[jamesno1]

I have a 318i efficient dynamics which i bought new just over 3 months ago. It has had the hesitation/misfire from day one and has been in the garage a total of 6 times. On the first occasion it had a software update which made the car better to drive but never cured the misfire and on subsequent visits to the dealership they have refused to acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car. Today the engine management light came on but went away after turning the car off and on again. I have read through a few pages of this topic and it would seem the problem i am experiencing is one that has been going on for well over a year, albeit you guys seem to be having trouble with the 320i, but it is the same engine afterall and whatever the changes are for the ED package it has not worked in my case. Incidentally i have sent letters to both my dealership and my finance company stating i wish to reject the car but at this point they are both refusing so i will need to check what my options are now. However all i want is the car to run as a £25k brand new car should so my question(s) is(are) this........


does anyone know of a definitive fix for this problem?

Has anyone actually had this problem and had it cured permanently? i.e not returned after a few months...


If i know that the car can be fixed and not worried that it will reoccur then i am quite happy to keep the car...it is after all a fcuking cracking car in every other aspect..... however if this is an inherent design fault or something that cannot be fixed i am going to push for a new car or my money back!

Don't know about you guys but when i bought my first brand new BMW(first brand new car ever in fact) i did not expect this nonsense....it has totally and completely wasted my experience and i think that is probably what annoys me most about all this.


just one more point, just spent a few days in sweden with a volkswagen golf multifuel hire car....ran on E85 ethanol or unleaded, never skipped a beat on either fuel......great wee car, well put together, felt comfortable and most importantly the engine worked even with all the computer trickery required to run on ethanol.....hmm

[Ham09]

Originally Posted by jamesno1

I have a 318i efficient dynamics which i bought new just over 3 months ago. It has had the hesitation/misfire from day one and has been in the garage a total of 6 times.

Sh*t a brick mate. A brand new car which you've had for 3 months and it's been back to the garage six times. Credit to you for being that patient

Shame on you BMW for letting new customer down so badly! I really hope they sort it out for you properly otherwise I would think you would be well within you rights reject it as unfit and get your money back. Good luck buddy

[COLSEN]

Ham, get some pics up of your car in your profile so I know if I see you on M6

[PeKKeR]

Originally Posted by jamesno1

does anyone know of a definitive fix for this problem?

Has anyone actually had this problem and had it cured permanently? i.e not returned after a few months...


If i know that the car can be fixed and not worried that it will reoccur then i am quite happy to keep the car...it is after all a fcuking cracking car in every other aspect..... however if this is an inherent design fault or something that cannot be fixed i am going to push for a new car or my money back!

Don't know about you guys but when i bought my first brand new BMW(first brand new car ever in fact) i did not expect this nonsense....it has totally and completely wasted my experience and i think that is probably what annoys me most about all this.

im exactly at the same situation as you. but i think ive made my decisions bro. i decided not to spend the next 5 years in and out of a bmw garage. i was lucky enough to call a very senior bmw engineer , and when i told him about the 4-cylinder ED engines he smiled in a weird way, as if he wanted to pass a message...which he actually did at the end: he told me to gt rid of it, and maybe get an automatic 320d instead.

anyhow , im selling it. no more bmw for me. i wish i would have gotten an e46 ...atleast that works even though its not as sexy as the E92.

waiting bmw service to call me to go and pickup my car today. i already know the story how it ends...

[jamesno1]

yep......i think iv bought a turd!!!!!!!!!

the worst part is i sold a 120d which i loved, it had no issues, apart from creaking suspension, and even remapped never missed a beat! Before that i had an e46 320i with a silky smooth engine..again a cracking car. I think BMW have lost the plot now, selling too many cars and not engineering/developing them properly before churning them out...

Oh well i suppose i can only look forward to my next new car, which may be damn sooner than i thought ......

[PeKKeR]

i wish i had a 320d or a 120d instead of this :-( i can see how you feel!

they just called me now and they said the car is ready. they changed the spark plugs.

picking it up in 2 hours. will keep you posted..

[PeKKeR]

Picked it up just now.

reminder:
March08 Car is produced

Aug09 : i had total engine failure studdering , CEL, changed injectors and software , everything smooth.

Dec09 (today): frequent check engine lights, took it in service , changed SPARK PLUGS, and now everything smooth and nice again.

Asked the lady if im gonna have more problems , and she admitted that i would probably do, because they will have to change the COILS at some point but they have got any in stock (!!!) but they are on back order ... my warranty expires on march2010 so i asked her what do i do if my coils need to be replaced after march. she said that maybe BMW will show good will because of low milage and do it for free. i say BOLLOCKS. its a brand new car (1 yr old) and i shouldnt be having these problems...

anyhow i called another 320i victim, and found out that he is on the waiting list for coils replacement, in 2 months!! they told him that the coils originally install on the 07-08-09 320i's were problematic and that the new ones will solve the problems. personally i dont believe this crap, but lets see through this forum if its true.

Are the coils the answer to out problems???

[jamesno1]

no pekker, i think a gallon of petrol and a box of matches is the answer to our problems :-)

[COLSEN]

After my software upgrade mine drove like a dream...

[PeKKeR]

talking about cars with brains :P

[jakeandlizzy]

Got my June 2007 320i e93 back this week after yet another visit to the dealer due to the engine warning light coming back on. They rather reluctantly agreed to give me a print out of all of the previous work. It covered 5 pages, but the main engine ralated things I can find in the report are as follows:

December 2009
Replace Ingnition coil

November 2009
Replace one injector of fuel injection system (Decoupling element & Injector)

July 2009
Replace Nitorgen Oxide Sensor

March 2009
Replace Pulse Sensor at exhaust camshaft

Jan 2008
Replace pulse generator at exhaust camshaft

What is likely to go next?!

[PeKKeR]

maybe the coil will be your last one....who knows...

[jakeandlizzy]

I really hope so! The visits to the dealer and getting more and more regular. The warranty is due to expire in June 2010. Current quote from BMW is £520 for a years warranty with no excess. If I'm back at the dealers every few months, this sounds like it could be a sound investment!

I suppose the remotely interesting point from this report is that there does not appear to be one common component at fault with the 320i ED engine.

[FieldingMellish]

Originally Posted by jamesno1

I have a 318i efficient dynamics which i bought new just over 3 months ago. It has had the hesitation/misfire from day one and has been in the garage a total of 6 times. On the first occasion it had a software update which made the car better to drive but never cured the misfire and on subsequent visits to the dealership they have refused to acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car. Today the engine management light came on but went away after turning the car off and on again. I have read through a few pages of this topic and it would seem the problem i am experiencing is one that has been going on for well over a year, albeit you guys seem to be having trouble with the 320i, but it is the same engine afterall and whatever the changes are for the ED package it has not worked in my case. Incidentally i have sent letters to both my dealership and my finance company stating i wish to reject the car but at this point they are both refusing so i will need to check what my options are now. However all i want is the car to run as a £25k brand new car should so my question(s) is(are) this........


does anyone know of a definitive fix for this problem?

Yes, I had these dreaded problems with a 318i (Efficient Dynamics) as well.#

The only definitive fix is to get rid of the car and stay well away from all 4 cylinder BMW E90 models.

BMW know they have a problem with these bag of sh1te engines and they will never admit it.

Aften enormous amounts of stress, strain, anger and gnashing of teeth, I managed to get mine swapped for a 320d, which is about ten or twenty times the car the 318i ever was, even when it was running well.

Some tips: all dealers, and BMW UK, and BMW UK CUstomer Service will lie relentlessly to you. They will only waste your time. Hammer your dealer principal. If you can't get a deal you are happy with, try contacting your MP.

Good luck.

[COLSEN]

Originally Posted by PeKKeR

Picked it up just now.

reminder:
March08 Car is produced

Aug09 : i had total engine failure studdering , CEL, changed injectors and software , everything smooth.

Dec09 (today): frequent check engine lights, took it in service , changed SPARK PLUGS, and now everything smooth and nice again.

Asked the lady if im gonna have more problems , and she admitted that i would probably do, because they will have to change the COILS at some point but they have got any in stock (!!!) but they are on back order ... my warranty expires on march2010 so i asked her what do i do if my coils need to be replaced after march. she said that maybe BMW will show good will because of low milage and do it for free. i say BOLLOCKS. its a brand new car (1 yr old) and i shouldnt be having these problems...

anyhow i called another 320i victim, and found out that he is on the waiting list for coils replacement, in 2 months!! they told him that the coils originally install on the 07-08-09 320i's were problematic and that the new ones will solve the problems. personally i dont believe this crap, but lets see through this forum if its true.

Are the coils the answer to out problems???

Well, I said that my car was driving fine until one day last week it spat its dummy out for a day behaiving very badly. I booked it into the dealers yday and asked them to investigate. I got a phone call today to say the car was ready so I went and picked it up this afternoon. I didn't really expect to have had much work carried out on it, until I asked, and found out they had replaced the following:

New coils
New spark plugs
New catalytic converter!!!!

I must say the service I receive from my dealer is top notch and I can't fault them

[bakili]

so guys, could you tell me please, i am new to e90.
What difference between 318i and 320i, both are 2.0 litre engines.
My car is 2006 56reg with 80000 miles on clock, full main dealer history, one owner BMW.
I moved to BMW from 1.9tdi VW passat, BMW feels bit sluggish, but that what i was accepting. The choice 318i was because more dawn fuel economy, did not want diesel again, due expensive service, parts, turbo, egr valve, timing belt to worry about. Most my driving around town, and BMW feels like right car at the moment.
So looks like i f****d up again choosing wrong car.
I am planing not to take it for service to BMW, warranty is out anyway, and BMW cant solve they own problem.
Reading this, makes me believe 318i got same problems as 320.
Was earlier cars effected as well
What engine code is 0n 318i, is it N43?

[E92westy]

Has the very first post in this thread been deleted?
If so, why?
The chap who set this thread up doesn't appear to have posted in it since, (Tony?) or have those been deleted as well?
I am very curious to know why this is.

My car has has a software update, a throttle flap and some engine wiring changed, but still has the mild symptoms. It's starting to annoy me...
It going back in soon.

I'm also wondering if this is mainly a software issue, whether a re-map would cure it.
Comments?

[COLSEN]

Originally Posted by E92westy

Has the very first post in this thread been deleted?
If so, why?
The chap who set this thread up doesn't appear to have posted in it since, (Tony?) or have those been deleted as well?
I am very curious to know why this is.

My car has has a software update, a throttle flap and some engine wiring changed, but still has the mild symptoms. It's starting to annoy me...
It going back in soon.

I'm also wondering if this is mainly a software issue, whether a re-map would cure it.
Comments?

I also noticed that the first post has gone - something smells fishy!!

Westy - I've also wondered about a remap and what would happen, we need a volunteer

[E92westy]

Originally Posted by COLSEN

I also noticed that the first post has gone - something smells fishy!!

Took mine out and got the weird hissing/grunting noise again when idling, thinking it's defo the MAF now, or a MAF sensor or something.

Westy - I've also wondered about a remap and what would happen, we need a volunteer

Right, that's a whole week without a response.
Smells more than fishy, perfectly rancid if you ask me...

[chrisbin]

I don't think theres anything to be read into the missing first post to be honest. Tony originally offered to set up a database and then contact people he knew at BMW.....my understanding is that things moved on and this was no longer a possible route, hence (I guess) he deleted his post offering these services....

[E92westy]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

I don't think theres anything to be read into the missing first post to be honest. Tony originally offered to set up a database and then contact people he knew at BMW.....my understanding is that things moved on and this was no longer a possible route, hence (I guess) he deleted his post offering these services....

Ok, perhaps my conspiracy theory gland is over active at the mo'.
I'm interested why this was no longer a possible route though.

Mines back in to BMW on Monday for a three day assessment..... :-(

[chrisbin]

Originally Posted by E92westy

Ok, perhaps my conspiracy theory gland is over active at the mo'.
I'm interested why this was no longer a possible route though.

Mines back in to BMW on Monday for a three day assessment..... :-(

The people involved (Tony and his contacts) couldn't help any more....as I understood it.

Good luck with your 3 day assessment.....you'll need it!