[dewana421]

Hi Guys...i just want to share an experience about my 2012 F10 535i N55.
i was getting this "Drive Train Malfunction" error on my car for a while and i couldn't figure out what was causing it. Not even dealer could find the fix. endup replacing a bunch of stuff including sparkplugs with no luck.
I pulled codes using ISTAD and had no miss fires or anything. the car would go in Limp mode as soon as i get the error. the error would only come if i was pushing the accelerator on the car for it to go fast or drive in sports mode. if i drive slow on eco the error would never come.
i lived with this issue for a long time.
few weeks ago i noticed oil leak under my car. i investigated and found out my valve cover gasket is leaking and also my oil filter housing is leaking. the car has 78k miles on it in FLORIDA so its due for replacement.
so while i was planing to do all this job i decided to clean my Vanos and inspect and replace my drive belt also.
When i did the inspection on my front belt and pulleys they were heavily contaminated with oil with oil stuck to the belt and on top of pullys.
when i did the job to replace my oil filter housing i realized the oil was contaminated with coolant but my coolant was not contaminated with oil (not sure why). also i realized the oil was leaking from the filter housing to the coolant hose and then eventually dripping to the belt which then would slip as i push the car to speedup causing drive train error.
i endup doing all this job my self. just ordered genuine gaskets and 2 days of work. i made a video for anyone who may need help with this job and explained everything in detail. i will post separate videos for all the jobs.

The symptoms i had were:
- I HAD NO ENGINE LIGHT ON
- I ONLY GOT THE DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION WHEN I WAS SPEEDING UP OR DRIVING IN SPORTS MODE.
- I DID NOTICE INTERMITTENT AC COMPRESSOR CODE BUT MY AC WORKED FINE. PROBABLY BECAUSE OF BELT SLIPPING.
IF I DROVE SLOW THE DRIVETRAIN ERROR WONT POPUP.
MY CAR WOULD GO IN LIMP MODE IF I DRIVE FAST AND I GET THIS ERROR.

DRIVE TRAIN MALFUNCTION HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY SPECIALLY WHEN YOU SPEED UP THE CAR OR DRIVE FAST

Video Oil Filter Gasket replacement

Video Explanation of what cause the error.

[TZ]

Thank you for sharing!

[ezaircon4jc]

Did you prime the oil system after doing the repair? If not, there have been reports of oil starvation and spun rod bearings.

[RMNB]

OP good post! I had very similar experiences with ours and the same response from the dealer. Car wasn't leaking oil but similar symptoms. BMW produced a poor engine with many faults obviously due the list of items on their extended warranty. I bailed early just because it was getting annoying and just couldnt justify putting additional money in to it.

Good info though and also you can DIY everything. Saves a ton!

[OnlyGerman]

Could of been worse, good thing you fixed it.

[dewana421]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Did you prime the oil system after doing the repair? If not, there have been reports of oil starvation and spun rod bearings.

no i never heard of oil priming...how do you do that?
isnt it the same when you change oil? you dont require oil priming of any kind? i am confused of your comment. i just started the car after the replacement and everything was ok. no sound of any kind.

i googled and found out complains on M5 not standard n55 engine.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by dewana421

no i never heard of oil priming...how do you do that?
isnt it the same when you change oil? you dont require oil priming of any kind? i am confused of your comment. i just started the car after the replacement and everything was ok. no sound of any kind.

i googled and found out complains on M5 not standard n55 engine.

I'm looking. I know I read about a priming procedure where you pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine to build pressure and purge any air in the system.

I'll keep looking...

[EL Jeffe 5]

great post

[ziekxq]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I'm looking. I know I read about a priming procedure where you pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine to build pressure and purge any air in the system.

I'll keep looking...

You are right about this... I know it is somewhere on this forum... But my mechanic confirmed on this too... It can happen now or in 500 miles. You better look that procedure up. It caused a lot n55 engines to seize up.

[dewana421]

Originally Posted by ziekxq

You are right about this... I know it is somewhere on this forum... But my mechanic confirmed on this too... It can happen now or in 500 miles. You better look that procedure up. It caused a lot n55 engines to seize up.

Here is the procedure

[MakaylaGalloway]

Your story reminds me of a time when I had a persistent problem with my old truck's horn. It would randomly blare without warning, causing quite a scene. After some investigation, I discovered a faulty horn relay. Just like you, I decided to roll up my sleeves and fix it myself.

Speaking of fixing things, your detailed explanation of diagnosing and addressing the oil leak and belt contamination issue is super helpful. It's amazing what a little DIY maintenance can do. And thanks for offering to share your video guide – I'm sure it'll be a lifesaver for fellow BMW owners facing similar issues. By the way, if you're ever in need of reliable tools for your DIY projects, I recently stumbled upon Dewalt train horns at https://bosshorn.com/products/dewalt-train-horn. They might not fix your car issues, but they sure can make some noise.