good or better and it saves him more money; is that true? If so I might order the ebay one because I’m starting to get rough idle at first startup on my n55 f10 or can I just or me a new pcv cover cap and replace that since my valve cover is not leaking yet and that’s a big job. Here are the links to the parts on ebay that I’m referring too.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/333231083679
https://www.ebay.com/itm/223346291069
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Sorry I have no experience with aftermarket valve covers,,,,second I can’t believe the dealer sold aftermarket valve cover which they are not supposed to do without your brothers authorization.,,,you could just replace the vent valve to see if that solves your problem.
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Hi there, I have successfully replaced the eccentric shaft sensor and the valve cover! I have also calibrated the valvetronic motor. While I had the valvetronic motor removed, out of curiosity I looked it up and YouTube to check if it’s good or bad. And basically I’m getting a 50/50 result…
Now everything installed the car idles rough sometimes also coming to a stop i shuts off intermittently, is this a symptom of a bad valvetronic motor?
I’ve always had a rough idle but never this bad…
Thought?
Thanks again
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Also on that note, car drives fine, a little sluggish to accelerate for a few seconds then it goes…
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It’s hard to say could be due to the valvetronic motor.,,,,when you say rough idle could you be feeling a misfire?,,,,and do you have any faults in the car?
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No faults, and yes almost a misfire then it stalls. I checked the resistance on the housing of the motor and it has lots, YouTube vids almost guaranteed it’s the motor and most have success. What’s your thought?
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It sounds like it’s the valvetronic motor since you said the engine stalls
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Success!!!! I have replaced the valvetronic motor and had to redo the valve cover once ,didn’t line up the dowel close to the firewall causing an oil leak. But after all the frustration I think I finally won. Suv runs smooth now at idle, no noise and no leaks. Thank you so much for your help,it is very much appreciated!!!
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Good job
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Thank you again for your support! And the time you spend answering Qs from people in need of help.. cheers.
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Hello Andreas, having an clicking noise around the front brakes when I first put the car in reverse or drive after parking. Its very annoying and loud. Also I’m getting a pulsating when driving and brake. Mostly noticeable when brake onto an exit ramp around 65 mph down and around 20mph to 10mph.
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Ok the clicking noise probably are your brake pads clicking,,,,they are shifting when you brake in reverse causing the clicking noise,,,,now the pulsating and steering wheel shaking are your front brake rotors are warped,,,,causing the pulsating at higher speeds
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Thanks for the response, glad i asked you for a second opinion because someone told me the problem was the front thrust arms. Since there is no brake pad clips for the front calipers how do I prevent the brake pads from moving around.
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Question does your steering wheel also shake at 60mph and plus when braking which would be your rotors are warped,,,if you brake at 60mph and have a thud or front end shake then it would be front thrust are bushing,,,,but you feel it inside the brake pedal which tells me the rotors are warped,,,,what happens the brake pads get worn and start to shift when braking in reverse,,,nothing you can do about it,
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No, my steering wheel does not shake or vibrate when driving at all during normal driving just a when applying the brake and now that you said it, it does have a thud first before the vibration in the steering wheel and brake pedal when applying the brake. Once I let off the brake and get back on the gas to normal driving I could feel a pulsating on the floor.
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Hello , i own 2 bmws with the n20 engine
A bmw 320i 2012 100000km and a bmw 420i 2015 80000km
The two cars are well maintained and have no problems.
But the 420i is so smooth on idle and when driving compared to the 320i
The 320i has a loud ticking sound on idle (probably the fuel injectors)
Whats the difference between these two engines , does bmw changed something to change the sound of the engine ?? Or my 420i engine is still in good condition compared to the 320i
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Yes the 2012 engine were very load and a lot of people complained about how load they were especially during cold start up,,,,over time BMW has made the N20 a lot more quieter by changing the fuel injectors designs.
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Hello
I have a big request to you. I have a bmw g30 530e hybrid after an accident. The car has been repaired. The battery has been activated. But I still have a problem. The entire hybrid system does not work, the high voltage battery and 12 v are not charging. I am sending photos in the links. I would like to ask you for help, which is a fault.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RKka9gq6vEyGQBQra6fU8pRWkBevY-GI/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ua78rK9pvi6cTt2jdyEfJThvFIBI1VXT/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qeLf9M15ENFJKJFuvxn-dHWejHuVjMlk/view?usp=sharing
Thank you in advance
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I would love to help but I don’t have a google account,,,,can you post your issue a different way.
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Also question what did the body shop say about the high voltage not working and isn’t this part of the accident and should the insurance pay for it to be fixed properly?
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Thank you for your response. I run a car repair shop and deal with repairs. The car was imported from the USA after the accident was repaired in another company. It was brought to me to repair the hybrid. The problem is I don’t know what to do. You are very experienced and if you could share your knowledge I would be very grateful.
Here are links to pictures of bugs:
https://zapodaj.net/c05ee6a278d13.jpg.html
https://zapodaj.net/24a16b14de414.jpg.html
https://zapodaj.net/8cf2a0ed1cf94.jpg.html
What do you think is the cause?
Defective EME?
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Thanks for the pics,,,I wish I could perform some test to see what’s going on,,,here are some questions,,,,have you tried to clear faults to see what comes back,,,,also I wish I could see which faults are permanent faults,,,question does it say high voltage is disconnected on the instrument cluster and is there any messages on the instrument cluster,,,question was the high voltage disconnect inside the trunk been turned on again.
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Thank you for your response. These are faults after clearing. After disconnecting the valves in the trunk, the message to disconnect the high voltage system does not appear on the display. Power and drive errors appear in the instrument cluster. The 12v battery is not charged and the car cannot be charged via the type 1 connector
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Hello Andreas hope you’re doing well
I have a bmw 420i 2015 with the n20 engine
Recently I’m having a problem on cold starts only , the rpm on cold starts is 1100 and suddenly it trys to turn off ( rpm goes down ) and back to normal in less than 2 second
And when this thing happens the car will knock when the rpm goes down
What could the problem be
This videos shows the problem clearly
Thank u for helping
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Thanks for the video,,,,I’m sorry to say I have never seen this problem before,,,,I really have no idea on where to start….I’m really sorry
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I have had the same issue on my F30 328i xDrive MY 2012 several times. Once my friend was driving, he started the engine and didn’t wait for RPMs to go down – he tried to drive away and when that happened(drop of RPMs from your video) while driving – the engine just turned off. Without any error messages and fault codes(I’ve tried scanning with Bimmerlink then and ISTA later). That didn’t happen with my car for a few months, but I’d appreciate if you’d tell me what caused it once you figure that out.
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Hi bmwtechnician! I have a 2014 428i xdrive N26 and I’m ashamed to say I just found out about the timing chain issue that seems to plague these motors. I was never made aware by BMW and I don’t appear to have any type of extended warranty. Is there anything I can do about having bmw do any preventative check or replacement?
Thanks for all your help!
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You could have BMW inspect it for any problems,,,on the replacement BMW does have a extended 7/70 on timing chain on some models and years only,,,you could ask the dealership if your car is covered under the extended warranty for timing chain
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Hello,
Do you know if the F01/F02 have a fuse/ regulator/ controller/ or relay for the Vanos solenoid, exhaust 2/ Camshaft solenoid bank 2?
If so do you know the location?
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No fuse or regulator the controller as you say would be the DME,,,the vanos solenoid is also oil controlled,,,,why do you ask,,,,what the problem?
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HELLO!! I have a 2013 328i XDrive with the N20 motor that suddenly died while driving down the highway. The only message that the car alert showed was “transmission not in park”. While going approximately 65mph the car went from “D” drive to neutral and after I got it to the roadside, I put it in park. Once the car was moved to the side of the road, it would not re-start. The car would come on(the dashboard lights up) but will not even crank over. So, I had to have it towed the would not go into neutral to be towed by the tow truck driver with the key switch/button turned on. So got it to the garage and the car did not show any CODES AT ALL. The mechanic put a new battery in, registered the battery and it seemed to work fine. I drove it for about 9 days (approx. 250-300 miles) and it did the same thing (virtually same scenario)….Died while driving down the highway, “transmission not in park” message came up, pulled to the side of the road, put it in park and it will not re-start. Again it will not come out of park to be towed. (had to put it on a flat bed tow truck both times). The car is now at the mechanic’s and is showing the following codes: 120408, 123412, 130104, CDA904. The problem is, it wont come on, come out of park, the doors wont lock but the lights inside the vehicle light up. Checked the new battery and it is charging over 12V. There has been no indication of any engine noise (no whining, rattling, knocking or anything) to indicate other problems. All other systems worked fine as well that I noticed. The only other item that may be worth mentioning is that there was that the oil level was low (oil was added to the vehicle before either issue occurred) one day prior to the first incident of the vehicle stalling out. The car has 96,000 miles and has been fairly solid other than a front end axle repair last year. I have researched and researched and found very little that sounds similar. I did find something about a battery cable (that goes into the fuse box) that could be faulty but that information was for the other motor associated with this make/model of car. Do you have any thoughts on this or could the battery cable be the problem? Or have you seen something else similar to this? Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated!
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So I really have no idea,,,question can you put a battery charger on the car and see if that helps you shift the car out of park or lock the doors,,,also does the engine crank over and if it doesn’t can you see if you can turn the engine over by hand not that the engine locked up.
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Thanks for you quick reply! We checked the battery and it is holding charge over 12V. Checked the engine, it isn’t locked up. As I mentioned in the message above, the first time the engine stalled, after the battery was replaced it worked fine and the motor had no problem. It just died again after 9 days and now wont start back up. The motor seems fine but the car just wont acknowledge that I is supposed to “crank over”. It turns on, but that is all. Some of the other systems work (radio, windows, wipers etc) but the doors wont lock by the remote or from the car.
This may be a shot in the dark but do you know if those codes are related? What I mean is if there is an electrical issue, would those be affected by the battery cable that goes into the fuse box if it is in fact faulty? Or do you know what those codes could collectively mean?
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Yes there is a main battery cable that goes into the fuse box,,,,but if that cable was bad then the whole fuse box would be died.,,,so does the engine crank over but won’t start is that correct,,,I don’t think those codes are related some of those faults are turbo boost charge faults or wastegate faults,,,,I don’t know but maybe check the turbo charger if it’s not jammed and the propeller spins freely
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Good afternoon. Hope all is well. My wife loves her 2011 X3 35i and I have been able to repair everything but now I’m having trouble identifying what is causing a few codes. Most parts are “plug in play” which makes it easy to repair once identified. I have a Foxwell multi system scanner which allows me to clear codes but the car can’t seem to check it’s own oil level. Here is a brief history leading up to the current issue.
May 2020- Engine light, brief diagnosis. Repaired Vanos Solenoids with oil change. Created a vacuum which distorted the oil filter. Everything good after.
June 2020- Replaced struts, rotors and pads. Replaced brake wear sensors. Needed the Foxwell to reset maintenance lights. All were out of date range.
August 2020- The last week of August we noticed the X3 would not check it’s own oil level. “Measurement inactive. Service interval adjusted.” I can reset the intervals via Foxwell but the car will not check the oil level. When I clear the codes, the oil level is too low to check even when there is 6.868 quarts of oil in the vehicle. The following codes are repeating.
1C5A20- BSD, message; oil condition sensor: missing
201004- CBS client: Output of substitute value
20A909- BSD, message; electric coolant pump: missing
20AB08- Charge air, cooling system: no emergency operation signal at coolant pump
August 31- Replaced oil level sensor. Same Codes keep repeating.
Sept 6- Replaced oil pressure sensor due to oil leaking (being pumped) into the electrical plug of the sensor. I assume the issue most likely caused by Vanos Solenoids, overlooked. Same Codes keep repeating.
I have checked every wire to my ability but can’t find any broken. There is a small oil leak which is difficult to find. It’s not enough to deplete the oil level to dangerous levels. No drips either. She will not overheat so I believe the cooling system is working. Runs great.
PLEASE HELP!
Thank you, Jeff
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Ok,,,I hope this helps,,,you have 2 BSD faults,,,the BSD checks oil level sensor,Alternator output and coolant pump,,,so since you already replaced the oil level condition sensor at the bottom of the oil pan ,,,it looks like your coolant pump is starting to act up causing the BSD message missing and coolant pump system,,,so I would replace the water pump next which is a common issue,,,check the connection at the water pump make sure the plug is not damaged ,,,the only other thing which I have seen a few times is the engine harness is bad
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Thank you very much. I will check the pump. Where is the engine harness? Are there other names for it?
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I don’t think the problem is the harness,,,,but the engine harness is the complete wiring harness for the engine,,,so it’s the whole wiring and connectors for the engine.
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Hello, I would appreciate any help for my situation. So I was driving at around 40km/h with my 2011 E90 335i yesterday and suddenly the car kind of shaked (like a rough idle) and then the engine malfunction light came on. I pulled over and restarted the car and the light was gone. I went to the closest mechanic and he checked the car. He couldn’t find any leak or anything, the car is running perfectly smooth. He cleared some codes but he could not clear this faulty code: 2E0F, ”Valvetronic system: deactivated, adjustment fault too frequent”. I did some research, I couldn’t find too much information about this code but I’ve read that re-learning the valvetronic motor solved the issue for some people. I don’t have the car for too long so I cannot really compare the performance before and after this but I think the car sounds more aggresive (just maybe, I am not sure). Some recent repairs done on the car: cooling system serviced, oil cooler seals, engine oil filter adapter gasket, thermostat, watermpump replaced at around 1000 kms ago. Valve cover replaced at around 6000 kms ago. Do you have any idea about what might be happening? I am also thinking of taking the car to BMW to let them diagnose the exact issue but I am not willing to get it fixed there. Thank you so much in advance.
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(Car is at 88k kms)
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Hello, I would appreciate any help for my situation. So yesterday I was driving at around 40km/h in my new 2011 E90 335i rwd (88k kms) and the car suddenly kind of shaked (like a rough idle) and then the engine malfunction light came on. I pulled over and re-started the car and the light was gone. I went to the closest mechanic and he checked the car, he couldn’t find any leak or something. He even test drove the car and the car was running perfectly smooth. He cleared some codes but he could not clear this faulty code: 2E0F, ”Valvetronic system: deactivated, adjustment too frequent”. After that I did some research, I’ve found that re-learning the Valvetronic motor solved the issue for some people. Some recent repairs done to the car: Cooling system serviced, oil coolers, engine oil filter adapter gasket, thermostat, waterpump replaced like 1000 kms ago. I cannot really compare the performance before and after this because I don’t own the car for too long yet. But I think the sound is more aggresive (maybe, not for sure). I am also thinking of taking the car to BMW for diagnosis but I am worried that they will overcharge me even if it is a simple re-adaptation issue. Thank you so much in advance!
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Ok,,,you could perform the re-learning the valvetronic motor,,,,but if the problem does return it looks like your valvetronic motor could be acting up and causing your shaking and rough idle issue
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Thank you, I went them and they did a valvetronic test. First 2 times it failed. When they did the re-learning process, it was successfull in the 3rd test. Like you said, they said if it comes back I have to replace the valvetronic motor and eccentric shaft which are over 3000$ just for the parts. I wonder if it is really that expensive, is it very hard to do it on my own? And do I really need to replace both of them (valvetronic motor and eccentric shaft), do they usually fail together? Is valvetronic motor likely to fail at this mileage?
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Ok,,,if you decide to replace the motor and shaft you need some very special tools to replace the shaft,,,,now if you decide to just replace the motor you might be able to do that depending on your mechanic ability,,,,I would think with 88000 kilometers you might be ok with the motor,,,,but it’s hard to tell
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How are they gonna know which one is failing, do they have to see both of them working visually to determine? Because my local Bmw dealership haven’t seen them visually, they just did some tests and told me if it comes back I have to replace both of them.
And if the re-learn did not work, will the engine light return in couple of days or can it even take months? Because it has already been couple of days and no lights so far.
And I want to say thank you again, I am sure you are very busy, yet you still help other people out. Have a great day man you are the best!!
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No problem,,,ok the dealership is covering their ass by saying to replace both,,,,if it does fail again we know the motor is bad but we don’t know if the shaft is bad even by looking at it,,,,what happens is the shaft gets worn out and starts to bind causing the motor to work harder which then causing more problems.,,,ok now it hard to say if the light will come back on let hope not,,,,but if that motor fails or binds up the check engine light will come on right away.,,,,I hope this helps
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Yeah it helps a lot. Okay so the car is running smooth, no issues. If the valvetronic motor wasn’t working properly I would feel something even after re-learn right? I hope the re-learn worked. And if the light comes back we know that there is an issue with valvetronic motor but how am I gonna know if there is also an issue with the shaft? If the light comes on again, do you think an indy shop will be able to determine if the shaft is bad too? Thank you!
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If the Indy shop is knowledgeable about this issue,,,,then they can chalk out the shaft and bearings on the shaft
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Okayy thank you so much 🙏
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Hi Andreas, hope everything is going well, can I ask u one more question? So I have a 2011 335i 89k kms. Yesterday, a day after resetting the throttle adaptation, my car had a long crank on cold start (I don’t think it is related but anyways), the temperature was around 10•C outside. The start up would usually take like a sec more but it never made me worry about it, sounded healthy but yesterday it took like 5 sec and it was really worrisome. But still the car is running strong and the fuel consumption is the same I guess. I want to diagnose before things get worse. So I’ve noted that it could be a battery, o2 sensor, hpfp, lfpf, coils etc.. The battery was replaced 10kms ago as well as the spark plugs so it makes me think they are probably not causing it? I don’t know what oil the last owner used so do you think it might be because of thickness of the oil? What would you check first, is there anyway I can test some things like smell or anything without unplugging too many stuff? Thank you so much, stay safe!
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No problem,,,usually on those engine and a long crank has to do with the High Pressure Fuel Pump,,,it usually happens during cold start or when the car sits for long periods of time.
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Even though it is N55, do you think it is probably hpfp?
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Yes,,,it’s a good chance it’s the hpfp
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Thank you very much. Is there any possibility that the valvetronic motor issue I’ve explained you before is causing this?
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An update, today I realized white smoke coming out of the exhaust on cold start and stays until the car totally warms up. That very long crank did not happen again btw. Do we have a better guess with the white smoke? Best regards
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how can one see service bulletins for bmw
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You can’t see service bulletin only the ones that are posted on web pages or blogs
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How much white smoke,,,when it gets cold you might have some white smoke during start up,,,does the white smoke have any smell to it like a sweet smell or a fuel smell,,,and are you losing any coolant which could cause the white smoke.
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The valvetronic shouldn’t cause a long crank,,,but you never know with a BMW ,,,lol
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Hahah that is what I thought 🙂 The smoke is not so excessive. I already checked the coolant level today and it was almost at the maximum so I think I shouldn’t be worried until any long crank happens again. If it happens again, I guess I will check for an injector leak or hpfp. I will also check if there are any faulty codes. Thank you so much, I appreciate your response.
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hello andreas Hope all is well. I would appreciate any help .i gave my car a service and now the steering is not working? fault code in ICM says : D019BF steering angle 49.0.2 missing permanent, D016A5 checkcontrol dynamic 02.218.11.32 missing, D0167F electric steering 49.1.2 missing, D015C4 electric steering 234.1.2 missing what to do? best regards
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First thing to do is have the steering angle sensor calibration and hopefully the steering comes back,,,I also wondering if a fuse is blown because you have missing signals,,,,those are the 2 things I would check first if you can.
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Hi Andreas, I’m having an issue with my 2011 535ix. The car runs normal, but if I drive for a long period of time, specially if I get stuck in traffic, the transmission starts jerking. It happens when I shift from park to first, takes a second to engage, and when it does the car jerks pretty bad. Also if I’m driving I feel a jerk when the tranny is downshifting. Any idea what that could be? Any help is very appreciated. Th k you.
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Sorry forgot to say its a F11 2013. Have checked all fuses all ok. No contact with steering. No calibration possible.
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Make sure both plug connector are on the electric steering rack
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They are firmly attached
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Sorry forgot to say its a F10. But i cant connect to steering. So calibration not possible i Will look on fuses
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I’m getting the steering rack clunk when I move the steering wheel left and right when in parked on my 2012 F10 535i. Do you know by chance if this Repair Kit Thrust Piece AFS Set – BMW (32-10-6-891-974) fit the f10? If not is there a repair kit or piece to fit the f10 steering rack.
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It should fit,,,but I’m not 100% sure that it will fit your car.
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2013 x3 2.0L turbo what is your input on oil change intervals 3000, 5000, 7000 miles. Thanks
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I have a 2013 x3 2.0l turbo can I have a remote starter installed on this vehicle? thanks mike s.
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You should be able to,,,,you would just have to find a good aftermarket system that would work.
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2012 F30 N20 146k miles. Intake cam kept jumping (I would reset it using timing tool and just matching it to exhaust cam) then I discovered chain guide problem but I was beyond 7/70 extension. I was told my choices were to swap engine with N20 that was 2015 or newer or to have chain and guide relaced. What I ended up doing was removing both vanos valves and cam sprockets, I removed front crank belt drive pulley , removed the 3 caps which have access to the pegs that hold the chain guide I think there was two torx bolts up top center between cams …. I removed the old guide. I assembled the new guide ( 2 peices ) fished the chain through it and reassembled everything with new tensioner. I would say the hardest part of the job was getting the fly wheel locking pin in place… Point being car is back to being tip top and that little rattle I used to hear when idling is gone . I’m just surprised no one suggested to just replace the chain guide it wasn’t that hard. I think it was like 230 usd from fcp including tensioner.
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I guess you could do that,,,the whole issue is that BMW said that the oil pump chain with guide is also a issue,,,so for BMW for safety reasons they had us replace both at the same time also make sure no pieces were stuck inside the oil pump,,,,,I’m glad this all worked out for you,,,it sounds like you caught the problem before it became a bigger problem.👍
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2012 F30 Comfort Access Limited….. Key fob works fine , kick to open trunk works fine, neither door handles function for lock or unlock by touch , from what I understand most likely just need to replace CA handles , but is there any way I can confirm they are the problem ? Thanks for any help.
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The CA hand,es are one 1 part to this,,,you also have antennas though out the car,,,the antennas are on both sides of the car,,,the trunk area and also 1 on the interior of the car to start the car,,,,you need to diagnose the antenna signals and see if the see the key remote signal.
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Thank you so much for your reply, just yesterday I kept the center display on the fault(s) page which typically reads something like “All Systems OK” . I think I was at a drive-thru or something and the message “Comfort Access Limited” appeared. I selected it for more detail and got a message I hadn’t read before, I should have snapped a picture, it read something like , Possible problem in driver door , key fob could be locked in car….? Do you have any suggestions as where to start to resolve CA? What should I first try to do? I really would like to CA handles working again. Thank you in advance for your help, it is greatly appreciated. GREGG
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……just to add I’ve never had problem with car not seeing Fob in order to start engine , also if I place key fob in boot area and close lid , boot will pop back open.
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Ok,,,so the rear trunk antenna,,,and the interior antenna are working,,,now we have to find out about both outside door antenna if they are connected and if they have a signal,,,,has the car been in accident or a body shop or repair shop and they forgot to plug the antenna back in?,,,we need to scan the car and check the antenna signals
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Hello Andreas!
Thank you for all this knowledge you are sharing! I found your site while searching for N20 timing chain advice, but instead I have spent an hour now just reading through all the posts! Truly fascinating!
My USDM 2013 328i xDrive N20 is approaching 90k miles on the odometer. It has been very reliable, running mostly trouble free until a few months ago when the dreaded exhaust smoke for a 10-15 seconds on cold start arrived. I have all the parts to replace the turbo oil supply line on order, as well as a rebuild kit for the TD04 since the oil line work gets me almost to removing the turbo anyway, and the line might not be the whole problem. And why not do the rest of the work as well… ATF, Pan/filter, both differentials, transfer case, brake fluid, air filters, MAF, plugs and coils, etc….., and now I’ve decided to do the whole timing chain and oil pump job as well. Even though there are no indications that the chain is failing, once it’s done, I won’t have to worry about it.
My problem is that I have found very good DIY videos and resources for the RWD cars, but there is not much online for the AWD cars. I have the Bentley service manual for the F30/31, but it really doesn’t present a clear sequence of steps that come before the timing chain replacement. I am up to speed on the RWD process and performing the work on the motor, the tools needed, etc…. What I have not found is the process/steps for dealing with the front axles, transfer case, driveshaft, locking the flywheel in place, and anything else that is specific to the AWD car.
My question is, where should I be searching? Is there an online factory service manual?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
PDW
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I’m sorry I really don’t know of any outside service manuals,,,the front axles they just pop out of the front diff case and oil pan,,,you have to replace the front axle bolt,,,,the front diff just unbolts nothing special
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Are you back at work yet? Been a long time since I’ve seen an update. Hope you and your family are well!
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Yes I’m back to work,,,,if that what you call it,,,,work is very slim,,,will hopefully start posting in the new year again,,,family doing ok thanks,,,,hope your family is safe.
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Just something frustrating on N20, replaced timing chain and relevant parts with supposedly new updated ones at 92,000km, all OEM, and the chain etc now requires replacement again at 144,000km (FYI 12/2012 N20). Seems the supposedly updated parts haven’t done much? It’s fewer km’s than the original!
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I’m sorry to here that,,,I know you are not the only one,,,this is a major flaw design from BMW that should have been fixed along time ago.
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Hi Andreas,
Love your blog, very educational reading your notes, and also reading your helpful replies to others here.
I have an 2012 F10 N55 535i. I bought it 2 years ago with a relatively low mileage (approx 77k).
Did oil filter outer gasket myself, had rocker cover gasket done (was leaking oil onto cat which plumed smoke!), put decent tyres on it, replaced the door inner waterproof seals (were leaking), and intend to do other bits and pieces to make it perfect to me as I intend to keep it for a good few years.
One thing is the 8 speed ZF box had a couple of ‘quirks’ – going into and out of 6th gear there was always a big lurch, and also in first gear it also lurched as revs increased through approx 2.5k (maybe 3k).
I put auto box flush in, ran for ~300 miles (a lot of stop start in car parks to cover that rev range in 1st gear, and manually going from 5 > 6 > 7 > 6 > 5 > etc), changed oil to OK stuff, have ran that for 3k miles, I intend to put another flush in and then change to decent oil + new pan + filter.
The lurch around 6th gear has completely gone. The lurch part way through 1st has gone 80% of the time. I’m hoping the second flush will completely cure the 1st gear lurch. Done the gearbox reset and the (I think) plate pressure values are OK according to others on BimmerForum.
The car constantly reminds me that the service is due in something like “2010” which is quite cool as it wasn’t built until end of 2011. I’ve read that this is due to a software bug, and BMW may do the software update for free due to this? (and probably try to get me to let them do tons of other work), I’ve heard that updating the software for all car modules will give me a better software for the auto box. Apart from the lurches, in ‘Normal’ mode the car is very, VERY ‘laid back’, kinda feels like old fashioned cars that had huge turbos and 3 second turbo lag. Will an update address this too?
But to the car as a whole, is the 2012 year a good model year to sink more funds into?
I intend to do some work to make it nicer for long term ownership: new wheel (1 is slightly buckled which annoys the heck out of me), upgrade speakers and amp, install CarPlay MMI unit to get Apple CarPlay, replace disks / pads all round.
But if 2012 model year isn’t the best model year for F10, I’m probably better off selling and getting the ‘ideal’ model year.
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Sounds like you are on top of everything,,,the 2012 model is a good year.,,,now with your Tran issue the software update can only help you,,,now with your radio and amp replacement,,,,make sure you have someone know exactly what to do,,,because BMW radio system is something that you should not modify,,,,and they built it that way,,,all the speakers are powered up though the amp.
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I also own an f10 n55 with the sport tranny. How do you get the software update? Mine acts up once in a while.
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The best way is to go the BMW dealer and have the program the transmission and also have the reset the transmission adaption values and hopefully that helps
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Hi Andreas, I’m having an issue with my bmw n55. It’s a 2011 bmw 535 ix. I recently picked it up from the mechanic to replace the vamos solenoids and the MAF sensor. Shortly after I picked it up and drove it a bit, I got a drivetrain malfunction, reduced power. No Check engine light on. Car hesitates when I press the gas, and jerks. I get code
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I own the same car w sport package, and my tranny acts up once in a while, jerks when I go from park to drive, like takes 2 secs to engage and when it does car shakes violently. How do I get the transmission software update?
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Glad to hear 2012 is a good year. The audio changes aren’t touching the radio, but replace the amp and all the speakers. CarPlay MMI unit from the install howto video piggy backs onto the iDrive controller joystick, car command microphone and then injects an audio and video signal into the Aux inputs. Doesn’t give you perfect integration, but it looks very nice to have and does all its stuff without having to reprogram anything!
To others asking about the software update, I’m guessing most BMW garages can do it. Don’t know how much it costs, have heard around $250? It is possible to do it yourself, but you need a 50A 12V charger that’ll supply that power continuously for 5 hours without going bang, suitable laptop, network cable and all the software from somewhere. And een then you run the risk of ending up with a $20k paperweight! I’m letting BMW do mine and I’ve been working with electronics and computers for 30 years.
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Smart move let BMW update the vehicle with the latest software.
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Hi Andreas, I’m having an issue with my bmw n55. It’s a 2011 bmw 535 ix. I recently picked it up from the mechanic to replace the vamos solenoids and the MAF sensor. Shortly after I picked it up and drove it a bit, I got a drivetrain malfunction, reduced power. No Check engine light on. Car hesitates when I press the gas, and jerks. I get code
P13c9.
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Ok,,,make sure the oil and filter are in good shape,,,not that the oil filter has collapsed,,,since the vanos solenoid didn’t work the next thing would be maybe the exhaust vanos unit is jamming or coming apart.
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Apparently when you replace vanos solenoids you need to change the oil as well. The solenoids have a mesh inside, any Debris loosen by the replacement could get stuck in the mesh and throw a fault code. Got a new replacement and I’m all good now.
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Nice
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Great website and Kudos to you for maintaining this site, and all the help you have given to everyone here and on the other BMW forums! I too am looking for some advice. I have a 2011 335d with about 107k miles. I think need to replace my engine mount(s) because the car has a significant vibration at idle. I know these cars have a tendency to wear out the passenger side mount. My questions is, what else should I be looking at, and how hard is it to replace the mounts?
Thanks in advance!
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It’s a little bit of a pain in the ass but not to bad,,,just have to take your time and support the engine,,,I have seen it done a couple of different way,,,1 by jacking up the engine to replace the mount,,,or 2 is maybe lower the subframe and support the engine at the same time you need a lot of big tool doing it that way,,,problem with tp that engine is EGR with coolers,,,and NOX sensors.
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