my first yellow engine light

[lannypoffo]

picture of engine half full. gone when i drove the car 4 hours later.

[adc]

Originally Posted by mikeo

If it was HPFP related there will be a code stored that the dealer will read, even after your SSTT is removed. Now the dealer may not be able to duplicate the condition without the SSTT installed, but it's worth a visit. They have a battery of tests used to determine low and high fuel pressure issues.

But... beware - the first thing the dealer might do in this situation is upgrade the software on the car. That's what the procedure lists as the first corrective step.

Then, they will try to reproduce it and it won't happen, so they'll stop there for now.


And you end up with the bad v39-30 software...

[lannypoffo]

Originally Posted by adc

But... beware - the first thing the dealer might do in this situation is upgrade the software on the car. That's what the procedure lists as the first corrective step.

Then, they will try to reproduce it and it won't happen, so they'll stop there for now.


And you end up with the bad v39-30 software...

i dont know a way to determine what software my car has. my build date is 4/2008.

[adc]

Originally Posted by lannypoffo

i dont know a way to determine what software my car has. my build date is 4/2008.

In that case my understanding is that the damage is already done. :smile:


Then again, every 135i I've driven seems to have less lag and better throttle response than my 335i.

[theanhdy]

I have had the yellow service engine soon light come on twice already after a sstt was installed. I automatically blamed it on the sstt everytime simply because it was my only mod. I went out and bought a obd2 reader and the code for both times the engine light came on was evap system malfunction. I don't think it has anything to do with sstt.

I think I didn't turn off the ignition completely during gas fill up and that somehow triggered a sensor. It didn't come on right away but about 80 miles after fillup.

[adc]

Originally Posted by TheAnhDy

I have had the yellow service engine soon light come on twice already after a sstt was installed. I automatically blamed it on the sstt everytime simply because it was my only mod. I went out and bought a obd2 reader and the code for both times the engine light came on was evap system malfunction. I don't think it has anything to do with sstt.

I think I didn't turn off the ignition completely during gas fill up and someone triggered a sensor. It didn't come on right away but about 80 miles after fillup.

Was it code 1420 or something similar?

That's what I got and I found it listed online as some evap system error for BMW's, but more searching uncovered a different listing for it at e90post (about the fueling system, thus the HPFP).

[theanhdy]

Originally Posted by adc

Was it code 1420 or something similar?

That's what I got and I found it listed online as some evap system error for BMW's, but more searching uncovered a different listing for it at e90post (about the fueling system, thus the HPFP).

I don't remember the exact code number but I sure hope my car doesn't have the HPFP problem. Even with the service engine light on, my car was running and boosting perfectly without any drivability problems. So what happened with your car?

[adc]

Originally Posted by TheAnhDy

So what happened with your car?

Well after finding the evap code I made sure everything is tight, but I could still duplicate the problem.

The problem was that usually in WOT 2nd gear, around 6,000 RPM it would have a severe stutter (like running on 4 cylinders), the yellow light came on and I had to stop/restart the car to get the engine to run smoothly. After each restart the yellow engine light did not come back.

If I did this twice in a row, the SES light came on and stayed on.

The following day I could not duplicate the problem anymore.



Dealer found the HPFP codes, but after running the battery of tests concluded it was "normal". Still, they upgraded the car's software as a preventive fix for this, and as a step 1 fix for the wastegate rattle.

So far so good on the HPFP front, but now my 335i has extra turbo lag under 3500 RPM, courtesy of the v30.2 software installed. I get the impression that the new computer boxes (v81, as opposed to the V80 in my car) run much better with this software - which is perhaps the reason why people buying new cars are not overly complaining about the extra lag - but older customers like me do.

[lannypoffo]

interesting info. i really dont think its any evap issue in my case, my car is always off with key out when i fill up. the car also ran fine when it came on, nothing different was noticed. i dont really want to try and reproduce it, but if it comes it comes.

[Bullitt]

Originally Posted by adc

But... beware - the first thing the dealer might do in this situation is upgrade the software on the car.

Originally Posted by adc

So far so good on the HPFP front, but now my 335i has extra turbo lag under 3500 RPM, courtesy of the v30.2 software installed.

Not to divert, but what if the dealer has the new v31 software upgrade, which I hear reduces the lag? Wouldn't then the upgrade be a good thing, or are there still issues of its own?

[adc]

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Not to divert, but what if the dealer has the new v31 software upgrade, which I hear reduces the lag? Wouldn't then the upgrade be a good thing, or are there still issues of its own?

I've heard contradictory information regarding v31 - some say it cures the turbo lag, some say it does nothing. I would certainly welcome it in my car, can't be worse than it currently is.

But on a different car, if it ain't broken...


(At this point I don't even know if my dealer will upgrade me to v31, no matter how much I complain. I'll be very happy to get rid of this car next year at lease end.)

[ocinek]

I had my first engine light too. This was with low throttle in 5th gear on the highway (cruising). However, there was no limp mode and the half-engine went away without restarting the car. Everything seemed normal; any ideas about what it could be?

[dadasracecar]

My understanding of the that type of cel is that the event is stored in the ecu and the dealer can use it to void you b/c they can see that the short term fuel trims were out of spec - indicating that you upped the boost somehow. That is the whole reason the JB3 and Procede have come out with maps upping the fuel pressure so as to avoid this code and dealer issues. It seems the STFT spec is related to the injector pulse width. By upping the FP the ipw can remain in spec and the error code is not thrown.

Note: I'm still learning about this and all of this is from reading at N54tech and e90.

[audi2bmw1]

Originally Posted by gio

I had a vagcom for my Audi, unfortunately I don't know of a similar product for BMWs. I don't think one exists.

same here vag com was great and i used it all the time for tuning purposes and etc etc

[lannypoffo]

SO I BOUGHT A CODE READER..........

and I reproduced my check engine light again... get this.. it was right after I filled up my tank.. AGAIN... so its a pattern. The half-engine light comes on only after I've filled up my tank. Then it only happens when im in 6th gear, and I floor it. It starts pulling hard, then hesistates for a sec and then the engine light comes on.

This time i was prepared. I pulled my OBDII reader out while driving. It is a nice one with full live data and all that stuff. I plugged it in while driving with a engine light. It said NO CODES... So this light doesnt even trigger a code. Sort of sucks, cuz I have no idea why then.

Its related to the "weight" or "density" of a full tank of gas. Could be as simple as pressure not releasing nicely from the gas cap or something. The gas cap is always on properly. Then when it gets some air space it never has a problem again. It is ONLY on my very first drive with a full tank, EVERY time...

[lambammm]

i may know why you're getting the light, i got it in my broken 335i. my service advisor said it was the low pressure fuel pump, the one that gets the gas from the gas tank. apparently the gas i was feeding the car was high in ethanol and eroded some part of the pump, they replaced it under warranty, but i traded it in for a 135i soon thereafter. good luck hope this helps. get good gas only, top tier. http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

[lannypoffo]

interesting, thanks for the input. but i dont think BMW will offer me anything if i dont have a trouble code stored. the second i turn my car off the light is gone and never comes back.

[mikeo]

The $40,000 system BMW uses to read codes may be able to pull something out or plan on filling up near a dealer and taking it straight to them with the code showing.

[lannypoffo]

Originally Posted by mikeo

The $40,000 system BMW uses to read codes may be able to pull something out or plan on filling up near a dealer and taking it straight to them with the code showing.

thats a good idea... but the second i turn the car off the light is gone. ill have to have them look quick.

[Spook]

I got both the yellow half full engine and the service engine soon today. The engine was stuttering and trying to stall at idle. Resisting acceleration. Gently drove it home and will take it in to the dealer on Monday. This *sucks*

edit: my car is stock.. no mods. 1/2 tank of gas.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by lannypoffo

ya im pretty sure it was sstt.. ive had a lot of turbo cars before this, (Jetta, GTI, WRX), its a common problem. WOT in too high a gear at too low an RPM causes a boost spike which triggers a code.

What you're describing is the same thing that my car does on long trips. It did before and after the SSTT installation, and has done it since I removed mine for an upcoming service visit. You are most likely seeing a fuel pump starting to fail. Mine only does it when I'm down to about half a tank of fuel, and filling it up solves the problem completely. I haven't been home long enough to get it to the dealer, but it's been going on for a while now.

[robertdelrusso]

Can't figure out how to start a new forum so I 'll ask here.
Has anyone else noticed that you seem to get better gas mileage and certainly more life in the 128 when you avoid 6th gear? how fast do you need to be going to efficiently engage 6th? seems like 80mph is the magic number there. If you don't hit 80 stay in 5th


........curious