OBD-II Diagnostic Trouble Code P203A

Hi,
I have a 2010 335d, great car so far.
Today for the first time it had the dreaded "service engine soon" come up on the display.
I checked the OBD-II code w/ my scanner and found P203A.
I have searched the forums and Googled and Binged, but can not find a listing of translations
for the codes this vehicle.

ie: P-203A = defective frimmulator , value out of range.

Anyone know if such a thing exists? (outside of the dealer's diagnostic systems)

Thanks
Dieseldr

Folks not being much help these days.

DieselDr, if you look further down you will see my post a few days ago about this same problem.

Here is the link: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=625496

What is weird if that my SES light cleared two days later but my Garmin ECORoute which reads the codes is still showing this code as being active. Haven't figured out how to reset it yet?

The code is related to the DEF system best I can tell.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Flyingman,
The dealer did the 30k miles service recently, including the DEF,
so I'll keep an eye on it and see if it clears.
I need to take the car in for the A/C belt squeal fix and possibly the EGR fix,
but am waiting for my son to go back to college so I can use his car for a daily driver.
dieseldr

DieselDr,

It is interesting that my code came up shortly after my 13k service at 38k miles. I'm wondering if they may have reprogrammed something. Supposedly they had to reprogram the ECU for the emissions due to the EGR recall. I also have a 2010.

Hey, you in the Orlando area?

The SES went out after two days but I was never able to clear my Garmin ECO Route code reader. It just would not reset.

Now the SES has come back on once again and I still have the same P203A code showing.

Guess I'll have to take it in to have this issue looked at. Certainly haven't noticed anything unusual performance wise.

Anybody else suffer this problem?

Here's what ISID says

P2O3A 4SAB 4SAS Reducing agent active tank level sensor, signal


4SAS DDE: Reducing-agentactive-tank Level sensor, signal

Fault description Plausibility check on reducing agent fluid level in active tank

The evaluation electronics for the fuel level sensor transmit the information “all sensors wet” immediately, followed by “all sensors dry” within a period of 70s. If the change in condition does not occur within this time period, the fault is set

Furthermore, the fault is set when the fluid level non-linearised value is not between

$(SCR_rUTnkLvlMin_C) and $(SCR_rUTnkLvlMax_C).

Condition for fault identification

Condition for fault memory entry

Debounce (2000 ms)

Action in service

1. Check line and plug connections

2. If lines and plug connections are OK:

3. Check the fluid level sensor with the diagnosis system.

4 Replace the evaluation electronics for the active tank fuel Level sensor

Warning

Driver information Emissions warning light

OK, a bit more data.

This morning the SES has gone out now.

Originally Posted by dieseldr

...The dealer did the 30k miles service recently, including the DEF,
so I'll keep an eye on it and see if it clears.
I need to take the car in for the A/C belt squeal fix and possibly the EGR fix,...

Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the emissions recall actually has three items in it:
1) Possible EGR valve replacement
2) ECU reprogram
3) Possible replacement of SCR mixer (injector)

It's quite possible that they will fix this problem with the recall. Get it done.

I need help with the SES light also. My 2009 335d has 144,250 miles. The SES light never came on until I had the recall service done. Now it's on all the time and today I got the "diminished power" icon( engine block 1/2 yellow color). I took it to the dealer, and now have a list of 3 parts that the "codes" say need replacing. Throttle valve@ $795, a HFM @ @720 and an "Active Tank @ $2415. I don't have a code reader, so i need a little advice here. This has been a tremendous car. My problems seem to have begun just after the recall was performed.

Thanks for any comments/advice

Originally Posted by GangweDM

I need help with the SES light also. My 2009 335d has 144,250 miles. The SES light never came on until I had the recall service done. Now it's on all the time and today I got the "diminished power" icon( engine block 1/2 yellow color). I took it to the dealer, and now have a list of 3 parts that the "codes" say need replacing. Throttle valve@ $795, a HFM @ @720 and an "Active Tank @ $2415. I don't have a code reader, so i need a little advice here. This has been a tremendous car. My problems seem to have begun just after the recall was performed.

Thanks for any comments/advice

I would suspect that the new ECU program has different (lower?) limits for emissions equipment, and that that has caught some marginal systems. Why both the hot-film mass AND the throttle valve are bad is beyond me. As far as the tank, probably the SCR pump isn't delivering enough fluid and it's integral with the tank.

The code P203A is the generic OBDII code. It actually breaks down into 4 BMW hex codes

P203A

4SAB

DDE: Reducing-agent active-tank fill-level sensor, signal

4BAS Reducing agent active tank level sensor, signal

4SAC

DDE: Reducing-agent active-tank fill-level sensor, signal

4BAC Reducing agent active tank level sensor, signal

It looks like the one of the sensors in the active tank is acting up and the DDE isn't receiving the signal or the DDE has an interment issue. More likely one of the sensors in the active tank is going bad

Originally Posted by GangweDM

I need help with the SES light also. My 2009 335d has 144,250 miles. The SES light never came on until I had the recall service done. Now it's on all the time and today I got the "diminished power" icon( engine block 1/2 yellow color). I took it to the dealer, and now have a list of 3 parts that the "codes" say need replacing. Throttle valve@ $795, a HFM @ @720 and an "Active Tank @ $2415. I don't have a code reader, so i need a little advice here. This has been a tremendous car. My problems seem to have begun just after the recall was performed.

Thanks for any comments/advice

Same here, SES came on about a week after they did the service and recall. All I have is the P203A code and it won't reset. But mine is intermittent.

But I'm still under warranty and seriously giving consideration for the extended warranty after seeing your problem.

got the news today---$4,000 for the repairs. The extended warranty would be a good bet.

D

I also got the SES light On this weekend and now it is Off. The OBD code is also P203A. I scheduled my 3th service (~35K miles) in 2 weeks. I will have the recall and this problem taken care then.

Originally Posted by GangweDM

got the news today---$4,000 for the repairs. The extended warranty would be a good bet.

D

Hey, you have like 145k miles. Not much you can complain about. Sounds like some of your problems are emission related, shouldn't some of it still be under warranty?

I think you may have the vehicle with the highest miles on this forum best I can tell.

Originally Posted by montr

I also got the SES light On this weekend and now it is Off. The OBD code is also P203A. I scheduled my 3th service (~35K miles) in 2 weeks. I will have the recall and this problem taken care then.

Montr, my troubles started right after my 3rd service at 38k and the recall implemented. I now have 40k but SES came on about a week after. It went out and then came back and it's out once again. I'm wondering if it is not perhaps some level sensor issue between the active and passive DEF tanks? Maybe the transfer of DEF from the passive to the active has been affected somehow.

Hi,

I arranged to borrow my son's 1985 300SD to drive while BMW had the car for a week.

Ironic how a 27 year old simple Diesel car still works fine and gets 25 mpg, but a 2 year old computerized zoomer needs a squad of technical people and equipment to keep it going.....and now it only gets 29 mpg after they reprogrammed the computer. (I'll never sell the old Diesels we have....)

I had four issues for the dealer to look at:

- the "service code P203A"
- A/C belt squeal on clutch engagement when hot
- EGR recall
- one dim headlight.

So after having the car back for a week, all is well except for the diminished mileage, the computer reprogramming wiped out all the other configurations so it was all back to factory defaults again - I had to reset all the configs back to where I had them before, and now the AC fan cuts off/on/off/on, as if it can't decide on what the sensor is telling it.

Possibly I can swap vehicles w/ my kid permanently...........

dieseldr






Today, Friday, "service engine soon" came back, same code again....I expect that the dealer will have it for another week. I have no confidence in this car for reliable transportation.

Dieseldr,

All said, in almost three years and 40+k miles, I've never been left stranded.

The SES is not the end of the world. Certainly frustrating that we get these right after they service the car, which tells me most likely the techs may not know what they are doing.

Originally Posted by GangweDM

got the news today---$4,000 for the repairs. The extended warranty would be a good bet.

D

Last I checked extended warranty covers up to 160,000km or 100,000miles and 7 years.
So if your repairs are after 144+k miles then it won't be covered.
The way I see it if I have to spend $4,000 on repair after driving over 144,000 miles its no big deal if I've set aside funds for repairs. After all that works out to 3 cents per mile.

Here is what they fixed on it this week.

Hmmm, so they had to replace the DEF tank. I assume the pump, sensors, levels, etc... are easier to fix by replacing the entire unit.

We all know that will cost a pretty penny after warranty expires. Certainly this is one area of the 335D that will be subject to failure.

I guess I'll have to bring mine in before the warranty expires as well. The code is triggered but I currently have no SES or other indication on the OBC, just the Garmin Ecoroute.

While I had my car in to get the rear wheel rim fixed, I asked them to check the P203A code it had thrown.

I don't know what they found but when I got it back the code was no longer showing on my Ecoroute HD. So I assume it resolved itself.

I had to reset the Ecoroute HD that plugs into the OBCDII port, so that may have reset it as well. The car itself was not showing the SES or code for a long time, just couldn't get the Ecoroute to reset it.

Originally Posted by Flyingman

Hey, you have like 145k miles. Not much you can complain about. Sounds like some of your problems are emission related, shouldn't some of it still be under warranty?

I think you may have the vehicle with the highest miles on this forum best I can tell.

I was told that after I did the recall last week, the warranty resets on the emissions system to 8 years/160,000 kms...whichever comes first.

It's back again. P203A code. SES light came on for about 2 days, then is gone. Garmin still registers it and won't clear it.

Guess I'll have to go back for this specific item.

Seems like most of us with problems are related to the emission controls.