[edan]

Hello everyone, my first post on the forums here. I just recently bought a super clean 07 E92 335i 6 Speed Manual back in January (1 Owner) and have had 0 problems until now. (96,000 Miles)

It appears when I do a 4th/5th gear low end torque pull near 3-5k RPM I suddenly get the limp mode "Engine Malfunction" warning light and get reduced power with no SES light or any other lights. I can row through all the gears 1st/2nd/3rd 6k RPM and have no problems, but when I go into 4th/5th then I have the problem. Restart the car and it's completely gone until I do another pull. Completely stock car, not tuned.

I didn't have any problems before, but the first day I had this problem is the same day my car was backed into by my neighbor on the front driver side part of the bumper (not that bad of damage, but probably shook up the car a good amount). Right After this incident, my car took like 3-5 seconds to crank over (never had this problem) and it hasn't done that ever since. This accident may be a factor into the Engine Malfunction.

No wastegate rattle heard, no walnut blast, stock chargepipe, on my 3rd HPFP from previous owners warranty, stock injectors, stock coils & plugs.

If anyone has any information on this it would be very much appreciated. Hoping the amount of detail I included in this post gives some of you guys any clues on what could be causing this.

[Bimmer_Bro]

Originally Posted by edan

Hello everyone, my first post on the forums here. I just recently bought a super clean 07 E92 335i 6 Speed Manual back in January (1 Owner) and have had 0 problems until now. (96,000 Miles)

It appears when I do a 4th/5th gear low end torque pull near 3-5k RPM I suddenly get the limp mode "Engine Malfunction" warning light and get reduced power with no SES light or any other lights. I can row through all the gears 1st/2nd/3rd 6k RPM and have no problems, but when I go into 4th/5th then I have the problem. Restart the car and it's completely gone until I do another pull. Completely stock car, not tuned.

I didn't have any problems before, but the first day I had this problem is the same day my car was backed into by my neighbor on the front driver side part of the bumper (not that bad of damage, but probably shook up the car a good amount). Right After this incident, my car took like 3-5 seconds to crank over (never had this problem) and it hasn't done that ever since. This accident may be a factor into the Engine Malfunction.

No wastegate rattle heard, no walnut blast, stock chargepipe, on my 3rd HPFP from previous owners warranty, stock injectors, stock coils & plugs.

If anyone has any information on this it would be very much appreciated. Hoping the amount of detail I included in this post gives some of you guys any clues on what could be causing this.

Any idea how old the Coil packs and spark plugs are? If you have no idea when those have been done, I would start there. Most misfires on these cars are caused by a bad coil pack or plug.
If you do decide to replace these, pay close attention to the spark plugs when removing them. If any of the tips look wet, you may have a leaky injector. Unfortunately 2006-2008 were known for leaky injector issues.
Also highly recommend a walnut blast. Do you know if one has ever been done in the cars lifetime? if not, you're way overdue.

[Soden82]

Run codes first and go from there

[edan]

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Bro

Any idea how old the Coil packs and spark plugs are? If you have no idea when those have been done, I would start there. Most misfires on these cars are caused by a bad coil pack or plug.
If you do decide to replace these, pay close attention to the spark plugs when removing them. If any of the tips look wet, you may have a leaky injector. Unfortunately 2006-2008 were known for leaky injector issues.
Also highly recommend a walnut blast. Do you know if one has ever been done in the cars lifetime? if not, you're way overdue.

I bought the car from BMW in January and I assume they would maybe put new ones in before sale. My iDrive shows my plugs as brand new, with thousands of miles ahead of my next replacement. (I know this doesn't mean they will last that long.) Wouldn't a misfire throw a check/service engine light though? I get this warning with no lights other than Engine Malfunction. Yeah never had a walnut blast either, only owned the car for 6 months and I assume BMW/previous Owner never had this done before. I have a slight rough idle as well, especially on startup, probably super overdue for a walnut blast.

[edan]

Originally Posted by Soden82

Run codes first and go from there

How should I run the codes? I have 2 generic OBD2 scanners, tried scanning and got nothing. Maybe I need a specific BMW scanner? Or scan when I have the Engine Malfunction warning up?

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by edan

How should I run the codes? I have 2 generic OBD2 scanners, tried scanning and got nothing. Maybe I need a specific BMW scanner? Or scan when I have the Engine Malfunction warning up?

Use INPA or buy bimmergeeks Protool,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...et.bimmergeeks

Generic scanners are useless, they miss too many codes, especially shadow codes.

If you had MHD we could have seen a log, which would also help with diagnosis.

[edan]

Originally Posted by Saif2018

Use INPA or buy bimmergeeks Protool,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...et.bimmergeeks

Generic scanners are useless, they miss too many codes, especially shadow codes.

If you had MHD we could have seen a log, which would also help with diagnosis.

Just bought this KDCAN on Amazon;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Arriving on July 3rd. Will boot the software and plugin to my car ASAP. Should I scan only when I get the Engine Malfunction light? Or do you think it's already stored in the system.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by edan

Just bought this KDCAN on Amazon;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Arriving on July 3rd. Will boot the software and plugin to my car ASAP. Should I scan only when I get the Engine Malfunction light? Or do you think it's already stored in the system.

Shadow codes should be stored on the DME if I recall correctly, so you should not need to wait for another malfunction to detect the code. If it isn't showing then wait for the malfunction sign to come up and scan it.

[Bimmer_Bro]

Originally Posted by edan

I bought the car from BMW in January and I assume they would maybe put new ones in before sale. My iDrive shows my plugs as brand new, with thousands of miles ahead of my next replacement. (I know this doesn't mean they will last that long.) Wouldn't a misfire throw a check/service engine light though? I get this warning with no lights other than Engine Malfunction. Yeah never had a walnut blast either, only owned the car for 6 months and I assume BMW/previous Owner never had this done before. I have a slight rough idle as well, especially on startup, probably super overdue for a walnut blast.

Bmw might have changed the plugs if due at trade in but they wouldn’t do the coil packs unless there was an issue.
If you plan to tune get MHD now and you can use that to scan the code. The bimmer geeks protool is very good if you plan to stay stock for now.
Since you don’t get a check engine light (Just engine malfunction) there is also a good chance your high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) is on its way out. MHD logs could confirm this.
Rough idle can be related to in need of a walnut blast or fuel pump issues.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Bro

Bmw might have changed the plugs if due at trade in but they wouldn’t do the coil packs unless there was an issue.
If you plan to tune get MHD now and you can use that to scan the code. The bimmer geeks protool is very good if you plan to stay stock for now.
Since you don’t get a check engine light (Just engine malfunction) there is also a good chance your high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) is on its way out. MHD logs could confirm this.
Rough idle can be related to in need of a walnut blast or fuel pump issues.

Logs definitely handy in diagnosing issues,

I'd get Protool anyway since it detects more than just DME codes. Plus you can do coding with it. Assuming the owner plans to keep the car for a while.

[edan]

Update;

Looks like the problem has gotten worse. Going into limp mode in just about every gear at higher RPM's now. My KDCAN cable comes tomorrow so hopefully I can run INPA and check for codes. Anyone recommend any good INPA tutorials or youtube DIY's? Much appreciated.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by edan

Update;

Looks like the problem has gotten worse. Going into limp mode in just about every gear at higher RPM's now. My KDCAN cable comes tomorrow so hopefully I can run INPA and check for codes. Anyone recommend any good INPA tutorials or youtube DIY's? Much appreciated.

[edan]

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Bro

Bmw might have changed the plugs if due at trade in but they wouldn't do the coil packs unless there was an issue.
If you plan to tune get MHD now and you can use that to scan the code. The bimmer geeks protool is very good if you plan to stay stock for now.
Since you don't get a check engine light (Just engine malfunction) there is also a good chance your high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) is on its way out. MHD logs could confirm this.
Rough idle can be related to in need of a walnut blast or fuel pump issues.

Hopefully it's not my HPFP, I feel like this is the worst possibility of them all in terms of expense due to it being so buried in the engine bay. This would be the 4th HPFP that has gone into this car, according the BMW's official previous service history. (Car has been a BMW car for it's entire life, due to the previous 1 owners extensive warranty.) Going to get a Walnut Blast asap since I don't believe BMW would've done this for the vehicle.

[edan]

UPDATE!!! I installed INPA and diagnosed the cause of my limp mode/engine malfunction. Drum roll please...

30FF!!! Low end boost, as I suspected and felt.

Well, Not the best thing to see at first, but i'm hopeful it's a vacuum leak and not a turbo problem. I don't have any wastegate rattle that I can hear so the turbos are the least of my worries. I'm going to check my lines and chargepipe tomorrow and try to hunt down this problem.

In my original post I talked about being rear ended by my neighbor (in the driveway at low speed) which may of cracked something (like the chargepipe or vacuum canisters) or pinched a vacuum line, I didn't have these problems until LITERALLY the day of this accident, after the fact. This leads me the believe it was likely from the small collision.

Below I will post images of the INPA Error Results, and the damage to my car after the minor accident.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by edan

UPDATE!!! I installed INPA and diagnosed the cause of my limp mode/engine malfunction. Drum roll please...

30FF!!! Low end boost, as I suspected and felt.

Well, Not the best thing to see at first, but i'm hopeful it's a vacuum leak and not a turbo problem. I don't have any wastegate rattle that I can hear so the turbos are the least of my worries. I'm going to check my lines and chargepipe tomorrow and try to hunt down this problem.

In my original post I talked about being rear ended by my neighbor (in the driveway at low speed) which may of cracked something (like the chargepipe or vacuum canisters) or pinched a vacuum line, I didn't have these problems until LITERALLY the day of this accident, after the fact. This leads me the believe it was likely from the small collision.

Below I will post images of the INPA Error Results, and the damage to my car after the minor accident.

Follow this guide...

https://bmwtuning.co/bmw-n54-30ff-en...-repair-guide/

[edan]

UPDATE #2

This problem seemed to of fixed itself! Or atleast for now. For the past few days i've been trying to trigger the limp mode but its just not coming up anymore. I feel like I have low boost just fine right now. Car pulls super hard. I investigated the detailed 30FF code in INPA and have pinpoint information on the code. Here it is:

Exact RPM in 4th gear and everything. Anyone have any clue on why this problem would just go away? I have no idea.

[Saif2018]

Originally Posted by edan

UPDATE #2

This problem seemed to of fixed itself! Or atleast for now. For the past few days i've been trying to trigger the limp mode but its just not coming up anymore. I feel like I have low boost just fine right now. Car pulls super hard. I investigated the detailed 30FF code in INPA and have pinpoint information on the code. Here it is:

Exact RPM in 4th gear and everything. Anyone have any clue on why this problem would just go away? I have no idea.

Have you changed your vacuum lines, all of them recently?

If not I suggest you do so.

Secondly check all intake, charge pipes/bov, including connection points, vacuum canisters etc.

I had intermittent limp mode previously and it was due vacumn lines and crack at the bottom of one of the vacuum canisters.

Boost leaks don't magically fix themselves. If you have one and you don't do anything, it will eventually come back.

[edan]

Update: So now my problem is worse than ever. Low boost pretty much 24/7 now. I've taken the beauty cover off to look for torn/ripped vacuum lines but haven't seen anything obvious. Now suddenly (out of nowhere) I have wastegate rattle, which I never heard until a few weeks until after this low boost started occurring. Would any major leaks cause wastegate rattle? I'm not exactly sure how the wastegates would start rattling out of nowhere like that. I would've heard it gradually getting worse and worse but it just suddenly appeared. I bought the MHD wifi adapter and it's coming soon. Will buy the monitor/data log package for more info.

In theory I was thinking maybe a chargepipe/vacuum leak would cause the wastegates to not fully close therefor maybe causing them to rattle? When this problem first developed I never heard any rattle at all, period. I'm just guestimating, no pro at knowing the cars vacuum/turbo system. Thanks!

[Bimmer_Bro]

Originally Posted by edan

Update: So now my problem is worse than ever. Low boost pretty much 24/7 now. I've taken the beauty cover off to look for torn/ripped vacuum lines but haven't seen anything obvious. Now suddenly (out of nowhere) I have wastegate rattle, which I never heard until a few weeks until after this low boost started occurring. Would any major leaks cause wastegate rattle? I'm not exactly sure how the wastegates would start rattling out of nowhere like that. I would've heard it gradually getting worse and worse but it just suddenly appeared. I bought the MHD wifi adapter and it's coming soon. Will buy the monitor/data log package for more info.

In theory I was thinking maybe a chargepipe/vacuum leak would cause the wastegates to not fully close therefor maybe causing them to rattle? When this problem first developed I never heard any rattle at all, period. I'm just guestimating, no pro at knowing the cars vacuum/turbo system. Thanks!

You need to check through the vacuum lines like suggested already. Its not very complicated. The waste gates are controlled by vacuum. I would start with those 2 canasters in the front passenger side of the engine. There is vacuum lines on the top and bottom on them. Just rubber hoses. If you follow these they go to the boost solenoids mounted on the engine. Those hoses are easy to replace if you wanted to start there. There Is also vacuum hoses on your diverter valves located on the charge pipe.

[Ked]

Originally Posted by edan

Update: So now my problem is worse than ever. Low boost pretty much 24/7 now. I've taken the beauty cover off to look for torn/ripped vacuum lines but haven't seen anything obvious. Now suddenly (out of nowhere) I have wastegate rattle, which I never heard until a few weeks until after this low boost started occurring. Would any major leaks cause wastegate rattle? I'm not exactly sure how the wastegates would start rattling out of nowhere like that. I would've heard it gradually getting worse and worse but it just suddenly appeared. I bought the MHD wifi adapter and it's coming soon. Will buy the monitor/data log package for more info.

In theory I was thinking maybe a chargepipe/vacuum leak would cause the wastegates to not fully close therefor maybe causing them to rattle? When this problem first developed I never heard any rattle at all, period. I'm just guestimating, no pro at knowing the cars vacuum/turbo system. Thanks!

Did you ever figure out if it a boost leak was causing the reported wastegate rattle?