luigi524td

Original warranty on my '07 530xi expired at the end of 2010. I just turned 50K easy miles. In April the battery gave up it's last volt and I suspected it was the IBS that failed and couldn't communicate as it should to properly charge the battery. My SA agreed and perrormed thorough diagnostics to verify and also concurred that a 4 yr old battery can't handle going dead too many times before it's a goner. My dealer helped out by covering the diagnostics and labor and charging me "cost" for battery and IBS. So I was out the door for about $400 and had use of a 2011 335 loaner while they fixed it up. All was good and knowing that the battery and IBS are common issues I felt that I was moving along just fine.

That is, until driving back from a 3 day trip to Connecticut Wednesday night. It wasn't too bad a trip except for periodic heavy rain and fog. But since I wasn't in any particular rush I rolled along just fine - according to the on-board data averaging about 48mph (No. Jersey was it's usual heavy traffic) and 28.3 mpg on Sunoco Ultra for the nearly 500 mile round trip.

Then it happened ... cruising at an easy 60 mph on Rt 206 about 40 miles from home I feel a small stutter ... and a trans malfunction error pops up on iDrive. Something about gear can be shifted w/o brake. I took a picture with my Droid and can post when I get time. Then in another 10 seconds an AWD and DSC alert pops up ... DAMN!! Car continues to drive OK without me feeling any other symptoms so I dial-up my Dealer SA. He assured me the car probably isn't going to leave me stranded (I have BMW Assist anyway) and suggested I stop .. turn the car off (I was going to do this anyway) to see if it cleared. But alas, it did not :-(

He was sympathetic and asked how soon I could get the car to them - but I was booked all day Thursday and then heading to NYC for a meeting, today, Friday. Anyway, after parking the car over night, it started and ran normally today - iDrive alerts gone. I called my SA and we both agreed it may have cleared but that doesn't mean that whatever caused the fault alert went away. So I'm scheduled for a visit next Tuesday. He's thinking it's the steering angle sensor or Transmission valve thingie - the former had been replaced 2-3 years ago and the latter had a leaking sleeve repaired two years ago - both under warranty.

Time will tell what has failed this time but it certainly has dampened my interest in an '11 550 Sport that my dealer sales rep has been taunting me to buy. And he knows it! Oh well ... it's only a car and in all the years I've owned them I've never had a BMW leave me stranded. But they certainly can test your patience!!

flyingpuck

Although with the 2011 550i you would have a full warranty, and be able to enjoy driving again without concern of breakdowns! That's what I did recently, I didn't realize how much I missed the full warranty feeling, I love it! Just my two cents worth, spend them as you see fit!

mmitev

To me it sounds like the alternator is going bad. A fequent problem as far as I've noticed here.

Recent BMWs can test one's patience particularly if someone is not well informed (I don't mean you, having >4,700 posts). But get to know the usual issues and niggles and you will be well prepared for confronting an unexpected problem. Also, as you've said as well, thankfully whatever electrocnic problems pop up, they rarely affect the mechanical part, which on my car at least has been 99% reliable (the other 1% is the rear suspension compressor found only on Tourings).

luigi524td

Good point ... but it's sooo much more than anyone's 2 cents ... spending $60-$70K every four years for the comfort of a warranty sounds like a government strategy

That said, I recall helping a friend shop for a car - many many years ago. He was excited about Chrysler's 5 year / 50K mile warranty. I think I caught the sales guy off guard when I said I'd prefer a car with NO warranty because the car was SO unbreakable that NONE was required! (Don't know where such a car was then or is today but it got the guy shuffling on both feet ).

Anyway as these cars become more complex, and have multiple systems talking to and across each the diagnostics are considerable more challenging and the repairs potentially more expensive. However, I'm a firm believer that critical systems should have a lower MTBF (mean time between failures) ... and if I'm interpreting the anecdotal info on this and other forums that simply is NOT the case with automobiles designed, engineered, and manufactured by BMW. And, the stats seem to bear that out as well. Mind you, I've owned and driven BMWs since the mid-80's! (I'm not sure that gives me any "right" to be critical - maybe it's merely my nature?).

To wit, while BMW is involved in the aviation industry, they've primarily been involved with the non-critical systems. I didn't need Ivy league, post-doctoral engineering credentials to figure out why they design and engineer seats and cabin acoutrements and not avionics.

Back to the presenting situation ... 4 days and 400 miles later no additional alerts but it'll be back to my BMW Service Center next week for diagnostics. OH - to the poster about the alternator as a potential source of the problem... Thanks for the suggestions. However, The car was given a thorough charging system electrical evaluation before and after the battery and IBS replacement just a few weeks ago. And there is no other indicator that the alternator is having any issues. Some of the potential issues my SA will examine (he's a good thorough guy I've know at this dealer for nearly 15 years) will be the steering angle sensor and that transmission valve harness and internal leaks that may have caused an electrical "short" and the intermittent error report. He doubts anything 'mechanical'' with the transmission as it has no other symptoms like jerky shifting or delays getting into or between gears. I'll report back with the final diagnosis / fix when the "doctors have finished with the patient".

Meantime, I'll have to visit that Graphite Gray 550 in the showroom and play "let's make a deal" with my sales associate ... maybe he'll make me an offer I can't refuse

sdg1871

I don't have the stones to own one of our cars out of warranty.....

luigi524td

This was the trans error message - has anyone seen this one before?

or_550i

No. But I *highly* doubt there is any mechanical issue. This is _all_ electronic - the voltage has dropped too low and all of the modules are reporting faults/errors. I had other errors when my battery was dying; they all went away when I removed the IBS sensor and replaced the battery.

Since the alternator checked out ok, my bet is that while the IBS sensor was "replaced" it's failed again and charge to the battery is reduced. Remove the [useless] IBS sensor wire...

luigi524td

Interesting thought - I'll have to raise that possibility to my SA when I get over there later this week.

Janne S

I had similar powerissues with my 530ia -03. The diagnostic tool(inpa)registered peakvoltage over 18 volts in many controlunits. System went into limp mode and transmission control unit was one them. The voltagepeaks clearly indicated the voltageregulator was at the end of it's lifecycle, changed the regulator and haven't had a single fault message since. Probably your car is full of fault codes from different controlunits, if the memory is reseted and fault memory red again, no faultcodes present. So you(dealer) have to individually reseach different controlunits, before erasing faultmemory. Hope this helps.