Emissions Warning light came on

ga41

Veteran
 Paphos
A couple of weeks ago during a drive a warning light lit up. I of course panicked because i didnt know what that light meant but after a read through the manual i saw that it was the emissions warning light, i had already read about that before i even bought the M so i figured it must be a faulty sensor like most of the other cases here plus the car run fine so i didnt worry much. A couple of days later the light went off and i thought that was the end of it but since then it has come on and off on several occasions.

I havent had much time to bring it in for a check up until this morning. I dropped the car off at the local BMW service center and came to work. About 40minuts later i received a call from them saying that the fault is with the catalysts and "because of the petrol". I told them i only use 98 and 100 and he said "yes but we dont know what they used in the UK" i asked if it's maybe because of differences between fuel quality between Cyprus and the UK and his answer was maybe. Anyway he told me that both catalysts need to be changed and that it's going to cost about 1000 euro! :headbang: And as always with such things in Cyprus, there are no catalysts for the M in the country and have to be ordered in from Germany... He then said that the fault code is off (he didnt say if they turned it off or if it went off by itself but seeing as it was on when i drove there this morning i'm assuming they turned it off) and that they drove the car and it drives normally. He asked me if they should order the parts or if i want to wait a while since the car appears to run fine and i replied that i'll pick it up today and that if in a couple of weeks the light's still on i'll talk to them again..

To be honest i dont really trust them. My MC is the only Z4 M in the town and one of the few M cars in general and I dont believe they have much experience with them.. Are these guys full of it? Because judging from what i read here and Pistonheads it sounds like a faulty lambda/O2 sensor.. Should i get a another opinion at a different garage? No reputable independent garages in town as well so perhaps a service center in a another (bigger) city? Get the catalysts changed or drive on as usual and see how it goes? What do you think?
 
Hmm.. I get a feeling you're going to get this a lot because of your circumstances, both trying to make a quick buck and probably eager to work on the car.

Know what I'd do (have done).. buy yourself a cheap OBDII kit and check the codes yourself.

I bought mine for £20 from Amazon (for a different car, then realised it works on the M too), I then posted a list of the fault codes on this forum and there's no trace by the dealer of the codes being read, only if you reset them (as there's a last reset date).

I had the faulty O2 sensor (twice, each one went seperately within 1000m) and the codes told me that very clearly.

Order the kit, get the car back and run it for a bit.. if the cats are actually damaged you can't make it a lot worse! :thumbsup:
 
OK so i have the car back now. The technician told me that there's a sensor in front and another at the back of the catalysts and they are showing different values and that's what's causing the warning light. He said because of poorer quality petrol than in the UK the catalysts have developed a problem. :( I can drive around normally he said and the light might not ever come on again (it did when i started it up to come to work just now) but eventually i'll need to change the catalysts.

And they charged me 50 Euro (about 44 quid with todays exchange rate) just for looking up the fault code...
 
Have they measured the exhaust gas? Is it out of the limits?

Why not be a sensor's problem as Andy said above? or both sensors? This is a more often issue on BMWs than the catalysts.
 
That's what they told me. They did no other checks apart from hooking up the diagnostics kit and looking up the fault code. Οι μαλάκες της αντιπροσωπίας που δεν έχουν ιδέα τι τους γίνετε... :x

Anyway I think i'll be taking it to another garage for a second opinion. What do you think?
 
There's been numerous reports of O2/Lambda sensors being replaced, not many (if any!) regarding cats.

I'd get the OBDII reader and/or have someone else look at it definitely.
 
I searched a bit for OBD II readers but am a bit lost. Can anyone recommend one that's not terribly expensive, that works with our beauties (obviously) and that is preferably in Europe? Or simply a particular brand?
 
this is what i bought:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ELM327-Based-Diagnostic-System-OBDII/dp/B001C1QQJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241622019&sr=8-1

comes with 4 types of software on the cd.
 
You definetely have to check the emission gas (καυσαερια). If they are within limits it is not the catalyst. Do the full check (O2 also).

I agree that you try to another shop as well. You have PM.
 
Andy said:
this is what i bought:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ELM327-Based-Diagnostic-System-OBDII/dp/B001C1QQJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241622019&sr=8-1

comes with 4 types of software on the cd.

Thanks, that looks pretty good and is cheap too. I'll need to carry the laptop to the car every time though right? Any standalone ones? Would this work? http://www.amazon.co.uk/CAN-Bus-Trouble-Diagnose-Diagnostic-Scanner/dp/B001CBBY7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1241623187&sr=1-1
 
konas said:
You definetely have to check the emission gas (καυσαερια). If they are within limits it is not the catalyst. Do the full check (O2 also).

I agree that you try to another shop as well. You have PM.

Hmm i'll get it checked then and report when i do. By the way i dont seem to have any new PM's... :)
 
ga41 said:
konas said:
You definetely have to check the emission gas (καυσαερια). If they are within limits it is not the catalyst. Do the full check (O2 also).

I agree that you try to another shop as well. You have PM.

Hmm i'll get it checked then and report when i do. By the way i dont seem to have any new PM's... :)

check PM again now
 
I'm not sure I'd trust a complete unit, as the software that comes with the one above doesn't support BMW and you have to google the codes (or now look up my post here:
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9444&p=141255&hilit=obd*#p141252)

If it's self-contained it might come up with "Code not supported" or something annoying that you can't use. Then again, it might work :thumbsup:

I did see a bluetooth one for not much more though, would let you park near the computer and uses Bluetooth to map the serial port.

However in my experience of IT, can't beat simple.. and my Serial port one works a treat !
 
Andy said:
I'm not sure I'd trust a complete unit, as the software that comes with the one above doesn't support BMW and you have to google the codes (or now look up my post here:
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9444&p=141255&hilit=obd*#p141252)

If it's self-contained it might come up with "Code not supported" or something annoying that you can't use. Then again, it might work :thumbsup:

I did see a bluetooth one for not much more though, would let you park near the computer and uses Bluetooth to map the serial port.

However in my experience of IT, can't beat simple.. and my Serial port one works a treat !

Thanks for providing that link. OK im going to browse ebay and Amazon for one. :thumbsup:
 
OBD-II codes for engine and emissions are the same from one manufacturer to another. This is because the US Congress made it a law. It is easier for manufactures to make all their cars sold world wide ODB-II compliant, not just US models. The US is the biggest market for automobiles......

Now that being said, there are MANY more codes that are manufacture specific. That is were code readers differentiate them selves. Any cheap code reader will read the basic OBD-II codes, but they will not read the rest of the manufacture specific codes.. like SRS Airbags, Body Dynamics, Soft top etc... but if you just want engine and emissions codes, cheap readers work well....
 
gxanthop said:
Whatever happened with your car, Paphite?

Well since it runs fine i left it as is and have been trying to wear down the rear tyres as fast as i can. :D

Some E46 M3 guys recommended a local garage so i'm probably going to take the Z there to get a second opinion. Also found out that a mate's mate is the (or one of the anyway) Cyprus dealer for CA Automotive which sell all sorts of goodies for M's so i'm now starting to look at various exhausts and such but anyway back on subject, no changes regarding the warning light.

By the way what's your story? You have an M right? More details? Pictures? :)
 
My story is that I am bringing it in for the other pre cat 02 sensor next week...Did they ever suggest you change one of yours, or was it just BAM! your cats are gone, you need new ones?
 
He just casually said both my catalytic converters are ruined and need to be changed but then said the car runs fine and i can get it back and drive it as normal. So i did and i am. :driving:
 
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