Service Engine Soon Light Keeps Coming On

[bklynbm]

weasel56 thanks for the input...can you explain the difference between faults in the DME versus faults stored in the EGS?

Is the DME specific to the engine and EGS to the transmission?

[Weasel]

Exactly. The DME is the "digital motor electronics" and is the engines control unit, and the EGS is the transmission control unit. (that acronym is in german)

[daway]

I have a 2001 X5 3.0i that has 90,200 miles and the SES light just came on today. I run 91 or above (mostly 92). I do not have a OBDII but the auto shop down the street has one so i will check the codes tomorrow.

"if the light is on and there are no faults stored in the DME... the faults stored in the EGS"

Can i pull codes from the EGS and DME w/ the OBDII?

Also should i be driving the X around w/ the SES?
The light stays on soild and does not blink/flash so no misfiring. In the owners manual it states that flashing or blinking indicates a severe level of enine misfire.

[Weasel]

Originally Posted by daway

I have a 2001 X5 3.0i that has 90,200 miles and the SES light just came on today. I run 91 or above (mostly 92). I do not have a OBDII but the auto shop down the street has one so i will check the codes tomorrow.

"if the light is on and there are no faults stored in the DME... the faults stored in the EGS"

Can i pull codes from the EGS and DME w/ the OBDII?

Also should i be driving the X around w/ the SES?
The light stays on soild and does not blink/flash so no misfiring. In the owners manual it states that flashing or blinking indicates a severe level of enine misfire.

You could only read transmission faults with a OBDII reader that reads that, and has the european software... But the ses light is likely gonna have faults stored in the engine computer. The EGS comment was to remind people that if they have a SES light but no stored codes, that's where it would be hiding. Not common though.

[Wayne's World]

Weasel - was wondering if you could comment.

I pretty much have the same prob. 2006 X5 3.0L, 90K miles. Did a huge tune up recently but the P1092 - Pre Catalyst Fuel Trim Too Lean Bank 2 keeps popping up.

I pulled the spark plugs and all look the same. A bit of a sooty rim with heat marks down about 2-3 threads. The ground strap is white-ish along with the insulator. There is a bit of gas/soot liquidy stuff on the threads as well. Could be oil but there was 0 oil in the spark plug hole.

I swapped the oxygen sensors to see if the code would switch to the other bank but it remained.

Recently replaced the valve cover gasket and spark plugs. I fear that I may not have tightened or torqued either down properly, especially towards the rear where it's a little difficult to reach.

In this condition where it's definitely a problem in the rear and something is causing more oxygen to enter the exhaust gas, could it be that either the valve cover or the spark plugs aren't tight enough and air can get in that way?

But either way - I have never gotten a lean condition on both banks. It's only been this 1 all along. I have checked for vacuum leaks and cleaned the MAF sensor twice in 3K miles. I've also run through 2 fuel system cleaners (Chevron Techron and Redline SI1) in the last 3K miles but typically vacuum leaks will affect both banks, no?

I'm at work now and don't have access to a torque wrench but just curious if not tightning the spark plugs or valve cover gasket would trigger ONLY the rear bank?

[donovan]

Mine's been on and off the for 4 cycles now ('01 3.0, 125k miles)

1st time, it was P0171 and P0174, I reset it with the ODB tool

It came back on within a week, then disappeared by itself (suspected gas cap). Then reappeared and disappeared the next week. Didn't get the chance to read codes.

Then it was on again. Re-read and it was P0171 and P0174 as before, Plus a new one P0455 (did a search and gas cap was a likely cause). I noticed my gas cap is loose, even though I make sure it clicks after I reset it. Possible wear and tear on the cap?

I've driven 2 weeks / 1000 miles since the last reset and SES hasn't lit up yet. I've also made it a habit to just click the gas cap tightly every morning until I get around to replacing it.

If it lights up again, then I'm gonna clean the MAFs and start poking around.

[StartX5]

Experience with my 528i at 150K: SES light on and it was so annoying me.
SES light can gives you ton of problems. It's not only transmission nor sparks it can be thermostat, coolant horses, waterbump, engine belts .... and so on. When it happened, i used ODBII code reader and scanned it. It gave me serveral errors in the engine. I wrote down all error codes and trying to see what these codes stands for. After investigated all errrors i bring to my friend at indy shop. He found out exactly what i used cheap ODBII scanner:
1. Thermostat
2. Engine Belts
3. Air Filter
4. Replace Sparks (second time)
5. Engine Oil Change
6. Oil Services

After all services completed, the SES ligh disappeared and it has another 75K totally 214K at them time i was selling it.

[killcrap]

Originally Posted by StartX5

Experience with my 528i at 150K: SES light on and it was so annoying me.
SES light can gives you ton of problems. It's not only transmission nor sparks it can be thermostat, coolant horses, waterbump, engine belts .... and so on. When it happened, i used ODBII code reader and scanned it. It gave me serveral errors in the engine. I wrote down all error codes and trying to see what these codes stands for. After investigated all errrors i bring to my friend at indy shop. He found out exactly what i used cheap ODBII scanner:
1. Thermostat
2. Engine Belts
3. Air Filter
4. Replace Sparks (second time)
5. Engine Oil Change
6. Oil Services

After all services completed, the SES ligh disappeared and it has another 75K totally 214K at them time i was selling it.

probably just the thermostat that needed replacement. ive been though 5 on mine..

[bgsquad]

Most of the times due to dirty fuel... it has been going on and off for 7 monthes (since i bought it) but after a long trip, it never turned off :s i might just ask the dealer to fix it in a couple of monthes when oil change is due...

[Wayne's World]

So in response to my own thread - and I may be jinxing it here - but after pulling the plugs yesterday, I cleared the codes. It's been 24 hrs and 30 miles and the light hasn't returned. I did not torque the plugs down originally when I replaced them. I didn't torque them down this time but did tighten them more than I tightened them originally. I'm going to ride this wave out and see if the light stays off. If so, I will torque them all down properly. I think with them being loose, especially one or more in cylinder 4-6, it was letting air in past the threads.