[clutchEZ]

Hey guys,

Long time lurker here, but recently decided to register an account because my car has started to hate me.

All jokes aside, I've been having this issue for the past month or so, and after throwing about 2 grand at it at two different shops, I think it's time for some collective thinking.

Issue Summary
When idling after a cold start, the RPM swings (see video below). If I do not move, this seems to get progressively worse, and has resulted in my car shutting off numerous times. The reason this is unavoidable is because I park on the 3rd/4th floor of a large parking garage, and during rush hour it can be stop-go for about 15 minutes all the way to the exit. During this slow traffic, the RPM swings, and the car physical surges forward.

I have also experienced an issue during hard acceleration (highway) where the car will throw a drivetrain malfunction and go into a limp mode. I am forced to restart the car, and the issue goes away.

There is no active check engine light or malfunction on the dash.

Resolutions Attempted
1. Replaced all 6 spark plugs
2. Replaced valve cover gasket (there was oil around a few of the plugs)
3. Replaced all 6 fuel injectors

Current Hypothesis
I am starting to think this is related to the HPFP or LPFP. The drivetrain malfunction and loss of power on the highway seems to align with that, but I would appreciate some other opinions. Has anyone experienced something similar? One thing to note is I have not replaced the ignition coils, but based on my understanding (and the master tech at the shop I took it to) this is unlikely coil related as it would be a consistent issue (even when driving) and would show up on the codes.

NOTE: In this video I am sitting idle in the parking garage. I am not applying any throttle.

[bake]

I am having somewhat similar issues on my 2011 535i and finally had it diagnosed as a faulty valvetronic motor. I have an appointment for next week to have the dealer officially diagnose it and do the replacement. It is a big job, so I am going to bite the bullet and have the dealer do the work as they are going to give me a two year warranty on the work. Like you, my car wasn't throwing a check engine light, but the fault code was stored in the DME. I went through replacing plugs, coils and removing my tune before we were finally able to get it figured out. My issues started last July and has been getting worse slowly since then.

[clutchEZ]

Thanks for the insight. I'm in the process of scheduling a follow-up with the shop that swapped the injectors. I'll ask them if there is a diagnostic they can do to validate the valvetronic motor.

[bake]

Originally Posted by clutchEZ

Thanks for the insight. I'm in the process of scheduling a follow-up with the shop that swapped the injectors. I'll ask them if there is a diagnostic they can do to validate the valvetronic motor.

So brought my car to the dealer this week and they confirmed the failing valvetronic motor. I had that replaced along with the valve cover gasket. $2,400+ bill but the car is running silky smooth again. Car was running bad for so long I almost forgot how much power it really had. Finally reinstalled my Stage 1 tune and looking forward to really enjoying the car again.