Service Engine Soon

[junchoi]

the SES light has been came on for about 3 days and now its gone....

hm... do i need to get serviced or... it automatically got fixed?~!

answer please~

[2001BMW325xi]

You Wish.....:-)....I would say get it to the dealer and have it checked out before the whole thing blows up in your face.

[junchoi]

lol i just called BMW specialist?! (not from Dealer)

and he told me that if the lights gone its not that critical... so...

but if i want to check it would cost me $40... hm.. what should i do....

$40 is kinda alot to me :P

[doughboyea]

Did you get gas sometime in this period? On my 328i, if the attendent doesn't put the gas cap back on tightly, the light comes on. After I had tightened it, it still wouldn't go out.. untill i refilled my window washer fluid. Check your gas cap....then misc fluids. Then again, i'm no mechanic.

Dough

[325isBaby]

Would you pay $40.00 to find out nothing from a guy that more than likely knows nothing about your car? I know I wouldn't. Personally I'd probably take it to the dealer just to be certain, just because the light is gone now doesn't mean the problem MAGICALLY went with it.

[junchoi]

yea but i got... riped off by dealer few times so...

i don't want them to charge me oh there is this problem i will reset it for you..

another 200.... don't want that to happen again... ghead

[2001BMW330iRob]

What are you worried about.
The light is out!
I think it was probably the gas cap myself.
It is common knowledge if you do not put it on correctly the check engine light will come on.
If the light stayed on there might be a problem.
MIGHT, is the word.
If you take it to the dealer, there will most definitely be a problem.
Cause they are in the business of screwing BMW owners.
Without doing that they would be out of business in a hurry!

[jehu3]

My manual makes it clear that transients, will happen; i.e. gas cap.
Also, its free and easy to take it to AutoZone- maybe others- and have the codes read. If there are no codes, there's nothing to fix, unless the shop thinks something up.
Having the codes read before you go in just gives you more info.

[69Mach1351c]

it could be the gas cap which would cause a SES light to go on but if the light went off then the problem went away but isnt fixed so to speak. the gas cap off would release the pressure in the fuel tank and messing up the EVAP which is why the light would go off. but if the light goes on again i would bring it to a shop or dealer to get the code read and find out the problem just incase it isnt something small like the gas cap. good luck.

[Mach 5]

Check the gas cap first, it will trip the light. If it becomes a reoccuring problem then it is most likely an O2 sensor going out. they are about $120 each and at 100K a recommended for replacement. One of mine went out early so I replaced it and no more intermitant SES lights.
Ben

[Prof. Gizmo]

I have a 2000 328Ci with similar symptoms. The SES light is on for a day or so, and
then goes out. At first, I thought it was a leaky gas cap, but I just took it to Autozone
and their OBDII reader displayed the code "P1397", which they decoded as "System
Voltage out of self test range". However, when I do a search on the internet for OBDII
codes, "P1397" is decoded as "Camshaft Position Sensor "B" (Bank 1)". Other forums
have indicated that this is a "high failure" item and relatively easy to replace since it is
located at the front of the motor near the exhaust camshaft and held in place by a single
bolt. Don't know how much BMW wants for one of these things, but if its "reasonable"
I'm going to replace it myself. If I do, I'll post my results. Wish me luck.

[Prof. Gizmo]

Originally posted by Prof. Gizmo@Oct 16 2004, 04:11 PM
I have a 2000 328Ci with similar symptoms. The SES light is on for a day or so, and
then goes out. At first, I thought it was a leaky gas cap, but I just took it to Autozone
and their OBDII reader displayed the code "P1397", which they decoded as "System
Voltage out of self test range". However, when I do a search on the internet for OBDII
codes, "P1397" is decoded as "Camshaft Position Sensor "B" (Bank 1)". Other forums
have indicated that this is a "high failure" item and relatively easy to replace since it is
located at the front of the motor near the exhaust camshaft and held in place by a single
bolt. Don't know how much BMW wants for one of these things, but if its "reasonable"
I'm going to replace it myself. If I do, I'll post my results. Wish me luck.

[snapback]212362[/snapback]

Sorry for not posting my results but, frankly, I just forgot to once the problem was
solved. Here's what happened;
I bought an exhaust camshaft position sensor (12 14 1 438 082) and o-ring
(12 14 1 748 398) from Bavarian Autosport (www.bavauto.com) for $96 and $1.50,
respectively, (plus shipping).
To replace the sensor, you first have to unplug the connector, which can be tricky
and a bit frustrating the first time you do it, because you have to pinch both sides of
the plug to release the pawls, while simultaneously wiggleling it from side to
side and pulling, but it *will*, eventually, let go.
The sensor is bolted to the head with a 5 mm allen (hex) head bolt, which is located
directly beneath the connector, which makes it almost impossible to see, so you have
to feel around in order to get the allen wrench inserted. The rest is *easy*. Remove
the bolt, pull the old sensor out and throw away, put the new o-ring on the new
sensor with a light coating of oil and bolt it back into place, reconnect the cable
(make sure it "clicks" back into place, and you're done.
If memory serves, the SES light went out after a few start/stop cycles and hasn't
turned on again since.
I should mention that there may be a newer version (improved?) of the sensor now
available (12 14 7 518 628)(?), but Bavarian Auto didn't carry this one, so I may be
doing this again sometime in the future. But for now, this seems to have solved the
problem, so I happy.
Hope this discription helps someone else.

Prof. Gizmo

[nathan56989]

So some of you people are saying that if you check engine light comes on then goes out at a later time everything is fine. so your also saying that if your air bag light comes on then goes out you'll get in your car and put you child in the front seat with you right? or if your low coolant light comes on then goes out it's fine.(until it overheats) then you say oh I didn't see the low coolant light come on.

just because it went out does not meen that the problem is gone. i have seen this many times where people come in and say the light was on but then it went off and when the faults were checked there's the problem. with no check engine light.
Please for the sake your you car and your wallet get it checked out. If you take it the chances of someone not knowing anything about an E46 is slim to none we have a guy that has no schooling on any bmws and knows a lot about the e46 pretty simple vehicle. so pay the 40 dollars instead of 4000 dollars when the engine fails.

[zibby]

Originally posted by nathan56989@Aug 10 2005, 07:25 PM
So some of you people are saying that if you check engine light comes on then goes out at a later time everything is fine. so your also saying that if your air bag light comes on then goes out you'll get in your car and put you child in the front seat with you right? or if your low coolant light comes on then goes out it's fine.(until it overheats) then you say oh I didn't see the low coolant light come on.

just because it went out does not meen that the problem is gone. i have seen this many times where people come in and say the light was on but then it went off and when the faults were checked there's the problem. with no check engine light.
Please for the sake your you car and your wallet get it checked out. If you take it the chances of someone not knowing anything about an E46 is slim to none we have a guy that has no schooling on any bmws and knows a lot about the e46 pretty simple vehicle. so pay the 40 dollars instead of 4000 dollars when the engine fails.

[snapback]368857[/snapback]

you realy know "un cazzo" as Italian say about the Bimmers! In case of gas cap problem is gone after few days, when the cap is installed correctly again- no fault codes! Hey bro stay better with your input on Hundai forum - just my advice.

[///M Power]

Hahaha it's the gas cap. I was at the service center THIS MORNING and was in the service line in my car and was tlaking to the guy in a convertible e46 M3 next to me. he was talking about the exact same light! When the service guy got to him I overheard him and he just said, "Oh thats common we just need to tighten your gas cap." He goes to the gas cap and tightens it and there ya go, easy as pie. DONE. Without even gettign it serviced. M3 guy was real happy.


Kinda funny that I just saw it happen this morning and you posted about it today.