Engine Failure - Please contact BMW Immediately

ryukin · Post by **ryukin** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:58 pm

"Engine Failure - Please contact BMW Immediately" was the message my car displayed on the way home from a meeting yesterday. I was driving along and suddenly my car lost all power and started beeping.

BMW Emergency Service came out and thought it would be a faulty calibration with the fuel gauge which says there are 48 miles in the tank. I was towed home and I need to take it in to a dealer to be checked over.

Anyone experienced this before? Any any idea on cost? 'Engine Failure' sounds expnesive, but hopefully it's not as bad as it sounds. I only bought the car 13 days ago

AlanJ · Post by **AlanJ** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:51 pm

Have you tried topping up the fuel tank? Not sure I would ever let my fuel get as low as this as you start sucking up the crap in the bottom of the fuel tank and into the High Pressure Fuel Pump which may have become glogged up with gunge. A quick Google search shows several issues with HPFPs in 2009 on BMW models (had this issue in my wifes 325i) and has resulted in a replacement of the HPFP and in the last few weeks a new set of injectors.

Really need to do a diagnostic to check what this brings back but if the dealership is not sure then point them in the direction of at least checking the HPFP. Could be engine management. Is the car still under warranty?

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:01 pm

It is AUC, so would be warranty.

Maniac · Post by **Maniac** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:17 pm

HPFP issues are N54 (35i) engines only. This would not affect the 30i and 23i which are the N52 engine and not direct fuel injection hence no need for an HPFP. LPFP are present on all models however and this is a point of failure.

Haven't had that particular issue tho, but have had plenty of others. Welcome to the world of overpriced motoring! Only the dealers are going to tell you the cause, but if its the gauge/sensor and its run dry, then a fuel system flush/cat check and refuel should sort it out. That and a new fuel gauge sensor.

In any event, your under warranty, so let the dealer worry about it. Presumably you have a loan car in the meantime.

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:37 pm

surely this is a warranty issue an will not cost you anything

Post by **srhutch** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:51 pm

As PVR and TAZ have said it will all be covered under warranty, unless you have just run out of fuel, then I guess you might get a bill

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:04 pm

You sure run close to empty though ... I never like the thought of the drudge being sucked into the fuel lines.

VvrooomM · Post by **VvrooomM** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:51 pm

Had mine flashing zero and still got nowhere near the tank capacity at fill up, think they probably allow for crap at bottom.

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Nickm · Post by **Nickm** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:25 pm

I went for 5 miles on zero on Sunday

EdButler · Post by **EdButler** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:01 pm

1. He was nowhere near empty.
2. The fuel pickup is at the bottom of the tank so why would rubbish be sucked in only when empty?

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:13 pm

E89 fuel inlet is at the top ...

Post by **srhutch** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:08 pm

pvr wrote:E89 fuel inlet is at the top ...

but what about the outlet

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:32 pm

Inlet to the engine, filler is low down.

You knew what I meant - Closet Coupe driver

AlanJ · Post by **AlanJ** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:40 pm

So:

Not HPFP
Not crap from the bottom of the tank
Fuel warning useless as you can drive when reading is '0'
Care under AUC

......... sounds like a trip to the dealers.

jaz4 · Post by **jaz4** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:21 pm

I always fill up after the yellow warning comes on. My past 3 Zd4 I ran the same, and yes ive ran until the computer says 9 miles then ----. Turned off heating, radio and tried to coast as much as I can. When filling up only needed 49l so had 6l spare.

My new 4th one I filled up and ran down and filled up again on Wed took 50l to fill with 30 miles still left on the computer, 307 miles on 50l on the 3.0 auto not bad I think.

I would think that the crap in the tank would find its way into the system at any time, as its a pump and returend constantly and refilling would disturb crap, so would breaking and accelerating hard.

So I would be very suprised that this is a big issue, I have either been very lucky but cant keep on stopping to fill up when the tank is just popped to 1/3.

My 2nd had issues with the cam timing sensor, would come to a jucntion and it would missfire no power just when u needed it, engin light came on and limp home mode for 20 miles.
Missfire on 1,2,3,4,5 cylinders. restarting would be fine until it looses the sync again. took 3 goes at fixing it, the first time all they did was give it its first service, as it was 500 miles to go for the service and they would not touch it until it had been done. I argued that inspection would not solve a engine problem, but did it coffed up the dosh and 2 month later had to be picked up by bmw emergency. then they changed the worng sensor so when it did it agian bmw assist went with me to the dealer to slap them for not changing the sensor.

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