[E90LCI_z33]

So I have a 2010 328i SULEV that is registered here in the state of PA. I bought the car a year ago with 50k miles. It had a leaking valve cover gasket and a misfire. Right when I bought it (Nov, 2019), I took to my local BMW dealer in Lancaster to get that stuff replaced under the SULEV warranty. They replaced the valve cover gasket, mass airflow sensor, and the DMTL pump for free (I can provide paperwork). Coil packs were not covered because the ones that were on the car were not BMW ones. So, I bought new BMW coils and spark plugs.

Fast forward to today (Dec, 2020), the service engine light came on. The code was a 2A15 which is usually a gas cap. I thought no problem, a gas cap is listed on the PDF file as “FUEL FILLER CAP”. So, I took it in to the same BMW dealer to have it replaced. I get a call saying that the gas cap is not covered under the SULEV warranty. I checked the latest PDF file available from 2019 and it is listed there. So, I drive over to just talk with their service department and here are the things they said. So, they now have a new portal that they submit warranty claims from, and that portal contains the parts that are available to be replaced. If the part is not listed on the portal, then they cannot submit a claim. The list is very short compared to the PDF file. But, at the bottom it has a little message under “please note” which talks about smog check inspection and how BMW NA is supposed to cover if the vehicle does not pass inspection. The state of PA does not have a “smog inspection”, they have an “emission inspection”. I tried to argue that because my car has a check engine light, it will not pass PA emission inspection and they said “correct”, but PA does not actually measure the pollution from the car. PA only inserts a scanner to make sure the car is running 100%. In other words, if the car is running as it should then the pollution should be minimal. Also, if the part is not listed then they cannot file a claim to get it replaced for free. After that I pulled out my paperwork of the parts that they had replaced last year for free. I asked why these parts were no longer listed on their “portal” and they did not have answer. They just told me to call BMW USA. I called BMW USA and they just told me to call the manager of the BMW dealer. I’m going to try to call around to see if I can get additional information about this issue. If anyone has any other information, please comment bellow. It looks like BMW is trying to pull a fast one.

[Jnolane]

I feel your pain. I just went through this process at a bmw dealer near Pittsburgh. My 328i sulev had misfires and bad idle sluggish acceleration/ bad burning oil smell etc. They said I needed a new valve cover and an eccentric shaft sensor my car ran the following codes

002a31
002a47
002a32

002de
0029cf

They said the repairs weren't covered under sulev warranty because the parts recommended for replacement weren't on the list. I got my car back and ordered parts to replace all the seals/ gaskets, the sensor and plugs/coils. Did all that took about 5 hours. Vcg was definitely bad and leaking oil. 3 and 4 spark plug wells had oil puddles. And the eccentric shaft sensor was definitely bad. Car had 80k on it. All the codes cleared and my car drives like a brand new 328 now. Wasn't that bad of a job. But this should have been covered under the warranty. I will definitely just buy a new valve cover next time I need to do this job probably.

[CRtoE92]

Originally Posted by stevojudge

2011 328i
106,000 Miles

Monrovia Dealership in California

Had 2 issue at different times and both were covered under the SULEV Warranty

1.) Radiator had a Small leak

NO COST
Dealer confirmed it was defective and replaced
No Issues fixed through the Sulev Warranty

When i had my oil changed and spark plugs at a BMW Certified Shop, they noticed the Valve Cover was leaking a little oil so i took my car to the Dealer since the Valve cover gasket was under the SULEV Warranty. When the Dealer did an inspection they notice a vano bolt snapped and was in my oil pan. No damage was done however 3 things got replaced this 2nd trip


2.) Valve Cover Gasket, Vano Bolts and here's the Surprise The Oil Pan gasket

The Dealer told me since the bolt snapped and was in the Oil Pan, they would have to take off the Oil Pan which in turn would have to replace the Gasket. All at no cost

Makes me wanna get a M1 now since i've had nothing but good things going on with this dealership.

Hello thanks for posting. Can you share the service advisor's name? I am having some issues with my sulev 2011 and wanna take my car thanks!

[stevojudge]

Originally Posted by CRtoE92

Hello thanks for posting. Can you share the service advisor's name? I am having some issues with my sulev 2011 and wanna take my car thanks!

Call the dealership anyone in the Service Dept. will help you with no issues. They will ask you for the last 7 of the VIN and go from there

[doctorbombeii]

I got repairs for my car 2011 e92 328i under the SULEV warranty in North Carolina. I did what tyronelatour@latouresquir said he did, registered the car in Vermont. However, it was no way as easy as he made it seem and his courier reference did not reply. It took an agonizing 3.5 months (DMV understandably slow services because of Covid), and also some hoops and hurdles. I bought a pickup truck after about a week, so I had another ride.

The car's battery was sitting for that long, so the battery was almost completely dead. BMW told me that I needed a new one for $315, so I went to harbor freight for cordless drill & color coded socket set and fast 15amp battery charger for $90 - pulled out battery, recharged it, took it back and reinstalled. They replaced my fuel pump and fuel control module. There was some type of pipe that was replaced too, I'll have to look at my receipt...they charged me $174 as it supposedly was not covered under SULEV but covered the labor under the SULEV. Hmmm. I put up a weak fight against the charge with the manager, but figured it was a bargain and I just wanted my car back. They were going to find some way to charge me. With the oil change, my total was $299. They also washed the car inside and out and plugged the rear tire.

Anyway, my car is running again and boy did I miss her. I'm the 3rd owner since 41k miles, and she sits at 108,100 now. Probably going to sell it though. I'm not into getting towed, dealing with dealership service departments, and simply not trusting to drive my vehicle on long trips.

Anyway, posted this to say thanks to the forum and give back with my experience of going completely out of the way to be a cheap S.O.B.

[sunnyjay]

Sulev warranty claim in CA, bought in CA, replaced my valve cover and related seals, intake manifold gaskets, rear main seal, fuel pump and fuel tank. Dealership didnt give me a hard time at all, they even mentioned it was covered under sulev.

[CheckEngineLight]

First post on here.

-2008 bmw 328i hardtop convertible (SULEV).

Valve cover gasket started leaking oil into the plugs.

Valvetronic motor stopped working.

Fuel pump stopped working, eventually car stopped turning over all together.

Long story short, had my car towed to bmw mt.kisco (NY). knowing exactly what was wrong with the car because i had it privately diagnosed.

Mechanic calls me, nothings wrong with your car - your spark plugs are covered in gas so if you want to approve me to 4 hours of labor and parts cost, ~$1,000.

I said, so the fuel pump isn't dead, you're not getting a code for a bad valvetronic motor, and its gas not oil on the spark plugs?

He goes no, so if you want to stop wasting my time i can get started on the car.

Click. Called the shop manager and explained to him this mechanic is trying to get more money out of me and won't acknowledge the warranty at all, because the warranty labor hours from corporate are terrible, tells me nothing to worry about he'll handle it.

Original mechanic calls me back apologizing. Valve cover gasket,valvetronic motor, fuel injectors, plugs, coils, FUEL PUMP AND FUEL TANK all replaced for free. saving me more money then the cars worth, and the satisfaction of BMW being wrong; priceless!

[Slightissue]

a. New primary and secondary cats. Had some corrosion at the flanges which lead to a lean fault in bank 2.
b. If sulev didn't cover it, it would have been over $6800
c. Sulev covered it right away
d. No hard time from the dealer, then again, I work there.
e. No involvement from BMW NA.

Side note, sulev covers a ton of things but it depends on the car. Valve cover gaskets can be on the list, as well as anything that is in the emissions system. It must throw a code of some sort and be traced back to a covered component. We just had some guy get a new head (not covered) because it was traced back to a secondary air fault that was covered. Given, this is a very fringe case. Sulev is great.
Source: I work for a dealership as a service advisor.

[redbaron007]

2013 E93/N51 (104k miles)
a) issue diagnosed: radiator leaking both sides, needs to be replaced
b) total cost of repair: $1000+ at indie shop, ended up paying $0 at dealer under warranty
c) if SULEV covered initially or you had to be reimbursed: SULEV covered
d) if your dealer gave you a hard time:no
e) if BMW NA had to be involved:no

Question: Indie shop did oil service back in Nov, indicated spark plugs worn out. Recently SES light, used to be intermittent when I accelerated, now since Jan, always on. Get cyl misfires on cyl 2 & 5. Should I replace plugs myself, knowing they're worn out, then if SES light still on, only then take it to dealer, for new coils/fuel injector under warranty?

[gbmw311]

Originally Posted by redbaron007

2013 E93/N51 (104k miles)
a) issue diagnosed: radiator leaking both sides, needs to be replaced
b) total cost of repair: $1000+ at indie shop, ended up paying $0 at dealer under warranty
c) if SULEV covered initially or you had to be reimbursed: SULEV covered
d) if your dealer gave you a hard time:no
e) if BMW NA had to be involved:no

Question: Indie shop did oil service back in Nov, indicated spark plugs worn out. Recently SES light, used to be intermittent when I accelerated, now since Jan, always on. Get cyl misfires on cyl 2 & 5. Should I replace plugs myself, knowing they're worn out, then if SES light still on, only then take it to dealer, for new coils/fuel injector under warranty?

Yeah - if you haven't yet replaced spark plugs, it's time. I'd start there and see what happens next.

[m_thompson]

Originally Posted by redbaron007

2013 E93/N51 (104k miles)
Question: Indie shop did oil service back in Nov, indicated spark plugs worn out. Recently SES light, used to be intermittent when I accelerated, now since Jan, always on. Get cyl misfires on cyl 2 & 5. Should I replace plugs myself, knowing they're worn out, then if SES light still on, only then take it to dealer, for new coils/fuel injector under warranty?

New coils and plugs to fix a misfire on my 128i, covered under SULEV warranty.

[maxcsr]

2009 BMW 328xi SULEV. HELP!
E90 N51 engine

[Slightissue]

If you give me the last 7 of your vin I'll pull your sulev info.
-bmw service advisor

[maxcsr]

Originally Posted by Slightissue

If you give me the last 7 of your vin I'll pull your sulev info.
-bmw service advisor

I see. i hope you take good care of me when I come in Tuesday

[Track7493]

Originally Posted by Slightissue

If you give me the last 7 of your vin I'll pull your sulev info.
-bmw service advisor

Is this offer still on the table? I’m having Cat issues and purchased my 2008 E90 in NJ, (originally bought in NY) currently live in Colorado and am getting the run around.

Thanks!

[Boston4]

No dice from BMW NA on getting a pretty serious exhaust leak covered. The exhaust is leaking (directly into the cabin) from the gasket between the exhaust manifold and the remainder of the exhaust system. The dealer denied it for SULEV coverage, I called BMW NA and escalated to someone there, and they basically told me to kick rocks.

The dealer diagnosed the problem saying that "all four exhaust bolts have rusted off, the cat and exhaust are not connected which is causing the combustion fumes to enter the vehicle, time to drill out the bolts and install new bolts, must remove exhaust system."

Not the end of the world, since the selling (non-BMW) dealer will cover this under their 90 day purchase warranty, but a little disappointing since I can't find any SULEV warranty language that excludes issues occurring due to corrosion.

[IthacaMD]

I had a horrible burning oil smell that my local shop said was likely from the valve cover leaking, but he wasn't really comfortable fixing it. I went to a specialty shop about an hour away (still trying to avoid the dealer), and they quoted me about $1800 to change the valve cover and gasket. This car is 12 years old (purchased new), so I was wondering if this was going to be worth the money. I found a post on this site that mentioned his repairs were covered because he had an N51, so I dug into it and that's what I have too! Brought it to the dealership and mentioned the SULEV warranty. The rep just said "yeah, that's really nice. It covers a lot of stuff." They didn't change the cover, just the gasket, but it was completely free.
Probably saved at least $1200. Thanks to everyone at e90post!!!

Oh, by the way, I'm in Ithaca, NY and brought my car to Burdick BMW in Syracuse.

[phineasxx1]

i got a 2011 bmw 328i sulev bring in the dealer in california for coil and plug change they said mine is not under wanrraty cause i got a aftermaket plug and coil....

[stevojudge]

Originally Posted by gbastow

Has anyone been able to get their oil pan covered under warranty? SA noted that mine was leaking and I feel some people have got it covered. Any feedback is appreciated!

I got the oil covered due to a Broken VANO BOLT that was in the Oil Pan, thats the only reason why they covered the Oil pan gasket

[e34brian]

Wanted to post as this thread has been very informative for me. This is a combination of things I have gotten done in the past 6 months I have owned my e92 328i 6mt.

a) issue diagnosed
1. Oil burning smell - Valve cover gasket
2. Eccentric Shaft Sensor (this was replaced when I went in for just an oil change)
3. Coolant leak - Radiator
4. Misfire/Lack of power - Intake Manifold
b) total cost of repair
$0 for all things
c) if SULEV covered initially or you had to be reimbursed
SULEV covered everything from the start. I go to Crevier BMW in Santa Ana, CA. My service advisor knows about the SULEV warranty and works to get things replaced under warranty. My go-to dealership as they always give loaners. Although I will note, if not for the warranty, I would not be going to the dealership for work: parts are far overpriced and shop rate is $200/hr.
d) if your dealer gave you a hard time
Nope. Obviously the initial $198-210 diagnosis fee, but is waived if covered under warranty. Was a little nervous for my most recent visit as I was told by indy shop I had a cylinder 5 misfire, but they cleared the code. So, when I went to the dealership a week later, they said my car had 0 codes so it may be difficult for them to find the issue. Would've been nice if I got my spark plugs/ignition coils replaced like everyone else on here, but after 5 days, got a call today saying that they're replacing my intake manifold.
e) if BMW NA had to be involved
Nope.

[thesalboy]

E90LCI_z33, how did your story turn out? Sounds like that dealer is doing some serious tap dancing. I think the page you attached is not associated with the SULEV/PVEZ warranty, but rather the "basic" Cal. emissions warranty (which is also honored in Penn.). I've seen longer parts lists for the SULEV/PVEZ warranty, but not in docs that I can definitively trace back to BMW. The warranty book itself doesn't list parts for the SULEV/PVEZ warranty - it's much broader:

1. If your vehicle fails a Smog Check inspection, all necessary repairs and adjustments will be made by BMW NA to ensure that your vehicle passes the inspection. This is your emission control system PERFORMANCE WARRANTY.

2. If any emission-related part on your vehicle is defective, the part will be repaired or replaced by BMW NA. This is your emission control system DEFECTS WARRANTY.

Anyone (Slightissue?) ever heard of a dealer pulling this trick?

After owner monitors over several months a recurring P0492 error (Secondary Air Pump, insufficient flow, bank 2), including resetting associated MIL warnings which just reappear over time, owner brings car in for SULEV/PVEZ warranty service with P0492 code pending, confirmed via INPA (but no MIL present). Dealer tech pulls diagnostics, and reports that no such code has ever been present, showing owner a list of all codes, from which all instances of P0492 have vanished (or perhaps owner is delusional and imagined it all!). You can't seek warranty repairs for what you can't document. Sorry sucker!

Ask me how I know. P0492 was reported by INPA yesterday, but after getting it back from the dealer it's now gone. I have plenty of time/miles left, so that dealer will be seeing me again when the car fails smog in a few months. They cannot deny what the smog report says. I'm sure they will try to deny everything else, tho.

[1995CosmosM3]

My local dealer did a couple recalls on my 07 328xi with N51 and told me that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. I asked a few people about it being covered by the SULEV warranty and they all said no. I ended up just doing it myself. Has anyone had any success getting BMW NA to reimburse for parts? I'm in Washington state.