X3 20d engine light

turbo4 · 03-24-2019, 09:48 PM

Over the long and cold winter I kept getting the engine light on.
Bmw service advises me that the cause ie related to ad blue freezing in cold temperatures. They also said that the light will go off once the temperature outside is warmer. The ad blue freezes below -11 C.
Last 3-4 weeks the weather is above 0C but the engine light still stays in.
I was told not to worry and it may take a while.
Has anyone experienced that and the light went off?
The North American ad blue two tanks system we have does not work.
It makes me wonder if there is a problem but I need to confirm that indeed the light goes off. That may be a problem that service has missed.

Mark

Ol' Fart · 03-25-2019, 07:35 AM

I had mine in the dealership for a check engine light that turned out to be for another problem, a bad sensor, but while there they found a code for a fault in the Ad Blu heater line. I wasn't aware there was even a problem as I had not seen any trouble lights. They replaced the entire line. My point is, this line is heated to prevent freezing issues. Maybe this is something used on later models only, I don't know, but might be worth asking the dealer about. They might not want to change it as it's quite a job apparently (at least that's what I was told ).

Eaglesview · 03-25-2019, 10:52 AM

On my 2015 X3 28d on three ocassions I had the check engine light. At about 40,000 and 60,00 km I was told to ignore and it woul disappear after 20 starts...? Which it did. At 70,000 km when it came on for the third time it was diagnosed as a DPF issue and the filter was replaced with what I was told was an upgraded version under warranty, some $5,000 book price!

The dealer mechanic told me when encountering a lot of stop and go traffic as in a construction zone take the car out for a good run. I live in a semi rural area with most trips in the 15 to 25 km range at speeds of 80 tp 100 km/hr. i am aware that most new highway truck engines will shut off after a minute or two of idling My practice going forward is to use the stop/start feature when encountering city stop and go traffic. I have been in Edmonton in the winter and on those ocassions use sport mode to perhaps keep up the engine exhaust temperature up.

turbo4 · 03-25-2019, 05:18 PM

In my x3 there are 2 separate ad blue tanks. The small active tank is heated and is located in the engine bay. Larger passive tank is under the carriage in the back. This one is not insulated enough and ad blue liquid is basically freezing.
My wife drives to work 25 km one way and it’s not much traffics but in the winter when it very cold this tank will freeze quickly. We had some bad and very cold February this year with temps being constant at -25 C FOR WEEKS.
As it was mentioned by now the light should rest but I don’t see this happening. I think there r at her issues here that it was not diagnosed.

03-24-2019, 09:48 PM	#1
turbo4 markster 6 Rep 54 Posts Drives: 2016 X3 xdrive28d Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Edmonton iTrader: (0)	X3 20d engine light Over the long and cold winter I kept getting the engine light on. Bmw service advises me that the cause ie related to ad blue freezing in cold temperatures. They also said that the light will go off once the temperature outside is warmer. The ad blue freezes below -11 C. Last 3-4 weeks the weather is above 0C but the engine light still stays in. I was told not to worry and it may take a while. Has anyone experienced that and the light went off? The North American ad blue two tanks system we have does not work. It makes me wonder if there is a problem but I need to confirm that indeed the light goes off. That may be a problem that service has missed. Mark
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03-25-2019, 07:35 AM	#2
Ol' Fart Enlisted Member 10 Rep 45 Posts Drives: 2016 X3, 28d, Mineral White Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: N/E Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	I had mine in the dealership for a check engine light that turned out to be for another problem, a bad sensor, but while there they found a code for a fault in the Ad Blu heater line. I wasn't aware there was even a problem as I had not seen any trouble lights. They replaced the entire line. My point is, this line is heated to prevent freezing issues. Maybe this is something used on later models only, I don't know, but might be worth asking the dealer about. They might not want to change it as it's quite a job apparently (at least that's what I was told ). __________________ Doug 2019 BMW 430 XI Grand Coupe, White, Black leather interior 2016 BMW X3, 28d, Mineral White metalic, Oyster Nevada leather interior.
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03-25-2019, 10:52 AM	#3
Eaglesview Private 8 Rep 60 Posts Drives: X3 28d Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Phoenix, AZ iTrader: (0)	On my 2015 X3 28d on three ocassions I had the check engine light. At about 40,000 and 60,00 km I was told to ignore and it woul disappear after 20 starts...? Which it did. At 70,000 km when it came on for the third time it was diagnosed as a DPF issue and the filter was replaced with what I was told was an upgraded version under warranty, some $5,000 book price! The dealer mechanic told me when encountering a lot of stop and go traffic as in a construction zone take the car out for a good run. I live in a semi rural area with most trips in the 15 to 25 km range at speeds of 80 tp 100 km/hr. i am aware that most new highway truck engines will shut off after a minute or two of idling My practice going forward is to use the stop/start feature when encountering city stop and go traffic. I have been in Edmonton in the winter and on those ocassions use sport mode to perhaps keep up the engine exhaust temperature up.
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03-25-2019, 05:18 PM	#4
turbo4 markster 6 Rep 54 Posts Drives: 2016 X3 xdrive28d Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Edmonton iTrader: (0)	In my x3 there are 2 separate ad blue tanks. The small active tank is heated and is located in the engine bay. Larger passive tank is under the carriage in the back. This one is not insulated enough and ad blue liquid is basically freezing. My wife drives to work 25 km one way and it’s not much traffics but in the winter when it very cold this tank will freeze quickly. We had some bad and very cold February this year with temps being constant at -25 C FOR WEEKS. As it was mentioned by now the light should rest but I don’t see this happening. I think there r at her issues here that it was not diagnosed.
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