do i have the dreaded fuel pump problem

[xxSpudxx]

Let me start by saying that i didnt have the 5 - 6 seconds time frame to start up the car.


So, the car now has 1254 miles on it, and i purchased it 1 month ago today.

Friday the wife and I had a planned 4 hour drive to Blacksburg va.

Plan was to leave at 12:30 to avoid the friday crappy traffic that is northern va.

I headed west on I66 for about an hour. I am using cruise control. All of a sudden when the car accelerates the whole car shudders. I quickly flip off the cruise control and again when i try and accelerate, it acts hesitant and shakes the whole car. By then the Check engine light comes on in orange. I pull off the exit and into the gas station. I shut off the car and as soon as i open my door i get a faint smell of coolant. One time prior i smelled this and it was 2 days before when i floored it to get on to the highway b/c no car was letting me off the ramp. I smelled it and chocked it up to being a new car and that this was the first time i had floored it really..

So. I open the hood, look for leaks, smoking etc.. Nothing under the car is leaking. I dont smell the coolant anywhere inside the hood. I only smelled it when i first opened my door in the drivers area.. I let it sit for 5 min and hit the start button. It fires right up, but the check engine light comes back on and the whole car shakes again..


so....call up BMW assist, they have me go through the iDrive and see if they can see anything. The check status says everything is fine....yeah right..

Start it up again and the same shaking. BMW assist sends for a tow truck. Car sits for an hour before the guy shows up. I start up the car to move it to be pulled onto the truck. No shaking, but service engine light is still on.

Wife and I ride the hour back to the dealer in sterling va with the tow truck driver.. Very nice guy.

Sterling gets me a loaner and i am back on the road around 4:30ish. So dead smack in the middle of BS rush hour.

The techs only work mon - thurs on 24 hour (12 and 12 hour shifts) I called to check this AM, and my SA said the computer just reported a "misfire" but the tech was out driving it. She is supposed to call me soon.



So all this sound like the fuel pump? The SA mentioned that it might be that as soon as i dropped it off on friday.


Arggg...

I just turned in my less than year old MINI for having constant issues... I hope this isnt more writing on the wall.


Alex

[xxSpudxx]

anyone?

[1ToBeOn2Wheels]

Originally Posted by xxSpudxx

The techs only work mon - thurs on 24 hour (12 and 12 hour shifts) I called to check this AM, and my SA said the computer just reported a "misfire" but the tech was out driving it. She is supposed to call me soon.

I wish the techs at my dealer worked 24 hour shifts. Then stuff could actually get done timely.

I had the same thing happen a while ago when I was on the freeway. Stuttering on acceleration with a check engine light. Took it in, they said the same thing about it being a misfire and something about replacing a sparkplug. Suggested that I used bad petrol (which is crap, I always put in Shell or 76 highest octane). No problems since.

A side note, I try to fill up for petrol before or right when the low fuel light comes on so it doesn't suck up any sludge at the bottom of the tank and cause more problems like that. Whether or not there is any truth to them being related is debateable, but whatever lets me sleep at night, right?

EDIT: So to answer your question: No, I don't think you have a HPFP issue.

[xxSpudxx]

hmmmm

thanks... Right before that trip, i let it get down to around 3 miles left before i filled up.

THAT might have caused the problem. We left the next morning...

The tech said pretty much what you just typed.

thanks!