3.0 Manual X5 First Post/Question

[DSNoad]

Hello All,

First post here on this forum, but I have been lurking for the past few weeks since purchasing my '02 manual X5. I have regularly hung out on bimmerforums since I got my '93 325is as my first car 9 years ago. Got hooked on the BMW culture, and picked this guy up as my second.

After searching for the following problem, I decided it might be best for me to describe the oddity in hopes that fellow manual X5 owners would have some insight:

Here's what happens...Every gear shift (although more evident when going 1st to 2nd, or 2nd to 3rd), it seems the rpms "drift" upward after I depress the clutch, even when I fully release the throttle. For example: "cruising" in 1st with rpm's increasing, release gas and rpm's still increase a bit, depress clutch, and shift. The shorter the time gap between letting off the gas and depressing the clutch, the farther the rpm's drift upwards....weird. It almost seems like the car doesn't react to me letting off the throttle fast enough, but then again it's not like my speed is still increasing when I let off. Only the rpm's.

Any advice, or input on this? I hope some of you may have had this experience before. I also recently (as in today) noticed a sudden decrease in acceleration, almost like I am in too low of a gear when I want to be zippy, even if I am already at 2.5k rpm. I assume this is unrelated since I saw the aforementioned rpm issue before this, but even so I thought it was worth noting.

Anyway, I thought I would just ask. Any and all help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Dillon

[Bayerische E53]

Sounds like you might have a vacuum leak past throttle body. The throttle body o-ring may be the culprit. It could also be the intake manifold-head gaskets. You may also have a bad throttle position sensor, throttle body actuator, or the throttle pedal may itself be bad. I'd run a diagnostic.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[upallnight]

Before throwing parts at the problem, the first thing to do would be to get it scan to see if you have any DTC. Not all DTC will set of a CEL, MIL, or SES. The DME may also be storing pending DTC.

[DSNoad]

Originally Posted by upallnight

Before throwing parts at the problem, the first thing to do would be to get it scan to see if you have any DTC. Not all DTC will set of a CEL, MIL, or SES. The DME may also be storing pending DTC.

This seems like a good bet, and after doing some reading, the throttle body does seem like a likely culprit. Other than taking it to a costly dealer, do you have any advice on where I could have the codes pulled? I will likely have more BMW's in the future along with the two I already own, so would you suggest buying a code reader? If so, any one in particular that you would recommend?

[upallnight]

I use Carsoft 6.5 when I had an E34, but since purchasing the X I use an App call Torque and a bluetooth OBD II scanner since the X has a OBD II socket. But not all modules in the X can be scanned through the OBD II, since my X also have the 20 pins diagnostic link, I also have a software called BMW Scanner 1.4. I use that to scan the modules that can't be scan through the Obd II port.

My Carsoft 6.5 is also able to scan the X. Carsoft 6.5 is used on computers or ,laptop with a serial port. Some people have been able to get it to work on a laptop with a usb to serial port converter, but there are probably more people that never got it to work.

I would get a copy of BMW Scanner 1.4 and the cable to connect it to your X and a computer.

[DSNoad]

Will this work? It's much cheaper than I expected...almost too good to be true?

BMW Scanner 1.4-BMW Scanner 1.4.0-Online Shopping

[upallnight]

Yes that should work. Do you have the 20 pins diagnostic socket in the engine bay? If you do you also need to get a 20 pins to OBD II cable. If you have a X that is 2002 and later you won't need the 20 pins to OBD II cable, everything can be handle through the OBD II port.

[DSNoad]

Ok, thanks for the advice everyone. I had the codes pulled and wrote down the following:

0xE4 (288) Lambda Controller deviation Bank 2
0xE3 (227) Lambda Controller deviation Bank 1

0x50 (80) Supply voltage

0xBF (191) Instrument Cluster electrically erasable programmable read only memory error coding faulty incomplete

0xC7 (199) Tank-Lid transmitter

0xOD (13) Redundant message contradiction

0x16 (22) LWR - Potentiometer Open

0xA6 (166) Mirror BT Potentiometer vertical or lines

0x95 (149) Interior protection fuse or line

0x7E (126) SHD Switch or feed lines

The man at the shop that I took it to to have the codes read told me the first two are O2 sensors...is this true?

Would the O2 sensors answer both the bogged down feel and the increasing rpm's after throttle is released?

Thanks again

[Ricky Bobby]

lambda = o2 sensors so yes your mechanic was right

the other codes are generic so i don't know what they mean, you MAY have bad o2 sensors but i'm not sure. Bank 1 is usually pre-cat and bank 2 is post cat

[DSNoad]

Would this explain both problems, or could it still be a throttle body issue. Anyway for me to dig around and identify the problem first before buying parts or payin for labor?