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aloo_bazi View Drop Down
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    Posted: 13-January-2008 at 22:31

Hi all,

I have a 2003 "03" 330 Ci Auto.

I had the car inspection 1 done about 2 months ago and I've done less than 2000 miles in it since the service.

in the last couple days I have an orange warning light permanently on the dashboard. the symbol is of the engine block.

I looked up the symbol in the operators book and it says ... the emission valves have deteriorated,take it to a BMW specialist to have it checked out.

The car is still driveable and starts fine but I have noticed I have lost acceleration. Its very slow reaching upto 30 or more.

so does any one know what this means and is this a serious fault which will cost a lot of money to fix?

is it still safe to continue driving the car for short journeys without further damage to the car?

I'm not very technically minded and I'm reluctant to blindly take the car to a BMW garage...as we all know they charge an arm and a leg

 

Thanking you all in advance for any replies and advice

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Rossi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-January-2008 at 23:06

not 100% sure but, either or both of the lambda probes (before/ after the catalytic converter) may be on their way out. These regulate the engines fuel/ air mixture and adjust according to emmision readings taken by the probe/s. This would likely be the cause of loss of power in acceleration and response.

Cost of probes are around £60 each.

shouldn't take long tho 1/2-3/4 hour or so to fit if this proves to be the problem.

Someone will clarify this soon.

BTW welcome to the forum

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-January-2008 at 23:15

thanks for the reply

 

should this problem had been picked up during the service at the BMW garage???

so what are emission valves?

is the £60 cost from BMW?

can I buy cheaper equivalents?

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Rossi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-January-2008 at 09:34
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should this problem had been picked up during the service at the BMW garage??? No, how long is a piece of string..

so what are emission valves? Feck knows, maybe lambda probes

is the £60 cost from BMW? No, they will charge more deffo..

can I buy cheaper equivalents? Yes, GSF for instance


This will be clarified by the BMW diagnostics test before they do any work (and charge you £90+ p/ hour for the labour)

NOTE: It may not be this diagnosis though, it may be something else.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-January-2008 at 14:25

^^^ thanks for the info Rossi

 

I spoke to BMW this morning..they said if i take the car in..minimum £78 for the diagnostics before they do any actual repairs..then extra for the repair..it could be anything around £200 plus

 

any one here know exactly where these lambda probes are on the car???...can any one put up some diagrams or pics of the location?

there seems to be 2 versions of these probes....one version is these probes could be on the exhaust manifold pipes up front in the engine..the second version is they could be mounted on or around the cat at the rear under the car???

since the fault first occurred during heavy rains and motorway drive over roads with large pools of water...I'm guessing its gonna be any sensors under the car????

 

330Ci Auto March 2003 E46 engine....

 

I'm totally confused 

 

 

damn car has been problems and problems from day one I bought it last september



Edited by aloo_bazi
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Rossi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-January-2008 at 15:01
aloo_bazi, Go here to find out where everything is on your car. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Barry_Mc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14-January-2008 at 19:47
I had the same problem, light came on, got diagnostics done and it was the oxygen sensor 1 (front), mine came on out of the blue on a straight road no water, gas thing is few days later the light went off after driving in hard rain and wet roads, my MPG has dropped but it's in need of a service. car is running fine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-January-2008 at 14:22

Originally posted by Rossi Rossi wrote:

aloo_bazi, Go here to find out where everything is on your car. 

 

 

thankz Rossi

I now know where and what the lambda probe looks like... another of my beemer owner mate pointed it out to me...the front one is very easily identifiable (looks like a spark plug with 4 wires sticking out)....and I'm confident to say...even my self with limited mechanical knowledge will be able to change the front one...just undo one nut (not including the one writing this message...LoL ) 

the second one will be abit harder...I think its under the car somewhere...I havent managed to find it yet...also I dont have a ramp to raise the car to look underneath...but both of the wiring cables and connectors are at the front next to each other very easily accesible.

the only thing is, if I change either or both (if I can find cheap ones on e-bay) will I need specialist computer software to reset the dashboard warning light????



Edited by aloo_bazi
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-January-2008 at 14:38
Your probably better to get a diagnostics done to determine if this is the actual problem first.
You could adopt a local BMW specialist who has the required diagnostic equipment/ reset equipment to do this for you and if his prices are reasonable just get him to do the lot for you.

If it is the lambda probe(s), you should be able to get OEM lambda probe(s) from GSF here
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-January-2008 at 09:32

Ok Folkz..

 

I found a mate at work whos got BMW OBD software on his laptop.

so at lunchtime we frigged about with it on my car...we couldnt get a full live data readout (I think his software is older version) but we read other stuff. finally we reset the engine warning light on the dashboard...and the car now seems to be running normal-ish

 

the warning light hasn't come back on again

 

so we shall see if any problems re-appear in the next few days/weeks.

 

I'm chuffed, I didnt have to pay Mr BMW blindly a sh*t load of money for a simple rectification....Yipppeeeee !

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-January-2008 at 10:55
hmm..
More than likely, the fault shall re-appear if you haven't rectified it but, if it is lambda probe related, your emissions may fail the next MOT.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jerry 523i Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-January-2008 at 12:37

Hi, not knowing your car I am not 100% sure if the following is correct, however I had no problems changing my Lambda probes in my 5 series. Looking at Parkers online review, I assume your motor is a 6 cyl in-line 3 litre?

Essentially either there are 2 probes in the exhaust maifold; one for the rear three cyls, one for the front. Both can be (with nimble fingers and a good open spanner) removed within 20 minutes or less.

When using copper coat / ease... take care do not get it on the sensor of the new probe, but it is a good idea, so you can get it out again!

Alternatively there is one probe in front of the catalitic convertor and one to the rear. The front one can be done with a bit of a fiddle... the rear one is a pig! Apparently you can loosen the manifold drop it down a little, then using a tool for lambda probes remove it. I haven't tried this yet! You may well find a panel or two in the way just to really make life fun, however these come off easily.

Once these go wrong they are unlikely to remain correct for long, and will reduce your driving fun... .

Any exhaust place can fit these though, so quickfit, national etc should be able to do the work for less of a fortune!

Then get your mate with the software to reset the accomodation values, so your motor can get to work re-tuning itself for the new probes.

If you feel energetic and do the job yourself, only buy new probes off e-bay, I would recomend Europarts, but ring them and ensure you get the right ones, they sent me correct ones for a 5 series... but not correct for my motor. These were somewhat more expensive than the listed ones. They also sell the tool for removing them.

good luck!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-January-2008 at 15:31

Thanks Rossi and Jerry

since my mate did the diagnostic and reset the engine warning light on the dash..the lamp has not come on again.

the car seem to run Ok..its not making any unusual noises...but I'm getting a bit less MPG than before.

I have a long M.o.T left on the car, so I'll prbably look into the fault again closer to M.o.T time

 

if the worse comes to worse..then I'll change both lambda probes at a local garage, instead of taking it to Mr BMW

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05-February-2008 at 11:53

guys..

 

the fault light has come back on again..and the symptoms again are...sluggish...and idle revs is erratic when stationary????

 

I am thinking of buying a laptop based diagnostic kit/package...but I'm totally confused which one to buy.

I see the ELM327 kit (cables/adapter/software) is priced around £40

also Carsoft 6.5 kit (cables/adapter/software) around £90

which one of the above 2 is the best and which one will give full car functionality readouts and reset options

(please remember I'm a novice...not too clever with computers)

 

 

any advice guys....

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-February-2008 at 22:05

OK guys and gals

I took the beemer into the garage today....and after a lot of poking around the mechanic found the intake manifold vacuum unit is broke (the flap part) internal which is causing the "check engine" emissions warning light to come on and also the car is revving erratic and the rev counter is jumping all over

 

any one here know where I can get one cheap (new or used)???

I looked on the RealOEM.com website for the part...its priced at $210

I dont know how much that would be from Mr BMW here in the UK

any help or advice or links would be great and appreciated



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Rossi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rossi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-February-2008 at 23:19

You could try for a used one here at Quarry Motors. Drop them an email stating what you are after, for what model, year etc..

I've emailed them in the past, and they gave me a price then posted out to me.

[edit] Parts Gateway is another source for parts but, I haven't used them YET. [/edit]



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-February-2008 at 01:34

Thankz Rossi

 

I sent email requests to both Quarry Motors and also to Parts Gateway and a few others I found on google search

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aloo_bazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-July-2008 at 11:08
Originally posted by Jerry 523i Jerry 523i wrote:

Then get your mate with the software to reset the accomodation values, so your motor can get to work re-tuning itself for the new probes.

good luck!

Hi peeps its been a while since I last logged on in here....

its a couple of months now and my engine emission fault light is still showing.

since the last replies....I have had the 2 rear oxygen sensors (lambda probes) replaced.

a vacuum adapter thingy on the side of the intake manifold replaced (very expensive - ouch !)

the mass airflow sensor removed and cleaned.

but Im still getting engine emission fault codes 0171 and 0174 (engine running lean) showing on the diagnostics.

my fuel economy is diabolic (16mpg)

any further advice and things to check?????

 

Jerry 523i, you say.. "Then get your mate with the software to reset the accomodation values, so your motor can get to work re-tuning itself for the new probes."

what are accomodation values???

does this have to be done after the above parts have been replaced???

as far as I know my mate can only read codes and reset the light...I dont think he can actually change any internal software settings

 

Plz...any advice?

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dergside Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-July-2008 at 12:24
Aloo - who diagnosed the various parts that have been replaced as possible contributors to your problem?  It might be time to bite the bullet and get it to a real specialist or BMW themselves.  May not be cheap but if you add up the amounts you've spent so far it might have been a better way to go from the outset.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote new666uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-November-2012 at 13:39
Same problem for me. Emissions light on, poor idle and loss of power.
 
Took it to my indy and he changed the ignition coil on cylinder 5 after reading the fault codes.
 
Light now gone, power back.
 
Cost £75 and half an hour or so.
 
cheers
 
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