530e60jose

Hello I recently bought a 210k mile e60 530i but the acceleration off the line is very weak. The message reads "engine malfunction increased engine loads may damage catalytic converter". I decided to get AutoZone to scan for codes and I got P17e1, P0420 and P0430, which say "catalyst system efficiency below threshold in bank 1 and 2, P0700 which says transmission control system malfunction indicator lamp request, a misfire in cylinder 5, and a misfire detected with low fuel. I understand what I got myself into when I got the car as I mean for it to be a project car, but I am curious if anybody here has dealt with these issues. I'm assuming the transmission and catalytic converters both need to be fixed, which I'm also assuming will cost me a fortune. Any help is very much appreciated thank you.

seanjordan20

I don't think you do fully understand what you got yourself into. BMWs are not like normal cars. There's a lot of troubleshooting with the correct tools. The OBD2 reader you have is not going to do much with assisting you with the right fixes. You have 2 big things going against you when you purchase a project car, the knowledge, and the correct diagnostic tools. You need to start with basic maintenance and then go from there.

habbyguy

Yes, what seanjordan20 said!

FWIW, sometimes when you have a persistent misfire, it can send so much raw fuel into your cats that they get clogged up, creating some really odd back-pressure (and most likely, additional misfires).

But yes, first go figure out how to get INPA and/or ISTA running on a laptop, or buy a BMW-specific scan tool (I got an Autophix 7910 for not much over $100 IIRC, and it does nearly everything that the more fiddly laptop-based systems do, though it is REALLY nice to have both).