Strange cruise control issue

paul2241 · 07-07-2011, 12:19 AM

I have an 06 3.0i with a weird cruise control issue. My cruise control works as normal until I go above 70 mph, then it will not let me set the cruise at any speed until I turn the car off and back on. Then it will work as normal until I go above 70 again. I have no clue what is going on, and searched to no avail. Few things to note, it only has 37k on it, and the head was just replaced under warranty due to the infamous n52 lifter tick. The car is running great now except for the cruise issue, and it seems a little more jerky when you take your foot off the throttle in lower gears than when I took it in. I have no idea if any of these issues are related, but if anyone has any tips for me before I call in to my sometimes difficult dealer, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Sorry for the long post.

paul2241 · 07-10-2011, 11:05 AM

Am I the only one to have this issue?

Finnegan · 07-10-2011, 11:26 AM

Possibly not, but there aren't many others here with it or there would be more responses by now.

If I had to venture to guess, it's something to do with the drive by wire throttle control. The lower speed jerkiness + cruise issue could all have the same source. Do you have a way you can pull fault codes?

Another possibility is that the dealer didn't connect everything back up or accidentally disconnected something when working on the car. Look under the hood. Any wires or connections that are just hanging around loose?

New tires? A major change in size could mess with a lot of things....

paul2241 · 07-10-2011, 11:28 AM

I figured that it isn't very common, I just wanted to bring it back to the top, because someone may have missed it considering I posted it a few days ago, late at night. I don't have any way of pulling codes myself, obviously I can take it to the dealer, but before I do that, could I take it to an advance auto parts and have them pull the codes, or does it need to be a specialty BMW code reader.

CFoote · 07-10-2011, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul2241

I figured that it isn't very common, I just wanted to bring it back to the top, because someone may have missed it considering I posted it a few days ago, late at night. I don't have any way of pulling codes myself, obviously I can take it to the dealer, but before I do that, could I take it to an advance auto parts and have them pull the codes, or does it need to be a specialty BMW code reader.

For this type of issue, it will be a speciality BMW code reader unfortunately. Auto Zone can pull emission codes and anything that causes the "Check Engine" light to come on. Other than that, it's off to the dealer. Sorry...

paul2241 · 07-10-2011, 11:39 AM

Also, would they have had to mess with any of that while replacing the head? It's no big deal taking it to the dealer considering it's a cpo, but I'm frustrated because I've tried to contact my SA for 3 days and have left messages with no response.

Finnegan · 07-10-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul2241

I figured that it isn't very common, I just wanted to bring it back to the top, because someone may have missed it considering I posted it a few days ago, late at night. I don't have any way of pulling codes myself, obviously I can take it to the dealer, but before I do that, could I take it to an advance auto parts and have them pull the codes, or does it need to be a specialty BMW code reader.

I edited my original post with "did the dealer screw something up". Cruise control was working fine before they replaced the head? If so, then I'd also suspect they disconnected, broke, or failed to reconnect something. Take a look under the hood and see if you can find any "spare" connections or wires.

paul2241 · 07-10-2011, 11:58 AM

No new tires, the only thing that changed was the head, so I'm guessing something isn't right because of it. Lost the tick, gained new issues. Hopefully they will be able to find the problem, and fix it quickly without taking another deductible from me, but i know they're going to say it's completely unrelated. Not a fan of my dealer, but they have a stranglehold on central Indiana.

Finnegan · 07-10-2011, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul2241

No new tires, the only thing that changed was the head, so I'm guessing something isn't right because of it. Lost the tick, gained new issues. Hopefully they will be able to find the problem, and fix it quickly without taking another deductible from me, but i know they're going to say it's completely unrelated. Not a fan of my dealer, but they have a stranglehold on central Indiana.

Deductible? WTH? I've had several things replaced under warranty. There is no "deductible" on the OEM warranty. Was this some aftermarket warranty/insurance deal (not BMW OEM or CPO or extended)?

What about indy shop options in your area? If these guys are that big a bunch of losers and you have some kind of funky aftermarket warranty a good indy shop might be a better deal.

Not a fun situation to be in. Let us know how it goes.

paul2241 · 07-10-2011, 12:33 PM

My car is out of factory warranty, and is a BMW certified pre owned vehicle. All services performed under the CPO warranty have a deductible of $50 per visit.

Finnegan · 07-10-2011, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul2241

My car is out of factory warranty, and is a BMW certified pre owned vehicle. All services performed under the CPO warranty have a deductible of $50 per visit.

Didn't know that was the case on CPO. 50 isn't that bad though compared to hourly rates. But you're right, they'll probably claim it's not connected and charge the 50 bucks.

paul2241 · 07-15-2011, 10:03 AM

Quick update. They replaced the cruise control module, which didn't fix the problem, and now they're replacing the stalk. I think they're just throwing parts at it at this point. Not that I care considering it will get fixed eventually, but it seems as everyone is stumped.

paul2241 · 07-19-2011, 03:33 PM

Another update, they called me and told me that I need a DME, anyone know what that is, and what could have went wrong?

gcochard · 07-19-2011, 05:50 PM

It's your ECU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Motor_Electronics

paul2241 · 07-19-2011, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffhopper

It's your ECU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Motor_Electronics

Oh, that's easy enough to understand. any ideas as to what would cause the failure?

gcochard · 07-19-2011, 06:10 PM

Your guess is as good as mine, but it seems the drive by wire module of the ECU isn't behaving properly when cruise is engaged.

paul2241 · 07-19-2011, 08:04 PM

Could they have messed something up while doing the head change?

paul2241 · 07-27-2011, 03:14 PM

Car is still in the shop, nothing really new to report, just frustrated. I've called the dealership, and they will not call me back. Ugh.

paul2241 · 08-09-2011, 08:44 AM

Finally got the car back after four weeks! All seems well for now. I attached the description from the dealership to show all that they did. If anyone that knows these cars can explain to me what all they did to my vehicle, I'd really appreciate it. Also if anyone can come to a conclusion as to why I would have had these problems, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thank you.

Finnegan · 08-09-2011, 10:44 AM

The diagnosed the problem by ruling out causes. The potential causes were:

Cruise control module (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it)
Stalk (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it)
Throttle Body (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it)
Main computer (ECU) software (upgraded software, still an issue, so that wasn't it)
Concluded it must be the ECU itself, replaced that, issue gone, so it was the physical ECU that was faulty

.

Pretty much a standard process of elimination which is necessary with a vehicle with as much complexity as the ones we have. They weren't replacing parts as much as testing to see where the fault lay. This wouldn't have been cheap out of warranty BTW. I think the ECU itself is well over a grand, and the labor on the diagnosis would have probably been close to the same. Consider yourself lucky!

paul2241 · 08-09-2011, 11:02 AM

Thank you for the break down. I am glad that I'm covered under warranty for sure, and they didn't charge me the $50 cpo deductible. I'm wondering if that's them admitting fault that they messed something up when they did the head replacement, they ate the cost due to the fact they had it for so long, or if they simply forgot to charge me. Either way I'm happy.

07-07-2011, 12:19 AM	#1
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Strange cruise control issue I have an 06 3.0i with a weird cruise control issue. My cruise control works as normal until I go above 70 mph, then it will not let me set the cruise at any speed until I turn the car off and back on. Then it will work as normal until I go above 70 again. I have no clue what is going on, and searched to no avail. Few things to note, it only has 37k on it, and the head was just replaced under warranty due to the infamous n52 lifter tick. The car is running great now except for the cruise issue, and it seems a little more jerky when you take your foot off the throttle in lower gears than when I took it in. I have no idea if any of these issues are related, but if anyone has any tips for me before I call in to my sometimes difficult dealer, I'd greatly appreciate it. Sorry for the long post.
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07-10-2011, 11:05 AM	#2
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Am I the only one to have this issue?
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07-10-2011, 11:26 AM	#3
Finnegan Dog Listener 703 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	Possibly not, but there aren't many others here with it or there would be more responses by now. If I had to venture to guess, it's something to do with the drive by wire throttle control. The lower speed jerkiness + cruise issue could all have the same source. Do you have a way you can pull fault codes? Another possibility is that the dealer didn't connect everything back up or accidentally disconnected something when working on the car. Look under the hood. Any wires or connections that are just hanging around loose? New tires? A major change in size could mess with a lot of things.... Last edited by Finnegan; 07-10-2011 at 12:26 PM..
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07-10-2011, 11:28 AM	#4
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	I figured that it isn't very common, I just wanted to bring it back to the top, because someone may have missed it considering I posted it a few days ago, late at night. I don't have any way of pulling codes myself, obviously I can take it to the dealer, but before I do that, could I take it to an advance auto parts and have them pull the codes, or does it need to be a specialty BMW code reader. Last edited by paul2241; 07-10-2011 at 11:33 AM.. Reason: Hit submit before I was finished.
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07-10-2011, 11:39 AM	#6
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Also, would they have had to mess with any of that while replacing the head? It's no big deal taking it to the dealer considering it's a cpo, but I'm frustrated because I've tried to contact my SA for 3 days and have left messages with no response.
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07-10-2011, 11:58 AM	#8
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	No new tires, the only thing that changed was the head, so I'm guessing something isn't right because of it. Lost the tick, gained new issues. Hopefully they will be able to find the problem, and fix it quickly without taking another deductible from me, but i know they're going to say it's completely unrelated. Not a fan of my dealer, but they have a stranglehold on central Indiana.
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07-10-2011, 12:33 PM	#10
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	My car is out of factory warranty, and is a BMW certified pre owned vehicle. All services performed under the CPO warranty have a deductible of $50 per visit.
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07-15-2011, 10:03 AM	#12
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Quick update. They replaced the cruise control module, which didn't fix the problem, and now they're replacing the stalk. I think they're just throwing parts at it at this point. Not that I care considering it will get fixed eventually, but it seems as everyone is stumped.
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07-19-2011, 03:33 PM	#13
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Another update, they called me and told me that I need a DME, anyone know what that is, and what could have went wrong?
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07-19-2011, 05:50 PM	#14
gcochard Captain 24 Rep 784 Posts Drives: 2011.5 E90 M3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South OC iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	It's your ECU: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Motor_Electronics
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07-19-2011, 06:10 PM	#16
gcochard Captain 24 Rep 784 Posts Drives: 2011.5 E90 M3 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South OC iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	Your guess is as good as mine, but it seems the drive by wire module of the ECU isn't behaving properly when cruise is engaged.
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07-19-2011, 08:04 PM	#17
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Could they have messed something up while doing the head change? Last edited by paul2241; 07-19-2011 at 09:42 PM..
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07-27-2011, 03:14 PM	#18
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Car is still in the shop, nothing really new to report, just frustrated. I've called the dealership, and they will not call me back. Ugh.
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08-09-2011, 10:44 AM	#20
Finnegan Dog Listener 703 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	The diagnosed the problem by ruling out causes. The potential causes were: Cruise control module (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it) Stalk (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it) Throttle Body (swapped in good, still an issue, so that wasn't it) Main computer (ECU) software (upgraded software, still an issue, so that wasn't it) Concluded it must be the ECU itself, replaced that, issue gone, so it was the physical ECU that was faulty . Pretty much a standard process of elimination which is necessary with a vehicle with as much complexity as the ones we have. They weren't replacing parts as much as testing to see where the fault lay. This wouldn't have been cheap out of warranty BTW. I think the ECU itself is well over a grand, and the labor on the diagnosis would have probably been close to the same. Consider yourself lucky!
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08-09-2011, 11:02 AM	#21
paul2241 Private 18 Rep 74 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Sport Wagon Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Thank you for the break down. I am glad that I'm covered under warranty for sure, and they didn't charge me the $50 cpo deductible. I'm wondering if that's them admitting fault that they messed something up when they did the head replacement, they ate the cost due to the fact they had it for so long, or if they simply forgot to charge me. Either way I'm happy.
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