[E92westy]

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

......<snip> Forget about replacing coils, sensors, software versions etc. The only way to get rid of the problems with these cars is to get rid of the car.

+1000.

Wish I'd bought the 320d in the first place.....

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by E92westy

+1000.

Wish I'd bought the 320d in the first place.....

I wish I had a pound for every time I've said that!

[Rinos]

i wish i was rich enough so i could park the car outside the dealership call the press and set it on fire

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by Rinos

i wish i was rich enough so i could park the car outside the dealership call the press and set it on fire

Pretty much the last conversation I had with my local dealership about my lemon was "I no longer consider this car mine. This will be the last time I drive it." Of course they basically told me to go f*** myself.

[st3v3n]

My story so far...

Bought car a year ago on 07 plate.

June 2010 - Engine management light came on and BMW emergency services replaced 1 coil under warranty.

February 2011 - Engine management light came on and had to pay for a coil to be replaced.

February 2011 - And now today just a week and a half after having a coil replaced the light is back on and the car is stuttering again! Car will have to go back in next week.

Time to consider getting rid of this piece of junk!

[bounty78]

Wish i had read this thread before i bought mine..i am now dreading this. Beginning to get engine judder Have just replaced the thermostat housing sensor(map cooling sensor) by an indy..less judder now but the engine management light flashes for few seconds the other day and disappeared. I think it's just a matter of time before it comes on. My car is just out of warranty..it will hurt the pocket when it comes on
I am getting my mates at the Falcon Performance garage in Middlesbrough to check the car over next month. BMW is obviously trying to avoid a huge payout to 320i petrol owners..this shouldn't happen with a prestigeous marque like BMW...shame on you
Just as i thought i have moved on from the unreliable Nissan 350Z to a better brand built on reliability and luxury

[theref1975]

Dear All,

At this point i would like to thank so many people for adding to this forum, i am new, first day and i'm here because 3 days ago my engine warning light came on with the half full display too, looked in manual and states a exhuast emissions issue. Local service guy who serviced the car 3 months ago, plugged it in and came out with 2 print outs, valvetronic this and that, nothing of real note without further investigation. The light did go out, FOR about 2 days, and returns, he then took it to a friend of his who has the BMW bits to find out what the issue is, apart from pulling everything apart and looking for something strange he advises a new ECU and a bill of about £1000!............................shocked, still lets be positive i search the internet and find 700 odd posts regarding similar issues to my 320i. I have juddering, 2 symbols lit, poor mpg blah blah.

I just dont know what to do next, it sounds as if it could be anything from fauly oxygen sensor, coils, cam sensor, injectors, software arrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhh

any guidance, advice, a hug would be more than appreciated at this point!

regards and best wishes, keep up the good work

Richard

[the_rangdo]

It seems like so much of a lottery with this engine, you may get it sorted and be fine or it may well happen again anyway no matter how much repair work is done

If you can afford it I'd say get rid, easier said than done though.

[E92westy]

As I was told via a PM on another forum by a BMW service manager that the fault really lies in the engine management software, I often wondered if a re-map would cure it...

Got shut of it before I tried that, but would be interesting to find someone who's had a re-map and if there was any improvement.

[the_rangdo]

I had a re-map on mine that would apparently fix things. I had the same vibration through the car leaving the dealer as when I left it with them for a week to sort it out (I was on holiday)

3 weeks later and after engine warning lights and limp-home modes with severe shuddering I was shot of it. Don't have the time or patience to be a beta-tester.

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by E92westy

As I was told via a PM on another forum by a BMW service manager that the fault really lies in the engine management software, I often wondered if a re-map would cure it...

Got shut of it before I tried that, but would be interesting to find someone who's had a re-map and if there was any improvement.

No chance, sadly. Not a software issue, something wrong with those engines.

[E92westy]

Originally Posted by the_rangdo

I had a re-map on mine that would apparently fix things. I had the same vibration through the car leaving the dealer as when I left it with them for a week to sort it out (I was on holiday)

3 weeks later and after engine warning lights and limp-home modes with severe shuddering I was shot of it. Don't have the time or patience to be a beta-tester.

That sounds like a BMW dealer software update...?
What I meant was a 'proper' aftermarket re-map.

[the_rangdo]

Originally Posted by E92westy

That sounds like a BMW dealer software update...?
What I meant was a 'proper' aftermarket re-map.

Ah, I see, not sure why I wrote remap when I meant software update, long day so far - same opinion stands anyway though

Much as I hate to say it, it's someone elses problem now. If anyone picks up a silver '08 320i MSport with GBE on the numberplate........sorry!!

[E92westy]

Originally Posted by E92westy

<snip>...
I also posted about my woes on a non-car orientated forum and got a PM from a forum member who just happens to be a customer service manager at a dealership (no names no pack drill).
He says and I quote...
"I guess your BMW is a petrol 320?

These issues with the engine management system are a big problem and very well known to all dealers and BMW UK, although it does sound like you have had some terrible luck with this one in other areas too

I reckon the dealer will try and switch you into something else and if they do and you are willing to try another then be sure to get a diesel.

The current crop (built within last 5 years) of petrol models both 4 and 6 cylinder as you have found out can suffer repeat problems with coils/plugs/injectors/o2 sensors/high pressure pump and sensors."

Originally Posted by the_rangdo

Ah, I see, not sure why I wrote remap when I meant software update, long day so far - same opinion stands anyway though

Much as I hate to say it, it's someone elses problem now. If anyone picks up a silver '08 320i MSport with GBE on the numberplate........sorry!!

At least we both got rid....

[JonnySi]

Block and pistons sorts them right out. (But I never told anyone this)

[FieldingMellish]

Just wanted to query this:

The current crop (built within last 5 years) of petrol models both 4 and 6 cylinder as you have found out can suffer repeat problems with coils/plugs/injectors/o2 sensors/high pressure pump and sensors."

So far as I knew there were no problems whatsoever with the 6 cylinder petrol models, it's only the 4 cylinders that have these well-documented problems. Have I missed something?

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by JonnySi

Block and pistons sorts them right out. (But I never told anyone this)

What do you mean by this?

[bounty78]

Originally Posted by FieldingMellish

What do you mean by this?

+1..surely u don't mean replacing the engine block and pistons ie putting a new engine..if that's the case..the car is not fit for the purpose and BMW should take the car back and replace it with like for like.

[JonnySi]

Well, i've had 1 4cyl which kicked at motorway speeds frequently. It had numerous coils, plugs etc but was never rectified. It never misfired fully, or had an eml light. After doing a compression test we found cyl3 slightly low. This cyl was very slightly scored and therefore a replacement block, pistons were fitted. Although this has cured that problem, it is only a matter of time before another misfire will occur due to how the N43 and N53 engines are. Please bear in mind the large number of these sold, and to have only 1 car this bad is not bad going. Look at Si's, mine has done 33k on 3 engines, and i am not alone!

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by JonnySi

Well, i've had 1 4cyl which kicked at motorway speeds frequently. It had numerous coils, plugs etc but was never rectified. It never misfired fully, or had an eml light. After doing a compression test we found cyl3 slightly low. This cyl was very slightly scored and therefore a replacement block, pistons were fitted. Although this has cured that problem, it is only a matter of time before another misfire will occur due to how the N43 and N53 engines are. Please bear in mind the large number of these sold, and to have only 1 car this bad is not bad going. Look at Si's, mine has done 33k on 3 engines, and i am not alone!

This thread is full of stories that have one main theme in common: customers being repeatedly fobbed off by BMW, telling them either (a) there is nothing wrong with your car, or (b) we have fixed your car by replacing coils, software, whatever, or (c) both. After a few rounds of this they conclude with a piece of Orwellian logic: we cannot fix your car, therefore there is no problem with your car.

Right at the end of my struggle to get rid of my lemon, I was told by my local BMW dealership that there was no problem with my car, that they were demanding the courtesy car back, that they refused to give me anything in writing, and that they were basically washing their hands of me. on the same day, about an hour later, I was told by the vending dealer that BMW Germany had told them that the local BMW dealership (i.e. the ones who'd told me there was no problem with my car) had, that very day, informed BMW Germany that they had identified the problem, and fixed it. I can only assume that what was meant by this was that they had identified me as the problem, and had fixed it by telling me to f*** off.

It is an outrage that these direct injection engines are so prevalently faulty, and yet BMW continue to puff them in adverts etc., as do an entirely cowed and complacent press.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

[xenon]

Good post, FM.

I bought my E92 320i M-Sport, new, in April 08 and it will go back to BMW at the end of this April. Despite reading the horror stories on here I nevertheless believed I was going to see out my tenure unscathed until a few weeks ago when the EML light came on and the car began shaking like a shitting dog. I can't fault the service with BMW Emergency Service who were there within 20 minutes and replaced a coil and an injector and again it has been fine since. However, when I decide on the replacement over the next couple of weeks it will not be powered by this engine.

[FieldingMellish]

What we hear - second or third hand, of course - from within BMW UK is that they are fully aware of these engine problems. Yet they continue to deny it publicly. In a way that is understandable, financially. But what is really shameful is that the many car magazines and mainstream press motoring columns (tabloid and broadsheet) have totally ignored this. Forum members have tried to drum up interest in the past, but nobody is interested in shaking the boat. Read What Car, or even Honest John, and you will never know about these problems. No doubt they will mention them retrospectively, probably in the course of bigging up the next generation of the 3 Series in their reviews.

JohhnySi, above, cannot be held personally responsible, but i would love to hear more of his insider's perspective.