Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power

I got a warning today that said Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power on my 2008 535xi. I took it to the closest dealer but I couldn't leave it there b/c I was on my way into work and they are 35 miles from where I live and had no loaners. There is no public transportation and I need a car.

They brought a mechanic over and he said that it sounds exactly like a fuel pump issue and the car will limit power to the engine and I'll be fine driving on it and I can take it to my local dealer tomorrow. He said that it is a safety function and the car makes sure to limit itself so no damage is done.

The car sputters a little when it starts up and drives fine once it is going (perhaps the slightest shake when I slow to a stop but that could be the road.

Does this sound like a fuel pump issue and if so what does that essentially mean. How long am I likely to be without a car? Also not that I have much of a choice but should I be fine driving about 30 miles home on a highway with absolutely no traffic? I'll obviously not push it at this point.

Thanks for the help.

Yup! It is the fuel pump! I had the same issue last week, and they replaced the fuel pump. Do a search on these forums. You will see that it is an issue with the 335 and 535.

Assuming that it is the fuel pump (my local dealer didn't seem to think so but I'll print some stuff out from this board), how long does it typically take to be fixed?

Originally Posted by ks-man

Assuming that it is the fuel pump (my local dealer didn't seem to think so but I'll print some stuff out from this board), how long does it typically take to be fixed?

I would say it totally is the fuel pump. It is exactly what happened to me. I took mine in on a Wed. and got it back Thurs late morning. Running the diagnostic report for BMW took the longest time, and once that was done, it was fixed in a matter of a few hours. They had the part in stock. If they have to order it, it will take longer.

One other thing is I had my first scheduled oil change on the car yesterday. Is there a chance that they did something during the oil change that could have caused this problem? It just seems like such a crazy coincidence that it was worth noting.

Originally Posted by ks-man

I got a warning today that said Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power on my 2008 535xi. I took it to the closest dealer but I couldn't leave it there b/c I was on my way into work and they are 35 miles from where I live and had no loaners. There is no public transportation and I need a car.

They brought a mechanic over and he said that it sounds exactly like a fuel pump issue and the car will limit power to the engine and I'll be fine driving on it and I can take it to my local dealer tomorrow. He said that it is a safety function and the car makes sure to limit itself so no damage is done.

The car sputters a little when it starts up and drives fine once it is going (perhaps the slightest shake when I slow to a stop but that could be the road.

Does this sound like a fuel pump issue and if so what does that essentially mean. How long am I likely to be without a car? Also not that I have much of a choice but should I be fine driving about 30 miles home on a highway with absolutely no traffic? I'll obviously not push it at this point.

Thanks for the help.

I had the same issue when my car had 600 miles on it. The problem was not the fuel pump. According to the tech there were "metal shavings" on one of the sensors which lead to a false reading. They replaced the sensor which took about an hour.......

I have a brand new 2008 535XI. Less than two months old, less than 2000 miles (1 trip to Quebec) and I received the same error: Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power The car idled rough and something did not feel right. It would come on and off regularly and finally ended with the little engine yellow light. It has been with the dealer for 5 days and still no resolution. I like the dealer very much but wanted to share with you the diagnostic related data to see if anyone has any thoughts:

-I would recommend we look into this if the message returns a second time. Could be indicative of an emissions fault. Please contact if message returns we will be happy to look into further.
-We have been able to duplicate the same fault misfire in cyl#1 that we obtained originally, and are in the process of replacing the fuel injector for that cylinder. If for any reason this does not correct the issue it may require a DME (engine computer) replacement however we do feel that the injector is the likely cause of this failure. Some high pressure fuel pumps have been problematic on some twin turbo (N54) as indicated on the forums, (I have seen more than a couple) however at this time this one is operating as designed.
-to update you on the status of the 535xi the injector has not repaired the condition we are currently working with BMW on this matter as we are suspecting either and issue with the DME or a possible collapsed lifter causing the misfire.

At this point I asked so what's the worst case: Most involved repair would be to replace lifters and camshaft which may have been affected by lifter failure. Would take a day or two to repair, 3 at most assuming parts arrived on schedule.

So at this point I will likley be w/o car for almost 2 weeks. Can someone please tell me if I am wrong for really hating the BMW 535XI 2008 (not the dealer, they are great, but com eon, this is a brand new car!!)

Had the same issue on my new (<3000 miles) 535xi. I was on a long trip out west when it first happened. The first dealer I saw told me it was an issue with the turbocharger but it was OK to drive. (about 2 hours at the dealer) Three says later and 1000 miles later it happened again only the car began to buck as I drove. The next dealer said it was a computer problem, they deleted some codes and off I went. (less than one hour at the dealer) Honestly, I haven't had an issue since. When I got home I immediately took the car to my dealer for a check up. They changed the high pressure fuel pump since they said it was bad. Car was in for about six or seven hours.
Have not had a problem since (knock on wood). Several threads have discussed this issue and everyone has had a different solution. This signal (engine malfunction-reduced power) appears to be a common message for many different problems.

Wow!! I cant believe you guys are having these crazy problems with brand new 2008 E60's
What the hell is going on.
No wonder the E39 is pretty much bullet proof.

SURPRISINGLY, I do not mind the time they are spending on it. The last thing is I do not want a quick turn around. I insisted they identify the root cause of the issue, not just treat the symptoms. I will keep updates coming as I receive them.

my 08 wagon is having the same problem...i posted it under "noise on startup". it idles rough on startup at times, and loses power on the highway with a shuddering sensation. happened again today, and this time the "engine malfunction, reduced power" light came on. now at least the code is there. last check at the dealer showed that it was "performing to spec". i was worried this would be intermittent forever and never show a fault. i'll update when i hear what's up.

I had the same error alert. The dealer told me the problem was the K&N Air Filter that I installed. The car has been running rough for some time now, even before I replaced the air filter.
I wonder if I am having some of the issues you all are having, I can't see the K&N being the issue.

if i get any kind of answer that doesn't address the problem i will be very surprised. there is no reason a new, well made auto should be having a problem like mine. it's not the gas. i buy the best available here. it's not an air filter, or a butterfly in the grill, the humidity, the ozone, or the sun spot cycle. it's not even bush's fault. there is a part of the car that is just not functioning properly, and it shall be found.

well this forum rocks because the dealers now know we can all easily communicate and snif fout BS immediatley. Its forcing them to put their A game on.

All fixed. It turned out to be the fuel injector. The diagnosed that the injector was the actual failure however by not performing a procedure known as clearing of the adaptations after replacement it allowed the fault to return. Car is 100%. Hope this helps anyone with similiar problem.

w

I had the yellow light warning on a trip down south. It turned out to be a hairline crack in the spark plug porcelin.

The dealer originally changed the high pressure fuel pump but six days later the same message - Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power returned. This time they replaced a fuel injector. So far so good (7 days). Several threads about this issue exist here. The BMW mechanic says its the gas. I use Shell 94 octane when I can but did put one tank of another brand in just before the last visit to the dealer. I've heard we need to use Shell 94 in the 535. Has anyone had experience with Sunoco gas? Shell is hard to find here but Sunoco is everywhere.

I only use Chevron or Shell and have good results from both.
This is the site that lists all the top tier companies http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

toptiergas.com
QuikTrip
Chevron
Texaco
MFA Oil Co.
Conoco
Phillips 66
76
Entec Stations
Shell
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Co.
Turkey Hill Minit Markets
Mileage Stations
Chevron Canada
Shell Canada
Petro-Canada
Sunoco Canada

Originally Posted by Flash535

I've heard we need to use Shell 94 in the 535. Has anyone had experience with Sunoco gas? Shell is hard to find here but Sunoco is everywhere.

I use Shell or Chevron whenever possible. But I also use Sunoco premium - so far with no ill effects. BTW.. here in Virginia, Shell premium is 93 AKI.

I am experiencing the same issue with my 535XI. Car is a month old and starting running rough last week with the Engine Malfunction light coming on, the power eventually returned to normal with the light going off. Brought it to the dealer and they said that they see that the #1 cylinder had misfired but could not replicate the issue so they just reset it and all should be fine. I am wondering if I should bring it to another dealer? or wait for the problem to resurface again? Just don't want to be stuck on the side of the road. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

My 535i has been to the dealer several times with this Reduced Power/ Engine Malfuncion stuff.

On the last visit, the reprogrammed the car and its running fine now. Guess it was just a computer glitch.

after replacing the fuel pump, i promptly hit the road for a vacation. 100 miles in it began hesitating and running very roughly again. took it to the local dealer. got a loaner for the week. they found "misfire cylinder 3", which was apparently the problem before as well. this time they replaced the injector for that cylinder. just drove home...200 miles and doing well. got 27 mpg loaded down in the hills. happy so far...

Originally Posted by Flash535

The dealer originally changed the high pressure fuel pump but six days later the same message - Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power returned. This time they replaced a fuel injector. So far so good (7 days). Several threads about this issue exist here. The BMW mechanic says its the gas. I use Shell 94 octane when I can but did put one tank of another brand in just before the last visit to the dealer. I've heard we need to use Shell 94 in the 535. Has anyone had experience with Sunoco gas? Shell is hard to find here but Sunoco is everywhere.

You can't say "we need to use Shell 94 in the 535". You can say we would like to, or I wish I could, and I'd agree. My point is, you cant even get 93 in California, much less 94. Granted I believe we should put in the best gas we can, but nowhere does it say 94 that I know of. California's probably in the top 3 in the US for new BMW sales, 1st maybe. That equates to a lot of BMW owners running sub par octane gas if that were the case. My 2 cents.

dj

Originally Posted by bbal

after replacing the fuel pump, i promptly hit the road for a vacation. 100 miles in it began hesitating and running very roughly again. took it to the local dealer. got a loaner for the week. they found "misfire cylinder 3", which was apparently the problem before as well. this time they replaced the injector for that cylinder. just drove home...200 miles and doing well. got 27 mpg loaded down in the hills. happy so far...

In 2007, a fairly high number of '08 vehicles built in early '07 with the N54 engine were having high pressure fuel pump failures, resulting in "limp home mode" as its commonly called. Supposedly traced to a bad batch of pumps. I think it took a good part of '07 to see most of the failures and get the pumps replaced. I don't know if there was a recall, but I don't think so. So there are probably still vehicles out there with marginal pumps. My guess is if they are going to fail, they will within the warranty period and be replaced.

Vehicles built in '08 shouldn't be experiencing pump failures in any large volumes. There have been reports of sporadic injector failures and these are quickly fixed with new injectors. My 535i has about 3500 miles and I haven't experienced any issues (keeping fingers crossed).

BMW recommends top tier fuels with 91 AKI octane for a reason... These fuel systems need to be kept clean and top tier brands have the desired level of additives to do the job.

I'm having the same problem but different. The engine malfunction reduced power light came on 2 times but driveability was not affected. Then happened 5 or 6 more times over 6 months(still no affect on driving). I would turn the 535xi off and back on and the light would not come back. Over this weekend, the light came on(not the big engine light, the small one upper screen) and has stayed on. It's going to the dealer tomorrow. I hope they find something, it's frustrating. I agree with another poster that believes the engine malfunction display is tied to several problems.