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      12-09-2011, 10:46 AM   #1
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WTF? EML, Service Engine Light, no power steering! help

Here is what happened:
Started her up from cold start; 49 degrees outside; been driving for about 5 min all surface street never out of 3rd gear; coasting down a slight grade and boom - EML light, check engine soon light, battery light (and maybe others but i recall those) all come on AND I have NO power steering.

I pulled over cycled the engine and when i re-started the car all was back to normal. It was the now power steering that caught my attention when i went I started into a twisty and suddenly she didn't want to follow all so easy!

I just read a thread from someone recently with similar but not identical problems - others mentioned VANOS and throttle in that post.

Any ideas??

BTW - here is a recent pic of her:


Untitled by maxfairbanks, on Flickr
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      12-09-2011, 11:48 AM   #2
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It could be that, electronics, or other possibilities. I'd check the state of the battery first. If this is the original battery, time is probably about up. IIRC we've seen this before with batteries on their last legs. Let's see if others chime in as well.
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      12-09-2011, 12:13 PM   #3
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Did the engine stall? Our Ms have hydraulic power steering, I don't think it would be affected by an electrical/battery problem. Weird.
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      12-09-2011, 12:34 PM   #4
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nope. no engine stall.
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      12-09-2011, 12:37 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finnegan View Post
It could be that, electronics, or other possibilities. I'd check the state of the battery first. If this is the original battery, time is probably about up. IIRC we've seen this before with batteries on their last legs. Let's see if others chime in as well.
I do think this is the original battery. It always starts pretty strong though....in cold weather (which we are getting into - at least as "cold" as it gets in CA) it may have to turn over an extra time or two, but then fires right up
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      12-09-2011, 01:11 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finnegan View Post
It could be that, electronics, or other possibilities. I'd check the state of the battery first. If this is the original battery, time is probably about up. IIRC we've seen this before with batteries on their last legs. Let's see if others chime in as well.
My 2006 3.0si is still equipped with the original battery. Thus far, it seems to be working properly, even on cold Canadian fall mornings, up to three weeks ago when it went into storage. Even still, I'd rather avoid a nasty issue like that. Methinks I would be wise to plan on a new battery for this spring when the little beastie re-emerges from her blissful winter hibernation.
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      12-09-2011, 01:20 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Huz-Z View Post
My 2006 3.0si is still equipped with the original battery. Thus far, it seems to be working properly, even on cold Canadian fall mornings, up to three weeks ago when it went into storage. Even still, I'd rather avoid a nasty issue like that. Methinks I would be wise to plan on a new battery for this spring when the little beastie re-emerges from her blissful winter hibernation.
just had a thought about this batter idea....am I wrong to think this cannot be the problem since I was already driving along, under power when this happened?

The battery wouldn't be doing anything that could cause this would it?
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      12-09-2011, 01:37 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robrwalker View Post
just had a thought about this batter idea....am I wrong to think this cannot be the problem since I was already driving along, under power when this happened?

The battery wouldn't be doing anything that could cause this would it?
Good point, I was thinking the car stalled, but if not, the alternator s/b supplying power.

Thinking through this a bit more, do you have access to a good scanner? The error codes would be more helpful. If you were local, we could hook it up to my PA Soft scanner, look at modules, pull the codes, and see error descriptions.
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      12-09-2011, 02:04 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finnegan View Post
Good point, I was thinking the car stalled, but if not, the alternator s/b supplying power.

Thinking through this a bit more, do you have access to a good scanner? The error codes would be more helpful. If you were local, we could hook it up to my PA Soft scanner, look at modules, pull the codes, and see error descriptions.
One would certainly expect the culprit to be the alternator or related systems here, as the engine was running at the time. However, owing to the complexity of these cars, I'm wondering if the electrics are equally "not straightforward". As such, I'm still hoping that the root cause is the battery. If for no other reason than its a simple and relatively low cost repair.
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      12-09-2011, 02:30 PM   #10
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First thought would have been a drive belt, but you would have felt/ heard it let go plus your battery light went out after started it again.
BMW electrics are complex, i posted before i had a mix of warning lights before on my car and another previous Beemer and it turned out to be the battery with a dead cell, seemingly the car electronics start shutting things down and flashing warning lights. But all this doesn't explain your power steering being heavy????? Strange!
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      12-09-2011, 03:29 PM   #11
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do the electrics control the operation of the power steering assist?

I recall one guy here who could not use the paddle shifters on his automatic Z4. it turned out that they shared the same circuit as the fan motor, and when that went on the fritz, it also affected the paddle shifters. So, weird things can happen!
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      12-09-2011, 04:20 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finnegan View Post
Good point, I was thinking the car stalled, but if not, the alternator s/b supplying power.

Thinking through this a bit more, do you have access to a good scanner? The error codes would be more helpful. If you were local, we could hook it up to my PA Soft scanner, look at modules, pull the codes, and see error descriptions.
I could go to my local shop sometime to pull the code, but dont have a better way (unless another SoCal member has a code scanner).
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      12-09-2011, 04:22 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Huz-Z View Post
One would certainly expect the culprit to be the alternator or related systems here, as the engine was running at the time. However, owing to the complexity of these cars, I'm wondering if the electrics are equally "not straightforward". As such, I'm still hoping that the root cause is the battery. If for no other reason than its a simple and relatively low cost repair.
hope its not alternator....i think that will be pricey.

i just had inspection 2 a couple months ago and my guys did a pretty thorough inspection then, including belt replacements, so i dont think that would be it either.

i am half hoping it was just a gremlin and that it does not rear its head again...

so far, no one seems to think VANOS or the throttle thing, as in the other post i saw, but perhaps that is due to the fact that i had the power steering issue at the same time?

ugh.
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      06-24-2012, 09:02 PM   #14
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the same problem with my x3

Hey, I just read your post and my x3 had exactly the same problem. I was wondering if you finally figured out the problem? Did you send your car to the BMW service center to fix it? How much does it cost to fix this problem. Thanks very much if you can provide your insight.
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      06-26-2012, 05:50 PM   #15
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problem was chalked up to nothing more than the car throwing a bad code. no problems were identified by mechanics who took look. been running strong ever since; i think she just hiccuped in the early morning
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      06-26-2012, 08:02 PM   #16
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I had almost the same problem in my car, I tough that the battery was bad, but it was just the cables that were lose.
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