[mact3333]

Guys,

Someone should start a website so we can accurately document the carbon buildup failures.

It would serve a medium where people with this issue can turn in their info so we can see what % of our cars are having these issues and we can also be educated in which BMW has dealt with such issues.

We did this with the e46 M3's when it had rod bearing going bad with oil pump issues and a guy named Jason(do search) documented well over a 100 cases on his website. At first, BMW blamed the drivers and even tried to deny some warranty claims claiming they had done money shifts(even though SMG cars in which that can't happen).

I even wrote a letter to Roundel, which got published but by then, momentum was a gaining and eventually BMW ended up extending the engine warranty on all 2001-2003 M3's to 100K miles.

I get the sense that we 335D owners are probably going to need do something similar to get results. At a minimum, it will force BMW to acknowledge this is a real problem, what they will do to fix it as in a recall, and finally they need to extend our engine warranty to 100K miles.

[dixy2k]

I agree with what you said. As I mentioned before there is a need for a recall.
On the other hand it will destroy the second hand market for this model.

[mact3333]

Originally Posted by dixy2k

I agree with what you said. As I mentioned before there is a need for a recall.
On the other hand it will destroy the second hand market for this model.

I think they need to come up with a fix so it DOESNT destroy the secondary mkt....if they fix the issue with a recall and extend the warranty to 100K miles, then the secondary mkt will be fine.

As of now, the secondary mkt will be hurt if the word gets out about these issues and BMW does nothing about it.

BMW usually doesn't do anything until there is so much public outcry they can't avoid the bad publicity anymore.

[F32Fleet]

At most BMW is guilty of bringing a 3 series equipped with an overpowered diesel

[dixy2k]

BMW doesn't care about the secondary market. The cars were sold already. They will not make any profit from private party sales, however they will make money on repairs.

Maybe if the search engines index the words BMW 335d problems on this forum, other people will find the posts here.
Perhaps a class action lawsuit will be more effective.

[dixy2k]

Originally Posted by Socom

At most BMW is guilty of bringing a 3 series equipped with an overpowered diesel

overpowered?
How about the EU version? 286 hp and 306 hp (I think)?

[mact3333]

all i know is when my letter in the Nov 2002 Roundel (BMW magazine) was printed, within a month, our engine warranty was extended to 100K miles....

I bet one day it will happen...but 335D owners would need too get organized...we dont need a class action lawsuit, we just need documentation and accurate facts.

Or maybe there aren't enough 335D owners out there where BMW would even care...when this happened with the 01 and 02' M3's, they were pretty hot sellers at the time.

[dixy2k]

Maybe one more letter would help.
I am sure all dealers have a history on each car they repaired. Getting all that info may require a subpoena.
I am trying to keep accurate details about the repairs I had done on my car. I keep their repair tickets and a personal log on my computer, along with my different posts here and on a different forum.

[dixy2k]

"HPFP Problems

In at least the US market, the N54 engine has been characterized by a very large number of High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failures,[26]
On 26 October 2010, following an ABC News story about HPFP failures,[27] BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007-2010.[28] A class action suit has been filed against BMW regarding these problems."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_N54

[dixy2k]

There was also a recall regarding the Alusil - Nikasil V8 engines some 20 years ago.
BMW is not a stranger to engine problems, recalls and class action lawsuits.

[dixy2k]

http://www.girardgibbs.com/bmw-airba...ction-lawsuit/

http://www.girardgibbs.com/bmw-e46/

http://classactionlawsuitsinthenews....ower-steering/


I guess this is exactly what it takes. A class action lawsuit so BMW would fix the problems with their cars.

[dixy2k]

Do we have any lawyers on this forum?

[montr]

I had so far plenty of problems with injectors, rough idle and sensors. It is hard to know for sure if the cause of these problems is carbon built-up. I suspect that BMW try first (temporary solution until warranty expire?) replacing parts (like injector) and resetting adaptation than fixing the root cause of the problem.

Summary: It is hard to know if the problem is carbon built-up unless take out the intake manifold.

[dixy2k]

I think the coincidence is simply too great to be ignored. Too many cars having the similar problems. These are not isolated cases.

[Mark M]

I have to believe bmw certainly knows what is going on with these cars. However their repair approach is varied so as to minimize their expense.

My educated guess, the CPO cars are getting the works treatment because bmw knows the obligation will be on their books for the long haul. Where as leased or 50k mile warranty cars may be getting lower cost parts thrown at em in hopes of band aiding it until out of warranty.

[dixy2k]

Mark, either way they lost me as a repeat customer

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by dixy2k

overpowered?
How about the EU version? 286 hp and 306 hp (I think)?

They're driven harder in Europe. UK cars have these problems too.

[335dFan]

I guess we can probably agree that the "ideal" 335d would either not suffer this carbon build-up at all or would not suffer it until later in its service life, say, after we would normally plan to get rid of it. Since the design of this type of engine architecture seems to make no build-up a bit unrealistic, what would we forum wienies think the service life should be before we think BMW has screwed us? Or is this a dumb question? For me it would be 200-300k miles. I drove my '86 Jetta diesel for just under 300k miles before I sold it in 2006 before moving to Asia. I would still have it and be driving it instead of the D if I had not gone to Asia. The other thing I would think reasonable is that the carbon buildup cleaning process would not be so apparently ad hoc and not settled by BMW.

[mact3333]

1. i would for BMW for formally declare there is an issue and do a recall to fix the problem if a fix exists.

2. extend the engine warranty to 100K...I expect n0thing more.

[dixy2k]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

I guess we can probably agree that the "ideal" 335d would either not suffer this carbon build-up at all or would not suffer it until later in its service life, say, after we would normally plan to get rid of it. Since the design of this type of engine architecture seems to make no build-up a bit unrealistic, what would we forum wienies think the service life should be before we think BMW has screwed us? Or is this a dumb question? For me it would be 200-300k miles. I drove my '86 Jetta diesel for just under 300k miles before I sold it in 2006 before moving to Asia. I would still have it and be driving it instead of the D if I had not gone to Asia. The other thing I would think reasonable is that the carbon buildup cleaning process would not be so apparently ad hoc and not settled by BMW.

To answer your question, I would redirect to your own statement in a way.

How about other diesel car manufacturers?
How are other brands plagued by the same problem as ours are?

Arguably Mercedes sell a lot more diesel cars/SUV's in US than any other manufacturer. I don't include any American trucks here on purpose.

We have Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen selling diesel cars here in US.

How many of those, except BMW, have similar problems?

I think this would be a determining factor in BMW's liability. If they are singled out, than I don't know what can defend them.


The argument that BMW sells the most powerful diesel engine in US (small cars, not trucks) is irrelevant.
MB has equally powerful engines in EU. Same engines, different ECU power setting. Same as BMW 330d vs 335d. In fact they recently brought over the new 535d which is actually the same 530d in EU.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by dixy2k

BMW doesn't care about the secondary market. The cars were sold already. They will not make any profit from private party sales, however they will make money on repairs..

This is emphatically false. Please stop with the bullsh!t.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

I guess we can probably agree that the "ideal" 335d would either not suffer this carbon build-up at all or would not suffer it until later in its service life, say, after we would normally plan to get rid of it. Since the design of this type of engine architecture seems to make no build-up a bit unrealistic, what would we forum wienies think the service life should be before we think BMW has screwed us? Or is this a dumb question? For me it would be 200-300k miles. I drove my '86 Jetta diesel for just under 300k miles before I sold it in 2006 before moving to Asia. I would still have it and be driving it instead of the D if I had not gone to Asia. The other thing I would think reasonable is that the carbon buildup cleaning process would not be so apparently ad hoc and not settled by BMW.

Good question. Today's diesels create significantly more power which requires more fuel and resulting soot. No doubt using the correct engine for the vehicle and the market in which it is driven is paramount. Seeing as many gas DI engines will require walnut blasting within 60k miles, I would expect that interval with a modest repair bill. However with the head design of the M57 that bill is anything but modest. 79k miles?