BMW 3 Series E90, E91, E92 and E93 (2005–2012) — common faults, maintenance guides and repair tips.
The most common cause is a rusted ABS sensor tone ring. Rust raises the ring, so the sensor cannot detect rotation. Symptoms can include several warni...
The codes belong to the ABS pump motor circuit. When the ABS and DTC lights are on and the pump does not run, the cause can be stuck brushes in the pu...
A common cause is moisture inside the headlight. Water usually gets in through the bulb cover if the cover's clips have failed or the cover has been l...
Usually yes: the new battery is acknowledged with a diagnostic tool so that charging works correctly. Registration sets the capacity to 80 %, stores t...
The reset returns the gearbox's valve control to its basic values, and the gearbox learns new values while driving. Right after the reset the shifts c...
Partly yes. When the engine is below about 60 degrees, the gearbox's warm-up program holds the shifts at higher revs. Below about 35 degrees in the oi...
As standard there is no actual camber adjustment at the front. The adjustment is done at the strut top mount: the pin is removed, the nuts are loosene...
The key has a battery, not a rechargeable cell, so the ignition lock does not charge it. Remove the key blade from the key, open the cover with a flat...
The coolant must be at least 75 degrees and the exhaust gas before the catalytic converter at least 240 degrees. There must be more than 10 litres of ...
The most common cause is the glow system: a glow plug has burnt out or the glow plug control unit (glow box) is broken. Fault codes point to a glow fa...
A typical cause is play in the turbo shaft: the shaft is loose and the blades hit the housing wall. The symptom is a high-pitched whine or howl when a...
Common causes are worn shock absorbers and their protective rubbers, and dry or rusted strut top bearings. Cleaning and lubricating the bearing may he...
Pre-glow is 0.5 s when the coolant is below 25 C, and it lengthens as it gets colder up to at most 2.7 s below -25 C. The glow light is shown only whe...
1. Turn the key in the ignition and press the start/stop button without pressing the clutch or brake pedal, until the service message goes out. 2. Imm...
The warning tells you that the brake pads are getting low. There is no need to rush the replacement, but the disc thickness should be measured so that...
A rattle or knock when the clutch is pressed usually points to the dual-mass flywheel, which has developed play with wear. The clutch release bearing ...
The quiescent current should be about 22 mA, and a quiescent current over 80 mA gives a fault message. While driving, the charging voltage should be a...
Code 3FF0 means that the air quantity measured by the mass air flow sensor (MAF) is too high compared with what was requested. The cause is not always...
The coolant temperature should be about 90 degrees. Below 80 degrees the diesel particulate filter (DPF) cannot clean itself by burning off soot, and ...
The oil must meet BMW's Longlife specification LL-01 or LL-04, and the viscosity must be between 0W-30 and 5W-40. The brand does not matter as long as...
30EA means sulphur (sulphate) has built up in the NOx catalytic converter and its storage capacity has dropped. The cause can also be a faulty NOx sen...
Yes, the N47 timing drive, meaning the timing chain assembly, is a known weakness. It is located at the rear of the engine and has no separate tension...
Yes. A faulty DISA can cause a loss of power in the 3000-4000 rpm range. When worn, the valve seals can stick to the flap, so the flap does not move p...
P0012 means the camshaft timing is too retarded. The cause is often contamination in the vanos oil passages: clogged screens and check valves prevent ...
The most common cause is a leaking injector. It enriches the mixture of the whole cylinder bank, so the other cylinders in the bank get too lean a mix...
The car goes into limp mode and the high fuel pressure collapses, especially under brisk acceleration. A low-pressure side sensor fault code can also ...
A common cause is a leaking injector. The injector leaves extra petrol on top of the spark plug, and ignition fails during the cold start enrichment p...
Yes. At the outer end of the rear lower control arm there is a bracket where the lower end of the shock absorber attaches, and looseness in it causes ...
Yes. Hardened carbon deposits can build up inside the separator and prevent its rubber diaphragm from working. Oil then gets into the intake manifold,...
The cause is often the battery positive cable connection in the fuse box behind the glovebox. The connection loosens, oxidises or melts and heats up, ...
Always initialise the monitoring after correcting tyre pressures or changing tyres. Start the car but do not drive. Select tyre pressure monitoring in...
In N52 and N53 engines pumps have failed at around 120,000-250,000 km, most often between 150,000 and 200,000 km. Lifespan varies a lot. A fault shows...
Switch the ignition on or start the car and hold the trip reset button down for about 10 seconds until menu 01.00 opens. You move around the menu by p...
The cause can be the lock striker, which has slid downward after the screws loosened. When the striker is set in the right place and the screws tighte...
There is a hum or low rumble from the rear, typically at 80-110 km/h, and the noise grows louder over time. If the noise stops in one bend but continu...
The car replaces a burnt-out parking light dimly with the brake light, so a broken bulb is not easy to see. Check all the tail light bulbs, including ...
The most common fault is the circulation pump (auxiliary water pump): when it is stuck or broken, the water does not circulate and the webasto shuts o...
The most common cause is the wiring of the rear axle height sensor. The wires have chafed or broken, for example at the inner wheel arch liner or wher...
From the factory the inner lights work as cornering lights and illuminate the inside of the bend. In some cars they work as high beams only when flash...