[ilesmark]

Hi all

My E39 528 has developed ANOTHER problem. This time it's the Check Engine light coming on sometimes. There is no noticeable change in performance and turning the engine off and on again seems to clear it for a few minutes. Any ideas?

Mark

 

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Please edit your title according to posting rules

 

[afcneal]

Get the codes read and it'll tell you. Too many possibilities to list.
don't carry on driving for too long though!

 

[ilesmark]

I have now edited it. So what's the problem?

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks for editting your thread title with the car details, :thumbsup

You will need to get the fault codes read at a BMW specialists, the diagnostic system on the early E39 is fairly basic so chances are it's a sensor issue.

 

[ilesmark]

Dunno about going to a BMW specialist ££££:jaw-dropping ££££ but I will buy a code reader on Ebay.

The sensor possibility doesn't surprise me - the Crankshaft Position Sensor went recently and I know these things degrade with time.

 

[ilesmark]

Hi all. Someone on a different forum said "The light will come on if the ECU logs a fault connected with the running of the engine. If no fault reoccurs for 3 complete cycles of ignition on, engine on, engine off, goes to sleep - the light normally goes off on its own"

On Saturday, I drove the car (with the light on) and stopped after a mile or 2 to have a play with the electrical connections under the bonnet by unplugging and re-plugging them - at least, the ones I could reach - just in case. The light went off when I started up again and hasn't come on again despite well over 3 cycles of engine on and off.

Have I cured it, or should I still get them read?

Mark

 

[Trixxz]

Get it plugged in. At least you can then see if you did indeed clear it by fiddling with connections. Better to do it now than have the car fail at so point inevitably in the dark, when its raining miles from anywhere

 

[Ronnie]

Dunno about going to a BMW specialist ££££:jaw-dropping ££££ but I will buy a code reader on Ebay.

The sensor possibility doesn't surprise me - the Crankshaft Position Sensor went recently and I know these things degrade with time.

Don get a EOBD code reader as it won't work with your car.

 

[ilesmark]

So am I right in believing I need to buy one of these - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20-Pin-OBD-16...iagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item43a5b688b0

which then plugs into one of these? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LATEST-UNIVER...iagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item19b6744be1

or plugs into 1 of these which then plugs into a laptop - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAG-USB-Diagn...iagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item1e6208ec3d

Presumably I would also need a cc of INPA BMW diagnostic software as well?

Mark

 

[TheEnd]

The second lead, the KKL one would be far better, although I believe there is a little modification that needs to be done for it to pass on the battery voltage.
There might be pre-modded leads out there, and often you'll get a free CD with it that may or may not have some useful programs
INPA is a BMW thing, so if it doesn't come as a freebie, you'll need to look in various places and you'll probably find some download links.
This forum as a rule takes a step back from encouraging passing around software.

Back to the problem, I'd get the kit first and get that running and find out what the car was complaining about. It'll still hold it as a record, but it can be a lot of different things.
It's more common for the cause to be a disconnected pipe somewhere rather than an expensive sensor.