My first post!

[chasediggity]

Hello all!

I have been lurking for some time now. I purchased my '09 135i last April; I love this car. I wish my first post was a happy one...

However, my 1er stranded me four hours from home last Sunday. The hpfp failed - surprise, surprise. Hauled it home, and dropped off at my local BMW store. The fuel pump was of course covered under the extended warranty, but I also needed six new injectors. Three were leaking, but you can't mix the new updated index 11 injectors with anything of a lower index. Okay, that was expensive, even being an employee at another dealership under the same company. Dropped of Wednesday morning and picked up Thursday afternoon, not bad, normally employees don't get treated that well.

Here's where the story gets pretty good.

I drove my car home Thursday night and parked in the garage and sat for a minute listening to it idle, what a massive improvement over the last couple of months. I had worried the fuel pump was on the way out due to the rough cold starts and occasional misfires at idle (never did have long cranking time though). The garage filled with the smell of raw fuel, I had also noticed this when I picked it up, but attributed it to the replacement of the fuel pump and all the injectors. They probably spilled gas, that makes sense to me.

I start it up this morning, and it was a little bit rough, and the smell of gas again, right out of the exhaust. I dropped off at BMW again, and got a phone call late this afternoon...Multiple codes for high manifold pressure that keep coming back after being cleared. There is a "crack" in the valve cover. That's not unheard of, usually they crack around the oil filler. This is not the case, and it is not a crack, it is a hole in the back left corner near the injector. They're saying this was there before I brought it in the first time. How could that be? How would I not notice how rich it was running due to the negative pressure within the valve cover? How did the technician not notice this?! No codes prior to the hpfp failure...this doesn't make any sense, but they are still insisting they are not responsible, and that it was somehow my fault. They also said that something broke that valve cover from the inside? I don't know how that would even happen. I put five miles on the car since I picked it up.

Looking at the picture I just can't figure out what the hell happened, it's so bizarre...It almost looks melted to me.

Anyways, sorry about the long post, and I appreciate any insight from you guys.

Also I've been drinking, sorry if there's any confusion with my description.

[The Wind Breezes]

Interesting...

[Dackelone]

That's pretty bizarre. Not sure what could cause that. But then again... the valve cover is plastic and the engine does get pretty hot.

I guess your on the hook for another $500 for a new valve cover?

[chasediggity]

Mystery solved. Technician removed the engine cover with the last bolt still attached in the rear...