E90 335i weird engine management light.
Discussion
Hi BMW PHers,
Had a strange issue on the way home tonight.
I was pulling off a roundabout down a slip road. DTC on (light in dash). Put foot down to redline in 2nd, some flashing from TC light, shifted to 3rd and around 5000RPM the car felt and sounded like it hit the rev limiter, and the engine light came on at the top of the dash, flashed first then stayed on. Nothing on the screens in the dash (no idrive). I had now slowed down and switched off DTC, but the light stayed on for around 30 seconds and then switched off.
Car drove fine apart from when it felt like i hit a limiter, full power before and after.
Does this sound like a DTC malfunction? I read some people having similar issues due to dirty/rusty ABS sensors.
Whole episode was around 1 minute long, and car doesnt seem to have any other issues. Regularly get my foot down and haven't had the same issue.
Any thoughts? Seems like some kind of TC/DTC issue to me.
Had a strange issue on the way home tonight.
I was pulling off a roundabout down a slip road. DTC on (light in dash). Put foot down to redline in 2nd, some flashing from TC light, shifted to 3rd and around 5000RPM the car felt and sounded like it hit the rev limiter, and the engine light came on at the top of the dash, flashed first then stayed on. Nothing on the screens in the dash (no idrive). I had now slowed down and switched off DTC, but the light stayed on for around 30 seconds and then switched off.
Car drove fine apart from when it felt like i hit a limiter, full power before and after.
Does this sound like a DTC malfunction? I read some people having similar issues due to dirty/rusty ABS sensors.
Whole episode was around 1 minute long, and car doesnt seem to have any other issues. Regularly get my foot down and haven't had the same issue.
Any thoughts? Seems like some kind of TC/DTC issue to me.
DTC systems in BMW's control loss of traction by braking the wheels and also limiting the power from the engine. It may have simply glitched out, or you may have a faulty DTC module. As it involves both the TC and the ABS, both modules need checking. Run codes then see from there. The engine management light seems unusual however, but it may still be linked to the DTC system glitching out due to a fault, whilst it was working and trying to limit the engine power to stop the wheels from spinning.
Seems its perhaps not a DTC problem after all.
This happened again yesterday, and the car was misfiring and shaking under acceleration, until the revs dropped for a period and then the MIL light went out.
Will get a code reader plugged in and see if anything is triggered. Otherwise may need to trigger MIL by driving hard and then check the codes while the light is still on
This happened again yesterday, and the car was misfiring and shaking under acceleration, until the revs dropped for a period and then the MIL light went out.
Will get a code reader plugged in and see if anything is triggered. Otherwise may need to trigger MIL by driving hard and then check the codes while the light is still on
joe1145 said:
That's what I am dreading, as I believe they are far from cheap.
If I can get a missfire code then I will start with plugs, and then coils if it continues.
Did you replace all injectors or just one?
All were done, under warranty. They were a brand beginning with P and there was a BMW directive I believe to replace all in the event of one or more being faulty ;hence car went in on a truck cos the BMW tech I'd called out couldn't do the faulty one/s at home. If I can get a missfire code then I will start with plugs, and then coils if it continues.
Did you replace all injectors or just one?
I can recall a chap from here and E90 post paying around 1500£ I presume for all six. I've also read they need to be replaced in banks of 3, so maybe a lesser cost.
But on your info, your car is a 2007. Is it really low mileage? I'm surprised if you have the p branded ones that they lasted.
And I've also read about N54 engine cars getting a recall for the injectors. Might be worth looking into?
Not a turbo, but when I had similar symptoms on an old E46 it was firstly injectors (failing over time rather than a known fault) but when I was about to complain as it happened again, it was found to be an oil leak which had , for what want of a better word, ruined the spark-plugs. So worth checking.
The code reader I used in all instances was just a cheap one from Amazon (5£) with an android app but it gave same result as the various mechanics / techs software.
The car is a 2007, and has 115k.
I'm not sure if the injectors have been replaced but the car did have BMW warranty on it for around half of its life, and the turbos were replaced on the warranty. There was various other warranty work done as well, so I will have to check the paperwork and see what has been replaced.
I've just got a code reader of amazon so going to plug it in and see what I get.
I'm not sure if the injectors have been replaced but the car did have BMW warranty on it for around half of its life, and the turbos were replaced on the warranty. There was various other warranty work done as well, so I will have to check the paperwork and see what has been replaced.
I've just got a code reader of amazon so going to plug it in and see what I get.
BMW contacted me, and the car is due for 2 recalls. None for injectors however.
Tried to recreate the issue on the way home tonight, 3 pulls all the way though second, third and fourth and no issue whatsoever.
The code reader showed no codes.
I feel this will be awkward to diagnose as the MIL light goes off within a minute and the car drives fine the rest of the time.
Tried to recreate the issue on the way home tonight, 3 pulls all the way though second, third and fourth and no issue whatsoever.
The code reader showed no codes.
I feel this will be awkward to diagnose as the MIL light goes off within a minute and the car drives fine the rest of the time.
joe1145 said:
BMW contacted me, and the car is due for 2 recalls. None for injectors however.
Tried to recreate the issue on the way home tonight, 3 pulls all the way though second, third and fourth and no issue whatsoever.
The code reader showed no codes.
I feel this will be awkward to diagnose as the MIL light goes off within a minute and the car drives fine the rest of the time.
Was it very hot when it happened? Tried to recreate the issue on the way home tonight, 3 pulls all the way though second, third and fourth and no issue whatsoever.
The code reader showed no codes.
I feel this will be awkward to diagnose as the MIL light goes off within a minute and the car drives fine the rest of the time.
Have you filled up, somewhere different, a garage that has fuel issues?
Those scenarios (given to me by the mechanic) were in play, the only other time I had similar symptoms. Car was a diesel , but a turbo?
It is strange not to get fault codes, at least in my opinion, of the two examples I gave.
The car wasnt hot. Around 100 on the oil temperature gauage. Outside temperature around 26-28.(yesterday)
Temperature today showing 27 so a similar outside temperature. Filled up yesterday afternoon, and both the issues happened on the same tank. Car had around 6L of fuel in it before filling up so possibly dodgy fuel. All fuel was from the dame petrol station (Tesco momentum).
Basically everything the same between today and yesterday apart from fuel.
Will just leave the car for now and see if it happens again. If there is a problem with anything then im sure it will get worse. Car has always run fine.
Temperature today showing 27 so a similar outside temperature. Filled up yesterday afternoon, and both the issues happened on the same tank. Car had around 6L of fuel in it before filling up so possibly dodgy fuel. All fuel was from the dame petrol station (Tesco momentum).
Basically everything the same between today and yesterday apart from fuel.
Will just leave the car for now and see if it happens again. If there is a problem with anything then im sure it will get worse. Car has always run fine.
My 335i exhibited similar symptoms when the high pressure fuel pump was starting to fail.
Drove fine most of the time, but occasionally under full throttle accerlation it felt like you'd hit wall (in reality the engine revs failed to increase, but my mind was expecting continued rapid acceleration so it felt like the car had 'stopped'). Once I stopped and went to pull away again the car had a very uneven idle and shook like crazy when pulling away.
The first dozen or so times the engine management light went away after turning the ignition off and on again and no fault codes were stored, which I found odd. The one day after it happened the rough idle remained and the light wouldn't go away. Mine was under extended warranty so I needed to wait for the light to get it replaced FOC.
Assuming it's an N54 it has 2 fuel pumps, so you can still drive it, just very slowly.
Drove fine most of the time, but occasionally under full throttle accerlation it felt like you'd hit wall (in reality the engine revs failed to increase, but my mind was expecting continued rapid acceleration so it felt like the car had 'stopped'). Once I stopped and went to pull away again the car had a very uneven idle and shook like crazy when pulling away.
The first dozen or so times the engine management light went away after turning the ignition off and on again and no fault codes were stored, which I found odd. The one day after it happened the rough idle remained and the light wouldn't go away. Mine was under extended warranty so I needed to wait for the light to get it replaced FOC.
Assuming it's an N54 it has 2 fuel pumps, so you can still drive it, just very slowly.
Looking through the history the spark plugs were changed 25k ago, at least one coil has been replaced before due to missfire and no evidence of injector replacement.
At the moment it could be anything fuel or ignition related but I havent been able to replicate it again. Eventually I'm sure if there is an issue it will get worse.
At the moment it could be anything fuel or ignition related but I havent been able to replicate it again. Eventually I'm sure if there is an issue it will get worse.
My betting is also the high pressure fuel pump (HPFP), usually starts off as intermittent limp mode when you boot it after which you have very little power (ie struggle to get up hill type lack of power) but will reset itself with an ignition off/on. It then seems to evolve to stay like that permanently so can leave you stranded.
HPFP is about £600 from the dealers and can be DIY fitted, I've done one on a mates N54 and another on a family members N53, the former was easier to do due to the inlet manifold layout but both can be done in a few hours.
HPFP is about £600 from the dealers and can be DIY fitted, I've done one on a mates N54 and another on a family members N53, the former was easier to do due to the inlet manifold layout but both can be done in a few hours.
SO had this happen again last night but the EML stayed on.
Managed to pull a code for a misfire on cyclinder 6.
Intending to replace all spark plugs and coils. I know the Plugs were changed around 30K ago, no idea if coils have ever been replaced and figured I would change them all while I'm in there.
Managed to pull a code for a misfire on cyclinder 6.
Intending to replace all spark plugs and coils. I know the Plugs were changed around 30K ago, no idea if coils have ever been replaced and figured I would change them all while I'm in there.
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