Polar Vortex flipped on the check engine light

brown_bimmer · 01-30-2019, 05:26 PM

In a pickle here, just over 50k miles so out of the factory maintenance, do have an extended maintenance program though.
What could it possibly be? A misfire? low oil temperature?

BIG_KID · 01-30-2019, 05:44 PM

Northern Indiana here and -24*F for a high (without windchill)
Mine will throw a check engine light when it gets cold out. From what I'm reading the engine has to reach a certain temp within a specific time period. I can clear the code and it won't come back again until next year when it gets cold again. This spring it's getting a thermostat assy to see if that cures it.

E90705 · 01-30-2019, 06:07 PM

Polar vertex here too

oVeRdOsE. · 01-31-2019, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_KID

Northern Indiana here and -24*F for a high (without windchill)
Mine will throw a check engine light when it gets cold out. From what I'm reading the engine has to reach a certain temp within a specific time period. I can clear the code and it won't come back again until next year when it gets cold again. This spring it's getting a thermostat assy to see if that cures it.

same here, around -11°F

brown_bimmer · 01-31-2019, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_KID

Northern Indiana here and -24*F for a high (without windchill)
Mine will throw a check engine light when it gets cold out. From what I'm reading the engine has to reach a certain temp within a specific time period. I can clear the code and it won't come back again until next year when it gets cold again. This spring it's getting a thermostat assy to see if that cures it.

UPDATE: Metro Detroit here and was -14F this morning. Drove about 30 miles after the check engine light popped up and it was gone by the night. The engine has to reach a certain temp within a specific time period sounds about right.

TheCoolX3 · 01-31-2019, 07:31 AM

Man, I walk outside and immediately my nuts tuck into my stomach. It's a very brisk, shiver inducing, windy 65° here in FL. Damn polar vortex nearly freezing me to death!

Blaster400 · 01-31-2019, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCoolX3

Man, I walk outside and immediately my nuts tuck into my stomach. It's a very brisk, shiver inducing, windy 65° here in FL. Damn polar vortex nearly freezing me to death!

Check back with us during hurricane season.

BMWBadger · 01-31-2019, 08:00 AM

I'm in WI. I drove to work this morning no issues. I pulled it into our warehouse for a warm place to fill up washer fluid as I was totally out. I fill it up, get back into the car, and bam I'm hit with a drivetrain fault. The vehicle won't start. My temp gauge read -25 on the drive in. I'm hoping to hell it's just the huge change in temps is causing this. Anyone have any ideas?

Blaster400 · 01-31-2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWBadger

I'm in WI. I drove to work this morning no issues. I pulled it into our warehouse for a warm place to fill up washer fluid as I was totally out. I fill it up, get back into the car, and bam I'm hit with a drivetrain fault. The vehicle won't start. My temp gauge read -25 on the drive in. I'm hoping to hell it's just the huge change in temps is causing this. Anyone have any ideas?

Exact same thing happened to me yesterday at -11. I let car sit for an hour and it started right up and codes were gone.

tracer bullet · 01-31-2019, 12:09 PM

My TPMS is yelling at me, but since it's ~ 80 degrees F colder than when I originally set it I am not surprised. Otherwise no issues, maybe an extra half to one full second to turn over before firing up.

We're supposed to be around +40 this weekend, plenty decent enough to check pressures and fill the tires some more if actually needed, and get gas without feeling like I'm about to die.

Wildhund · 02-07-2019, 12:12 AM

Me too last Friday night up in the mountains, it went down to -32 C (-25 F) while driving at 11pm, I've never seen it that low!

So here I am in the cold dark, about 200KM from home, at midnight and these not 2, not 3 but 4 warnings start popping up in succesion:
My rear brake pads finally got low enough to pop up the maintenance warning, hopefully I can still brake!
The air pressure warning came on, Great I was hoping its not a real puncture! It was a bumpy icy road and because of that cold, lower pressure but my tires are at their limit, I need to buy new winters soon.
Then low oil warning: please stop soon to add some oil, Oh no there are no stores for good oil in this area hopefully I can make it! I am soon due for the oil change so it's probably just a tad low and missing half a quart.
And then last but not least, LOW battery warning, shutting off non essential electronics like the interior lights, Great now my battery is maybe dead and I wont be able to start it in the morning!

But it warmed up to 0 F during the next 2 days and started fine with no more battery warning and got to buy a quart of oil to add.

malicem3 · 02-20-2019, 10:41 AM

Bumping this since we are getting the light in the top right. The car is running fine outside of some cold start shakes which I've learned to live with N5X BMW's.

Here is what a quick search found.

malicem3 · 02-20-2019, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malicem3

Bumping this since we are getting the light in the top right. The car is running fine outside of some cold start shakes which I've learned to live with N5X BMW's.

Here is what a quick search found.

For those who are curious, it turns out to be a misfire in cylinder #2. 2 occurrences. I'm not doing anything now since it's likely due to cold weather + fuel.

oVeRdOsE. · 02-21-2019, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malicem3

For those who are curious, it turns out to be a misfire in cylinder #2. 2 occurrences. I'm not doing anything now since it's likely due to cold weather + fuel.

seems that I have the same thing.

with the drivetrain malfunction message I got a rough engine running, just like missfire...

.

I'll get new coil pack this spring. But as soon I clear the code, the engine is 100% fine.

malicem3 · 02-22-2019, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

seems that I have the same thing.

with the drivetrain malfunction message I got a rough engine running, just like missfire...

.

I'll get new coil pack this spring. But as soon I clear the code, the engine is 100% fine.

It's clearly my coils not liking the cold. After clearing the code on Wednesday, it's back again today. Temp is about 28*.

Idle until the engine is a normal operating temp is a bit rough but nothing dramatic.

Looks like I'll be changing my coils out soon.

01-30-2019, 05:26 PM	#1
brown_bimmer Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2016 BMW X3 2.0L Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Metro Detroit iTrader: (0)	Polar Vortex flipped on the check engine light In a pickle here, just over 50k miles so out of the factory maintenance, do have an extended maintenance program though. What could it possibly be? A misfire? low oil temperature?
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01-30-2019, 06:07 PM	#3
E90705 First Lieutenant 127 Rep 383 Posts Drives: E90/F25 M-sport Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Central iTrader: (0)	Polar vertex here too Attached Images
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01-31-2019, 07:31 AM	#6
TheCoolX3 Lieutenant 174 Rep 540 Posts Drives: 2016 BMW X3 35i M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: FL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Porsche Cayenn ... [0.00] 2019 Tesla Model X [0.00] 2016 BMW X3 [0.00]	Man, I walk outside and immediately my nuts tuck into my stomach. It's a very brisk, shiver inducing, windy 65° here in FL. Damn polar vortex nearly freezing me to death! __________________ 2016 X3 35i \|M-Sport\|Megan Racing Coilovers\|FBO+\|BM3\|Jordan Tuned\|Valvetronic Designs\| 1998 750iL V12\|2017 440i\|2019 991.2 GT3RS Weissach\|2019 Model X\|...and some others Instagram @TheCoolX3
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01-31-2019, 08:00 AM	#8
BMWBadger New Member 0 Rep 17 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW X5 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (1) Garage List 2018 BMW X5 [0.00]	I'm in WI. I drove to work this morning no issues. I pulled it into our warehouse for a warm place to fill up washer fluid as I was totally out. I fill it up, get back into the car, and bam I'm hit with a drivetrain fault. The vehicle won't start. My temp gauge read -25 on the drive in. I'm hoping to hell it's just the huge change in temps is causing this. Anyone have any ideas?
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01-31-2019, 12:09 PM	#10
tracer bullet Brigadier General 2410 Rep 3,546 Posts Drives: '11 135i , '15 X3 35i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Saint Paul, MN iTrader: (1)	My TPMS is yelling at me, but since it's ~ 80 degrees F colder than when I originally set it I am not surprised. Otherwise no issues, maybe an extra half to one full second to turn over before firing up. We're supposed to be around +40 this weekend, plenty decent enough to check pressures and fill the tires some more if actually needed, and get gas without feeling like I'm about to die. Attached Images
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01-30-2019, 05:44 PM	#2
BIG_KID Second Lieutenant 68 Rep 289 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 28i Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Northern indiana iTrader: (0)	Northern Indiana here and -24*F for a high (without windchill) Mine will throw a check engine light when it gets cold out. From what I'm reading the engine has to reach a certain temp within a specific time period. I can clear the code and it won't come back again until next year when it gets cold again. This spring it's getting a thermostat assy to see if that cures it.
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02-07-2019, 12:12 AM	#11
Wildhund New Member 1 Rep 7 Posts Drives: X3 28i 2013 Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Montreal iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 X3 28i [0.00]	Me too last Friday night up in the mountains, it went down to -32 C (-25 F) while driving at 11pm, I've never seen it that low! So here I am in the cold dark, about 200KM from home, at midnight and these not 2, not 3 but 4 warnings start popping up in succesion: My rear brake pads finally got low enough to pop up the maintenance warning, hopefully I can still brake! The air pressure warning came on, Great I was hoping its not a real puncture! It was a bumpy icy road and because of that cold, lower pressure but my tires are at their limit, I need to buy new winters soon. Then low oil warning: please stop soon to add some oil, Oh no there are no stores for good oil in this area hopefully I can make it! I am soon due for the oil change so it's probably just a tad low and missing half a quart. And then last but not least, LOW battery warning, shutting off non essential electronics like the interior lights, Great now my battery is maybe dead and I wont be able to start it in the morning! But it warmed up to 0 F during the next 2 days and started fine with no more battery warning and got to buy a quart of oil to add. Attached Images
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02-20-2019, 10:41 AM	#12
malicem3 Second Lieutenant 39 Rep 227 Posts Drives: 2022 X3 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Denver, Colorado iTrader: (0)	Bumping this since we are getting the light in the top right. The car is running fine outside of some cold start shakes which I've learned to live with N5X BMW's. Here is what a quick search found.
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