This is doing my head in!!!!

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 8:33 am

driving to London last night, it's about 100 miles to get there, it's the first long drive I have done in her since buying her from London, the day I brought her I drove her back and it was great, no problems what so ever! So as I posted before I have recently had 2 new tyres on the back and new timing chain cover gaskets, last night driving down it was all good for the first 50 miles, and then out of no where, the 4x4 Dash light pops on, about 20 miles after that I get the abs light come on and the light next to that, red one with exclamation mark in? I got out turned it on and off a few times but the lights stayed but she was still driving great. Anyway I get to my destination. Have my meeting and then get back in the car to go home, all the lights are on from the minute I turn the key, 10 miles in to the trip back I stop for petrol and when I start the car again ALL the warning lights are gone and everything is perfect for the next 80 miles. But would you believe it 10 miles from home I get the 4x4 light back. As I was getting a little annoyed I decided as I was pulling on to the slip road I would drop the hammer, I booted it and it picked up so fast it was great, BUT then I felt something drop out and "trans fail safe prog" came up and I lost the abilty to use sport mode!!! It would nt kick down either, it drove fine got up to speed and down the range ok it just would nt kick down or allow sports mode, anyway got home, turn off, turn on problem gone for now, Could this be to do with my recent work? It was all good till then!!!! I must add I did notice that if I boot it or rev hard I get just 1 quick puff of smoke from the exhaust, it's just had all new sparks plugs as well, sorry for the long post,

moar · Post by **moar** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:00 am

Could be the transfer motor gear.

I need some codes...

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:03 am

When I had random fault lights like this, it eventually turned out to be an alternator problem, even though the "tests" BMW ran on the alternator showed no fault - the electronics just need a bit of a spikey current and you can get random problems like this, turns out they are not very tolerant of alternator glitches. When transfailsafe comes on, it feels like the entire box is falling out the car and it goes into limp mode, not particularly nice if you are overtaking in the fast lane on the motorway! I seem to recall the codes themselves were not particularly helpful, but the catalogue of symptoms eventually led to suspecting the alternator. Since BMw fitted a new alternator (luckily under warranty) there have been no repeats of the problem.

Horizon · Post by **Horizon** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 11:35 am

It may be transmission wind up caused by the difference in the rolling circumference between the new rear tyres and the worn fronts. Through reading several post on BMW land it is more a common problem on the X3.
It could be confusing the transfer box Xdrive unit, one guy even changed the gear in the transfer box for the motor drive only for the problem to be still there.
Its difficult to know if it was there before you changed the rear tyres with you only just buying the car. As said get the codes read. But if it says the Xdrive system is at fault it can still be a tyre issue according to some posts I've read. They recommend using star rated tyres so the difference in the staggered setup is minimised by different rolling circumferences.
Hope you get to the bottom of the problem without much trouble and monies sent

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:49 pm

Thanks guys, I went out this morning and drove it hard and everything is fine at the minute, I will test the alternator myself this weekend as I am an electrical engineer I should just be able to manage that, Will the codes still be there even though all the problems and warning lights seem to of gone? I hear a lot if people talking about a scanner 1.4.0 or something is that something I should look into getting or just drop by bmw for diagnostic test?

Horizon · Post by **Horizon** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:30 pm

I have just noticed you are running on 22" rims. Are your tyre sizes/ widths and profiles the same, or are you running a staggered setup. What s your tyre setup inc profile ?

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:38 pm

I just checked I am running 295/30R22 103V extra load on the front and on the rear 295/30R22 103 Y XL, just been out again and it was fine for 20 minutes, then came up dsc/4x4 disconnect, abs light on, trans fail safe prog, I pulled over, off then on ignition. Then lights clear, warnings clear, drove home straight way and it went fine all the way home :'(

Steamyrotter · Post by **Steamyrotter** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:53 pm

It is sounding more like electrical problem than a genuine problem.. (Alternator / battery)

Dont think the diff in tyre rolling radius would affect gearbox side, but could affect the 4x4 & abs.
BUT could be as simple as an ABS sensor playing up

I believe these are linked into the 4x4 system (hence why diff radius sizes could do it) but dont think they are in the gearbox logic??

Steamyrotter · Post by **Steamyrotter** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:01 pm

Sorry I retract my last statement....

Wheel sensors do feed into the EGS......after a fashion...

http://www.e38.org/electran1.pdf

could be one of them??!

Have you managed to get any codes out of it???

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:11 pm

No codes yet, this all just started Thursday night and it's so intermittent it's a nightmare, I am going to check the battery later, In order to get the codes is it best to get main stealer bmw to do it? Will they be there if the warnings aren't up as it seems to reset every time I turn it off and on, sometimes I can go 50 miles no problem other times 3 miles, arggghhh

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:20 pm

Ok, so engine off but warm from last drive under an hour before check 12.25 volts
Engine running 14.20 volts so I think that means the battery and alter are good?

Steamyrotter · Post by **Steamyrotter** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:28 pm

means alternator is charging..... (may not be good!!)

There may be electrical noise on the 12v supply if the regulator pack is on its way out, or brushes are iffy (unless these brushless alternators??)

Codes should remain in the memories. There are generally 2 sets - Main Error memory and Shadow Memory.
They tend to log stuff when it triggers and will highlight that it is sporadic, active or not.

Dealer can do it, but may cost more and they may not actually know what they are looking at / diagnosing, or tell you all that they have found........
A good indy with the right kit can do it also, and probably for a lot less. (But some may not know what the codes mean either!!)

Either way if you can get the codes and post them then we can all have a bash, and learn something along the way.

Just thinking along the sensor route..
Have you checked the connections to the sensors?
there is a junction box in the wheel arches (or close to) with the plugs in them. these may be dirty / damp and giving false readings??

had a problem with a brake wear sensor on mine and found the boxes full of mud..

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:44 pm

Good stuff I will have a look in the arches, we have a bmw Indy in Peterborough so I will get it to him this week and post the report, I had a car that I hated once and it never once broke, this I love and all it wants to do leave me on the side of the road!

Steamyrotter · Post by **Steamyrotter** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 6:47 pm

Tell me about it...

My gearbox has spent more time on the bench than the car has on the road...
But when it runs you seem to forget the woes..

Best car i have ever had, even though i have had most of it in bits!!!! lol

Try the indy first and then progress from there..

good luck and let us know how you get on

Spartanx5 · Post by **Spartanx5** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:30 pm

So I had my codes read today although the car hasn't played up all weekend or allay today, but I had the codes read and cleared as the garage said some codes are not going to be relevant because of the time that had passed from the original problem? Codes are as follows
5DEB- DEB transfer case:tire tolerance
5DD0 -control module, over voltage
5F02- wheels speed sensor, general
5E44- wheel speed sensor, EMC. Right rear
5F42- transmission control. Limp-home operation
5E36- wheel speed sensor, EMC rear left

DME/DDE: text screen
Check pr19_ID(): 80 00 00 07 54 06 00
10 10 00 20 32 51 20 03 11 29 08 00 0
D 91 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF

EGS: text screen
Check_pr19_ID(): 80 00 00 07 53 60 78
71 00 02 01 32 50 20 03 11 22 08 00 0
B 8c 05 FF FF 02 03 0A 00 00 00

Now I have know idea what the end bit is, but I have just had 2 new rear tyres fitted so they suspect the 22 inch wheels are doing me no favours, they said they have cleared the codes and this time as soon as it's does it again, go straight to them so they can read again,

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This is doing my head in!!!!

This is doing my head in!!!!

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