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New X5 2011 with 46 miles Check Engine Light came on

31K views 69 replies 32 participants last post by  ductman 
#1 ·
I just had my shiny new 2011 X5 for 2 days, and not even drove 50 miles and I see check engine light on this morning. I thought it will go away. All day it is still on. Being sunday I cannot call BMW Service.

ANyone has any ideas on what this is or happen to them? Am beginning to worry about BMW. I had a Lexus for 4 years with zero problems and only peace of mind and luxury. I thought I was hoping to a "better" car but already beginning to worry.

Other than that I love my new car!

Thanks for your replies on my problem.
 
#42 ·
I thought that I was the unlucky one! WOW!
What is going on with BMW ..ultimate dri......?

I had only the following items replaced on my new 2011 X5 35i in 4 months 1900 miles of ownership:

CIC and controller ( the navigation system and input dial.)
New center console trim and wood trim
Heated Steering Wheel
Braking system Bleed with DSC
DSC speed sensor replacement on the rear
Parking Brake Reset
a new Battery (dont know if brake regeneration is still working or not)
Total systems Coding twice.

My pervious 2008 X5 had none of these problems but only the rear windshield kept detaching / pealing away from rear hatch.
So I thought it is better to get a newer one with turbo and really hoped that the rear would not fall off of the new one.
I guess now I only have to worry about bottom falling out of 35i.

Shame on BMW!!!!
 
#44 ·
Joy is knowing your BMW will be in the shop a few hours every month! But seriously, when I signed on the dotted line, I also accepted the possibility of having to come in a few times to fix things. The truth is after a year and 14K, I have had fewer issues with my '10 x5 than I have had with Hondas and Toyotas I have owned in the past. And in four years scheduled maintenance is going to be free as well. OK I may need to bring it in for a fix or two and I am OK with that. Joy is worth the hassle!
 
#46 ·
Something really bothers me....

On the one hand, getting jerked around by an uncaring or incompetent dealer is always a major annoyance and is inexcusable...but a few minor issues that get fixed in fairly short order should not be the end of the world for most rational owners, no?

I have a E39M5 with 135,000 miles and it has been pretty reliable- I *DO* tend to be proactive with maintenance, but miles just pile up without issue. The X5 has had two issues in 22k miles- one the intake temp thing, the second a CD player/amp issue that is being fixed this week.... but such events do not lead me to declare 'reliability is horrible'... I guess I am too forgiving since I know that S happens. Perhaps more S than other marques? We don't really know of course. And at the end of the day it is your own personal threshold for what you'll tolerate.

Damnit... just got a call, company meeting coming up.

A
 
#48 ·
Has anyone else tried this app for an Iphone? It is pretty effective at telling you why your CEL is on along with other vehicle information.

http://gopointtech.com/blog/products/landing-page-usa-desktop?gclid=CKHy4oyx9qUCFU1-5QodBBm2nw
Interesting product.

I have a BMW specific scanner for the E39 (Peake R5/FCX) and will buy a Peake for the X5 diesel when it is released.

BMW has "BMW specific codes" than generic readers will not properly interpret/decode

I also have a generic reader, that works for any compliant OBD car, And a porsche specific computer interface that reads codes and does data monitoring and some programming.

Beware- this company might not even realize BMW has unique codes....
 
#49 · (Edited)
My 2011 X5 CEL came on at ~200 miles. I brought to the dealer who said he found a problem and fixed it. After driving it for about 1 week it came on again. Back to the dealer, left it there several days getting a loaner. This time it was supposed to be tested out with the remote assistance of a BMW engineer. Verdict: It can't be fixed, so BMW built another X5 exactly like this defective one. I touched base with a Lemon Law Lawyer who said he'd take my case, at no cost to me by making BMW pay all of his fees. I find myself constantly look at the control panel anticipating a return visit by the CEL in my replacement X5.
 
#50 ·
My 2011 X5 CEL came on at ~200 miles. I brought to the dealer who said he found a problem and fixed it. After driving it for about 1 week it came on again. Back to the dealer, left it there several days getting a loaner. This time it was supposed to be tested out with the remote assistance of a BMW engineer. Verdict: It can't be fixed, so BMW built another X5 exactly like this defective one. I touched base with a Lemon Law Lawyer who said he'd take my case, at no cost to me by making BMW pay all of his fees. I find myself constantly look at the control panel anticipating a return visit by the CEL in my replacement X5.
Why in the world do you need a lawyer? You certainly make it sound like BMW is replacing your car, and giving you a free loaner while you wait. Presumably your payments for the new X5 will be unchanged from your current X5. How could you possibly improve on that customer service experience?

Unless I am missing something in your post, it sure sounds to me like BMW is doing right by you, but you are slapping them in the face, anyway.

I mean, how much pain and suffering doyou think you incurred in 200 miles? And I am sure BMW would just let you walk away from the car if you didn't want to be "constantly look(ing) at the control panel" in your brand new one.

Fail.
 
#51 ·
1. Your post shows an amazing ignorance about your car and the problems you had.... I've never of BMW declaring a car 'unfixable' for a single check engine light. Could happen I suppose, but it would seem there would be a lot more in between "light" and "junk"...just saying.

2. Your post shows an amazing ignorance at how the legal system and attorneys work... OF COURSE he will take the case at no charge and make BMW pay all HIS fees. All that will happen is you will get the car replaced, and he will get his fees paid. Without an attorney you will get your car replaced... the difference in the two scenarios? An attorney makes money.
 
#58 ·
"Amazing ignorance", I'll let others decide whose post shows more. If the LLaw is applied to a car, its owner has TWO choices, (ONE) having it replaced and (TWO) having every penny paid into that car refunded to you. That's what I was told by the Lemon lawyer I touched base with. However, maybe he too is amazingly ignorant about the law, but I can't say. However, I am smart enough not to call him out on it in your terms. I was also smart enough to be able to pay to raise and educate my sons, one of who is a Corporate Attorney. I've learned to let Lawyers interpret the law and I humbly suggest that you do the same.
 
#55 ·
Rottieman

I read about all the s**t that has been going on with some these SC manufactured cars; spontaneously setting ablaze then burning to a crisp, for no apparent reasons. I didn't trust the reliabilty of this X5 and still don't I don't want to travel and sit all day waiting at dealership for a repair which isn't any repair. The loaner car I was given was some 3XXX X model with rear wheel drive. I have a steep, and right now icy driveway, and any rear wheel drive is absolutely useless. (I've been dealing with this driveway now for about 20 years, know all to well that I'd need a tow truck to get off of it with any rear wheel drive car. And that assumes I can get a tow truck in this weather.) A brand new car that proved defective within a month's time and wasn't 'fixable' in 2 attempts is a *Lemon*. My previous (also leased) cars were a 2007 X5 and three different 4Runner Ltds, no problems whatsoevet. The Toyota staff were friendly and a pleasure to deal with. My BMW dealer puts on that act like he's doing me a grteat big favor in just looking at me. With a 4Runner I can engage 4 wheel drive in addition to low gear at will. I don't have to trust my cars 'decisions' on this. I should have gone back to a 4Runner to begin with (even with all of Toyota's problems). In winter time all my 4Runners navigated better on my ice patched than did my previous X5. Invoking the Lemon Law would have provided the excellent opportunity to rid myself of any X5.
 
#59 ·
my X5 gets a CEL every so often as well... the 1st time I pulled the codes I got a P228E code which I just cleared.... then a few weeks later the light came on but went away after a few key cycles.... then yesterday on again and today its off again....
The only thing I can think of is this- everytime it has come on it's been the day I drive the truck after sitting for the previous day... like Sunday it was parked and it came on Monday after accelerating out of a parking lot quickly.....
Maybe something with the cold weather freezing some solenoid or possibly water freezing in the tank???
 
#63 ·
When the DME detects an error condition- this can be an absolute failure of a sensor or module, or it can be a combination of operating parameters that the DME determines to be outside the operating range, it sets a code in memory. It ALSO sets the CEL light. (Sometimes a code which is not an emissions failure can be set and the CEL does not come on. And after a certain number of starts with no new codes present, the CEL goes off. The code still sits in memory.)

Like I said, there are hundreds of errors and failures and issues that will cause the DME to turn on the light.

The light itself is NOT a defect. It is indicative of some other fault. The reason this matters, for a lemon claim, is that most states require the same failure to recur

If you have not noticed, in life there is a spectrum of 'honesty' that you will get from people, usually in direct relation to how 'documented' their statements may be... so an lemon law attorney- or a TV repair man, or a BMW SA during a VERBAL DISCUSSION will say very different things as opposed to what they put on a written pleading, a written estimate or a written work order.

Good news for you is after you are done with this car, you'll never have to worry about dealing with BMW again. Best of luck
 
#64 ·
When the DME detects an error condition- this can be an absolute failure of a sensor or module, or it can be a combination of operating parameters that the DME determines to be outside the operating range, it sets a code in memory. It ALSO sets the CEL light. (Sometimes a code which is not an emissions failure can be set and the CEL does not come on. And after a certain number of starts with no new codes present, the CEL goes off. The code still sits in memory.)

Like I said, there are hundreds of errors and failures and issues that will cause the DME to turn on the light.

The light itself is NOT a defect. It is indicative of some other fault. The reason this matters, for a lemon claim, is that most states require the same failure to recur

Naturally, but whatever failure there is/was didn't have to "recur". It was evidenced there continuously. And both some BMW engineers and my dealer's service department working together couldn't determine was at fault. "Amazingly igonrant", I suppose.

Good news for you is after you are done with this car, you'll never have to worry about dealing with BMW again. Best of luck
How many times are we to re-hash this same story??? Why am I to be concerned with the reason for the CEL? (It didn't have to recur as it was there present and showing all the time.) The reason for any of this is someone else's area of expertise and it's their problem and not mine. If I were a Surgeon, is BMW expected to deal with any Warning Indication I might experience while carrying out my obligations in the OR? Why bug me with any of BMW's s**t? The fact that you are doing so clearly identifies the amazingly stupid one.

The bottom line is that BMW and the dealer service department also have to be amazingly stupid since they re-built another car rather than being capable of fixing mine (and it was brand new)! I don't believe they would have acted as they did if there wasn't a Lemon Law and Lemon Law Lawyers. When I uttered the word *lawyer* during a conversation with a manager at my dealership, he threw a hissy-fit. Auto dealers with their sales people have gone out of their way earning their widely known reputations.

I'm not as certain as you seem to be that I'll "never have to worry about dealing with BMW again". That's based upon an assumption and science doesn't run on assumptions.
 
#67 · (Edited)
There are times when the CEL is illuminated because the exact same problem is recurring (i.e. the same code is being thrown). It appears that this happened to Rottieman, and BMW is replacing his car. As far as I can tell, there was no drama, no fight, no litigation. We cannot know if the resolution would have been the same if he had not muttered "lawyer" under his breath. But if his argument is that you need to threaten legal action to have BMW do the right thing, he has not presented any evidence to support that.

OTOH, ard (quite rightly in my opinion) noted that the CEL can be thrown by DIFFERENT causes, and that a succession of CEL's may not result in a successful vehicle replacement, whether or not accomplished via a Lemon Law claim. Many folks come here looking for more information on their vehicle, and I think they are well served by ard's observation that not all CEL's are necessarily evil, nor will it always be prudent / effective / profitable to retain a lemon law attorney.

I think the big difference between Rottieman and others, is that he is apparently not looking to learn anything new here, just relate his own experience. Personally, I expect that statistically there will be a certain number of defects with any manufactured product (thank you Edward Deming), and I am encouraged that BMW stood behind their product - regardless of how brilliant or clueless the local service advisors may have been. Bravo.
 
#68 ·
MY 2011 BMW X5... Emissions Light

I took delivery of my 2011 X5 in December of 2010, I didn't drive it a lot, but my boyfriend had it often, when the car had about 600 miles on it he informed me the engine light was on. I took the car in for service. Also, the rear tire flat indicator came on. I made 4 trips to 4 different BMW dealers within 3 weeks for the tire light. The 4th dealer finally found that it was the tire pressure senor was lose. Now, it is July 2011, the car has been to 3 different dealers for the emissions light about 10 different times. I recently settled a lawsuit with BMW, but I decided to keep the truck (it has sentimental value, ha ha ha). The dealer continues to replace the tank vent valve, pressure boost sensor, and lastly the gas line from the fuel tank to the engine. It seems as though when I accelerate hard (when passing someone), that triggers the light to come on, I think it is really something with the turbos causing the light to come on.

My maps.google.com send to navigation stopped working, I called BMW assist twice, they said they would have a "technician" check into it and call me back. That was over a week ago.

And I also had a 2007 3-series, I am glad they settled the class action lawsuit for the tire issues, I will be getting back most of my money for the 5,000.00 worth of tires I put on that car.
 
#69 ·
Its been over 12 months, I went to my first scheduled maintenance, they updated the software to the latest levels (as per what they told me and as per the work-done statement). However, in 2 days, the light came back on! I am now getting really frustrated with it. Looks like someone is hiding something from me.
 
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