Could my ECU really be bad?
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This is a pretty unique problem that may warrant the dealer diagnostic. Just an aside, my wife's old FX35 had a similar issue where she lost the entire bank of coils on one side. Turns out that its a common problem on the car due to bad grounds from the factory. We lost a catalytic converter and nearly lost the ECU, but were spared the ECU when she shut the car off immediately. So with that, I'm wondering if it really is your ECU that has gone bad due to a grounding issue? Just a thought. It's definitely an ignition issue that will require some troubleshooting. Research the emissions coverage item posted by DanL above...you could possibly get the parts for free, at least...
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From: Encino, CA
My Ride: 04 545i - Titanium Silver/Black, Sport pkg, Comfort Seats w/ Lumbar, Premium Sound, power rear sunshade, Adaptive Xenon Headlights, Steptronic, Park Distance Control, Fold down rear seats w/ski bag, Aux jack, 6-disk changer, puddle lamps...
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Before dropping +1k on an ecu, have they tried temporarily replacing the Integrated Voltage Supply Module (IVM)? Heck, does the 2010 even have it? It would be the black box with fuses on it located by the ecu in the ebox enclosure. It would be worth a shot to see if the IVM is faulty.
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From: SATX
Before dropping +1k on an ecu, have they tried temporarily replacing the Integrated Voltage Supply Module (IVM)? Heck, does the 2010 even have it? It would be the black box with fuses on it located by the ecu in the ebox enclosure. It would be worth a shot to see if the IVM is faulty.
All told I've dropped $3784.81
. FOR AN ENGINE MISFIRE!!!!!
I picked up my car yesterday. Still misfiring. It's too long to get into now, but I'm taking it back to my tuning shop today. Thankfully that work is comp'd - I'll update the thread later tonight when I get my car back (again)
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All told I've dropped $3784.81
. FOR AN ENGINE MISFIRE!!!!!
I picked up my car yesterday. Still misfiring. It's too long to get into now, but I'm taking it back to my tuning shop today. Thankfully that work is comp'd - I'll update the thread later tonight when I get my car back (again)
. FOR AN ENGINE MISFIRE!!!!!
I picked up my car yesterday. Still misfiring. It's too long to get into now, but I'm taking it back to my tuning shop today. Thankfully that work is comp'd - I'll update the thread later tonight when I get my car back (again)
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From: SATX
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From: Ellicott City, MD
My Ride: 535i M Sport
Model Year: 2010
Please post an update after they replace the cats. I have a bad feeling that's not the cause since I'm pretty sure plugged or bad cats will throw cat efficiency codes. Even if it is and they're plugged, something caused them to go bad at only 75K miles. Perhaps the #5 injector was stuck open and dumping raw fuel into the cylinder and that's what caused them to go bad.
I hope the cats were the problem and your nightmare is over. Once it is, write a nice, professional letter to BMW NA about your ordeal and see if they'll cover some of the costs.
I hope the cats were the problem and your nightmare is over. Once it is, write a nice, professional letter to BMW NA about your ordeal and see if they'll cover some of the costs.
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From: SATX
Please post an update after they replace the cats. I have a bad feeling that's not the cause since I'm pretty sure plugged or bad cats will throw cat efficiency codes. Even if it is and they're plugged, something caused them to go bad at only 75K miles. Perhaps the #5 injector was stuck open and dumping raw fuel into the cylinder and that's what caused them to go bad.
I hope the cats were the problem and your nightmare is over. Once it is, write a nice, professional letter to BMW NA about your ordeal and see if they'll cover some of the costs.
I hope the cats were the problem and your nightmare is over. Once it is, write a nice, professional letter to BMW NA about your ordeal and see if they'll cover some of the costs.
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My Ride: 2010 550i M Sport
OP never mentioned the history of these 75k miles for 2010 car and i think this was the black box where this story began
Last edited by champaign777; Mar 21, 2013 at 07:27 PM.
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From: SATX
History like what? The car isn't neglected. Far from it. I'm not going to itemize all of the stuff I've done maintenance wise, but there aren't any lingering "problems". I treat my car better than most.
The issue is (and always was) pretty simple: even after a tuneup and service using OEM parts (from an indy shop) the cat and ecu were faulty. BMW didn't look at or diagnose those parts at all, and attributed the problem to things that were un-related. Likely because the car is out of warranty.