07-01-2020, 01:39 PM | #24 |
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Likely the same issue?
I have a 2013 X3 2.8 and it seems like I have the very same issue. A while back the drivetrain malfunction error would only come on when I was on a long road trip where I'd been in the mountains, etc, but now it comes on after driving for about 10-20 miles or so and it's consistent.
BMW service says it is a "low turbo pressure fault" and I need to replace the turbo charger @ $6492 (but they'll do it for $6000). Apparently breaking down the turbo isn't something they do (no al le carte). My intuition is that they haven't really diagnosed the problem, but it's hard to know, the communication is really sub-par. Recommendations? Should I take it to another mechanic and get a second opinion (who specializes in BWMs and can break down the turbo)? or let BMW service repair handle it? Thoughts? Thank you! Shane |
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07-15-2020, 10:58 AM | #25 |
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I also have a 2013 X3 2.8, purchased new (my wife's daily driver). Last week on trip through mountains of Oregon received same alert (Drivetrain Malfunction)...alerts (both going and returning) happened under load (going uphill, near top of mountain pass) at full highway speed. No signs or symptoms beyond the alerts (which cleared when engine was shut down. Mileage ~100k.
This was our first significant road trip after having N20 replaced last year (failed crankshaft bearing). Prior to that was replacing timing chain/oil pump...out of warranty...Our trust in BMW is seriously lagging...my wife: "I'm done with BMW"; can't blame her for feeling this way. Received BMW Service diagnostic this morning: "failing pressure converter for exhaust turbocharger". I'll be talking to BMW Service Tech and will update. |
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07-15-2020, 02:25 PM | #26 |
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Here's the info I received from the technician:
120308 Charge-air pressure control, plausiblity Pressure too low. They monitored the pressure control during load and the values went outside of tolerance. Tested all other facets of system to ensure they are working properly and they were. No leaks in system were found. The pressure control regulates the wastegate on the turbos; the pressure control valve is not working properly to regulate this. |
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07-15-2020, 03:31 PM | #27 | |
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07-16-2020, 10:54 AM | #28 |
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Correct. BMW Service Tech said nothing about charge pipe. They did say they checked all vacuum lines. Doing diagnostic testing, as they put load on engine, they read lower-than-spec pressure, leading to conclusion that the problem lies w/Wastegate operation, attributed to electro-pneumatic pressure controller.
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07-16-2020, 11:13 AM | #29 | |
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07-21-2020, 11:57 PM | #30 |
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New pressure converter installed today at dealer. 15 minutes into the drive home...drive train alert.
Dealer coming tomorrow to take the offending vehicle back to the shop. I'll mention the charge pipes...Thanks, Marty |
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07-22-2020, 07:27 AM | #31 |
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You sure its not an "offending dealer" instead? I remember many years ago taking my car to the BMW dealer for an oil change, 27 point inspection and brake fluid change. They called said it was done, I picked it up and started driving home and you know after the engine warms up, the oil level indicator displays the level, right? Well when it did, it indicated it was only 3/4 full. I turned around and brought it back and complained. This is what they said..."we drain all the oil and we know how much oil the engine takes and we measure that amount when we put the new oil in it". I said, that's nice. Did you think to look at the oil level indicator to get a confirmation? They said, "no, we don't do that". I was sorta pissed, they brought it back in the shop and ended up replacing the oil level sensor.
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07-25-2020, 11:52 AM | #32 |
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Update: Dealer service Mgr & Shop Foreman stated that the engine adaptations needed to be reset. This wasn't done after they replaced the pressure converter, and stated it normally isn't necessary. They claim that since the adaptations were not reset, that the existing engine parameters were not off, and there wasn't sufficient time for them to reset before the Drive Train alert. They reset the adaptations, drove some 70 miles, and were not able to trigger the alert. Vehicle was delivered Thur, we drove yesterday around town w/o alert. When dealer delivered vehicle, I did notice somewhat unusual ticking sound to the engine (lifter noise?), and my wife noticed the same yesterday morning as we headed out. Sounded similar to what we heard when we had timing chain issue 3 yrs ago. We notified the dealer of the noise, and their response was "sounds coming from engine are totally normal and engine is under warranty if there are any issues."
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01-10-2021, 09:29 PM | #33 |
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Any updates on your issue?
....I just solved a persistent 120308 after over a year. It can be expensive and annoying.
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01-11-2021, 11:26 AM | #34 |
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120308 - Solve for n55 6 cyl (might help N20)
First, I have gone crazy for a year trying to find the exact scenario that I've had, but haven't really found it.
Mine started about about 15 months ago. Had about 107K on my F25 (n55). On a long trip, returning from about 3 hours from my home, threw a "Drivetrain Error" on the highway. No loss of power felt. Drove about 45 minutes to get off the highway, then stopped, restarted the car and the error cleared. It threw once or twice more, then I got the Schwaben ECU reader. Had the 120308 error. Cleared it, but it kept coming back (with the chime and the "Drivetrain error"). Never lost power when it came up. Replaced the pneumatic wastegate actuator (fairly easy job, but angle is a PITA). No luck. Replaced all vacuum hoses, no luck. At 108.5K, engine failure (unrelated to 120308 and a whole other story). New long block engine, which added a new turbo and a new metal charge pipe. Got it back and it was still throwing the 120308. I knew since the CP, turbo and block were new, it had to be a part that wasn't replaced or something broken/misconnected during the engine replacement. Replaced some plastic vacuum piping that looked suspect or had broken connectors (others had mentioned that those parts fixed their 120308, or I felt that they needed replacing at 109K+ miles). Finally, I replaced the diverter valve, as I had suspected it might be a cause, but was reluctant because it is beyond a PITA to remove and replace. I was never so happy to see a broken part as I was when I finally got the DV out of the turbo. Attachment 2502664 Attachment 2502665 The rubber membrane was ripped about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way around. It was bad enough that it makes me wonder why it didn't throw 120308 or other errors more often. I had ordered the GFB (Go Fast Bits) DV upgrade and was greatly helped by this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQYhu13pLu4. Install took about 4 hours, slowed by the fact that my broken DV was mounted with Torx screws instead of Allen screws, which I guess happened when the block/turbo was replaced. I took it for a drive long enough to get it to throw the error and tried the scenario that made it throw the most: In motion at under 3K, push peddle slightly to accelerate (think: don't downshift, but accelerate, as if merging onto the highway or slowly passing a car when making a lane change). Even tried hard acceleration from a stop or single/double gear downshift. NO ERROR. The GFB DV gives better peddle response and it now idles and runs generally smother than it did. The part was $150. I would think an indy shop would install it for about $500-600 in labor. BMW would probably be $1K or more and you'd get the original, weak OEM BMW DV. I hope your problem was solved, or that this might be of use for you or others. |
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01-17-2021, 03:11 PM | #35 |
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Check plugs and coils
I bought a 2014 X3 2.0L with 49K on it. Since they recommend changing plugs at 50K, I bought some Bosch Platinum on Ebay. Changed them and had the same symptoms. No power, no turbo, only drivable by barely nudging accelerator. A friend told me Bimmers are very finnicky for coils and plugs.
I ordered 4 coils and 4 NGK Iridiums from FCP Euro Parts and it solved the problem. Be wary of Ebay plugs. I should add I own the iCarSoft Scanner and it reported misfire on #1 which sort of pointed me in the right direction. You can find this tool on Amazon or Ebay for around $150 and it's very comprehensive. |
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01-17-2021, 03:22 PM | #36 |
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Over the past 15 years of owning and working on several BMWs I've found it best to stick to genuine BMW branded parts (or exact equivalent OEM) for things like ignition and gaskets. Cost a bit higher but worth that extra miney in my experience.
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08-26-2021, 07:26 PM | #37 | |
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08-26-2021, 07:29 PM | #38 | |
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03-21-2022, 08:10 PM | #39 | |
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Im having the same issue, i was able to remove he 3 bolts from the DV valve but i cannot remove it from its location since the pneumatic wastegate is attached to the turbocharger. How were you able to remove the DV valve out of its location after you took all 3 screws off? Ive looked everywhere and all YouTube videos show the electric wastegate, not the pneumatic wastegate. |
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06-16-2022, 06:30 PM | #40 |
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[QUOTE=ExclusiveAuto;24174560]Normally, I can fix anything, but this car has me so frustrated I'm about to set it on fire and call it a day.
Purchased a 2013 X3 2.8 (2.0L turbo) for the wife about 3 years ago with 60K on it. Her commute to work at the time was about 150 miles a day and figured it would be best to save the money on a car out of warranty, rather than a used one within warranty as she would surpass it by mileage fairly quickly. About 4-6 months into owning it, we would occasionally get a message on the iDrive screen that stated "Drivetrain malfunction - reduced power drive carefully, reduced power" or some non-sense like that. The car would then drive like a regular 4-cyl without the turbo. No check engine light on the dash cluster. Once the car was shut off and restarted, the car would drive like normal. We did that for about a year or so as it was occasional. I have a lead foot and my wife drives like a grandma, so we noticed it would happen much more frequently and sooner into our trips with me driving. So, I tried driving it slow, with very light throttle, staying in low RPMs before boost should come in, and noticed that the light took longer to kick on. Over time, it has been occurring more frequently and with increased sensitivity - to now, where it comes on almost as we pull out of the driveway - at 102K miles. The car is slow as a dog and gets crappy gas mileage compared to what we used to get (used to get about 30mpg, now we get 19mpg). By the way, it was awesome that BMW announced the recall on the timing chain after we were already over the mileage....THANK YOU BMW!! Got to the point where she needed tires, so I found a nice set of Factory M sport wheels with nearly new runflats for the same price as 4 new runflats would have been for the stock 2.8 wheels. Only modifications I have done: Factory M sport 19" wheels, Aftermarket HID ballast and bulbs. The car "feels" like it has no boost, but it also feels like a misfire, and it also feels like something in the drivetrain with some of the "bucking" at very slow speed. I am going insane trying to figure it out. Upon scanning the car, I only get one code - something about the boost pressure (I cant remember it off the top of my head, but will look it up again and update this thread). The car does run rich (black tail pipes), but doesnt smoke. Every BMW master tech friend that I know has looked at the car has absolutely no explanation and just tells me to sell the car, or throw parts at it. So what have I done/found so far? The car was stating that the boost pressure was a problem. I checked the vacuum since the turbo is operated by vacuum. I found that the canister on the vanity cover was full of oil. I cleaned it out and cleared the codes. The car ran great for about 5 miles, then went into limp mode again. Checked the canister and found it filled with oil again. Noticed that there was no vacuum, so I thought I had found my issue. ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ GET RID OF IT NOW....here’s what’s going to happen: the oil feedline to the turbo is faulty. BMW issued a TSB in 2018. But unless you have symptoms they don’t tell you about it. Meanwhile everyday it leaks into the turbo and causes premature failure. It’s a $6400 job, then they tell you the catalytic converters is bad $3k. Then they tell you ur beautiful car is now worth $750. GET RID OF IT NOW!!!!!!!! Mine is dead at 105k miles. That’s been my week. If u think it’s the timing chain there’s a class action suit that you might be able to access, but the settlement is the owner pays 60% of the repair cost and bmw 40%. My advice: GET RID OF IT ASAP!!!! |
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06-16-2022, 06:40 PM | #41 |
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Here’s what just happened to me...at 98k mi drivetrain warning came on. The oil feed line is faulty. BMW issued a TSB in 2018 but won’t replace it unless u present w symptoms. The faulty oil feed line causes premature failure of the turbo and catalytic converter. It’s a $9400 job which is more than the car is worth. Given the problems with the car the dealership told me my beautiful car is worth $750. My advice: GET RID OF IT NOW.
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06-16-2022, 08:17 PM | #42 | |
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You know are you're telling someone that posted about this issue 4 years ago to get rid of if ASAP, I'm sure that ship has sailed |
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06-30-2022, 11:22 PM | #43 | |
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Yea, but still helpful, as I was about to buy a 80K mile 2013 X3 S28i for my wife (very well taken care of), and although we made it out alive on a N20 X1 for 5 years, I'm getting the feeling here that we should not roll the dice again with another. |
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08-17-2022, 01:15 PM | #44 |
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No boost fixed
I had a similar issue with the drive train malfunction warning and lack of boost that was getting progressively worse.
The check engine light was on due to a lean condition in bank 1 and I had the following stored codes: 118001 - Mixture control: Mixture too lean 120308 - Boost pressure control, plausibility: pressure too low 195013 - Differential pressure sensor, tank ventiliation valve, working range: absolute pressure too low 119304 - Rail pressure sensor, plausibility: pressure too high before engine start 102001 - Air mass, plausibility: air mass too high Initially, I only had the lean mixture code but over time the others cropped up. In my case, I did 3 things which mostly solved the problem. 1. Charge Pipe I Smoke tested the system and discovered a couple of major leaks in the charge pipe coming from the two connecting pipes (see photo). Not sure what each of these does but the smaller connection completely broke off while I was trying to disconnect it. The larger connection (MAP sensor?) had a failed O-ring and was also leaking from around the outside seam of the pipe-join. I removed the charge pipe from the vehicle and reattached the smaller connection with epoxy. I then sealed up all the leaks as best I could with RTV. Oh I forgot to mention that the end of the charge pipe that goes into the turbo completely broke off too. I ended up rebuilding the end using some ABS piping, a rubber coupler and a couple hose clamps from Home Depot. Ghetto but it works for now. Once I reinstalled the charge pipe I smoke tested again. There was still a tiny leak coming through but I couldn't pinpoint it. It was much better than before so I decided to leave it as I have a new charge pipe on the way. I went for a test drive and found that light acceleration from a stop felt slightly better. The CEL (after being cleared) did not return during the test drive. However, I was still getting almost zero boost and the drivetrain malfunction was still present. 2. Exhaust Flap Using Bimmerlink for Android, I opened the exhaust flap (previously it was on "AUTO"). This immediately made a huge difference. I was now producing about 16.5 psi of boost at WOT. Take a look at the attached screenshots of before and after. [UPDATE] Just discovered that the vacuum line to the exhaust flap wasn't even attached lol. Not sure how the heck making a software change to "Open" made such a big difference? 3. Wastegate Actuator Next I decided to check the wastegate actuator. I have a pneumatic actuator which should be calibrated to 5.9 inHg in order to close the wastegate flapper. Using a handheld vacuum pump, I measured the current setting at 9.5 inHg! I removed the actuator, adjusted the rod to shorten it by 6 turns which brought it back to spec (approx). Went for a test drive again and this time was getting about 18.6 psi. This is over the 17 psi of rated boost but I left it like that. My brake pedal and steering wheel also felt a little firmer. After all of this, the stored codes disappeared except for the lean condition which comes back after a while (also triggering the CEL). I'm hoping that the replacement charge pipe will take care of that once and for all (should be here in a few days). Also, my fuel economy improved from about 13.4 to 10.5 L/100km (~17.4 to 22.4 MPG). Last edited by AF4iK; 08-17-2022 at 05:32 PM.. |
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