Can someone help with these symptoms?

2002 530 w/67k miles. Car shakes hard in the morning. I have noticed an oil drop or two under the car every few days. I have not done vanos seals or changed VCGs.


This is what has been happening lately with regularity.

Early morning, I start the car, it starts to shake, the CEL comes on, I go outside, car smells like burnt oil?, I let it shake, car warms past blue, I turn off the car, wait 5 minutes, restart the car, no CEL, no more shaking, go to work, work 8 hours, I start the car, drive home, next day same thing. yawn.

I have been to my indy to get the codes read.

All it shows is...

(242) F2 Misfire cylinder 5
(240) F0 Misfire cylinder 3
(243) F3 Misfire cylinder 6 (3 times)
(238) EE Misfire cylinder 1

Any idea what could be causing these symptoms? Thx.

Originally Posted by Gian

2002 530 w/67k miles. Car shakes hard in the morning. I have noticed an oil drop or two under the car every few days. I have not done vanos seals or changed VCGs.


This is what has been happening lately with regularity.

Early morning, I start the car, it starts to shake, the CEL comes on, I go outside, car smells like burnt oil?, I let it shake, car warms past blue, I turn off the car, wait 5 minutes, restart the car, no CEL, no more shaking, go to work, work 8 hours, I start the car, drive home, next day same thing. yawn.

I have been to my indy to get the codes read.

All it shows is...

(242) F2 Misfire cylinder 5
(240) F0 Misfire cylinder 3
(243) F3 Misfire cylinder 6 (3 times)
(238) EE Misfire cylinder 1

Any idea what could be causing these symptoms? Thx.

most likely you will need 6 new ignition coils.. and as for the burning oil smell.. most likely.. your valve cover gasket.. or.... oil housing filter.. gasket.

my car also shakes during cold mornings.... once I changed the coils... looks good... I also had misfire... in first 3 cylinders.... I only changed 3 coils.. but will change out the other 3.. for a piece of mind.

what Flyboyy said + you need to do the VANOS seal. the burning oil smell could be your CCV leaking somewhere, the valve cover gasket leaking, or the power steering reservoir leaking.

Check to see if you have oil in one or more of the spark plug chambers - leaking valve cover gasket.
Sounds like ground hog day!!!!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong my brother in law 2001 530i one owner with 188k on the clock with original vanos and ccv never had any problem can someone explain to me what is going on may be my brother in law car was made in germany may I do not know.By the way he live in new jersey and the car always outside since no garage.

Check for oil leak near the valve cover, bad gasket will drip into the spark plugs and give out the misfire codes. Have your Indy mech to check this out.

For the original poster---the Vanos seals will stop the bad shakes your getting in the AM--that is also whats causing the misfire codes being thrown as they are.
Now for the rest

Originally Posted by franan

Correct me if I'm wrong my brother in law 2001 530i one owner with 188k on the clock with original vanos and ccv never had any problem can someone explain to me what is going on may be my brother in law car was made in germany may I do not know.By the way he live in new jersey and the car always outside since no garage.

On the M54 engines there is an ecu update that masks the problems from the Vanos seal issue. His car can feel like there's nothing wrong--until he changes the seals in the car --he won't know how well his car can truly perform.

On the oil leak--could be the CCV valve--but I bet that it's the oil filter housing gasket.
He has the right amount of miles on the car that he needs to do both of the jobs anyway.
If the cooling system has never been updated --add that job as well as the valve cover gasket and Vanos seals--then enjoy the car for another 100k miles.