Catalytic converter going bust?

marcw · 07-06-2011, 11:04 AM

After leaving the Painted Desert the car threw a check engine light. So instead of going to Roswell and saying hi to the aliens we detoured to Sandy BMW in Albuquerque to have the car checked out. Her are some pics from our trip so far.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1063877...9/2011Roadtrip

xnav · 07-06-2011, 04:47 PM

White Sands!

marcw · 07-06-2011, 11:09 PM

Well this is starting to get frustrating. The dealer in Albuquerque couldn't find anything wrong with the car. The service ticket reads as follows...

CEL is on. Had faults stored for catalytic converter that were not currently present. 29F4; 29F5; 2C39; 2C3A.

Performed vehicle test. Charged battery. Performed test modules. Results were inconclusive. Cleared faults. Road tested. Recommend customer monitor condition and return to dealer if light comes back on.

With that they sent us on our marry way. Well, guess what. We are in Roswell now and wouldn't you know it the car threw another check engine light. So instead of motoring on to Austin tomorow we get to visit the dealer in Lubbock tomorrow. Just great spending another few hours at another dealership. Not my idea of a vacation.

HerrK · 07-07-2011, 09:54 AM

Bummer about the CEL. Try not to be too paranoid about the CEL if the car is running good.

Your car looks great against the White Sands background. Have a great road trip!

Vintage · 07-07-2011, 12:15 PM

funny - my light came on last night heading home . . .

persian54 · 07-07-2011, 12:56 PM

Funny I just had this issue resolved.

I was getting a CEL for the past couple of months, they kept clearing it, saying it ran fine, then it would come back

I kept taking it in and they did further testing and found out that the Cats were bad

They ordered the cats end of May with an ETA of Mid to Late July as there are no cats in stock in the US or Germany

The Shop foreman drove the car and deemed it not a safety issue so they returned the car to us with a CEL.
It smelled really bad with the top down, esp on cold starts, it was as if I was catless (reminded me of the smell in my 335i when I had catless downpipes, or my M3 which has High flow cats)

There is some strange idle in the RPMs cold mornings when at idle and a slight noticeable decrease in initial acceleration.
Took it in again and again, but the Foreman said the issues aren't safety related. I filed for an extended loaner and got denied as 'the car is still safe to drive'

I called BMW NA, filed a formal complaint, told them this is ridiculous. I'm paying $$ to use this car every month and you expect me to drive it with a CEL? and the strange idle is 'safe' so I should just 'deal with it'? and the lack of acceleration is 'alright' since the car is already fast?
Screw that.

My SA was amazing and ended up finding a cat for us and got it installed in the car this week. Drove it last night, no smell, no lack of acceleration, no CEL, beautiful.

But nonetheless I'm very angry with BMW. I will be filing a Lemon Law and having my attorney push it hard.

Car has had 3 HPFP, 2 of which were during my lease/ownership.
Ironically the car was running perfect until I got the HPFP and software recall done.
After that, I started having problems left and right

I had a Chasis Malfunction, the CEL with the dead cats, and another fuel pump replaced only a month after the recall one!
Also the car was leaking oil onto my driveway and has left 2 very large, noticeable stains that I cannot get out.

The Z4 was problem free until their recall... I know there are plenty of variables and it's hard to say for sure if it was the recall's fault, but the car had no problems before they did the recall...

OP:
You need to keep taking it in. Tell them they need to order you a new cat and to do it asap. they're on a huge back order so the sooner you order it, the sooner you'll get it

You can drive the car without much issue (except those I experienced and noted above), but nonetheless push BMW to fix it

When I go home later I'll get you the part numbers

Vintage · 07-07-2011, 03:42 PM

but I am so tired of pushing BMW to fix it . . .

persian54 · 07-07-2011, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VintageBMW

but I am so tired of pushing BMW to fix it . . .

I'm tired too.

Hence why I'm going to lemon it

CeEl · 07-07-2011, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcw

Well, guess what. We are in Roswell now and wouldn't you know it the car threw another check engine light.

Spooky ... everytime you come near Roswell, the light comes on? Maybe UFO's?

I know, I know, sometimes I crack myself up ...

cdeslandes · 07-07-2011, 08:31 PM

By law they have to guarantee the emissions control system. Remind them of their obligations.

marcw · 07-07-2011, 11:45 PM

We made it to Austin without issues. I called the dealer up in Lubbock, but his computer has been down for two days and he cant diagnose squad. So we just drove it to Austin with the cel. Somewhere between Post TX and Hwy 20 the cel went out on its own. Hasnt come on since. Ill talk to my local SA once i m back home.

SANguru · 07-08-2011, 01:29 AM

HPFP failure will equal lean condition in many cases. This will cause EGT to go and sometimes burning up the catalytic converters. The dealers should know this. When i had the HPFP done on both my 335i and 535i, they tested the cats.

bmwmick · 07-08-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by persian54

I'm tired too.

Hence why I'm going to lemon it

S,
Were these the pre-cats in the downpipes or the main Cats under the car?

marcw · 07-08-2011, 09:43 AM

My HPFP never failed. When I brought the car in for the recall before this trip they only updated the software. No new pump was installed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SANguru

HPFP failure will equal lean condition in many cases. This will cause EGT to go and sometimes burning up the catalytic converters. The dealers should know this. When i had the HPFP done on both my 335i and 535i, they tested the cats.

persian54 · 07-08-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcw

My HPFP never failed. When I brought the car in for the recall before this trip they only updated the software. No new pump was installed.

Your pump could be failing. It's nearly impossible to have a N54 engine without one fuel pump in it's lifetime.

Here's my recent RO:

bmwmick · 07-08-2011, 01:20 PM

That answered my question above, these are the little CATs in the DownPipes.

persian54 · 07-08-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwmick

That answered my question above, these are the little CATs in the DownPipes.

Yeah

I had thrown the same codes that I used to get in my 335i when I had catless downpipes

mikeinaustin · 07-08-2011, 02:14 PM

VantageBMW, you ever move to austin?

Vintage · 07-10-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeinaustin

VantageBMW, you ever move to austin?

we close on our house in Austin (really on Hamilton Pool Road) on July 18th and then the movers are scheduled for the 22nd; look forward to having a Z4 neighbor - you may see my wife or I blasting around the Lake Travis/Bee Cave area often in a black sapphire 35i

mikeinaustin · 07-12-2011, 01:06 PM

hey i have a friend who lives either on or just by hamilton pool road. you might spend a lot of time on 620 as that is where more restaurants are. look for a red z4, that will probably be my wife (she has red hair). actually, it is a bit funny, we went to a walgreens pharmacy the other night and there in the parking lot was another e89 red z4, the only other red z4 i have seen in austin.

Jasper53 · 07-12-2011, 03:17 PM

There are more E89 Z4s than you think in the Bee Cave area. I live off Bee Cave Road just down from 71. I just picked up my car about a month ago. It is Orion Silver/Black. I have not seen you guys driving around.

HerrK · 07-14-2011, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcw

Here are some pics from our trip so far. https://picasaweb.google.com/1063877...9/2011Roadtrip

How's the trip going? Looks like you made it to the Big Easy.

07-06-2011, 11:04 AM	#1
marcw Captain 584 Rep 695 Posts Drives: 2021 M2 Competition Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, OR USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Porsche C4S Coupe [0.00] 2019 330ix Sportwagon [0.00] 2014 Jaguar F-Type ... [0.00] 2021 M2 Competition [0.00]	Catalytic converter going bust? After leaving the Painted Desert the car threw a check engine light. So instead of going to Roswell and saying hi to the aliens we detoured to Sandy BMW in Albuquerque to have the car checked out. Her are some pics from our trip so far. https://picasaweb.google.com/1063877...9/2011Roadtrip Last edited by marcw; 07-06-2011 at 11:35 PM..
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07-06-2011, 04:47 PM	#2
xnav Enlisted Member 1 Rep 31 Posts Drives: 2010 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hawaii iTrader: (0)	White Sands! Attached Images
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07-06-2011, 11:09 PM	#3
marcw Captain 584 Rep 695 Posts Drives: 2021 M2 Competition Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, OR USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Porsche C4S Coupe [0.00] 2019 330ix Sportwagon [0.00] 2014 Jaguar F-Type ... [0.00] 2021 M2 Competition [0.00]	Well this is starting to get frustrating. The dealer in Albuquerque couldn't find anything wrong with the car. The service ticket reads as follows... CEL is on. Had faults stored for catalytic converter that were not currently present. 29F4; 29F5; 2C39; 2C3A. Performed vehicle test. Charged battery. Performed test modules. Results were inconclusive. Cleared faults. Road tested. Recommend customer monitor condition and return to dealer if light comes back on. With that they sent us on our marry way. Well, guess what. We are in Roswell now and wouldn't you know it the car threw another check engine light. So instead of motoring on to Austin tomorow we get to visit the dealer in Lubbock tomorrow. Just great spending another few hours at another dealership. Not my idea of a vacation.
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07-07-2011, 09:54 AM	#4
HerrK Captain 42 Rep 640 Posts Drives: 21 X5 40i, 77 R100Rs Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: AZ iTrader: (0)	Bummer about the CEL. Try not to be too paranoid about the CEL if the car is running good. Your car looks great against the White Sands background. Have a great road trip! __________________ HerrK - 2021 X5 40i M Sport l PCD l Atlantis Blue/Ext'd Tartufo Merino l M Sport w/blue Calipers l Matt Popular l HK Sound l 740's l Exec & Drive Pro Pack Sold w/Great Memories - E89 Z4 l ED 2010 l 2011 35i l Crimson/Ext'd Coral Red w/Alum l 6 sp MT l Prem Sound l Sport Pack l 296's
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07-07-2011, 12:15 PM	#5
Vintage Colonel 381 Rep 2,588 Posts Drives: BMW G80 (MT), 718 Spyder Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Austin, Texas iTrader: (0)	funny - my light came on last night heading home . . .
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07-07-2011, 12:56 PM	#6
persian54 Lieutenant General 930 Rep 15,818 Posts Drives: M760/G83M4 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: The Valley, SoCal iTrader: (298)	Funny I just had this issue resolved. I was getting a CEL for the past couple of months, they kept clearing it, saying it ran fine, then it would come back I kept taking it in and they did further testing and found out that the Cats were bad They ordered the cats end of May with an ETA of Mid to Late July as there are no cats in stock in the US or Germany The Shop foreman drove the car and deemed it not a safety issue so they returned the car to us with a CEL. It smelled really bad with the top down, esp on cold starts, it was as if I was catless (reminded me of the smell in my 335i when I had catless downpipes, or my M3 which has High flow cats) There is some strange idle in the RPMs cold mornings when at idle and a slight noticeable decrease in initial acceleration. Took it in again and again, but the Foreman said the issues aren't safety related. I filed for an extended loaner and got denied as 'the car is still safe to drive' I called BMW NA, filed a formal complaint, told them this is ridiculous. I'm paying $$ to use this car every month and you expect me to drive it with a CEL? and the strange idle is 'safe' so I should just 'deal with it'? and the lack of acceleration is 'alright' since the car is already fast? Screw that. My SA was amazing and ended up finding a cat for us and got it installed in the car this week. Drove it last night, no smell, no lack of acceleration, no CEL, beautiful. But nonetheless I'm very angry with BMW. I will be filing a Lemon Law and having my attorney push it hard. Car has had 3 HPFP, 2 of which were during my lease/ownership. Ironically the car was running perfect until I got the HPFP and software recall done. After that, I started having problems left and right I had a Chasis Malfunction, the CEL with the dead cats, and another fuel pump replaced only a month after the recall one! Also the car was leaking oil onto my driveway and has left 2 very large, noticeable stains that I cannot get out. The Z4 was problem free until their recall... I know there are plenty of variables and it's hard to say for sure if it was the recall's fault, but the car had no problems before they did the recall... OP: You need to keep taking it in. Tell them they need to order you a new cat and to do it asap. they're on a huge back order so the sooner you order it, the sooner you'll get it You can drive the car without much issue (except those I experienced and noted above), but nonetheless push BMW to fix it When I go home later I'll get you the part numbers __________________ From E93 335i to E89 Z4 to E93 M3/E89 Z4 to E350/SL550
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07-07-2011, 03:42 PM	#7
Vintage Colonel 381 Rep 2,588 Posts Drives: BMW G80 (MT), 718 Spyder Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Austin, Texas iTrader: (0)	but I am so tired of pushing BMW to fix it . . .
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07-07-2011, 08:31 PM	#10
cdeslandes Captain 27 Rep 676 Posts Drives: 2010 Z4 s35i Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Connecticut iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Jeep Wrangler ... [0.00] 2013 Volvo XC90 [0.00] 2010 BMW Z4 sDrive35i [8.67]	By law they have to guarantee the emissions control system. Remind them of their obligations. __________________ 2010 BMW Z4 s35i 2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2013 Volvo XC90
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07-07-2011, 11:45 PM	#11
marcw Captain 584 Rep 695 Posts Drives: 2021 M2 Competition Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland, OR USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2014 Porsche C4S Coupe [0.00] 2019 330ix Sportwagon [0.00] 2014 Jaguar F-Type ... [0.00] 2021 M2 Competition [0.00]	We made it to Austin without issues. I called the dealer up in Lubbock, but his computer has been down for two days and he cant diagnose squad. So we just drove it to Austin with the cel. Somewhere between Post TX and Hwy 20 the cel went out on its own. Hasnt come on since. Ill talk to my local SA once i m back home.
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07-08-2011, 01:29 AM	#12
SANguru Lieutenant 57 Rep 426 Posts Drives: i8, X5 50,M550i,Tesla, MP4-12c Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	HPFP failure will equal lean condition in many cases. This will cause EGT to go and sometimes burning up the catalytic converters. The dealers should know this. When i had the HPFP done on both my 335i and 535i, they tested the cats.
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07-08-2011, 01:20 PM	#16
bmwmick Second Lieutenant 18 Rep 237 Posts Drives: '97 Z3,'11 Z4 35i,'90 C4 Vette Join Date: May 2011 Location: AZ/CA iTrader: (1)	That answered my question above, these are the little CATs in the DownPipes. __________________ Mick 2011 35i 6-speed, ///M Sport, Deep Sea Blue, Black leather, Carbon trim, Cold Weather package, Premium package, 6CD changer. Delivered 7/15/11. Michelin Pilot SuperSport tires 10/24/12 Tucson,AZ/Santa Paula,CA
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07-08-2011, 02:14 PM	#18
mikeinaustin First Lieutenant 43 Rep 362 Posts Drives: 2010 z4 3.0 crimson red Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx iTrader: (0)	VantageBMW, you ever move to austin?
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07-12-2011, 01:06 PM	#20
mikeinaustin First Lieutenant 43 Rep 362 Posts Drives: 2010 z4 3.0 crimson red Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx iTrader: (0)	hey i have a friend who lives either on or just by hamilton pool road. you might spend a lot of time on 620 as that is where more restaurants are. look for a red z4, that will probably be my wife (she has red hair). actually, it is a bit funny, we went to a walgreens pharmacy the other night and there in the parking lot was another e89 red z4, the only other red z4 i have seen in austin.
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07-12-2011, 03:17 PM	#21
Jasper53 New Member 0 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 2011 E89 Z4 sDrive35s Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Austin iTrader: (0)	Also in Austin There are more E89 Z4s than you think in the Bee Cave area. I live off Bee Cave Road just down from 71. I just picked up my car about a month ago. It is Orion Silver/Black. I have not seen you guys driving around.
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