SES Light On.... Misfire? [help from the pros please]

TheKingSim0n · #1 12-16-2009, 05:05 PM

Okay, So today i started up the X and it was freezing here in NYC, around 26 degrees according to the X. While the car was warming up it started to shake up a lot and then all of a sudden i saw SES light blinking and it stayed on. I connected a OBDII Snap-On E PC and according to the codes I have Multiple Cylinder Misfire, Cylinder 6, 7 and 8 Missfire with 3 different codes.

What could have caused this ? 2001 X5 4.4i with 120K.

Could it be that I need new coils? or maybe I need to check for a vac leak? :/ any help please!

BTW i changed the spark plugs about 2 months ago but i never touched the coils.... any ideas?

Thanks!

Mikedd · #2 12-16-2009, 05:33 PM

Might be oil separator hose causing a vacuum leak. Due to the cold I'd start there.

Tleong · #3 12-17-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikedd

Might be oil separator hose causing a vacuum leak. Due to the cold I'd start there.

I agree.... I had the same problem too but it hasn't reoccured. From what I read, it is the oil separator.

TheKingSim0n · #4 12-17-2009, 10:45 AM

Ill have a look at that.

Strange thing is that this morning it was 24 degrees and I started up the X and SES light went away and non of the shaking happened.

Still say its a vac leak?

Mikedd · #5 12-17-2009, 12:42 PM

Yes, Expansion and contaction with the temperature variations. That separator and hoses will need to be fixed anyway. Consider it maintainence.

Weasel · #6 12-17-2009, 02:24 PM

Was probably a missfire... Was the check engine light flashing while the shaking was happening?

TheKingSim0n · #7 12-17-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weasel

Was probably a missfire... Was the check engine light flashing while the shaking was happening?

Yes it has been, but I didnt have the time to have it checked out yet, im going tomorrow morning but so far I have been driving for 2 days and SES light went away and it didnt repeat itself again so im hoping its just a vac leak...

Weasel · #8 12-18-2009, 12:58 AM

Not a vacuum leak, that would leave the light set steady. The flashing light means there was an active missfire being registered at that time. It takes seeing that missfire a few times before it leaves the light on all the time, just like any fault.

StanF18 · #9 12-18-2009, 12:02 PM

Hey Simon, Mike, Weasel, TLeong:

I would like to proudly join this "E53 Mis-fire Club" as of yesterday, 4:58 PM, Eastern Time

.

Thermometer showed 29F, not what I would call inordinately cold. However my 2006 4.4i begged to differ, and gave me quite the scare when I turned the ignition. Substantial bucking and stuttering of the front end, with a flashing "Service Engine Soon" light. Naively I hoped against hope that this would stop as the X warmed up, but it continued for the next 2 minutes. I put it in Drive and slowly rolled about 100 feet. Problem was not going away!

I stopped, put it in "Park" and turned off the engine. I waited a good 30-40 seconds in the gloomy silence. Turned the ignition back on, and everything was back to normal. No bucking. No engine light.

Everything went well today also.

Weasel, assuming this is a 1-time deal, any possibility that engine can be damaged somehow during that 2-minute nightmare? Is this only an E53 thing, or does it happen periodically on other Bimmers? And finally, any action I need to take after the fact, or just pretend like it was a bad one-time deal?

mrbmwx5 · #10 12-18-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StanF18

Hey Simon, Mike, Weasel, TLeong:

I would like to proudly join this "E53 Mis-fire Club" as of yesterday, 4:58 PM, Eastern Time
Thermometer showed 29F, not what I would call inordinately cold. However my 2006 4.4i begged to differ, and gave me quite the scare when I turned the ignition. Substantial bucking and stuttering of the front end, with a flashing "Service Engine Soon" light. Naively I hoped against hope that this would stop as the X warmed up, but it continued for the next 2 minutes. I put it in Drive and slowly rolled about 100 feet. Problem was not going away!

I stopped, put it in "Park" and turned off the engine. I waited a good 30-40 seconds in the gloomy silence. Turned the ignition back on, and everything was back to normal. No bucking. No engine light.

Everything went well today also.

Weasel, assuming this is a 1-time deal, any possibility that engine can be damaged somehow during that 2-minute nightmare?Is this only an E53 thing, or does it happen periodically on other Bimmers? And finally, any action I need to take after the fact, or just pretend like it was a bad one-time deal?

Ohoh Time for new X5M.