Uh oh! Drivetrain malfunction on Dinan Stage 2 550xii :(

No problems here either other than noticing this past week my car takes a while to start.

Well I am getting my car back tomorrow morning without a satisfactory answer. The dealer admitted that mine was not the only Dinan Stage 2 550xi in for a drivetrain malfunction warning but rather there was another car in as well.

The dealer says that, according to the computer log, the drivetrain malfunction warning was triggered by a low fuel sensor which was triggered by a low fuel condition. That is complete bull**** because I never allow my gas guzzling car to go below a half tank because it's range is so short. And when the warning came on, my fuel level was at least one half.

Therefore, I have received no valid explanation for why the malfunction came on and why power was reduced. Hopefully the problem will not recur.

Had a similar issue today...car was bogging last week at idle or in drive rolling with foot off the brake so I took it to the dealer and had my fuel lines wrapped in heat resistant wrap as well as change my low fuel pressure sensor as well and after I picked it up I noticed it would take a while to start and today the bogging was to the point I just had it towed to my BMW dealer not my BMW dinan dealer and I'm waiting to hear what they will say.

Dealer calls me back and tells me the car threw a code only once for a 1 and 5 cylinder misfire...other than that they don't know what it could be and its never happened again so they are still looking for what the issue could be. After they installed the low fuel pressure sensor and wrapped the fuel lines last week all this happened. Before I took it in for that the only code it reported showing was for the low pressure fuel module and a slight bog I felt twice. They also kinda tried blaming that my exhaust might be the reason but c'mon..

I will be parked on the sidelines waiting for all of these issues to be resolved before I add any Dinan software! A Dinan sale would also help!

Sorry to hear that
Side note does anyone who has Dinan have it on a leased car. Is that allowed under BMW warranty
Any info would be great.
Hope everyone is well
Thanks in advance
Rob

Originally Posted by 5seriesHB

Sorry to hear that
Side note does anyone who has Dinan have it on a leased car. Is that allowed under BMW warranty
Any info would be great.
Hope everyone is well
Thanks in advance
Rob

My car is leased. The Dinan warranty covers any part that BMW determines was broken by the Dinan mod. BMW warranty does NOT apply to any parts that BMW determines were broken by the Dinan mod. E

Thanks so much
Rob

Ps what's the cost of Dinan stage one for the 550/x6 engine?
My good buddy is getting an x6 on order already!
Lives in nj

Originally Posted by Stealth8

I will be parked on the sidelines waiting for all of these issues to be resolved before I add any Dinan software! A Dinan sale would also help!

+1
This error is a bit troubling.

I'm not sure its dinan related..my buddy had a stock 2011 550i which he lemoned and it threw the same codes and did something similar.

I am having some issues as well...and as strange as it sounds I wish my car was throwing some error codes...because then I would know what to fix. I had Dinan S2 installed at the end of June and for the first few weeks it was flawless. About 3 weeks in I started to notice that the acceleration was 'punchy' and not smooth when it got around 4000RPM+. I wouldn't go as far as to say it feels like misfiring, but it is definitely jumpy and hesitant when I put the pedal down hard. It is not displaying any lights or codes, never has. So I brought it back to the shop that did the Dinan install and had them drive it. They agreed that it did not feel quite right and after scanning confirmed that it is not throwing any codes. Dinan recommended removing their software and try driving it again, and if it continues it is something with the vehicle not their software. That sounds logical enough. Unfortunately the shop was having computer difficulties and could not get the Dinan removed that day for testing. So anyway I need to bring my car back now that their computer difficulties are over. But I was wondering has anyone else experienced this? Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by sdg1871

My car is leased. The Dinan warranty covers any part that BMW determines was broken by the Dinan mod. BMW warranty does NOT apply to any parts that BMW determines were broken by the Dinan mod. E

+1

Mine is leased as well with the dinan software and my understanding is the same as what he said above.

Originally Posted by 5seriesHB

Ps what's the cost of Dinan stage one for the 550/x6 engine?
My good buddy is getting an x6 on order already!
Lives in nj

$3,000 - http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D900-4...de.aspx#page=1

If he ordered it at dinan authorized dealer and he leased the car, then he can get the cost of the tune built into the lease.

Originally Posted by 5seriesHB

Ps what's the cost of Dinan stage one for the 550/x6 engine?
My good buddy is getting an x6 on order already!
Lives in nj

I don't know why your buddy wouldn't get the stage 2. There is only a small price difference between stage one and stage two put a pretty big performance difference--particularly at low rpm's.

Originally Posted by RajG

$3,000 - http://www.dinancars.com/shop/D900-4...de.aspx#page=1

If he ordered it at dinan authorized dealer and he leased the car, then he can get the cost of the tune built into the lease.

Yes the cost was built into my lease

Originally Posted by harrisfb

I am having some issues as well...and as strange as it sounds I wish my car was throwing some error codes...because then I would know what to fix. I had Dinan S2 installed at the end of June and for the first few weeks it was flawless. About 3 weeks in I started to notice that the acceleration was 'punchy' and not smooth when it got around 4000RPM+. I wouldn't go as far as to say it feels like misfiring, but it is definitely jumpy and hesitant when I put the pedal down hard. It is not displaying any lights or codes, never has. So I brought it back to the shop that did the Dinan install and had them drive it. They agreed that it did not feel quite right and after scanning confirmed that it is not throwing any codes. Dinan recommended removing their software and try driving it again, and if it continues it is something with the vehicle not their software. That sounds logical enough. Unfortunately the shop was having computer difficulties and could not get the Dinan removed that day for testing. So anyway I need to bring my car back now that their computer difficulties are over. But I was wondering has anyone else experienced this? Any thoughts?

What do you mean punchy? Like the power would kick in late and abruptly?

Originally Posted by Hunter5179

What do you mean punchy? Like the power would kick in late and abruptly?

I would not call it late, as it is still pretty responsive. Like if I was in 3rd around 3-4K RPM and I put the gas pedal down it accelerates, but not smoothly. The tach is jumpy and it feels like it is not firing on all cylinders. However it is not sputtery or backfiring...

....and yet no lights or error codes.

My car is done. They cannot find anything wrong with it. I have the latest high flow fuel pump and everything. They checked the oxygen sensors and everything is fine. They checked the fuel and that's fine too. I'm going to take it to my dinan dealer and have him check the tune.

Hey guys, what kind of Gas do you use? I use BP but my dinan dealer told me to use SHELL.

Originally Posted by Hunter5179

Hey guys, what kind of Gas do you use? I use BP but my dinan dealer told me to use SHELL.

Shell vpower only. There's a thread about fuel brands/ grades somewhere out there.

Originally Posted by Hunter5179

Hey guys, what kind of Gas do you use? I use BP but my dinan dealer told me to use SHELL.

Usually BP.

when i can it's shell 93. but who knows if it matters.

SDG- I know it hasn't been that long since the dealer looked at it but just wondered if things were still running correctly?

I'm leaning toward the Stage 2 tune but I don't really have a Dinan/BMW dealership close (maybe 45 miles or so to the closest one). My 550 has 26K on it already and I know if I get it I should do it sooner rather than later in terms of the warranty.

I would assume if I purchased an extended warranty through BMW as I am likely to keep the car longer than most, once the Dinan warranty expires I would be SOL on a lot of the powertrain items? Not real clear on how that would work.

Steve

Originally Posted by skohler

SDG- I know it hasn't been that long since the dealer looked at it but just wondered if things were still running correctly?

I'm leaning toward the Stage 2 tune but I don't really have a Dinan/BMW dealership close (maybe 45 miles or so to the closest one). My 550 has 26K on it already and I know if I get it I should do it sooner rather than later in terms of the warranty.

I would assume if I purchased an extended warranty through BMW as I am likely to keep the car longer than most, once the Dinan warranty expires I would be SOL on a lot of the powertrain items? Not real clear on how that would work.

Steve

The interpretation of warranty coverage seems to come down to individual dealers. There is a fellow Fester who had Dinan and an extended warranty on his 7 Series. He had a turbo fail at 62kmi and it was covered fully by the extended warranty. Other dealers say an extended warranty doesn't cover the drivetrain if you have Dinan. If I decide to keep my car, I will sit down with a CA and my SA and get agreement on what is covered before I decide on buying an extended warranty.