2009 320i M-sport
2009 320i M-sport
Author
Discussion

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Hi guys - first ever post on here, so please be gentle, thank you.

Bit of a story, but I am hoping some of you could maybe shed some light on a problem I've got with it.

Okay - I've got a 2009 320i M-sport Business Edition, 34000 miles from new (was used as a Mobility car!!).

2 days after I bought it, the engine management warning light lit up (orange) - took it back to the place I bought it from & they reset the sensor, saying it was probably because the disabled woman who had the car before me did home > hops > home driving all the time & the emissions were clogging up the system.

It was fine for a while, the warning light occasionally coming on, but used to "self fix" and go out.

More recently, when cold starting it, there is a slight "shudder" from the engine which then self clears after a few minutes driving.

I booked the car in to the garage to check things out - initially they thought it was just the oxygen sensor that needed replacing.

After they'd had it for the day, they phoned me & said "not the sensor, but might be the coils so we'll change them" ... later on? "not the coils, may be fuel injector(s)" ... later on? "not fuel injector, might be timing chain.

At that point I said "hang on - if it was the timing chain, surely it would be missing/wobbling ALL of the time, not just when it has been standing for a little while?!"

Now?

I am picking the car up this afternoon, and it hasn't been fixed & they have no idea why it is causing the temporary issue. They said that it is still. misfiring in cylinder 3, but don't know why. There are now no error codes & engine management warning light is not lighting up (apparently).

It's not serious, I'm sure, as it sounds normal once it has warmed up/been driven a few minutes.

Any ideas - anything?

Also - should I pay the garage for NOT fixing it?

Sorry it's a long first thread, but I want to get it sorted out asap.

Cheers

Ian

Mattiebmw

194 posts

149 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Hi mate, I have a 2008 120i msport witch is now on 168k. Not had any issues like your describe I would give it back personally and get your money back, if things don't seem right on such a low mileage and they can't fix it could mean trouble ahead.

Smuler

2,288 posts

170 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
I agree, I'd get money back.

The seemingly closest issue I had was on an older six cylinder petrol where it was wrongly diagnosed as coils/injectors and was in fact oil getting onto the spark plugs.
A tiny oil leak, not even a MOT fail but actually to rectify it, a big job. That's always the concern.





Mattiebmw

194 posts

149 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Yeah it doesn't sound good especially as they can't seem to work out what is wrong with it. I'd give it straight back and get something else

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Oh great - big problem with "give it back" is that I have had it about 6 months now, so it's 3 months past any warranty it had, so I'm pretty sure they'd say "no" to that ....

Mike335i

6,088 posts

133 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Hi, think you also posted in Bimmerforums too so ruled out injectors, plugs, coils and timing chain etc.

I wonder if it is worth taking the car to a specialist or a good main dealer for diagnostics. A good garage shouldn't just give up with a clear fault.

Other option is to reject the car, which it is not too late for. Have a good look at the consumer rights act 2015 which would apply to this.

Good luck

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Hi Mike - yeah - just throwing lots of coal into the fire to see what catches alight hahahaha

When I go to pick it up this afternoon, I will ask them if there is an underlying problem that is going to be expensive in the long run, or whether it'll be an easy fix when someone specialised can sort it out.

I am now thinking "maybe it's just a spark plug"!

I have a couple of local specialists to contact - one BMW, one a recommendation from a work colleague. And a BMW specialist in South Wales.

See what they say this afternoon.

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
Just looked at the Consumer Rights Act details.

I can't prove that there was a problem with it when I bought it - yes, I took it back there 2 days after buying it & had the engine management warning light reset, but that was just me popping back & them resetting it.

I can't prove the issue was there from day 1, so I guess I could either get it fixed by someone, or sell it privately.

I dunno any more - sad right now cos it's a nice car.

E-bmw

13,631 posts

183 months

Saturday 9th September 2017
quotequote all
There are only really a few things to cause a full on missfire and these shouldn't be too difficult for a competent mechanic to sort out.

Plug/injector/coil/wiring.

Scenario - Missfire on number 3.

Do a compression test.

Put number 3 plug in number one, number 3 coil on number 2, number 3 injector on number 4.

Start it the next day, you either have your culprit if the fault moves or it doesn't.

If it doesn't then you are looking primarily to engine wiring loom point-to-point tests.

Yes, there are other things that could be the issue, but the above will get well over 90% at a guess.

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Sunday 10th September 2017
quotequote all
Picked the car up from the garage - injectors cleaned, sensor cleaned, apparently new coil pack.

No charge, thank you.

I'm now looking for an independent BMW specialist to see if they can sort it out.

Oh, I'm also going to buy a set of spark plugs - hopefully these will be fine & I can't believe that they changed the coil pack but didn't touch the spark plugs: http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/BMW_3+Series_2.0...

Edited by CaptainChaos6 on Sunday 10th September 10:53


Edited by CaptainChaos6 on Sunday 10th September 10:54

SebringMan

1,774 posts

217 months

Sunday 10th September 2017
quotequote all
How long have you owned the car for?

Personally I'd take it back under the Consumer Rights Act if it is less than 30 days. That and the 320i is not known for being the most reliable BMW out there engine wise.

Mike335i

6,088 posts

133 months

Sunday 10th September 2017
quotequote all
So the spark plugs were never ruled out? Seems an obvious thing to miss...

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Sunday 10th September 2017
quotequote all
I've had the car 6 months, so the Consumer Rights thing is pass its sell-by date, sadly.

Yeah, Mike - after they told me they'd changed the coil pack & drove the car home, I said to a mechanic friend & straight away he said "spark plugs changed?" ... "nope" ... "oh ferchrist-sake!"

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Thursday 14th September 2017
quotequote all
Hi Mike - same reply as Bimmerforums here hahahaha

Finally! A result ....

Popped into a local BMW specialist near where I live & they immediately said "cylinder 3, within threshold, but not right - injector"

I booked it in & asked if they'd do the spark plugs as well, so now I have a car that runs like it should run (so far) with new injector in cylinder 3.

They did say that the NOX sensor is throwing up an error but I just need to take it for a longer higher speed run to clear that.

They also said that BMW put cheap crap on a lot of their cars which is why they go wrong more often than they should.

Anyway - car fixed - £380 lighter wallet (I'm sure BMW would have charged double that!

Cheers guys for the advice.

Mike335i

6,088 posts

133 months

Thursday 14th September 2017
quotequote all
Awesome, glad you got it sorted. It did seem like an injector issue as they are really common failure.

CaptainChaos6

Original Poster:

22 posts

110 months

Thursday 14th September 2017
quotequote all
Yeah Mike - the garage I got it sorted in said that BMW have THOUSANDS of parts in their store because they put cheap crap on KNOWING that they'd go wrong!

Mike335i

6,088 posts

133 months

Thursday 14th September 2017
quotequote all
They did fail frequently, but the revised parts are much better so the new one should last at least.