The car has been in the dealer for the last 3 days and BMW Germany have been analysing data. It was decided there was a fault with a vanos sensor, I don't know the full details but they were going to change it.

Then today I was told that parts within the vanos system are pre-lubed with some different oil and this needed purging from the system, Germany apparently told them do this rather than change the sensor. They told me this had cured the problem, they had road tested the car and all was perfect.

I drove the car 200 yards from the dealer and the screen said engine fault, reduced power and it went into limp home, I drove it straight back in and showed them, they looked a bit sheepish and said they will have to change the sensor, which they had apparently ordered but were told not to fit

I told them I was taking the car home anyway and asked if they could fit the part tomorrow (Saturday), they said maybe and will be phoning in the morning.

So I am no further forward with this, one thing I have noticed is that the warning seems to appear when car is driven and the engine partially warmed, ie if you drive the car and then park up for 30 mins to 1 hour and drive off the warning seems to appear, when driven from cold or the car is stopped when hot and restarted the warning does not appear.

Quite frankly I am disgusted, a 3 week old car costing £82500, (US $124000), its been off the road for 3 days this week and I have been in a shitty 1 series and it still has the same fault.

JOY IS NOT WASTING YOUR MONEY ON AN X5 M !