Engine Malfunction reduced Power new X35D

[jhu321]

Originally Posted by FunfDreisig

FWIW this is a classic "problem" thread on this and other X5 forums.

0 - A forum member's X5 displays a warning light that can be triggered by lots of different problems.
1 - The member posts that the warning light came on and takes their X5 into the dealer.
2 - The dealer SA tells them some garbled story about what MIGHT be wrong before the problem is actually fixed.
3 - Other forum members chime in with possible causes and comments.
4 - The OP gets the vehicle back with minimal hard info on what was actually fixed and another story from the SA.

A lot of this is good. The member with the problem gets support/advice from the forum. The member usually gets their X5 back fixed. We all learn at least one problem that can trigger the warning light. And everyone feels good about it. BUT...We are all left to speculate again the next time, which of many possible problems have triggered the warning light.

What is missing is hard data about what actually caused the problem. BMW's warranty works against us by encouraging owner's to 'not worry their pretty little heads'. And the great irony is that our X5's are equipped with a socket that allows US to read the codes.

As many of you know, the engine light on our 2009 35d came on at around 4000 miles. And I know exactly what code was set when this happened. Because I read it BEFORE I took the X5 to the dealer. Thanks to the help of forum members, I even knew the exact part that the dealer would need to fix it. And more importantly, my SA knew that I knew. The result was that the dealer managed to source a hard to get part and replaced the turbo inter-cooler temp sensor while my wife waited drinking lattes and eating pastries

Anyone who owns an X5 can probably afford to buy a <$50 OBD II code reader. The plug is in the left hand foot well. You can learn a lot without even opening the hood. And the advice you get on this forum can shift from speculation to specification

Funf Dreisig

Funf,

Here's another contribution to the potential cause of the error. my 2010 35d w 18k miles just threw the error... took it in and my SA says its a bad EGR valve.

I don't about you guys but given i've done 18k miles in 10 months the 35d has been fairly good... i've only had to go in for

a) exhaust fluid refill #1
b) exhaust fluid refill #2 + replacement of the 2nd resevoir (something about it leaking)
c) drivers side heated mirror cracked
d) rear climate control fans making clicking noises
e) high battery discharge - (they replaced the battery and a foot well module)
f) 1st oil change maintenance
g) re-top off of oil after the change (was 1 quart low)
h) air temp sensor recall
i) re-program recall
j) and now.. this engine malfunction with the suspected bad egr valve

10 issues in 10 months of ownership... but i did drive it alot so i think i probably pushed it through 2 years worth of its life in 10 months...

[JCL]

Originally Posted by jhu321

a) exhaust fluid refill #1
b) exhaust fluid refill #2 + replacement of the 2nd resevoir (something about it leaking)
c) drivers side heated mirror cracked
d) rear climate control fans making clicking noises
e) high battery discharge - (they replaced the battery and a foot well module)
f) 1st oil change maintenance
g) re-top off of oil after the change (was 1 quart low)
h) air temp sensor recall
i) re-program recall
j) and now.. this engine malfunction with the suspected bad egr valve

10 issues in 10 months of ownership... but I did drive it a lot so I think I probably pushed it through 2 years worth of its life in 10 months...

(a) and (f) were scheduled maintenance. So, you had 8 problems in 10 months, none of them related to mileage. Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.

[jhu321]

Originally Posted by JCL

(a) and (f) were scheduled maintenance. So, you had 8 problems in 10 months, none of them related to mileage. Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.

yeah i was going for a bit of sarcasm... i guess it didn't come across on the net...

i've been relatively disappointed with bmw on the build quality of the X5... my last new bmw was a 3er and that had very minor issues... I had a used M5 and a used 745Li and both were okay... I'm really wondering if its just the quality of work that comes out of the factory in spartanburg.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by jhu321

Yeah I was going for a bit of sarcasm... I guess it didn't come across on the net...

I've been relatively disappointed with BMW on the build quality of the X5... my last new BMW was a 3er and that had very minor issues... I had a used M5 and a used 745Li and both were okay... I'm really wondering if it's just the quality of work that comes out of the factory in spartanburg.

This is just my opinion, but I don't think there is a problem with the quality of work done in Spartanburg. I do think that there are challenges for a manufacturer when the engineering, and engine manufacturing, are done in one country, and then assembly is done in another country many time zones away. I think it is the integration of the various subcomponents, dealing with third party suppliers that are a long way from the mother ship, and so on, that causes the nuisance issues. I don't know where the purchasing function is done, but I suspect it is spread across two continents. The potential issues in this are compounded by BMW's technology-driven approach, which often results in complexity for complexity's sake.

[jhu321]

Originally Posted by JCL

This is just my opinion, but I don't think there is a problem with the quality of work done in Spartanburg. I do think that there are challenges for a manufacturer when the engineering, and engine manufacturing, are done in one country, and then assembly is done in another country many time zones away. I think it is the integration of the various subcomponents, dealing with third party suppliers that are a long way from the mother ship, and so on, that causes the nuisance issues. I don't know where the purchasing function is done, but I suspect it is spread across two continents. The potential issues in this are compounded by BMW's technology-driven approach, which often results in complexity for complexity's sake.

i think there's alot of merit in that... a car is a complex piece of machinery... there are alot of subcomponents and not everything is made by bmw... even if its made by bmw, maintaining quality is a pretty hard job to do.... managing suppliers especially when not in your home turf is really difficult as well.