2012 BMW 335i Check Engine Light

[jrcowboys]

Guys:

Check engine light came on and then went off after a day or so. No loss of engine power and car runs great. Should I take it to dealer or wait until it malfunctions again?

Thoughts?

JR

 

[Nick1994]

The first obvious thing is to get it scanned at an auto-parts store to see what the code says.

 

[JustN89]

Disclaimer: This is what I would do if I planned on keeping this car for an extended period of time.

Buy yourself a BlueDriver scan tool ($100 on Amazon) and look at the codes yourself. This scan tool will also provide you with enhanced diagnostics as well.

 

[Wolf359]

Or any scan tool that can do manufacturer specific codes. Autel also has the Diaglink on Amazon for about $85.

Most auto parts store will scan the code for free, but it gets to be a hassle after a while if you have to run to the store every time a light comes on. And it seems like when I used to do that either I'd get some lame excuse of the scanner is broken, it's too dark, not enough people are in the store etc.

If you just want to do basic codes, you can get a cheap ELM327 code scanner on Amazon like the BAFX one which has 10k+ reviews costs around $24 and pair it with the Android app Torque Pro which is another $5 or so and you'll have your own scanner. I'd prefer to spend a little extra and get manufacturer specific codes though, I've fixed a few problems on my car where it never triggered the CEL light but had error codes in the other subsystems.

 

[Audios]

Get it scanned and see whats in there, Im guessing misfires with how often their coils fail. Since the cold weathers showed maybe 2 weeks ago, Ive done 24 coils on BMWs 2006 and later!!

 

[MCompact]

I use the Carly app; I really like its features.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by Audios
Get it scanned and see whats in there, Im guessing misfires with how often their coils fail. Since the cold weathers showed maybe 2 weeks ago, Ive done 24 coils on BMWs 2006 and later!!

So what's the benefit of that setup over the traditional cap and rotor design?
(aside from less moving parts that are prone to wearing out with age)

 

[Audios]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by Audios
Get it scanned and see whats in there, Im guessing misfires with how often their coils fail. Since the cold weathers showed maybe 2 weeks ago, Ive done 24 coils on BMWs 2006 and later!!

So what's the benefit of that setup over the traditional cap and rotor design?
(aside from less moving parts that are prone to wearing out with age)


Power, and usually when built right, long lasting accurate spark, and usually multiple sparks per combustion event. My 1992 525 was on its original coils after 23 years. All of my M cars are still on the originals, alhtough the E36 should probably get them by now. It seems 06 and up BMW and Audi/VW have had troubles, at least Audi cut their list down from 60 to 35 each! They are a maintenance item though, and Id imagine 100k or so should be a decent lifespan. I think underhood heat has had alot to do with it, some people dont run the trim covers over the valve cover to cool them down a little and get some air over them.

 

[slo town]

Originally Posted by jrcowboys
Guys:

Check engine light came on and then went off after a day or so. No loss of engine power and car runs great. Should I take it to dealer or wait until it malfunctions again?

Thoughts?

JR


Sounds like the gas cap wasn't tightened properly. It takes a couple of days and several startup cycles for that code to clear itself.

Scott

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
So what's the benefit of that setup over the traditional cap and rotor design?


If a coil craps out, the car still runs.

 

[Anduril]

I've never had a coil go out on a single coil/distributor setup. I've had to replace them on both my XTerra and Mustang. In my experience, coil-on-plugs don't last as long and I attribute that to the fact that they spend their entire lives on top of a hot engine.