[Jason]

This just in:

ABC aired a story segment on this morning's Good Morning America (video) on the BMW high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) issue as well as a full-length piece on tonight's Nightline. This has helped prompt BMW to take the following action.

Also see the main discussion thread for this topic - http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447262

BMW to Conduct Voluntary Emissions and Safety Recalls

* 26.10.2010
* Press Release

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 26, 2010... BMW of North America has notified the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its intent to conduct a voluntary recall of some model year 2007-2010 BMWs equipped with twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engines, all of which feature BMW’s High Precision Injection direct fuel injection system. It has also asked for approval from the California Air Resources Board to conduct this action. Affected vehicles may experience a failure of the high-pressure fuel pump.

Symptoms include long-crank engine starting times along with the illumination of the “Service Engine Soon” light. In certain cases, the driver may experience reduced engine performance in a Safe Mode accompanied by a tone and the illumination of the “Engine Malfunction” light.

Based on the individual service history of the vehicle, the action will entail replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump and/or a software update.

Approximately 130,000 vehicles are potentially affected with about 40,000 expected to require a new high pressure fuel pump. Affected BMW models include:

• MY 2007–2010 335i models.
• MY 2008–2010 135i, 535i and X6 xDrive35i Sports Activity Coupes
• MY 2009 – 2010 Z4 Roadster sDrive35i

In a separate action, BMW has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will voluntarily recall approximately 20,800 MY 2008 X5 Sports Activity Vehicles equipped with normally-aspirated inline six-cylinder engines to replace the low-pressure fuel pump. In this case, should the fuel pump experience a failure, the engine will stop running and the driver will lose power assist for the steering and brakes although both the steering and the brakes remain operational.

Letters will be sent by First Class mail to owners of affected vehicles in the coming weeks, requesting the scheduling of a service appointment with an Authorized BMW Center to have the update performed.

No injuries have been reported with either of these issues.

In the case of either issue, if the customer experiences a problem, they should contact their authorized BMW Center. Customers with additional questions should contact BMW Customer Relations at 1-800-563-4269 or email CustomerRelations@bmwusa.com.

[TheStigsTwin]

Good.

[BTM]

So, as far as we know, there's still no solution. Just will make it easier to get pumps replaced?

Seems like it's just more of the same since depending on service history, a pump may be replaced or a car will just get the software update...

[waterp7]

Sure sounds like it.

[tmaung]

Did BMW really expect casualties like Lexus before sending this out? Its ridiculous to think that the X5 will stop running is not a serious threat to its passengers and other cars. Finally doing the right thing before someone seriously got hurt.

This is an actual recall vs service bulletin. Makes it easier on the customer to come get it checked out without giving the run around.

Originally Posted by abcnews.go.com

Auto safety advocate Clarence Ditlow says he thinks BMW is taking a big gamble.

"This is not a question of whether the pump is defective or not -- it is defective. It's just a question of who pays for it. BMW or the customer, and with the customer, they may pay for it with their life if it fails in a particularly dangerous situation on the highway," he said. "And what they are doing is they're gambling with you, that you won't have an accident when that fuel pump fails, that's not a gamble that you voluntarily agreed to take. That's something that BMW is doing with your vehicle."

[BTM]

Originally Posted by waterp7

Sure sounds like it.

Yea, maybe not for the X5 owners as I was unaware of a LPFP problem in those, but to me at least this sounds like it's just them "announcing" what has been SOP for years in response to the media criticism

[scrufy]

Did everyone miss this from page 2?
------------------------------------------------
"BMW admitted to ABC News that it wasn't until March of this year, four years after these cars were introduced, that it finally found a fix: a properly working fuel pump. "We were making changes but we also had to see and make sure that they were actually reliable in the field," said Baloga.

Still, even after March, BMW did not tell customers to come in and replace the potentially defective fuel pumps. Instead, they allowed drivers to get a new part if and only after the old one failed. "
------------------------------------------------
What they are saying is the new pump is the fix... so were still screwed.

[dbjb]

Originally Posted by scrufy

Did everyone miss this from page 2?
------------------------------------------------
"BMW admitted to ABC News that it wasn't until March of this year, four years after these cars were introduced, that it finally found a fix: a properly working fuel pump. "We were making changes but we also had to see and make sure that they were actually reliable in the field," said Baloga.

Still, even after March, BMW did not tell customers to come in and replace the potentially defective fuel pumps. Instead, they allowed drivers to get a new part if and only after the old one failed. "
------------------------------------------------
What they are saying is the new pump is the fix... so were still screwed.

933? 943? Either? What was wrong with it anyway? I have a 943 IIRC. Fingers crossed that it, along with the software update, was the magical fix.

[bimmertt]

Originally Posted by BTM

So, as far as we know, there's still no solution. Just will make it easier to get pumps replaced?

Seems like it's just more of the same since depending on service history, a pump may be replaced or a car will just get the software update...

Yes, that is what it sounds like, but the article mentions that BMW produced a properly working fuel pump in March. I guess we will see when people take in their cars for this voluntary recall.

BMW admitted to ABC News that it wasn't until March of this year, four years after these cars were introduced, that it finally found a fix: a properly working fuel pump. "We were making changes but we also had to see and make sure that they were actually reliable in the field," said Baloga.

[TheRox]

Come On CANADA!

I hope this applies up north!

I'm scheduled for an appt in december and would like the new software and pump!

[335iseb]

From what I gather through google is that the 943 pump has been in the works from late last year. First post about the new pump being installed I found as far back as January 19th, 2010 so it's not that very new in terms of hardware since it was probably built in 2009. The 943 pump had failed on the guy who had it installed after just 1 month.......so unless we have a newer pump than the 943 it might minimize the failures but it's probably not the "end all" fix we're all waiting for.

[twinship]

"Based on the individual service history of the vehicle, the action will entail replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump and/or a software update."

So they issue a press release to announce that they're going to continue doing exactly what they've been doing all along...?

Is this anyone's idea of a fix?

WOW!!!

[bryce]

Originally Posted by shockin330i

You'll get a new one.. :dunno:

the 933 is a remanufactured version of the same exact pump. i hope bmw doesn't think throwing re-built pumps at the issue will make it go away

Originally Posted by MusclezMarinara

New one is 943

wrong again. you should probably just stop posting in this thread. teh NEWEST pump is the 933, it came out in march.

[DaveinSF]

I knew there were a lot of reported HPFP problems out there, but now I truly feel lucky not to have had any problems with the N54 the three years I had it.

I hope that the same failures don't plague the new N55 engines. While I am still disappointed with the performance of the new engine compared to the N54, I hope that it will be more reliable at least.

Sadly, it's not as quick AND I'm getting LOWER mileage on it so far (23.2 combined over 5500 miles so far).

[BTM]

N55 failure has been documented. The frequency of which is not known

[VWtoBMW]

Originally Posted by TheRox

Come On CANADA!

I hope this applies up north!

I'm scheduled for an appt in december and would like the new software and pump!

x2 I have already emailed my SA to find out.

[BwoodBMW]

yeah doesn't sound like any big news... just makes some people aware of the problem that weren't before. I'm on my 4th HPFP... most recent was installed in August and after a whole 12 weeks I'm still running strong. Here's hoping that this new*** pump is better.

*** not really "new", technically remanufactured with allegedly better parts

[MusclezMarinara]

Originally Posted by bryce

the 933 is a remanufactured version of the same exact pump. i hope bmw doesn't think throwing re-built pumps at the issue will make it go away



wrong again. you should probably just stop posting in this thread. teh NEWEST pump is the 933, it came out in march.

Sorry 933 is the new remand pump

Software updates if you already have the NEWEST 933

[Alan l.]

My buddy that works at BMW confirmed that the 933 is the latest and greatest. He said you can tell on the part number stamped on the actual fuel pump whether its a re-manufactured pump or a brand new one. He told me how to tell but i forgot It was some number that was lazer printed on the actual hpfp, not the part number on the box.

I got a new 933 pump according to him and he said the version i just got came out in august/sept. Not sure how accurate this is but he changes hpfp all day so i would think he knows what he's talking about.

Here are some pics of the pump that i got (this one was going into a 535)

[E90PAT]

"It was really jittery and shaking and it was scary, shaking so bad and hesitating and all the lights were going on in the car. So I pulled over and I got really nervous on the side of the road. So I called my dad to pick me up because I was afraid to drive it. I thought it was going to blow up or something," she said.

Woah, exaggeration much?

[Doctor T]

I love how they call it "Safe Mode" when the pump fails.

My perception of the company has gone to an all time low.

[Alpine335TT]

This means absolutely nothing.. just restating the obvious.