Gremlins on the Wing...
08-17-2006, 05:06 PM
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OK....Let me set this up....I'm driving down a 4 lane this afternoon in the passing lane (where else 
) and grandma pulls out in front of me. Instead of braking, I downshift into 3rd in DS manual mode. Granny moves over and I floor it......NOTHING!!!!! NADA!!!! ZIP!!! I drift for a few seconds while I am totally stunned and then pull off onto the grassy median. Engine warning is displayed on I-Drive with half of the engine yellow marking indicating "Reduced power to engine. See BMW dealer as soon as possible." The engine is stuttering rhythmically from 500 up to 1,000 RPM...back and forth....back and forth. Pressing the gas pedal does nothing. I shut the engine off, let it rest for a minute and started it back up. I-drive is clear and warnings are gone. She purrs again. As I said, I pulled off the road onto grass and I accelerated quickly coming back onto the road entering into the passing lane. The back end broke loose and I tore up a bit of sod. Guess what shows up on the dash next?! You guessed it, the DSC warning triangle!!! Pressing and holding the button does absolutely nothing. I get home after a 25 mile drive and turn off the engine. I restart and the warning is gone!! OK, I know what happened with the tire spin and the DSC warning, but what the heck was that lack of power issue???? 
) and grandma pulls out in front of me. Instead of braking, I downshift into 3rd in DS manual mode. Granny moves over and I floor it......NOTHING!!!!! NADA!!!! ZIP!!! I drift for a few seconds while I am totally stunned and then pull off onto the grassy median. Engine warning is displayed on I-Drive with half of the engine yellow marking indicating "Reduced power to engine. See BMW dealer as soon as possible." The engine is stuttering rhythmically from 500 up to 1,000 RPM...back and forth....back and forth. Pressing the gas pedal does nothing. I shut the engine off, let it rest for a minute and started it back up. I-drive is clear and warnings are gone. She purrs again. As I said, I pulled off the road onto grass and I accelerated quickly coming back onto the road entering into the passing lane. The back end broke loose and I tore up a bit of sod. Guess what shows up on the dash next?! You guessed it, the DSC warning triangle!!! Pressing and holding the button does absolutely nothing. I get home after a 25 mile drive and turn off the engine. I restart and the warning is gone!! OK, I know what happened with the tire spin and the DSC warning, but what the heck was that lack of power issue????
08-17-2006, 05:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Hatchman50' post='323805' date='Aug 17 2006, 08:06 PM
OK....Let me set this up....I'm driving down a 4 lane this afternoon in the passing lane (where else ) and grandma pulls out in front of me. Instead of braking, I downshift into 3rd in DS manual mode. Granny moves over and I floor it......NOTHING!!!!! NADA!!!! ZIP!!! I drift for a few seconds while I am totally stunned and then pull off onto the grassy median. Engine warning is displayed on I-Drive with half of the engine yellow marking indicating "Reduced power to engine. See BMW dealer as soon as possible." The engine is stuttering rhythmically from 500 up to 1,000 RPM...back and forth....back and forth. Pressing the gas pedal does nothing. I shut the engine off, let it rest for a minute and started it back up. I-drive is clear and warnings are gone. She purrs again. As I said, I pulled off the road onto grass and I accelerated quickly coming back onto the road entering into the passing lane. The back end broke loose and I tore up a bit of sod. Guess what shows up on the dash next?! You guessed it, the DSC warning triangle!!! Pressing and holding the button does absolutely nothing. I get home after a 25 mile drive and turn off the engine. I restart and the warning is gone!! OK, I know what happened with the tire spin and the DSC warning, but what the heck was that lack of power issue????
) and grandma pulls out in front of me. Instead of braking, I downshift into 3rd in DS manual mode. Granny moves over and I floor it......NOTHING!!!!! NADA!!!! ZIP!!! I drift for a few seconds while I am totally stunned and then pull off onto the grassy median. Engine warning is displayed on I-Drive with half of the engine yellow marking indicating "Reduced power to engine. See BMW dealer as soon as possible." The engine is stuttering rhythmically from 500 up to 1,000 RPM...back and forth....back and forth. Pressing the gas pedal does nothing. I shut the engine off, let it rest for a minute and started it back up. I-drive is clear and warnings are gone. She purrs again. As I said, I pulled off the road onto grass and I accelerated quickly coming back onto the road entering into the passing lane. The back end broke loose and I tore up a bit of sod. Guess what shows up on the dash next?! You guessed it, the DSC warning triangle!!! Pressing and holding the button does absolutely nothing. I get home after a 25 mile drive and turn off the engine. I restart and the warning is gone!! OK, I know what happened with the tire spin and the DSC warning, but what the heck was that lack of power issue???? 
That's what you get for tailgating an old lady. 
Now the dealer has to undo that voodoo.
08-17-2006, 05:43 PM
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That's a new one on me. Something like that happened to me in a Renault on a fast moving highway in France. We had pulled out of a toll booth and suddenly were about to die because I couldn't accelerate. I pulled off. As it turns out, I had forgotten to refasten my seatbelt. Have you looked in your manual? As I recall, there is a (probably useless) explanation of the reduced power message in the manual, but my recollection is very hazy.
08-17-2006, 05:50 PM
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Paging Mr. Rudy....Rudy are you in the house??? Wherefore art thou Rudy??? 
I need your help sir.
I need your help sir.
08-17-2006, 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Bimmer32' post='323818' date='Aug 17 2006, 06:36 PM
... has to undo that voodoo.
08-18-2006, 12:57 AM
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I'd see the dealer ASAP, as long as the warning message is stored.
My guess is, that it is just one of those typicall Windows thingies. When you give too many inputs at a time, the system can't do all the requested correctly.
It shouldn't do that in the E60, but it is also something that noone has reported before on our forum (or I missed the thread...!??), so I'd see the dealer. He can see the error code and maybe has an idea, ah well, probably not, but it's worth a try...
My guess is, that it is just one of those typicall Windows thingies. When you give too many inputs at a time, the system can't do all the requested correctly.
It shouldn't do that in the E60, but it is also something that noone has reported before on our forum (or I missed the thread...!??), so I'd see the dealer. He can see the error code and maybe has an idea, ah well, probably not, but it's worth a try...
08-19-2006, 08:37 AM
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The dealer found this bugger under my hood last time.
08-19-2006, 08:57 AM
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I'm glad things sorted out well. It could have gone much worse... I have had a similar situation. I was driving on the highway when I got transmission failure. it suggested me to drive moderately. The speedometer went down to zero and so did the RPM indicator. Luckily a gasstation appeared so I drove in their and restarted the car and the warning was all gone. It must be just software issuses but it's not fun when you hear the "pling"...
08-19-2006, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Hatchman50' post='323822' date='Aug 17 2006, 09:50 PM
Paging Mr. Rudy....Rudy are you in the house??? Wherefore art thou Rudy??? I need your help sir.
I need your help sir.
08-19-2006, 01:17 PM
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could be anything...but I think its the Ignition Coils going foul....so let us know what happened....Good Luck~