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      02-22-2017, 05:42 PM   #1
Razor1973
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Question Drivetrain malfunction... Limp mode. How many things could this be?

2012 535i 6MT with ~70K miles and I am getting the drivetrain malfunction error and the car goes in limp mode. I know this could represent TONS of problems and only by looking at the specific codes could one know with certainty, but I'd like to add a few things and maybe someone who really knows this stuff could narrow the issue down to a handful of conditions. I'd also like to know what it would take ($) to correct those conditions if that's something you can guess too.

(A) This has been happening for the past 10K+ miles.
(B) This happens ALWAYS when I start my card cold and I push it just a little bit, like almost nothing. The engine stutters and I get the error and limp mode.
(C) Once the car is hot, this rarely happens, although if I really push it on the highway, it will. It does take a bit of abuse, however. Not much, mind you, but this is definitely more of a cold start problem.
(D) No matter when or why this happens, turning the ignition off and back on right away ALWAYS corrects the problem.
(E) Most times, what happens is the error appears on my screen and the car goes in limp mode and continues this way for as long as I'm driving or even idling, until I stop. Now, this is rare (happened only 3-4 times during these 10K miles), but I've also had the error and chime come on and the car go in limp mode and then, the error continues coming up every few seconds (the car never leaves limp mode), which gets very annoying with the chime... until I stop and start again.
(F) When the car is cold, starting always takes the crank a few cycles. I don't even know if I said that correctly, but the point is that when I first start the car in the mornings, I turn the ignition and the car cranks for about 5 seconds before it starts. This never happens when the car is hot.
(G) The car idles and rides a little rough, but the spark plugs are relatively new.

Feel free to ask anything else you can think of, but does this give you any indication of what could be wrong with my car? I do ultimately plan on taking the car to a BMW shop. I just wanted to see if I could have some preliminary ideas that I can suggest to the mechanics.

Thank you in advance!
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      02-22-2017, 08:07 PM   #2
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If you haven't already, I recommend buying a bottle of BMW fuel system cleaner Plus by Techron. I have been using it in between oil changes and no longer experience drive train malfunction errors and my car has been idling much better during cold starts. You can buy either the BMW branded ones or the Techron branded ones as they are both the same concentrate.
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      02-23-2017, 11:33 AM   #3
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I had 2 of your problems. G and H. Went in for service because of it and found out it was injectors misfiring.
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      02-23-2017, 05:56 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AWF87M2 View Post
If you haven't already, I recommend buying a bottle of BMW fuel system cleaner Plus by Techron. I have been using it in between oil changes and no longer experience drive train malfunction errors and my car has been idling much better during cold starts. You can buy either the BMW branded ones or the Techron branded ones as they are both the same concentrate.
Did you mean oil changes or gas fillups? I just cheked and my local Advance Auto Parts has those in stock, so I will probably go get one right now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Transporter View Post
I had 2 of your problems. G and H. Went in for service because of it and found out it was injectors misfiring.
This could definitely be it. I really need to take the car into a BMW shop, no way around that. This is happening to me multiple times daily.
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      02-23-2017, 06:09 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor1973 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by AWF87M2 View Post
If you haven't already, I recommend buying a bottle of BMW fuel system cleaner Plus by Techron. I have been using it in between oil changes and no longer experience drive train malfunction errors and my car has been idling much better during cold starts. You can buy either the BMW branded ones or the Techron branded ones as they are both the same concentrate.
Did you mean oil changes or gas fillups? I just cheked and my local Advance Auto Parts has those in stock, so I will probably go get one right now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Transporter View Post
I had 2 of your problems. G and H. Went in for service because of it and found out it was injectors misfiring.
This could definitely be it. I really need to take the car into a BMW shop, no way around that. This is happening to me multiple times daily.
You pour it in near empty gas tank roughly a quarter tank and then fill up the gas all the way so it mixes the concentrate throughly. I fill one bottle every 3,000 miles or every other oil change
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      02-23-2017, 07:45 PM   #6
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I had same thing happened to me twice I think I had fuel injector misfiring
When this happened to me I did research make sure you filing top quality fuel in your car and some people say keeping your car in sport mode helps. Good luck
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      02-24-2017, 10:56 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EL Jeffe 5 View Post
I had same thing happened to me twice I think I had fuel injector misfiring
When this happened to me I did research make sure you filing top quality fuel in your car and some people say keeping your car in sport mode helps. Good luck
Any idea why sport mode helps? My 550 hasn't gone into limp mode but 3 times over the last 30k miles but it did rough idle before the injectors got swapped and now it may be coming back slowly or I'm being paranoid lol.
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      02-24-2017, 04:13 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Transporter View Post
Any idea why sport mode helps? My 550 hasn't gone into limp mode but 3 times over the last 30k miles but it did rough idle before the injectors got swapped and now it may be coming back slowly or I'm being paranoid lol.
I am not expert I think this is due to higher RPM
you will experience rough idle regardless of the car I think people just have higher expectations when it comes to BMW but it will happened regardless what kind of car you drive
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      02-24-2017, 05:06 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EL Jeffe 5 View Post
I had same thing happened to me twice I think I had fuel injector misfiring
When this happened to me I did research make sure you filing top quality fuel in your car and some people say keeping your car in sport mode helps. Good luck
I only use 93 octane Shell or Chevron and my car never leaves Sport or Sport+ modes.
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      02-25-2017, 08:18 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor1973 View Post
I only use 93 octane Shell or Chevron and my car never leaves Sport or Sport+ modes.
I hear that, for most part I do same thing unless wife and kids are with me.
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      02-26-2017, 09:52 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor1973 View Post
I only use 93 octane Shell or Chevron and my car never leaves Sport or Sport+ modes.
Whenever possible (which is almost always) I use ethanol free gas.
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      03-24-2017, 03:22 AM   #12
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Last edited by lawjai; 11-08-2017 at 08:14 PM..
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      09-08-2019, 08:58 PM   #13
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I started having this issue at 92k in my 3 series after long-distance driving and got codes for a high-pressure fuel pump. Took it to a shop and confirmed my findings. Got it replaced and everything ran smoothly even when running it hard in sport mode.

5k miles later after another road trip the same thing happened with the driver malfunction error but this time i lost full power. restated the car and everything was normal. I wonder if the fuel pump is going out again or if it could be fuel injectors, spark plugs, etc.

has anyone gotten codes after this has happened?
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      09-09-2019, 07:22 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gzbimmer View Post
I started having this issue at 92k in my 3 series after long-distance driving and got codes for a high-pressure fuel pump. Took it to a shop and confirmed my findings. Got it replaced and everything ran smoothly even when running it hard in sport mode.

5k miles later after another road trip the same thing happened with the driver malfunction error but this time i lost full power. restated the car and everything was normal. I wonder if the fuel pump is going out again or if it could be fuel injectors, spark plugs, etc.

has anyone gotten codes after this has happened?
It could be anything. You're better off pulling the codes
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      09-17-2019, 06:27 AM   #15
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I am having drivetrain malfunction issues on my 2013 528i xdrive.

The codes I am getting are:11A002, 11AC02, 213601, 108A01, P0015, and P0087.

The car has a brand new engine, turbo, air filter, tmap, fuel pressure sensor, lpfp, hpfp, spark plugs, and coils. I have also cleaned the MAF.

I am lost on what to do next.

Please... Please... provide assistance on next steps to take.

Thanks in advanced.
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      01-25-2020, 01:00 AM   #16
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I got this issue today on my 2013 528xi. 75k miles. Car limped.
Now dead. DTC code reads E114BC. Cannot find any info. Any thoughts?
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      01-25-2020, 01:02 AM   #17
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I got this issue today on my 2013 528xi. 75k miles. Car limped.
Now dead. DTC code reads E114BC. Cannot find any info. Any thoughts?
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      01-22-2022, 10:55 AM   #18
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Having the same issue with my 2013 X3 28i
Always when cold, or if I switch to sport on the highway and push her I get the malfunction. Brought it to the Bmw center and they came back with “stumped “they told me they have no clue what’s wrong with my car I was furious picked up my vehicle and decided to go to AutoZone and picked up the fuel injector cleaner so that’s where I am now… Going to see if that works… Any new updates from anyone experiencing the same here?
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      01-28-2022, 08:37 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amoldc View Post
I got this issue today on my 2013 528xi. 75k miles. Car limped.
Now dead. DTC code reads E114BC. Cannot find any info. Any thoughts?
Same boat for me and my 2012 528xi with 85k miles on it. My mechanic confirmed I would need a new engine along with other items totaling to slightly over $10k RIP to my F10 as of December 23rd. Now in the process of awaiting delivery of my G30.
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