i just got a used 2008 328i, and it started fine when I picked it up and drove it on the trailer.  After towing it 750 miles, with the last 300 miles through a snowsotrm, it died as soon as i started it, then would only run with the gas pedal pushed down a little bit until it warmed up.  I just assumed that was due to the -10 F temperatures.  Now it's starting normally, but it dies at stop signs after an hour of driving.  Have I gotten something dirty or embedded ice somewhere that ice shouldn't be?

Morning Eric

Welcome to the Forum

Your problem could be a number of things or a combination of them, my initial thought is fuel delivery. It could be a clogged fuel filter, a fuel pump or regulator fault or a MAF or throttle body fault. and last but not least a vacuum leak.

You need the codes read to give you some clues, 

Dave

Thanks for replying! 

No active codes

Pending codes:

P0306 Cylinder 6 misfire

P0015 cam position actuator B bank 1 timing over !Removed!  (the removed word is another word for "slow")

P0304 Cylinder 4 misfire

P0300 Random Multiple Misfires

I don't think it's fuel delivery because it's got plenty of power once it gets rolling, it just hates to idle.  

I reset the codes when I scanned them and it seems the problem may be gone now.  I drove it for an hour and it idled smoothly and didn't die at any stop signs (or even act like it was going to die).  

Morning Eric 

Fingers crossed clearing the codes has done the trick, have you re-read the codes to see what if anything has come back?

 

Dave

As soon as I can convince myself to go outside I'm going to read them again 🙂 -1 F / -18 C out there right now.

It's not fixed, it did it again while going through a roundabout.  It didn't do it other than that one time, but that's still more than it should happen. 

No codes, pending or active.  Maybe I need to drive it faster 😄

In that snow and at those temperatures you will be going in circles?? What code reader did you get? it really needs to be BMW specific for the best results. There are quite a few guys in the UK using Carly for BMW as an app on tablets and smart phones it can be used with a cable or a bluetooth dongle.

If your reader is BMW specific then you can see the individual control modules Engine, Gearbox, Instruments, Lights, etc etc it does narrow down were issues are.

Dave

It's an old Actron CP9180, I like it because it will read values from the sensors instead of just scanning for codes.  It does have the problem that it's not capable of pulling codes from anything but the ECU, so ABS and SRS codes won't get pulled.  

Carly seems pretty popular everywhere I look for the BMWs, just have to wait until I can buy it and the dongle.

I found a stretch of highway with a very short on-ramp going uphill, so I was able to see what it would do if I really stood on it.  It's got a slight vibration from the engine, but that could be normal for all I know.  I let off as soon as I hit the 70 MPH speed limit, which actually took longer than the straight section of the ramp.  I guess it's really not got that much power, just very good handling.  It's also the first automatic I've ever driven that seems to have had any thought put into the transmission beyond making it shift as smoothly as possible.  I love that I can actually feel it downshifting when slowing down, does it have an automatic clutch instead of a torque converter?  

 

It actually drives just fine in the snow surprisingly, everything I heard was that it would be horrible but it's actually been a bit better than the pickups and rear wheel drive SUV's I've had before.  Probably a combination of significantly better weight distribution and brand new all season radials rather than strictly summer tires.  It will still happily go down the road sideways if there's snow and I do something dumb like give it gas in a turn, but it doesn't seem any better or worse at getting moving than the front wheel drive car that it replaced (2011 Chevrolet Malibu) .  

 

For a BMW specific reader you could try BMW 1.4.0 loaded on a lap top (that is what I use) I believe you can now down load drivers for windows 10 so becoming much more user friendly.

Attached is a screen shot which shows all the different control modules (page 1 of 3) check on Ebay you can buy BMW 1.4.0 for about £10 including the cable, worth a look. Your engine should feel really smooth I would check out the rotating bits at the front Alternator, Power steering pump, AC, Waterpump and the belt tensioner's  and followers

Your auto box has lock up clutches in the torque converter your model should be 6 speed with Drive Sport and manual modes coupled to the straight 6 2.8i engine with 190hp or there about's should not feel sluggish 0-60 should be around 7 secs (a bit longer in the snow though) Proper Winter Tyres make sooo much difference even on a 4x4, not that we get much snow in the South of the UK.

Dave

I think we might have figured this out.  I talked to the previous owner and he said he's been putting regular unleaded in (87 AKI / R+M/2), which I managed to roughly translate as "two grades lower than British premium unleaded" (87 AKI R+M/2).  The highest grade available at most gas stations here is 91 R+M/2 (95 RON), although BP and Shell usually have 93 R+M/2 (98 RON).

 

I ran two full tanks of 91 octane through and it suddenly had about twice the power and a much smoother idle.  The manual says 87 AKI is the bare minimum, with "Super Premium AKI 91" highly recommended. 

 

My absolute favorite line from the manual:

"Observe all national and local maximum speed limits, otherwise violations of the laws could occur"

Really?  Who would have guessed?

 

I almost forgot to say thanks Greydog, I will definitely be checking that software out. 

No need for thanks that what the Forum is about, help and a sounding board. I must confess we have become so used to reliable fuel quality I hadn't considered that at all, oh what a sheltered life we lead here in the UK!!

Watch out for those violations LOL

Dave

I suppose complaining about the $3.55 / gallon price for premium is just going to make me look silly here hehe (0.71 GBP per liter, I did the conversions since UK and American gallons stopped being interchangeable in 1826)  

At £0.71 per liter perhaps your the guy with the sheltered life LOL it's around £1.20 per liter here and with my 4.6 V8 X5 and a my wife's 3.0 twin turbo charged Subaru I sometimes fell like I pay the BP Chairman's salary personally!! On the plus side we know we are s saving the planet by encouraging others to plant trees.

Dave

 

It's still doing it although it doesn't completely die anymore and it takes longer to start doing it, I'm going to put new coils in it and see if that clears it up.  I just have to wait until it's warm enough for the plastic to not shatter into a million pieces. If better fuel is helping the issue, my guess is that it's some kind of ignition issue. 

If the fuel has been low quality have you changed the fuel filter? 

Where is the filter at?  No I haven't changed it

 

Hi Eric

Check www.realoem.com for part numbers put the last 7 digits of your VIN number in the search box it will call up your model search the fuel system for part numbers that will ensure you have the correct part, nothing more frustrating than stripping down and finding the part doesn't fit!!! The check www.newtis.info for information on how to change the filter.

When I brought my X5 it was 1 owner with full BMW history at 38k as I went through the car after purchase (I am a fussy old git) it became clear that the dealers who had serviced the car had changed oil and filter and little else. The air filter was filthy and the air box full of debris, the pollen filter was black, plus the fuel filter on the X5 is tucked away in front of a rear wheel behind a cover. The space was absolutely rammed with mud and crud, clearly it had never been checked. So I changed the filters, had the gearbox serviced by a ZF specialist then the regular service items happen by the cars schedule I change oil annually regardless of what the car says. 

I've got some interface cables on order now so I should be able to do some better diagnostics in a week or so.  

I just realized the problem improved after fueling up one time, and then got much worse after fueling up the next time.  Premium gas is hardly ever used here because the American car manufacturers know that it's a lost cause trying to get us to buy more expensive grades of gas so they just design them so the cheap stuff works, it's possible that the insanely cold weather (We had a week or so where it never got above 0°F for the daytime high) caused water to get in the underground storage tanks from condensation and the relatively low volume sold kept the bad gas from simply being sold off.  Is BP actually that much better?  It says to use it in the owner's manual, and it's the first time I've ever seen a manufacturer recommend a brand rather than a grade of fuel.  

We have a mix here in the UK BP, Shell, Esso are the big ones but then there are the Super Markets who also have petrol stations and supply under their own brand plus a fair few independent suppliers. Like most people I tend to fill up at one station which happens to be Texaco, I use their 95 ron Regular fuel and have had no issues to date, would going up to 97 ron give more performance or an improvement ?? I live in the South East where traffic generally is quite heavy and tends to govern speed so I guess I am used to what I have, I do use other fuels when travelling as then I will top up at the first available station regardless of supplier and haven't found any standout differences.

It would be interesting to know if there is a difference after a fuel filter change

Well, I feel like a complete idiot.

 

The car finally told me what the problem was.  It flashed  "Tighten fuel cap" on the display and I was thinking this thing doesn't even have a gas cap.... 

 

I just assumed it didn't have one since newer Fords don't have them.  Checked the manual, found that yes, it's supposed to have a gas cap, and $30 later, I have an aftermarket gas cap.

 

I always wondered what that green thing was for.  

 

So now we know why it was so intermittent.  It only happened if I was going slow when the emission system requested a purge of the gas tank.

Oh the simple things in life !! been there myself with stuff like this before. I do know the cap has a relief valve in it so if you can get a genuine one from that well known auction site it would probably be better or is your replacement a correct fit?

How brilliant that you haven't bust your wallet changing parts, I see you still have the white stuff on the ground!!

Dave

Well...that didn't fix it.  It made it much better, it took two hours to start doing it instead of 30 minutes, and now it will keep running if it's in DS mode, it only stalls in D.  

It was definitely a problem, but not the whole problem.  The cable I ordered should arrive soon, so hopefully I can find out more information.  I just realized it's behaving very similar to my cousin's GMC Terrain/Chevrolet Equinox which has a clogged up PCV/CCV which caused her car to generate enough crankcase pressure to blow the rear main seal. I'm going to try popping the oil cap the next time it starts doing this to see if the engine smooths out. 

 

Do these cars not have dipsticks?  I spent at least 20 minutes looking for it yesterday.  

 

Yes all that white crap is starting to melt now, some of the roads are like rivers because the snow is blocking the storm drains and making it so the ground wont absorb water.  Where's the air intake at?  I don't want to submerge it.

Some have dipsticks some don't check realoem.com and newtis.info for clarification. The oil level can be checked on the on board monitor. Me old school I like to be able to physically see the oil level.

Stay out of the deep puddles 😜