Car stall, limp mode, service engine light

mook1178 · 11-21-2020, 12:11 PM

2011 335i xdrive coupe

The car stalled at a stop light and threw the service engine light. It barely wanted to stay on to get away from the stop light. I got to a side road and it stalled again. After a few minutes I got it started again and was able to get home under limp mode. It did stall again at another light, but started right back up. I ordered a cable from Bimmergeeks that shipped on the 12th and is still not here. Thanks Trump and DeJoy. Hopefully it will be here Monday to be able to pull codes. I have the standard tools installed on my laptop. So probably won't be able to diagnose anything until that cable comes in. I just had the charge pipe replaced.

Anybody want to throw out a wild guess?

Oh the car has say for a little over a week and I was in quarantine for contacting covid. Today was my first day free and 48 hours symptom free. So I went for a drive to get out. Any chance sitting for that long have anything to do with it?

mook1178 · 11-23-2020, 11:38 AM

I got my cable today.

Rookie mistake ahead. Please be kind.

I used inpa to read the codes. There were codes. I glanced over them and thought I should clear them and start the car. That way I would have just the most current problem codes. I did not save the text file.

I have driven the car for an hour and the problem has not returned. I have scanned again and no codes have returned.

Big lesson learned to save the text file before wiping codes.

I'm guessing though that this original problem of stalling and going into limp mode was not a major issue, but I am expecting it to return.

gbalthrop · 11-23-2020, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mook1178

I got my cable today. Rookie mistake ahead. Please be kind. I used inpa to read the codes. There were codes. I glanced over them and thought I should clear them and start the car. That way I would have just the most current problem codes. I did not save the text file.

INPA will save the LATEST "FS" or FehlerSpeicher (Fault Memory) reading as a "tmp" file in the "BIN" folder on your HD, WITHOUT your actively saving or "Printing" anything. Just follow this "Path" to the tmp files & open with Notepad:
C:\EC-APPS\INPA\BIN\ (Open any "tmp" file as a txt file with NotePad).

Although clearing codes to see if they return, or if they were simply "hiccups" is proper practice in many instances, I would encourage ANYONE who uses INPA or ISTA to do a ScreenPrint (PrtSc) of ANY Fault Code, Freeze Frame Data, or other Diagnostic Screen; SaveAs a jpg file in folder of your choice for future reference. Procedure to do that is provided in the attached "Tutorial" pdf.

Another helpful feature of INPA is that in addition to DME > F4 > F1 Fault Memory, there is also MEMORY HISTORY (F3) HistorienSpeicher. That is a historical memory of the last 10 Fault Codes saved in Memory (even after Fault Memory or FehlerSpeicher was cleared). If there were multiple instances of the SAME Code, up to 3 LAST mileages at which the fault occurred are saved in Memory History. I would suggest NEVER clear/delete Historyspeicher.

George

mook1178 · 11-23-2020, 03:36 PM

Thank you for that info George. I will read over the pdf to understand a bit more about INPA.

Unfortunately, the *.tmp file was overwritten on the second scan after wiping the codes. Therefore, they have been lost to the ether. I also do not have the F3 option of memory history in my version of INPA.

11-21-2020, 12:11 PM	#1
mook1178 Second Lieutenant 84 Rep 252 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xdrive 6MT Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Delaware iTrader: (0)	Car stall, limp mode, service engine light 2011 335i xdrive coupe The car stalled at a stop light and threw the service engine light. It barely wanted to stay on to get away from the stop light. I got to a side road and it stalled again. After a few minutes I got it started again and was able to get home under limp mode. It did stall again at another light, but started right back up. I ordered a cable from Bimmergeeks that shipped on the 12th and is still not here. Thanks Trump and DeJoy. Hopefully it will be here Monday to be able to pull codes. I have the standard tools installed on my laptop. So probably won't be able to diagnose anything until that cable comes in. I just had the charge pipe replaced. Anybody want to throw out a wild guess? Oh the car has say for a little over a week and I was in quarantine for contacting covid. Today was my first day free and 48 hours symptom free. So I went for a drive to get out. Any chance sitting for that long have anything to do with it?
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11-23-2020, 11:38 AM	#2
mook1178 Second Lieutenant 84 Rep 252 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xdrive 6MT Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Delaware iTrader: (0)	I got my cable today. Rookie mistake ahead. Please be kind. I used inpa to read the codes. There were codes. I glanced over them and thought I should clear them and start the car. That way I would have just the most current problem codes. I did not save the text file. I have driven the car for an hour and the problem has not returned. I have scanned again and no codes have returned. Big lesson learned to save the text file before wiping codes. I'm guessing though that this original problem of stalling and going into limp mode was not a major issue, but I am expecting it to return.
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11-23-2020, 03:36 PM	#4
mook1178 Second Lieutenant 84 Rep 252 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xdrive 6MT Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Delaware iTrader: (0)	Thank you for that info George. I will read over the pdf to understand a bit more about INPA. Unfortunately, the *.tmp file was overwritten on the second scan after wiping the codes. Therefore, they have been lost to the ether. I also do not have the F3 option of memory history in my version of INPA.
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