Hi all. I have a problem with my '06 530xit that just turned 77,777 miles (US).

Its getting cold here in Boston and the car had been sitting for six days. I was driving around backroads when I came to a stop light. I noticed the engine was vibrating quite a bit and saw the RPMs were very low, dropping to about 700/800 then up to 1100. When the light turned, I had almost no acceleration and the car was shaking like an earthquake. I gave it more gas and it shifted quickly and gave me a little more speed, but sounded like it was in the wrong gear and the MPG gauge was all over the place.

I finally parked and even then that RPMs were low and the car was vibrating badly. As I was on the phone with BMW, the Service Engine Soon light came on but I had no iDrive warnings about reduced power or malfunctions. In fact the Check button said, "All Systems OK".

Any ideas? The sunroof leaks were fixed a few months ago and I always use 91 gas. This morning I did take it to the local gas station to fill up the tires and while the engine was still cold, it was clicking and clacking loudly. I'm suppose to take this car on a 3,200 mile trek across the country in two weeks, but now I'm worried about that. Dealer can't see it until Tuesday.

 

Need a scan, could be anything. Bad MAF, Vanos problems, O2 sensors, etc...

 

Thank you for the reply, vanos. I wish I had my own scan tool instead of waiting until next week. My first thought was MAF since I had a similar experience 10 years ago with another car, but of course being in the dark I assume the worst.

I know nothing about Vanos. Is is an air intake or fuel injection system? Are they known for having problems?

 

Update: Failed ignition coil caused a misfire and fouled up its plug. Dealership is replacing the coil and all the plugs. Are coils in these cars prone to failure? With one down I'm hoping the other five aren't biding their time until I'm 600 miles from a dealership.