[chmsalman]

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my experience with this nightmare. I live in Regina, SK Canada. Temperatures in the winter are usually -20 degrees Celsius.

I've been in Winnipeg for work, and temps here last week were -50 degrees Celsius with windchill. They were the same in Regina. (Please don't start the "cars don't feel windchill" argument. Moving cold air = convection = heat sucked out).

Anyway, I was having rough cold, rough starts and my trips are usually very short (10-15min max) so the engine never reached warm operating temps.

I took it out to Costco, it felt fine despite the rough start. Came out 30 min later and tried starting it. Drivetrain Malfunction error appeared on the dash. Tried to start it 3 times, no luck. I read about the PDM freezing in these temps and others having similar issues after a short drive and then not starting with the DTM error. Some suggested to wait a few minutes until the condensation on the PDM freezes, and try again. I did, and it worked. Car started, no error codes, felt fine.

So I began to look into engine heating options. DEFA makes coolant warming pumps with an inline battery charger for winter heating. I couldn't find anyone selling one, so I emailed the company. I was told that if I managed to get my car to Winnipeg, the BMW dealership has had lots of experience installing it. Lucky me, I was already in Winnipeg. Got in touch with the dealership, they had the parts on hand, booked an appointment and got it installed. (Great heater, totally worth the $950 for battery charger and engine heater if you live in this part of the world).

I dropped the car off for installation, went back later to pick it up. On the way home I felt like every minute or so it would hesitate/misfire - usually under load. I wasn't driving too fast at all, the roads were ice and there was lots of traffic.

I stopped at a light, it turned green, depressed the accelerator and suddenly noticed the car slipped into neutral, RPM went to zero - it stalled. Turned it off, started it again, put it into drive and it worked. BUT, the check engine light came on.

It continued to ?misfire the rest of the way home - felt like 1 single misfire every minute or so. When I got home, I decided to turn the engine off and restart it to see if the check engine light was still there. Pressed the button, and the car started with the tachy jumping up and down all over the place, violently shaking the car. I shut it off. Plugged in the heater hoping the morning would be better. It wasn't...the first time I pushed the button in the morning it started for a few seconds and then stalled. Started it again with my foot on the gas to give it some power, stayed on. Drove straight to the dealer.

The service manager was quite knowledgable. Explained that other 535s were having a similar problem. The issue was again with the PDM freezing. Apparently in 2014, X3s and X5s were having the same issue - brand new cars at the time. BMW sent a team of German engineers to Dilawri BMW in Regina, and Birchwood BMW in Winnipeg haha. They developed a new PDM module more resistant to freezing. The service manager said they've been replacing the 535s with the upgraded X5 module from 2014 with good resolution. He also stated the DME software was still the original build from the factory, recommended to upgrade the software.

Its in the shop now, waiting for the PDM from Vancouver. Meanwhile they updated the DME. Hoping this resolves the issue. But, it was a $1000 job. The car is out of warranty. I called BMW North America for a goodwill gesture and cover the repair as they had similar issues in the past, and they shouldn't be selling a car that can't work year round in this part of the would. Also explained the stalling on the road is a safety hazard, and they had a fix for it so proactively replacing Canadian PDMs in prone cars should have been their initial measure.

Got a call from BMW NA today, she said she is looking into it and will get back to me late next week.

Anyone else have a similar experience? I'll update this thread when I get more info.

You can read all about it on the X3 forums - a fellow Saskatoon forum member started the thread. https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=931162

Fingers crossed! This car was my childhood dream. But it will be the last BMW I ever buy.

[John H.]

Originally Posted by chmsalman

Got a call from BMW NA today, she said she is looking into it and will get back to me late next week.
.

It is unfortunate that you are going through such. Although not to such extremes, I do have some experience living in cold conditions. It is always helpful to park in a garage, if possible.

If it is Nancy, she should be able to look after you. About a year ago, she helped me with an issue. Wonderful lady. PM me if I can be of assistance.

[chmsalman]

Thanks for the insight! I had Kelsey helping me and she got the PDM covered out of warranty. I had to pay $430 for software upgrades to all the ECUs in the car though.

Overall pretty satisfied. They put in the upgraded X5 PDM and I haven't had any issues since. Software upgrades especially to the DME helped SIGNIFICANTLY with smoother shifting and the rough gear 2 to 3 shift. It drives better now than when I first got it. BMW should really include software updates in maintenance warranty.

Apparently they also noticed my boost pressure sensor had blown off the charge pipe. Didn't charge me anything to put it back on with longer screws and they extended the cables as well. The dealership also absorbed the diagnostic charge.

Very satisfied with Birchwood BMW in Winnipeg, I've never said this about any dealership ever. I truly wish they were my home dealership.