[Elante]

Hello all. I'm new to this forum & hope someone can point me in the right direction with an issue on a 2009 318i. I've had a good poke about both here and on other forums so excuse me if this has been covered before but I've yet to find anything helpful.

I have an idrive warning display showing High Braking Load and one for Engine Malfunction alongside yellow dash brake warning light and red Engine Check Light. This resulted in a misfire, poor performance and starting problems.

However, the car has been seen and received a Brake Pressure Sensor at the ABS unit, coil packs, all four injectors, thermostat, a full service to spec and a full diagnostics check and is now running better than ever.

BUT, the display still shows these warnings so how do I clear these warnings or do they point to further issues?

For reference codes were found including 2EF7 (Thermostat), A559, (Instrument Cluster), A6DE (Mirror/Sray Nozzle Heating), 30C1 (Oil Pressure Control), 2AFD, 2AF8 (Nox Sensors) and a 3702 (Brake Vacuum).

I sort of know my way around a car but all this seems at best mainly unrelated and at worst barely relevant now.

The codes were cleared on the latest repairs, car, as mentioned, running beautifully but warning lights and bleeps becoming irksome.

All input gratefully received.

Thanks for reading.

[wrongmark]

Mine appears to have the same warnings a week after it went in to a BMW dealer for a “quality enhancement” to do with the brake vacuum. The only error code I’m getting is 3702 Brake Vacuum plausibility. No rough running problems or noticeable changes in braking.

I’m returning it to the dealer this week for them to look at it. No doubt I’ll have an argument on my hands when I suggest that this is connected to the work they did last week.

I guess if you think your problem is fixed, just clear the error codes using something like Carista or Carly and a cheap dongle.

[Elante]

Hi wrongmark. If your car is showing the same issues you need to stop driving NOW. I don't want to be alarmist but after even BMW had seen the car and the above codes logged and cleared they couldn't pinpoint an issue. I managed to find a very enthusiastic young local technical chap more into electronics and his laptop than cars although he did know his way around. After 2 hours of fiddling on his laptop and 2 journeys with him around the block he said he too couldn't be decisive but that an oil pressure fault kept showing up. At that point the car gave up and the engine would no longer turn over! I have a neighbour who has his own workshop and has been working on BMW and Minis for months who wryly quipped that he wasn't surprised as that engine is the biggest piece of junk to leave Germany. Not helpful but I've since heard numerous tales of woe about BM's 2.0 petrol!!!! I'm sure thats a subject of debate on here. Anyway, the car has been up in the air, sump off, engine inspected and the crank has welded itself to its bearings among other damage due to lack of oil so its totalled. Replacement engine and fitting from around £2500 and if I do it myself an engine of unknown history can be found for about £1200! Its going on Ebay soon spares / repairs!!!!!!!

[wrongmark]

Wow... funnily enough I did get the engine oil pressure static error 30C1 a couple of times recently as per my other posts on here:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1496404

Mine does not have iDrive and so I get the red EML and the amber brake warning on the dash. As I said the only error I'm getting now is the 3702 with the brake vacuum.

I've also heard numerous comments about the N43 engine on here and from independent BMW specialists and all of which were bad. One specialist just told me to get rid.

I ended up cleaning out the engine oil hydraulic valve and the Vanos valves and the 30C1 error has not returned after at least a few hundred miles now.

The engine seems to be running fine, no hesitation, no noises, MPG looks fine and so I'm not convinced that the timing chain guides are broken as per other suggestions. I change the oil at least annually myself, always Castrol Edge and Bosch or Mann oil filters.

I'll struggle to sell it now with the EML anyway. I said to the wife that I'd break it for spares on ebay in the worst case scenario. The interior is near perfect, so it would be a shame to scrap it. BMW dealer that had it for the recall told me how everything was spot on with it.

[wrongmark]

Just an update for anyone reading this: I took the car back to the BMW dealer that did the brake vacuum recall ("Quality Enhancement"). They just called and said it needs a new brake vacuum pump. Not sure if this is the brake servo unit itself or not. They (or BMW) have agreed to cover all costs without me having to argue (which I had expected to have to do). Let's hope this sorts it.

[Geokon]

Hi,
I am having the exact same problem like Elante, in fact the car is in the garage as we speak.
I was wondering what you guys did. Did you manage to fix it ?
How much did it cost in the end?

Many thanks

[Geokon]

Originally Posted by wrongmark

Just an update for anyone reading this: I took the car back to the BMW dealer that did the brake vacuum recall ("Quality Enhancement"). They just called and said it needs a new brake vacuum pump. Not sure if this is the brake servo unit itself or not. They (or BMW) have agreed to cover all costs without me having to argue (which I had expected to have to do). Let's hope this sorts it.

Did you manage to sort it ?

[wrongmark]

Yes. Whatever the dealer did fixed the brake problem. I then replaced the oil valve at the bottom of the engine which sorted the ‘oil pressure static’ problem.

[Dermobear]

Hi Guys,
I have a 2009 318i E90. Recently I have had endless warning lights come on, they have been cleared only to return. The CAT has been cleaned, coil replaced and now the engine warning light is on continually. An diagnostic guy had deactivated the NOX sensor as he claimed this was causing the problems. The lights stayed our for 2 days and now they are back.
The following is now displayed:
2EF7 thermostat, activation.
30C1 engine oil pressure control, static.
3702 brake vacuum, plausibilty, engine electronics. The car is reliable and drives fine. I think it is becoming a money pit and is getting sold as soon as this crap is fixed.
Are these faults genuine or is it spurious? Can all this stuff be deactivated?I know you have to believe the displayed messages as the car is designed to be maintained this way. The Ultimate Driving Machine............I don't think so.

[Geokon]

Hi,

I had the NOX sensors changed 5 weeks ago , warning lights disappeared only to come back a few days ago( exactly the same as described above).
Took it to an independent garage, the checked the car and the 3702 brake vacuum plausibility error came up. They checked the car , nothing visible was identified, said they made some adjustments and the codes disappeared, but as soon as I drove away from the garage, same warning lights reappeared.
The guy told me that he cannot find anything and now I have probably have to get it to the BMW dealer.
BTW , the car drives and feels fine, including when braking.
Is there an official recall for vacuum brake pumps for N43 engines E90?
Wrongmark would you know anything about it?

[Geokon]

Originally Posted by Dermobear

Hi Guys,
I have a 2009 318i E90. Recently I have had endless warning lights come on, they have been cleared only to return. The CAT has been cleaned, coil replaced and now the engine warning light is on continually. An diagnostic guy had deactivated the NOX sensor as he claimed this was causing the problems. The lights stayed our for 2 days and now they are back.
The following is now displayed:
2EF7 thermostat, activation.
30C1 engine oil pressure control, static.
3702 brake vacuum, plausibilty, engine electronics. The car is reliable and drives fine. I think it is becoming a money pit and is getting sold as soon as this crap is fixed.
Are these faults genuine or is it spurious? Can all this stuff be deactivated?I know you have to believe the displayed messages as the car is designed to be maintained this way. The Ultimate Driving Machine............I don't think so.

Any updates, did u fix it?

[Dermobear]

Update: Rear R/H driveshaft replaced, this cured ABS light. One sensor replaced on the brake servo, there are 2 sensors on it and am replacing the other one this week as 3702 is still showing, Brake Vacuum Plausibility.
Also still showing: 30C1. Engine Oil Pressure Control Static and 29CD Combustion misfire on Cylinder 1.
Oil has been changed and the engine flushed. Engine low oil pressure message kept showing but has now gone out on its own as has the oil low quantity message and the oil quantity checks fine. It seems that this is normal, as the new oil makes its way round the engine and cleans it out, the codes can disappear. Frequent oil changes seem to be the way to go here and using flushing oil. Old oil, when it gets sticky can also cause the oil sensors to give incorrect readings. 29CD: This is getting a new coil this week, hopefully this will cure it. Coil and injector problems seem to be a common occurrence. I have replaced a coil before and the CAT has been cleaned. The car drives fine and is reliable, I get an occasional misfire and hesitation. As it is becoming a money pit I think once all this is fixed I'm going to sell it as soon as I can. I have had a few BM's and they have all been ok but the modern ones with all the electronic crap in them just seem to be a disaster.

[Geokon]

Originally Posted by Dermobear

Update: Rear R/H driveshaft replaced, this cured ABS light. One sensor replaced on the brake servo, there are 2 sensors on it and am replacing the other one this week as 3702 is still showing, Brake Vacuum Plausibility.
Also still showing: 30C1. Engine Oil Pressure Control Static and 29CD Combustion misfire on Cylinder 1.
Oil has been changed and the engine flushed. Engine low oil pressure message kept showing but has now gone out on its own as has the oil low quantity message and the oil quantity checks fine. It seems that this is normal, as the new oil makes its way round the engine and cleans it out, the codes can disappear. Frequent oil changes seem to be the way to go here and using flushing oil. Old oil, when it gets sticky can also cause the oil sensors to give incorrect readings. 29CD: This is getting a new coil this week, hopefully this will cure it. Coil and injector problems seem to be a common occurrence. I have replaced a coil before and the CAT has been cleaned. The car drives fine and is reliable, I get an occasional misfire and hesitation. As it is becoming a money pit I think once all this is fixed I'm going to sell it as soon as I can. I have had a few BM's and they have all been ok but the modern ones with all the electronic crap in them just seem to be a disaster.

Thanks,
please let me know if the replacement of the sensor stopped the brake vacuum plausibility error coming up.

[haidentann]

Got this fault currently on my 318 coupe. Took it to the BMW garage and they said they havent seen this before. Its currently going up in the air to have the sump off and oil pickups to the vacuum pump inspected. BMW tech things something is blocking it causing the vacuum pressure pump to lose vacuum. Anyone else resolve this issue and find out what it was in the end?

[Durai]

I had the same issues recently (30C1 and 3702). Luckily it wasn't anything major.

There was oil leak (gasket) in the oil filter assembly and replaced the gasket and oil filter.

No issues so far (driven about 100 miles on the motorway and local roads). Code used to return after driving 2 - 3 miles after cleaning only Vanos sensors.

Please check for oil leaks and change the oil filter to see whether it makes it better.

[haidentann]

Thanks for the reply! We're you getting the brake load too high message? I'm going to fetch the car this week so I'll do an oil change and replace oil filter this weekend.

[PhilSadler79]

Hi guys, I've come across this thread with interest as I'm having some issues with my 2010 320i Touring (134,000 miles). Car was in meet/greet parking whilst we were on holiday two weeks ago and when we picked it up it had EML Red warning, and the Brake (!) Amber warning together - neither of which I had had before. I've had it into a local specialist in Colchester today to do the diagnostics and it's come out with:

30DA Nox sensor, signal
2AFD Nox sensor, oxygen sensor signal binary, coast-mode check
3702 Brake plausibility, engine electronics

Garage tested the Nox readings which is showing NoX Concentration as 0ppm, which he said isn't good - it usually shows at least a small amount. He said don't drive it anymore as it could cause a more costly part change (he reckons the Nox sensor alone is between £300-400 and main dealer part only).

He also tested engine mis-firing - reading between 10-20, which he said isn't major but isn't what he'd like.

It's due full service, so he's going to do that.

The only real issue I've noticed before is that pull away on hills it is very juddery. I guess that may actually be related to mis-firing engine at idle?

Not the greatest timing as garages are struggling to get parts due to Coronavirus lockdown.

Any help or guidance or things to ask of garage would be appreciated.
Phil

[Tambohamilton]

Sorry I don't have more to add, but the juddering when pulling away is almost certainly DMF/clutch related. It's annoying, but not worth doing anything about unless it's really bad every time you pull away, or there are other, worse symptoms.

[PhilSadler79]

Thanks TurboHamilton.
My 2010 320i MSport is now at BMW main dealer for blower control recall and they just got the same error codes as the local garage did. They want £545 for the Nox sensor replacement and another £415 for the Brake vacuum sensor and reprogramme. I'm getting the Nox sensor done as that causes the red EML. I'm hoping I can cure the Brake vacuum/plausibility fault through a good service, oil filter and gasket change as suggested below. They're great when they work, but when they go wrong, its a bloody minefield and expensive!!

[Tambohamilton]

I did a brake vacuum sensor on my partner's 118d - genuine OE part was £120ish, if I remember. Installation was simple, but a real faff and a fiddle. Took some patience. £415 is too much for that!

[PhilSadler79]

Thanks TamboHamilton.

Dealer did the Nox sensor today and that's fault has gone. They cleared all faults and drove for about 7 miles. Then the Brake (!) amber warning light came back on again, which is presumably the 3702 Brake Vacuum Plausibility error. I'm going to take to a friendly mechanic to get it looked over properly. It was in for the Blower recall so they did a visual health check...and of course found a load of other stuff that apparently needs doing!

[Ratbasturd]

Just got my 2010 318i E90 back from dealer this morning as it had errors come up all over the dash, CC-ID 29, CC-ID 30, CC-ID 431 AND CC-ID 320 , they said firstly my oil pump needs replacing £780 +VAT , then vac pressure hose needed replacing £260 +VAT and then something about my brake loading £385 +VAT (not including a sensor £139 +VAT) and one or two other things..... 2010 car in really good condition, 94K miles, leather interior and so on, nice car but for what they want to repair it it's too much for what the actual car is worth, so scrap yard it is..... Will never touch another BMW again, think it's time to do the move over to EV's.