Recent Feedback
My 1993 BMW 525TDS SE has been laid up for a few months and only started once a fortnight to charge the battery and warm the engine through, but not taken out on the road. This weekend I did take it out for a run. It started fine, ticked over fine. Drove ok, but after about a 2 miles the revs dropped to 1500 rpm and wouldn't accelerate. I could still drive home, but the engine wouldn't rev above 1500 rpm. I turned the engine off, left it a few seconds and restarted. It revved fine, drove another 1/2 mile and then the revs dropped to 1500 rpm again. This seems like fuel starvation, but the fact that the engine stills drives at 1500 rpm suggests that it may be in a "get you home" mode. Does this car have such a get you home mode? There are no warning lights on the dash to indicate a fault.
Country: United KingdomMake: BMWModel: 525 TDS SEYear: 1993 Already Tried: Fuel level was low, so topped up with a few gallons, but fault still exists.
PLEASE NOTE THAT EXPERTS ARE ONLY COMPENSATED WHEN THE ACCEPT BUTTON IS PRESSED . JUSTANSWER IS AN HONOR SYSTEM AND EXPERTS ARE ONLY COMPENSATED WHEN THE ACCEPT BUTTON IS PRESSED . EVEN IF YOU ARE ON A SUBSCRIPTION WITH UNLIMITED OR MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ACCEPT STILL NEEDS TO BE CLICKED TO CREDIT YOUR EXPERT THANK YOU
.
JUSTANSWER IS AN HONOR SYSTEM AND EXPERTS ARE ONLY COMPENSATED WHEN THE ACCEPT BUTTON IS PRESSED
EVEN IF YOU ARE ON A SUBSCRIPTION WITH UNLIMITED OR MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ACCEPT STILL NEEDS TO BE CLICKED TO CREDIT YOUR EXPERT
THANK YOU
*
Before reading my answer below, please note that I do not receive any credit or compensation whatsoever for my time and effort until the green ACCEPT button is pressed. Thank you.
Hello and welcome to JustAnswer BMW,My name is XXXXX XXXXX it will be my pleasure to assist you today.
your behavior does sound like the car is in failsafe mode, or perhaps a turbo failure
you will want to have the fault logs read from the vehicle to verify.
I hope that is helpful, please let me know if you have further questions, or if I can clarify anything for you.
Best wishes to you and best of luck with your vehicle.
If satisfied with my assistance, please press the green "ACCEPT" button so that I may be credited for helping today. I am not credited or compensated whatsoever until you press the green ACCEPT button.
>>>>>PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO PRESS ACCEPT <<<<<
thank you in advance.
Steve
I'm afraid this is not helpful. To say it sounds like it is in failsafe mode - is what I have already suggested. Perhaps a turbo failure? Why would turning the engine off and restarting the engine cure a turbo failure for a short distance?
Hi again, Please do not forget to click "ACCEPT" as this is the only way I am credited for my answer. I am not credited or compensated in any way until "ACCEPT" is pressed. Justanswer is an honor system. Thank you.if cycling the engine totally cured the issue momentarily then it is not the turbo, this was not clear in your original post.
you asked if the car was in get you home mode, and the answer is that yes these symptoms do inciate that, or it could be an issue related to fuel delivery, fuel / air mix, etc.
Please let me know if you have further questions.If I have answered your question, I would kindly ask that you please press the green "ACCEPT" button so that I receive credit for doing so.
Relist: Answer quality.I have described the symptoms of a fault. The experts answer only agreed with what I had suggested that the engine may be in get you home mode. But your expert has not diagnosed the cause of the problem. I do not want to pay for this service, please return my deposit. My teenage son could have agreed with me that the car could be in a get you home mode. I don't need to pay an expert for this. Why, when the engine is turned off and then restarted would a failsafe mode reset itself for a short distance? If an engine management system sees a fault that triggers a failsafe then the failsafe will remain until the fault is corrected and the EMS reset, surely. Actually don't bother answering that, just refund my deposit please.
Hello and Welcome to justanswer..My name is MIKE..Im sorry to see the above.. and you are welcome to have your deposit returned if you wish...but I thought I would just try and help you if I could....To explain for you, the situation with the car - the management system the way it works.. if and when the Ecu "sees" / detects a fault on the cars systems, it will put the car into LHM - limp home mode... and you get what you have. Usually you will get a fault light come up on the dash - or a fault message...but not always. Further - when this happens - if you switch the key off.. the ecu loses its memory, it does not store that -you cycle it basically -and the ecu is reset. The ecu continues to monitor for faults -and should the fault occur again, it will repeat as above .. at which time, you have to arrange for the car to have a diagnostic machine plugged on to trace these faults by way of fault codes and / or Live Data tracing.This fault can be anything from a turbo issue as mentioned to injectors / clogging - pump issues - even as simple as a clogging fuel filter and so on - even un metered air going into the engine because of a split induction hose / ill fitting hose and so on...so all this needs to be checked over too...usually a good garage will do all that first and then go from there as above if still necessary.I hope that the above helps you by way of explanation / overview of what happens and the possibilities regarding your fault... You will likely need the diagnostics doing to be honest but as a tip, you dont need to use a dealer - any good local garage that has the required equipment for your model can do this for you - and that will likely be quicker and cheaper for you..Once again, I hope that helps you - Let me know if you need anything else.Meantime, if you would click the Accept so that I am credited for my time etc , I would appreciate that - Thank you ...or you can have your deposit refunded if you still wish.Best Rgds, MIKE..
Thanks Mike, what you have described for me makes sense and gives me something to go on. May I ask one thing - other Q & A sites have said that the fuel filter is under the floor pan behind a steel cover. But on this car there is - what appears to be a filter body with electrical connections fitted within the fuel system attached to the near-side wheel arch under the bonnet. Is this the fuel filter ? If it is I am considering unscrewing the cannister body and cleaning the element with petrol, just as a temporary way of checking if the fuel filter is at fault? I appreciate this will take more of your time, but I guess this is what I was getting at in the first place, things I could check myself before going to the expense of a garage. So really, I'm asking - is the fuel filter on this car under the bonnet, or under the floorpan?
Hello again, thank you for your reply / message.. My apologies that I couldn't back to you last night.I understand what you are saying yes thats fine.Im not entirely sure what that is you have come across but the the filter on the RHD E34 diesel, is inside the engine bay -on the front / passenger side front wing.. If you follow the piping back from the injector pump on the engine, that will back-lead to it for you . Another tip is to buy the new one ready - that helps you ID the one on the car as you know what it looks like then ;) ( the later ones are under the floor panel)I hope that helps you further..Please do click on the Accept button for me now, as thats how Im credited for helping you - thank you ..Best RGds , MIKE...Mike41032.4724200579
Experience: 34 years of self employed vehicle diagnostic & repair
Thanks Mike, that's the sort of professional answer I was looking for. I appreciate that you went the extra mile for me.
HI again... Thank you for your reply / accept.Thats fine - Im very happy to have helped - and hope all goes well for you - Best Rgds, MIKE.