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About logic7repair

We always work to improve BMW parts quality and also look for better solution to get these cars running longer.

IVM or why my engine runs sluggish??? N62 applies to ALL cars with it. E53/e65/e60/e63/e64/e66

In this unique article i will describe why your engine feels weak and you don’t feel low end torque anymore.

So you cannot find any faults in DME and no lights are on, everything is clean, but you feel your V8 runs like 4 cylinder KIA on lows? It applies to all bmw with n62 engines: E53, E63,E65, E66, E64, E60 and others.

Probably you heard about IVM failure main symptom:

-it will not start when you press the button, like no cranking at all, but it might start the next time or in few secs. It also might throw few errors in CAS because it didn’t start.

Yes, this happens when IVM went out completely and you are lucky if you got this symptom and you replaced IVM and found out it runs so much better and no issues at all.

Well, but in most (90%) cases it will not fail completely and will not show any symptoms and errors will be thrown. For example in my case, i didn’t have any faults, but i was trying to find out why i have:

-Weak torque o low rpms 2-3k rpm, it just feels weak, gets better if it gets past 4-5k

-weak response when you press the gas pedal

-delay hesitation on take off

-transmission shifts incorrectly and feels like it shifts to higher gear too early. Like it will shift to 5th gear, but there is no power for it.

-sometimes you feel slight vibration on idle

-on HWY you feel like you need to constantly press the gas pedal otherwise it will slow down a lot. IN OTHER WORDS IT DOESN’T PULL BEFORE 4000K

-MPG is very bad

Anyways after spending some time and lots of money, honestly, it was very annoying and upsetting, so i was about to get rid of my car, because it doesn’t feel V8 at all, it simply feels like 4 cylinder honda or something like this. You press on the gas and it doesn’t go, you have to press to 4000rpm to make it moving!!!! So after i tested my engine compression, transmission and all diagnostics showed up no errors, i was upset, because nothing else was left! I even replaced fuel pump though old one was showing ok pressure etc. NOBODY COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG.

and inside after T40 torxs were taken out:

And at some point i decided to open IVM since i was replacing the Ebox fan ( if you have ebox fan error, i strongly recoomen to replace it, because it helps to cool down ecu, and if it overheats it will cost you thousands easily). So what i found in IVM??? First what is IVM???

IVM is an INTEGRATED VOLTAGE MODULE, but in reality is just a relay module with 12 mini nice looking 4$ relays, yes simple relays, and everything looked good, except for DME RELAY!! 2 legs had soldering points cracked!! I assume they use silver solder and it cannot withstand the heat !! so…. you understand now what happens if DME relay points don’t have a good contact? yes, injectors will not get a good signal and cannot open like they should and probably same thing for ignition! As a result engine runs like crp:)

After i repaired it, my N62 started running like brand new! and now i get 17/25 mpg easy! after that i saw about 30 cars and all of them had same issue, but nobody complained about engine torque:) they thought it was supposed to be like this! this is repaired IVM:

I recommend to install a new one if you are not ok with soldering or try to solder it yourself and save 80$. Always clean contacts from old solder and sand it as much as you could and use old school lead based solder with good flux.

TRY IT AND ENJOY, EVEN IF YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS OK WITH YOUR CAR!! TAKES 10 MINS TO REMOVE. DO NOT BELIEVE THE DEALER THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR CAR BECAUSE COMPUTER DIDN’T SHOW ANY ERRORS, NOTHING IS PERFECT SO IS BMW, IT CANNOT DIAGNOSE ITSELF 100%. I FOUND THIS PROBLEM ON 30+ cars and counting! ITS A DESIGN FLAW, BUT BMW WILL NOT RECALL IT, THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE IT WHEN YOU GET NO START ERRORS!!!

Smoking white from tailpipe?? N62, N72 family engines applies to any V8, V12 from 2002 AND UP.

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Smoking white from tailpipe?? N62, N72 family engines applies to any V8, V12 from 2002 AND UP.

So most likely if you own bmw with N62 or N73 engine, most likely you have oil consumption or you noticed your car smokes white after prolonged sitting and idling??? Well this is the worst and very common problem with these engines. Do not listen to any fairy tales and accept it:

YOU NEED NEW VALVE SEALS! AND IT ALSO CAUSES CLOGGED AIR PORTS ON N62B44

Nothing will help and don’t waste your time and money:

-don’t even try thicker oils, it won’t help and is very bad for vanos lines

-don’t think any seafoming can help

You can replace CCV or mushroom valves on the valve covers. If they are cracked, you will get check engine light or simply it will introduce oil fumes into combustion camera. But here is the catch:

even if CCV is bad and torn completely, there is not much oil in the fumes to produce that much smoke anyways, even if you connect crankcase line directly into intake manifold (this is how it was connected in old cars anyways), you will not get much or any noticeable white smoke if compression is good, but it will affect oil consumption for sure.

But when valve seals are bad, you will definitely introduce lots of oil into the combustion camera, because it leaks right on the piston, compared to CCV, when there is time to mix oil fumes with intake air.

this what you need:

FAILURE TO REPLACE VALVE SEALS WILL CAUSE:

-CATALYTHIC CONVERTERS FAILURE SOONER OR LATER

-RESTRICTED AIR FLOW FOR SECONADRY INJECTION PORTS ON 745LI, 645I, 545I, 745I

-WILL DAMAGE SPARK PLUGS

-WILL MAKE YOUR COMBUSTION CAMERA DIRTY, CAUSING ENEVEN IDLE AND POWER LOSS

-DRIVING WITH LOW OIL LEVEL WILL DAMAGE THE ENGINE

-WILL CLOG MUFFLERS AS WELL

So long story short you need valve seal job, which is expensive even at small shops 1500$-3000$ or 8000-9000$ at BMW dealerships!!!!! Good news is new valve seals were updated and will last for long.

My GOOD recommendations:

-YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT REMOVING HEADS

-AVOID AGA MAGICAL TOOL: IT IS MUCH FASTER AND EASIER TO REMOVE CAMS AND DO IT RIGHT.

-ALWAYS REPLACE UPPER TIMING CHAIN COVER GASKETS ALONG WITH NEW VALVE COVER GASKETS

-REPLACE CHAIN TENSIONERS IN THE HEADS, BUT I ALSO RECOMMEND NEW CHAIN GUIDES, BECAUSE THEY DO WEAR OUT AND CAUSE UNEVEN IDLE AND POWER LOSS.

-INSTALL NEW CCV AND CLEAN CCV LINES EVERY 60KMLS

-DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT USED ENGINE!!! IT COULD AS BAD AS YOURS, BECAUSE RUBBER VALVE SEALS DO AGE WITH YEARS OF SITTING BADLY.

ALL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH N62 ENGINES WILL EXPERINCE THIS PROBLEM SOONER OR LATER! IT CAN HAPPEN EVEN TO LOW MILES CARS, EVEN 40-60KMLS, SO WHEN YOU BUY N62 CAR

Battery replacement BMW e65 745i, 745Li, 750i, 750Li, 760Li, 730D, 740D, 730i, 735LI, common mistakes

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Applies to any BMW with power module:

e90, e60, e70, F01, F02, F30 etc

So you got a “recharge battery’ warning, and you went to AutoZone or any other store and bought new battery. You installed it, then you probably were told to register it, or some mechanic registered it for you.

You think everything is good now, right?? But battery warning still comes back and some smart mechanic or independent shop tells you its okay as long as battery is new and registered!

So here is the story:

One 2003 BMW 745li with very low miles came over with ABS module errors and with battery discharge warning. Well, he replaced the battery and it was “professionally registered”. But not only problems still there, but now it actually creates lots of faults on the top! Plus his alternator seized! Coincidence?? So lets see:

BMW e65 before 2004 were equipped with 110ah standard lead acid battery.

After 2004 they introduced new standard, which is 90ah AGM battery (which is great battery if maintained well).

So not only type is different, but capacity is lower!!!

What happens when today you buy 90AGM battery (they don’t sell older 110ah battery for these cars) and install it into the vehicle which has highly sophisticated power module, which knows battery type and capacity??

Quite simple:

it will still think you have 110ah lead acid old battery and it will constantly try to charge it to get it to fully charged state!!! And it will not ever happen, but will destroy your new battery and will put lots of stress on alternator plus you might get various faults in different modules!

OLD 110ah LEAD ACID BATTERY setting:

CBS_SCEN_10H
   nicht_aktiv
CC_15_EIN
   wert_01
BATTERIE_KAPAZITAET
   110ah
ERKENNE_SBE1_HI_RE

NEW 90AGM SETTING

BATTERIE_KAPAZITAET
90ah
ERKENNE_SBE1_HI_RE

or you can use BMW progman, which will do it automatically, but i prefer NCS instead: quick&easy&safe

That’s why BMW dealership will charge you more to reprogram your vehicle so it supports new battery type. This is what lots of mechanics and shops don’t know about or simply ignore it!!! Why?? because they don’t want to learn anything and interested in quick and easy money.

So basically you are supposed to check what power module says, but if your car is 2004+, most likely it came with 90AGM and all you need to do is to register it. There are few options here:

BMW INPA, ISTA, aftermarket tools can run it too, but only NCSEXPERT or PROGMAN can reprogram power module so it supports 90AGM.

AND YES YOU HAVE TO REGISTER NEW BATTERY, BECAUSE POWER MODULE CONSTANTLY CHECKS THE BATTTERY CAPACITY AND WITH AGE, BATTERY GETS WEAKER AND THEREFORE IT APPLIES LESS CURRENT TO FULLY CHARGE IT. SO NOT REGISTERING NEW BATTERY WILL MAKE POWER MODULE THINK, YOU HAVE STILL OLD WEAK BATTERY AND IT WILL NOT TRY TO FULLY CHARGE IT (I’M NOT GOING DEEPLY INTO DIFFERENT SPECS IT CHECKS AND RUNS WHILE YOU DRIVING YOUR CAR), BUT BOTTOM LINE YOU HAVE TO REGISTER IT AND IF YOUR CAR IS OLDER MODEL, YOU AVE TO MAKE SURE POWER MODULE ACCEPTS 90AGM.

HYDRAULIC TRUNK LIFT SAGA, MAIN ISSUES!

2 Replies

In this post i will describe standard problems and the ways to fix it and also the ways to retrofit it back to simple trunk shocks.

Premium option S316A for e65/66 was hydraulic trunk lift. Yes its very comfortable and convenient, but with years these nice options give more headaches, than luxury feeling. This Option includes:

-electro-hydraulic pump (located in the rear right panel) (8) -rarely just low on fluid due to leaks

-hydraulic piston or actuator, which lifts the trunk (3)- fails often, leaks onto NAVI unit

-Trunk lid shocks (23) -fails often

-electronic module (12) -rarely fails

And what fails? Everything, except for the pump (it has safety prevention valve).

TRUNK LID SHOCKS FAILURE:

So if your trunk lid still opens after you press the button (remote, interior, trunk button), but it wont stay open or barely stays open especially on the hill

– YOU NEED NEW TRUNK LID SHOCKS (23), they got upgraded with silver coils vs old black ones which always fail. NEW upgraded P/n: 51247201461. So even if your old ones are still working i strongly recommend newer springs, because it will help to reduce stress from hydraulic cylinder as well.

Hydraulic Cylinder Leak:

Well, this is the worst and most expensive…. So if you press the button and nothing happens or you can hear the pump is trying to lift the lid but it shuts down right away, it means 2 things:

-Hydraulic fluid is low and therefore it stops the pump from failure. Sometimes BMW says you can loose some fluid over the time due to evaporation, aging etc…. but in my experience it means Cylinder leak. You can add some fluid into the pump on the left panel, but most likely it will leak out soon.

-Cylinder leak. In this case it explains where the sticky red fluid leaked and created mess in your left rear panel, usually you see SVS, NAVI unit covered in oil.

Options? Well you need new hydraulic cylinder kit p/n: 51247202868, which is quite expensive ~300$. Plus you need new shocks 160-180$, 500$ in parts!! Lots of hassle to install it as well.

OR IF YOU ARE TIRED OF THIS (300$+160$(SHOCKS))AND WANT JUST A SIMPLE TRUNK OPTION, I RECOMMEND YOU FOLLOWING STANDARD TRUNK LID RETROFIT:

-you need to remove trunk shocks (use sharp pick tool to remove shock lock)

-disconnect hydraulic cylinder and remove it including lines or simply move it out of the way.

-disconnect hydraulic pump electric connector or disconnect hydraulic trunk HKL module. You can code it out using NCS, but not necessary.

-buy and install standard shocks 80$ each p/n: 51247201463

-DONE! Enjoy standard hassle free trunk lid with soft close feature. I know its not that luxury, but 500$ still in your pocket and you should be happy, bc no more worries it will leak again and flood your expensive modules. BMW says not to leave your car in the open sun, bc it makes things worse for hydarulic cylinder causing premature failure.

–

This article is about most common BMW cooling system faults and how to diagnose and repair it.

Well, to start we need to know what perfect temperature specs for this V8 V12engine.

When car is fully warmed up and idling for 10 minutes you should see these numbers:

Upper Hose temperature-103-105C

note: Lower hose should be within 60-70C, this is very important because it indicates proper cooling system function. Lower hose or coolant output readings should be within 60-70C with open tstat.

very common mistake when mechanic thinks he bled the system right, but he doesn’t know the heater control valve is clogged and there is no way to bleed the air out and lower hose stays COLD, even auxiliary water pump fails because of this.

This screenshot shows proper transmission temperatures, when cooling system is fully functional and sealed:

NOTE: Some cars have cold firmware which opens up thermostat earlier therefore engine running temps are lower.

ALWAYS REPLACE RADIATOR CAP EVERY 5 YEARS, IT DOESNT LAST FOREVER!

If temps stay at 105-110C, it definitively means you have an airlock, which causing overheating and lower hose running cold.

This engine has self bleeding system, but it only works if cooling system is in great shape!

So most common problem you cannot bleed the air out is HEATER CONTROL VALVE, which always goes bad after 5-7 years or even earlier. Its very easy to replace and costs around 140$. Usually rubber valves crack and deteriorate clogging the valve so you cannot bleed the air out, moreover it clogs heater core, which is a real pain to replace. So remove the valve and at least inspect it:

-it should be clean inside and valves are open without 12V applied and easy to blow air through, in other words it should not have any restriction, but word of advice-REPLACE it, don’t wait, and it will also improve heat cabin.

LEAKS:

-Front seal aka weep hole problem can be easily diagnosed checking weep hole on the timing cover

Can be easily fixed with aftermarket solutions or with simple aluminum+RTV solution, which actually works pretty good.

-Valley pan gasket leak. You need to remove intake to replace it. Be careful not to damage knock sensor which is very common.

-Rear cover plate. Hardest point here-you need to remove transmission for that

Other leaks include lower hose sensor leak and hoses also get old and is a good idea to replace them every 5 years. Also Vent hose connected to the heads near throttle body goes bad every 5years or 80-100kmls

Always pressure test your cooling system- you cannot rely on visible findings saying there is no leaks.

You cannot see 30% cooling hoses located in the rear of your engine.

MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS BLEED AIR OUT FROM COOLING SYSTEM EVERY TIME YOU WORKED ON IT:

-FILL COOLANT TANK TO FULL WITH BMW COOLANT, LEAVE CAP OPEN.

-TURN ON IGNITION (DONT START ENGINE YET) AND SET HEATER TO 90F WITH LOW FAN SPEED. MAKE SURE AUXILLARY PUMP IS RUNNING-YOU SHOULD HEAR IT ON THE DRIVER SIDE, LET IT RUN FOR 5 MINS

-START THE ENGINE AND LET IT RUN FOR 5 MINS, CLOSE THE RADIATOR CAP

-DRIVE YOUR CAR FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS

-NEXT MORNING CHECK THE LEVEL, ADD COOLANT IF NEEDED

Always take care of any leaks and check running temps! BMW cooling system is very important not only for the engine but for transmission as well- tranny cooler is connected to the same main radiator.

Poor condition cooling system will ruin your engine and transmission very quickly. Running with airlock will eventually deteriorate all rubber gaskets including valve seals and stuck piston rings.

Running Rough?? Check engine light? No Problem!!

6 Replies

In this article we are going to cover most common engine error codes and most common issues.

So don’t be freaked out with CEL and don’t rush into BMW dealer- its not that complicated to diagnose it yourself.

First you need BMW software (INPA, RHEINGOLD, DIS, GT) or even simple OBD reader can be of great help. Any check engine light can be diagnosed with OBD reader, though you cannot go in details, but in most cases is enough.

So you got error codes, now its time to decode them online so you know what those error codes mean.

Good idea to check fuel trims and O2 sensor adaptations, it will tell you if you have any vacuum leaks, which will make your engine run very inefficiently, shaking etc.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE 0420, 0430 ERROR CODES WHICH TELL YOU THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE NO GOOD ANYMORE, IT MEANS YOUR ENGINE IS BURNING OIL KILLING CATS, SO NEW CATS WILL NOT LAST IF YOU DON’T FIX INITIAL PROBLEM WITH VALVE SEALS!! CATALYTIC CONVERTERS CAN EASILY LAST 300-400K, AND THEIR FAILURE INDICATES INTERNAL ENGINE PROBLEMS…

MOST COMMON AIR LEAKS:

-CCV or crankcase breathers. Cracked old membrane will create air leak, so DME will increase fuel trim, making it running rich

-VACUUM PUMP SEALS AND OIL SWITCH will create vacuum leak as well. They always leak after 5 years or so. Solution is simple- RTV or new seals from BMP DESIGN company, since bmw only sells small oring and they want you to buy 300$ vacuum pump instead.

-old oil cap will also create vacuum leak

-leaking valve cover gaskets will also create air leaks and more importantly leaking spark plug pipes will create misfires due to fouling ignition coils. If you remove a coil and its covered with oil, it means its leaking and VCG (valve cover gaskets) need to be replaced asap.

-old rubber intake boot is very common issue on N62b48 engine or BMW 750i, BMW 750LI

-intake manifold gaskets and injector o-rings also don’t last forever

But be aware that some error codes not necessarily mean you need to replace that or these parts. For example running lean or rich does not mean your O2 sensors or catalytic converters are bad. Always check O2 sensor adaptations, and if they adjust mixture and not stuck, it means youve got something else causing rich or lean mixture and O2 sensors have to adapt the mixture.

Sometimes bad Valvetronic or VVTI sensors don’t throw error codes but make engine run rough., you can always disconnect VVTI sensor and your engine will run using conventional throttle body approach, and if it runs smooth without VVTI, it means VVTI sensor is not working well or not adapted.

POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW AND I WILL TRY TO HELP, you ca also email me, but since its not my primary job, i can not reply asap.

Logic7repair@gmail.com

ABS, DSC, BRAKE LIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE?? NO PROBLEM!!

So you got very nice Christmas tree on your dashboard?? Well dont worry it happens sooner or later to any BMW. So one of a sudden all lights are on and IDRIVE is going crazy?

Don’t worry it can be fixed I under 200$!!

MOST COMMON CULPRIT IS YOUR ABS, DSC UNIT !!! IT DOES GO BAD VERY OFTEN DUE TO AGE AND HEAT UNDER THE HOOD!! There could be other things (abs sensors, harness issues, etc) causing those lights, but if all lights are on especially angle sensor light is on, it means module is dying, MOST COMMON DSC/ABS MODULE FAILURE SYMPTOM-NO ERRORS WHEN COLD AND AFTER ITS WARMED UP EVERYTHING IS BAD.

There are 2 options about it:

-Repair DSC module with warranty (best cheapest option). Don’t buy used one- it might not last and can also be bad and worst part you have to code it, which is not very simple procedure. Always try to fix it or get new one, WHICH IS SELF CODING AND WILL CODE ITSELF AFTER YOU PUT IT IN.

-Buy new module for 600$, self coding- will code itself after you installed it. Great option, but I think rebuilt one is better since its going to be stronger than OEM.

Replacing is easy: remove the unit, send it for repair or replace it with new one. Located on passenger side, black unit. You need to remove coolant tank to get access to all bolts holding it.

So it wasn’t very bad, isn’t it? Enjoy fully working dsc system, it will also affect transmission shifting, because its reading lots of signals form DSC unit. Bmw dealer will charge you more than 1200$ for it.

Everything about your ZF 6HP26, 6HP19, 6HP28 transmission issues

What you are supposed to know about your ZF6HP26, 6HP19, 6HP28 and similar ford Transmissions.

It applies to all BMW, Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Maserati, Audi and others with ZF 6HP26, 6HP19, 6HP28

In this post i will be explaining why you have transmission issues like:

-harsh shift 2-1

-not able to shift into park when hot

-weak torque feeling

-gear speed ratio faults

-other faults

All highlighted problems you can experience even on low miles cars less than 70-80k, it depends on at what speeds your car mostly runs. On the highway this tranny will easily last 200-300kmls. AND EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO VALVE BODY PRESSURE LOSS DUE TO SOLENOIDS OR ACTUAL VALVE BODY SEALING GASKETS LEAKING INSIDE, BUT BETTER DO BOTH. DRIVING WITH LEAKING VALVE BODY WILL EVENTUALLY WEAR OUT ACTUAL TRANSMISSION HARDWARE.
BEST ADVICE FOR YOU: SINCE 99% issues with this trannies are related to valve body fluid pressure loss, I strongly recommend new (re manufactured) valve body from ZF (expensive 1600$), (you can find some companies offer this rebuild, but they charge almost new VB price, or rebuild it yourself with NEW SOLENOIDS PACK (300-400$) and SONNAX zip kit (150$). If after you rebuilt or replaced valve body and RESET ADAPTATIONS USING BMW SOFTWARE INPA OR ISTA IS A MUST, OR YOU WON’T SEE ANY DIFFERENCE AFTER REBUILT, BECAUSE TCM KNOWS VALVE BODY PRESSURE VALUES AND THEY MUST BE RESET. IF AFTER REBUILT, it’s not shifting well, it means YOU WAITED TOO LONG WITH VALVE BODY REBUILT AND DESTROYED transmission hardware (bushings or actual clutches failed) and you need to rebuild it, but like i said main problem STARTS at valve body and then if not fixed in time you get worn out transmission. All those jolts, bumps or harsh shifts cause premature wear and tear on your tranny. Rule of the thumb is not to drive it if it jerks,or shifts wrong.

replacing just solenoids without rebuilding valve body, where accumulators/pistons always go bad after 60-70k, will not get you perfect results, but might improve shifting quality. Remember-cheap people usually pay twice (no offense).

So you hate the way tranny shifts and dealer and other shops didn’t find any faults and told youit is what it is and this is how it is intended to work! Well it is total lie they are trying to get rid of you with.

In fact ZF 6HP26 6hp19, 6hp28 is a very good transmission, powerful, bullet proof pretty much if serviced in time and proper fluid pressure maintained! This tranny is still considered one of the best and has carbon clutches vs cheap paper ones you can find on Japanese cars. But this tranny has very serious and very

important weak spots you have to take care of:

-First thing first check tranny temperatures. If it is higher than 95C, then most likely you have a problem with tranny cooling system or your engine cooling has some leaks causing running it very hot.

Usually high temps indicate following:

1) engine cooling system problem- air bauble or airlock

2) if everything is good with cooling system, check your tranny oil cooler- it gets clogged up pretty often and also indicates that some clutches or TC clutch is worn out and that debris clogged oil cooler.

3) worn out TC clutch slipping overheating transmission fluid.

Your good engine temps are 103-105C and if it climbs to 107-110C in traffic, it means you’ve got a leak :

-lower radiator hose sensor leaking (usually shows a white residue around the sensor)

-valley pan under intake

-rear cover plate between tranny and engine. Very common after 100k or 8-10yrs.

-coolant tank cracked

-radiator cap leaking pressure

-coolant pipe seal leaking

-other cooling issues

It is very important to keep temps in specs not only because of few degrees, but because with leaking

cooling system you lose coolant pressure introducing air in the system, causing uneven cooling and overheating both engine and tranny. Good OEM specs are 103-105 cycle when idling and lower hose should be hot around 60-80C. When you drive it tstat is controlled by ECU therefore it keeps it cool on the freeway.

Easy way to test your cooling system

1) Disconnect aux pump connector assuming aux pump is working (they fail often)

2) Drive your car to warm engine well

1. 1. Turn on heater on hot but low speed
  2. check if you get hot air from vents for 10 minutes.
  3. If after a minute you noticed your heater is not hot anymore, it means you’ve got a leak!
  4. This Engine has self bleeding cooling system, which means you cannot get air pocket if system is well sealed.

So if engine temps are good and tranny still runs hot 100-110, it means heat exchanger is clogged with tranny clutches, TC wear and tear dirt. Replace it and check if it got better. This tranny will die quick if temps are not good.

–MECHATRONIC ADAPTER SEAL.

This adapter (number 2) usually lasts only 60-70kmls (BMW lifetime). Replace it every 60kmls even if tranny shifts well. It is very important because it keeps your mechatronic valve body under specified pressure therefore it controls how clutches are pressed! Which means if your gasket is weak your tranny clutches are not pressing well on each other causing premature wear and tear, also tranny pump and TC clutch will be affected. This square seal also can CRACK, in this case you will get tranny fail safe errors and even clutches slipping ERRORS, causing very quick TRANNY DEATH. DON’T DRIVE YOUR CAR IF YOU’RE GETTING ANY TRANNY FAULTS, EVEN AFTER RESTART TRANNY ERRORS GO AWAY FOR A WHILE, IT IS NOT A TRANNY COMPUTER GLITCH!!!

http://www.thectsc.com/products/mechatronic-seal-adapter-6hp26-6hp28-6hp32-42-52.html

YES THIS SMALL, CHEAP GASKET CAN DAMAGE YOUR TRANSMISSION PRETTY BAD.

-OTHER 4 RUBBER PIPE SEALS.

They 5,6,7 also control clutch pressure, but even if they are flattened pretty bad transmission won’t give you any errors. Its always good idea to replace it- you’ll notice a difference how your tranny shifts. WWW.RMEUROPEAN.COM has these seals under transmission parts section.

–SOLENOID KITS. 2 TYPES

-MOST COMMON E65, YOU DON’T NEED PARKING SOLENOIDS SINCE THEY DON’T GO BAD OFTEN, SO YOU CAN USE M-SHIFT SOLENOIDS, BUT YOU CAN GET E-SHIFT PACK AS WELL, WHICH IS 200$ MORE.

http://www.thectsc.com/products/solenoid-kit-6hp19/26/32-m-shift-36-45.html

Yes they go bad and are not simple solenoids you used to know from old school trannies. Now these are pressure regulators and they do not only work open\close operation, they control pressure and after so me time they get clogged, overheat, etc. So if your tranny temps are good and your tranny shifts hard, it could be your solenoids. Its good idea to replace them every 100k, because they control everything in the tranny. You will be surprised how tranny shifts with new solenoids. And you don’t need 2 parking solenoids, so you can use 200$ cheaper kit, which fits 5,6 series without E-SHIFT. Also dont be scared if you open your transmision and find out that color is not the same- relax it changed color because of temps and age. There are two types of kitsAll the parts at very good prices can be found here:

http://www.thectsc.com/catalog/mechatronic-parts-52.html

-GUIBO FLEX DISC. They usually go bad after BMW lifetime period 60-70k.

Common Symptoms:

a) hard 2-1 sift

b) at stop you can hear clunking when shifting from P-R-D

c)overall tranny shifting quality

-Tranny fluid level.

Yes due to leaking oil pan gasket you might loose some fluid. Always check tranny oil pan for leaks and tranny fluid level (use BMW sealed tranny fluid level check procedure). It is always better to install metal oil pan- it never leaks and cheaper to maintain!

You can add BMW OEM PENTOSIN brand fluid or you can use MOBIL1 or CASTROL synthetic ATF fluid (10$/qt) import multi vehicle formula, believe it or not it has same specs if not better than BMW fluid and works great. Tested for 160kmls. BMW will only recommend OEM FLUID of course, but its up to you, so please do not comment here that different than OEM fluid will kill the tranny. But always make sure it has the same specs of course. Mostly Dextron 6 fluid applies as well for this trannies.

UPDATE: TRANSMISSION RUNS MUCH BETTER WITH OEM ZF FLUID OR SHELL M1375.4 FLUIDS, SO BETTER SPEND FEW MORE BUCKS FOR CORRECT FLUID. FEBI OR ZF WILL WORK GREAT. SOME USE FORD FLUID, SINCE ITS THE SAME TRANSMISSION BUT FLUID IS MUCH CHEAPER.

-Torque converter clutch.

Yes it can go bad just like any clutch, because this tranny engages this clutch very early causing premature wear and tear. In sport mode it can engage clutch as early as at first gear!! That’s why we get decent mpg from this tranny. In other words it is more like a manual tranny with torque converter working only at very low speeds and low rpm. So I would not recommend driving it very aggressively in the city, unless you enjoy paying 4-5k for a new tranny. Don’t forget this tranny handles 300-400hp and some impressive torque. Driving in normal mode, TC can last up to 300kmls!!

most common symptoms of bad clutch:

-sometimes when clutch is very bad it will throw 1721 error clucth slip

-bad MPG. Without TC clutch your car is still driveable, but you can feel its very weak even though engine feels strong

-after 4th gear tachometer arrow is not steady

-weak pickups, downshifting when driving uphill

-bad slipping clutch will overheat tranny pump and finally will kill internal tranny parts (clucths, valve body, seals, etc)

good news you can have your TC rebuilt for around 300$ and from personal experience i must say its not as perfect as new, but decent still.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DON’T FORGET TO RESET TRANSMISSION ADAPTATIONS AFTER ANY REPAIR DONE ON THE TRANSMISSION!!! IF YOU DON’T RESET IT, TRANNY WON’T SHIFT ANY BETTER BECAUSE IT REMEMBERS BAD VALUES. SOME PPL THINK PRESSING GAS PEDAL AND SAYING SOME MAGIC WORDS RESETS TRANSMISSIONS EGS ADAPTATIONS IS A TOTAL MADE UP JOKE. YOU CAN ONLY RESET IT WITH BMW SOFTWARE INPA, ISTA, AND SOME OTHER SOFTWARE SNAP ON ETC.

I know its a long list of issues, but if you take care of your tranny every 80-100kmls it pays for itself pretty good. Most important thing for this tranny is correct fluid pressure and temps, other parts like clutches are very durable and made with highest quality standard. Don’t forget the same tranny they still install on newest Bentley, Rolls Royce, Audi, Maserati and other luxury brands. This tranny is way more reliable than Mercedes one or Lexus trannies with same specs. Great prices on BMW parts you can get from www.rmeuropean.com, they are pretty good and sell only OEM parts from original suppliers. All transmission parts you can find here http://www.thectsc.com/catalog/6-speed-parts-113.html

How to Troubleshoot MOST bus or how to find the faulty MOST unit ON ANY BMW, AUDI, PORSCHE, VW, MERCEDES BENZ and other cars with OPTICAL FIBRE OPTIC MOST network

86 Replies

In this post we will be describing how to diagnose MOST bus failure in any BMW, AUDI, PORSCHE, ROLLS ROYCE, RANGE ROVER HSE, BENTLEY with MOST fiber optic bus. every car has different configuration, but principle is still the same!

So in 2000 they introduced newer multimedia bus, called MOST, IT IS VERY NICE AND FAST NETWORK, SO THERE IS ENOUGH SPEED TO CONTROL EVERY MULTIMEDIA DEVICE AND THEY ELIMINATED LOTS OF COPPER WIRES IN THE CAR. NOW SOUND IS FULLY DIGITAL AND CLEANEST (BC NO SIGNAL LOSS ON THE WIRES), SO IT IS A GOOD THING, BUT ITS MORE COMPLEX AND NOT VERY RELIABLE.

So to start you need to understand that all MOST (multimedia) modules in the car work in the closed loop, which means if any device in the loop fails-none will be working.MOST bus primary signal (optical red light signal) is generated inside of the main computer, which is your main screen CID (control display or CID in E65 car only, other BMW have main computer incorporated into head unit or CCC/CIC/NBT etc), then it travels through all MOST network devices (ask unit, amp, navi, fm tuner, phone etc. depending on how many options you have) and comes back into main head unit. Basically all units connected in the loop- one unit fails=broken network! Once you understand this principle, you can easily find broken unit or network interruption, don’t forget dealer will charge up to 500-1000$++ for such a serious job! You don’t believe me? go and try, then you will understand how priceless with post is.

Your E65 E66 or Rolls Royce phantom ( yes don’t be surprised it is the same exact car as your 760li btw) car has MOST bus failure if:

-cannot hear any sounds or music

-cannot see tracks playing on the display

-fm stations not available

-navi isn’t functioning

For other BMW like e60/e90/e70/e89/f01 and others MOST BUS FAILURE symptoms are little different because primary head unit has 4-5 modules (SVS, ask unit, MOST GATEWAY, NAVI, Radio tuner) combined and therefore everything will work except for those secondary modules:
-amplifier no sound and you see mute icon on the radio or screen
-TCUM or telephone module
-SAT NAV receiver
Here is the MOST DEVICES order diagram , but this is only valid for basic order and only for pre 2006 cars, you might have way more devices in the network, so you have to figure it out yourself by looping eac modules and draw a diagram of the modules.
Here is a quick video showing how to find a bad unit in real time:

FOR 2006-2008 E65 E66 cars basic order will look like this:

MMIGT(screen)>>CDC>>AVT(if you have it)>>TEL>>SAT(hd RADIO)>>L7>>SVS>>NAVI>>ASK>>OOPS(GLOVE BOX MOST LOOP)>>MMIGT

FOR E60 E90 E63 E89 E90 E92 E93 and so on:

HEAD UNIT CCC/CIC/NBT>>L7AMP>>SAT>>TCU>>MULF>>HEAD UNIT

On these cars in most cases i see sat and amplifier unit failure very often, telephone module goes bad too but not that often.CCC navi units have a high rate failure, but the good thing once you replace it, you replace 5 modules at once, so its more reliable and much easier to find a faulty unit because you only have 2 or 3 modules to diagnose and all of them located in the trunk. We also offer CCC or CIC repair service
So to find out the faulty unit you either need to see a dealer (but even dealer makes mistakes), but here is an easy solution if you don’t have anything, and if you do it right it always works:

You need basically to find out where the most signal gets lost, after what device you don’t see the red light. In other words you will be checking the red light after every device in the network, and the one which is not sending the red light signal is your FAULTY MOST UNIT. OOPS is the last diagnostic connection located in the glove box and it has lollipop attached and it has to be looped there, some people think it is a spare jumper, but its not, without this jumper you will interrupt the network!

HOW TO BYPASS NON WORKING MODULE??? EASY! GET THIS P/N FROM ANY BMW DEALER 61136917541, YOU CAN GET IT ONLINE FROM ECS TUNNING ECS TUNNING FIBRE OPTIC JUMPER. YOU HAVE TO REMOVE INNER PART WITH SOME FLAT SCREWDRIVER OR A KNIFE, YOU CAN ALSO USE ZIP TIE IF YOU PLAN TO KEEP THE JUMPER BYPASSED, IRT WON’T STAY WITHOUT ZIP TIE.

most common MOST devices failure (descending from most common to less):

-SAT SIRIUS unit always goes bad, we will offer repair of this unit soon

–TCU TELEPHONE BLUETOOTH MODULE RECENTLY WE SEE TONS OF THEM FAILING!

-Logic7 amp AMP

-ask cd unit ASK

-navigation NAVI

-fm tuner

-CD itself main screen CID

-cd changer CDC

-SVS (gets flooded with hydraulic fluid from trunk opener cylinder, if you see sticky fluid on the NAVI, SVS- replace asap)

other modules. depending what you have in your car

Always check if you have red light in the glove box, disconnect that jumper and check for the light, if you found and bypassed bad unit correctly you should see the red light in the glovebox and then you can install the jumper and everything should start working. I know it sound complicated but once you understood how it works it is kind of very easy.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT BLINDLY BYPASS EVERY MODULE, LIKE LOTS OF PEOPLE DO, YOU MIGHT FIND THE PROBLEM, BUT ITS NOT EFFICIENT AND SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT DIAGNOSE IT RIGHT. ALSO MAKE SURE EVERY MODULE HAS 12v POWER. BASICALLY EVERY MODULE NEEDS FIBER OPTIC SIGNAL AND 12V POWER ATTACHED TO FUNCTION.TO WAKE UP MOST NETWORK IT IS ENOUGH TO OPEN/CLOSE THE DOOR, YOU DON’T HAVE TO START THE CAR, THE THING IS MOST GATEWAY WILL GO TO SLEEP AFTER 10 MINUTES IF NETWORK IS BROKEN AND TO WAKE IT UP YOU NEED TO OPEN/CLOSE ANY DOOR OR TURN ON THE RADIO.

THAT’S about it, IF YOU FOUND THE BAD MODULE YOU JUST SAVED 300-400$ AND TIME. REMEMBER LOTS BMW SHOPS STILL CANNOT DIAGNOSE IT RIGHT AND ALWAYS POINT TO ASK UNIT OR AMPLIFIER, “BECAUSE THERE IS NO SOUND”, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE, I WOULD SAY IN 50% ITS NOT CORRECT EVEN FROM OFFICIAL DEALERS. WHY THEY MADE IT SO COMPLICATED AND NOT RELIABLE?? WELL THIS A FUTURE OF CARS AND TECHNOLOGY, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO ASKED TO HAVE ALL THESE TOYS IN THE CAR, SO YOU EITHER LEARN IT OR HAVE YOUR WALLET READY TO GET SKINNIER, OR BUY HONDA/TOYOTA….

Rolls Royce Phantom and BMW E65, E66 LOGIC7 AMPLIFIER AND ASK UNIT DIAGNOSTICS

212 Replies

The article below discusses common audio issues you may experience with your LOGIC7, standard ASK system, or both. The LOGIC7 amplifier and ASK module are used in the Rolls Royce Phantom and BMW E65, E66 models.

Please also click here to check our NEW product-Remote start for E65 E66 RR Phantom, nicest feature in your car!

THE AUDIO SYSTEM

The audio system is available in two variants, standard 6 speaker Hi-Fi, and BMW LOGIC7 also referred to as ‘Hi-Fi Professional DSP’, ‘Top Hi-Fi’ or ‘Premium DSP’.

The standard Hi-Fi system has the following configuration:

ASK Module:
– 2 Front Mid Range Speakers and Tweeters
– 2 Rear Deck Mid Range Speakers
– 2 Subwoofer Pre-outs (fed directly to Hi-Fi Amplifier)

Hi-Fi Amplifier:
– 2 Underseat Subwoofers

Summary:
Conventional analogue amplifier, analogue audio is received from the ASK module and amplified for the two subwoofer channels.

Common Failure Modes:
ASK:
– Failure of one or more front or rear deck speaker outputs, usually crackling, distorted or no audio output. This is an ASK related failure.
Hi-Fi Amplifier:
– The subwoofer amplifier is very reliable and rarely suffers any failure symptoms.

The LOGIC7 system has the following configuration:

ASK Module:
– 2 Front Mid Range Speakers and Tweeters
– 2 Rear Deck Mid Range Speakers

LOGIC7 Top Hi-Fi Amplifier:
– 1 Centre Mid Range Dashboard Speaker
– 2 Rear Door Mid Range Speakers
– 2 Underseat Subwoofers

Summary:
Digital amplifier with full DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and 7 channel graphic equaliser. The audio data is received from the ASK (Audio System Controller) via a fibre optic connection, it is decoded, processed to enhance the sound and staging effects before being converted back to analogue and fed to the internal 5 channel amplifier.

Common Failure Modes:
ASK:
– Failure of one or more front or rear deck speaker outputs, usually crackling, distorted or no audio output.
LOGIC7:
– Sub-woofer output failure, resulting in crackling, distorted or no bass output.
– One or more of the three mid range speaker output channels can suffer crackling, distorted or no audio output.

2002-2005 Pre Facelifted ASK UNIT (CD-Player)

2006-2008 Face lifted ASK UNIT (CD-Player)

Standard problems with ASK AUDIO CONTROLLER:

– crackling, static noise from front doors and rear deck speakers. No sound at all. Therefore it will affect all service sounds like:

-PDC (parking sensors) not beeping, no NAVI guide voice, door chimes, warning sounds etc.

– in some cases ask unit controller is not responding to fibre optic signals causing MOST fibre optic bus failure. But it does not mean the problem is your ask unit or Logic 7 amp, it could be any device in the MOST BUS network, to troubleshoot and find out which module is causing failure I will cover in details in my next post, stay tuned.

THIS VIDEO SHOWS HOW TO REMOVE LOGIC 7 AMPLIFIER

How to remove ASK CD PLAYER UNIT?? EASY!

LOGIC 7 TOP HIFI AMPLIFIER 2002-2008

FIRST GENERATION BAD DESIGN L7 AMPLIFIER 2001-2006:\

NOT ALWAYS FIXABLE…. 50% SUCCESS RATE.

GOOD AMPLIFIER DESIGN AFTER 2006. 4 CLIPS:

VERY GOOD SUCCESS RATE ABOUT 90%

BMW Logic7 amplifier is a fiber optic controlled amplifier with FIBRE OPTIC CONTROLLER AND HIGH SPEED 24 BIT DSP PROCESSOR, therefore you can not install regular aftermarket amp. It produces 5 channels:

-sub woofers under front seats 8″ shallow type

-rear doors

-front center speaker in the dash

Any problems with those speakers are related to the AMP and have nothing to do with the speakers most of the times, but sometimes sub woofers get flooded and therefore can be bad, causing amplifier failure. Speakers can be easily tested: it should show about resistance=4 Ohms.

Main problem is that modules inside the amplifier overheat and die, the only way to rebuild i is to replace it, unfortunately BMW or Becker made it impossible due to non standard mini modules. we redesigned the entire system and since 2009 we did not have any returns.

Please do not even think that capacitors went bad, it never happened, but you can always check them if they are ok, before replacing it (makes sense?). But since 2009 and ~280 amps fixed none of them had bad caps.

Another problem with Logic7 amps is that when it does not sound right, those burnt modules overheat entire amplifier causing Logic board to fail, so if your amp isn’t doing well its better not to use it and fix it ASAP.

In most of the cases, APPLIES TO CARS BEFORE 2004 (AFTER 2004 THEY CHANGED SOFTWARE AND SETTINGS ARE ADJUSTABLE EVEN WITHOUT ANY AMPLIFIER CONNECTED!) if Logic7 level AND EQ SETTINGS ARE adjustable in the menu (entertainment),

it means that logic board is still okay and it is fixable, but if you don’t have any sound, or if its cutting in and out, it means that Logic7 amplifier is causing MOST bus failure, and lots of things are not working in your IDRIVE:

-navigation isn’t working at all.

-is not showing consumption and other things.

-cd changer making noise trying to find a CD.

HOW TO BYPASS NON WORKING MODULE??? EASY!
HOW TO DIAGNOSE MOST BUS FAILURE ON ANY CAR WITH MOST FIBRE OPTIC NETWORKGET THIS P/N FROM ANY BMW DEALER 61136917541, YOU CAN GET IT ONLINE FROM ECS TUNNING ECS TUNNING FIBRE OPTIC JUMPER. YOU HAVE TO REMOVE INNER PART WITH SOME FLAT SCREWDRIVER OR A KNIFE, YOU CAN ALSO USE ZIP TIE IF YOU PLAN TO KEEP IT

In my next Post i will cover how to diagnose MOST bus failure and what device causing it, because it could be any device in the MOST bus network, and to find it out you either need bmw software and cable or i will explain the way on how to diagnose it without anything.

IF YOU DECIDED YOU NEED HELP WITH REPAIR, PLEASE SEND YOUR AMPLIFIER OR ASK UNIT OR BOTH (550$X2) HERE ALONG WITH 550$ PAYPAL PAYED TO LOGIC7REPAIR@GMAIL.COM.

We have also EBAY add, so you can see real feedback.CLICK THIS LINK BELOW, MAKE A 550$ PAYMENT, PRINT A RECEIPT AND INCLUDE IT IN THE BOX WITH YOUR AMPLIFIER OR ASK UNIT AND SEND IT TO OUR ADDRESS (SEE BELOW). USUALLY IT TAKES 1-2 DAYS TO REBUILD IT AND 2-3 DAYS SHIPPING. INEXPENSIVE AND FASTEST SHIPPING IS USPS PRIORITY MEDIUM OR LARGE BOX (15$).

if your car facelifted 2006 and up, its 99% guaranteed its fixable.

before 2005 logic7 amplifiers are not always fixable, so if you have cutting in and out, or it plays only from front speakers and Logic7 level is not adjustable, most likely we cannot help, but you can still bypass it and install standard amp, though it will not sound like original one, though much cheaper.

IF YOU ARE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS DIAGNOSING YOUR AMP FAILURE PLEASE GIVE US A CALL OR TXT IF NO ANSWER, SO WE WILL CALL YOU BACK, BUT PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE FIRST, IT EXPLAINS A LOT IF NOT EVERYTHING.

NOTE: If you don’t have any sound and cannot see NAVI, FM stations, CD tracks changing or playing, it means you have at least one device failure in the MOST network and you have to find out which one (most common are: NAVI, SVS, CD changer, ASK, L7, FM tuner) is causing this problem, i will be describing it in my next post.

BMW is a great car when brand new from factory!! Well, but it was designed not to last more than warranty period. Continue reading →

BAVLOGIC, LLC