Category Archives: Updates

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.

photo 1(1)

and inside after T40 torxs were taken out:

photo 3 photo 4

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???

photo(4)

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:) IVM_bad

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:

photo 2

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!!!

 

 

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

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.