My service engine soon light came on, should I be worried?

I have a 2005 330ci zhp package. It's has 117k miles. Drives perfectly fine. What could it be?

Pull the codes.

Mine came on and I pulled the codes (bank lean codes - possible vacuum leak). After clearing the codes, they have not come back.

Take it to auto zone? To reset the light?

Originally Posted by Bmwguy321

Take it to auto zone? To reset the light?

Take it to auto zone to pull the codes so you can find out what's wrong with your car.

no absolutely nothing to worry about. Your engine just feels lonely and wants you to say hi and check up on her once in a while.

Haha you're funny! Nothing seems to be wrong.. Hoping nothing is..

Originally Posted by Bmwguy321

Haha you're funny! Nothing seems to be wrong.. Hoping nothing is..

If nothing was wrong the light wouldn't be on.

This thread is 100% pointless until you get the codes read.

If you can turn a wrench, consider removing your air box and MAF sensor (might as well clean it too with MAF cleaner) along with the upper intake boot and DISA. Look for cracks or tears in the upper intake boot, and feel around the lower intake boot as well for holes or tears, which hopefully you can do without taking it off since the hose clamps holding it on are a pain to loosen. Also inspect the DISA for proper function, because if the butterfly flap is loose, chipped, or flopping about freely, that may cause lean codes and a SES light. You'll need to check the codes anyway, but it's often a bank 1 and 2 lean code which can indicate a vacuum leak somewhere..

These are the easy things to check. You just need some wrenches, a screwdriver, and a Torx bit. Let us know what you find out.

I hate to state it this way, however, if you own any car and do any work on it yourself, you need some sort of scan tool or software. You may need multiple tools as well.

With the mileage on your current car, you need to get rid of it or purchase the tools and learn to work on it yourself, it is about to start cleaning your wallet out. Not because it is a BMW, because it is 8 years old and is a high mileage car. If you have not had many problems to date, you are lucky.

Read this thread - http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=967204

For under $25 you can have a tool that can at least read & clear the basic codes.

Then you should read all the links below in my signature.

If it is made of rubber or plastic and it is under the hood, it will need replacing in the next few years.

I would be working on your cooling system before this Summer Hotlanta heat sets in, it needs a full overhaul. See the few sticky threads on this forum for cooling system info.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Bmwguy321

Haha you're funny! Nothing seems to be wrong.. Hoping nothing is..

SOMETHING must be wrong, else the light would not be on.

The first thing I did when I bought my car was buy a Peake code reader. $150 and it paid for itself the first time I used it. Much more specific than a generic OBD II reader like AutoZone or AA uses. Camshaft position sensor? Which one? Buy both? Guess wrong and replace the wrong one? Live with the problem? $150 and keep it in your glove box. Stop guessing!!!

It was my air temperature sensor... It's saying its 125 degrees outside when it only 73

Originally Posted by Bmwguy321

It was my air temperature sensor... It's saying its 125 degrees outside when it only 73

Are you sure? The temp probe does not throw a code.

Pull codes, and tell us what you get. Expect a 5-digit code that reads P0nnn or P1nnn (where nnn are numeric digits).

If you have an android go the cheap route if you want. Get torque and an obd Bluetooth adapter for 10 bucks on Amazon. Shows codes and can erase. Plus 100 other things

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by jfoj

I hate to state it this way, however, if you own any car and do any work on it yourself, you need some sort of scan tool or software. You may need multiple tools as well.

With the mileage on your current car, you need to get rid of it or purchase the tools and learn to work on it yourself, it is about to start cleaning your wallet out. Not because it is a BMW, because it is 8 years old and is a high mileage car. If you have not had many problems to date, you are lucky.

Read this thread - http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=967204

For under $25 you can have a tool that can at least read & clear the basic codes.

Then you should read all the links below in my signature.

If it is made of rubber or plastic and it is under the hood, it will need replacing in the next few years.

I would be working on your cooling system before this Summer Hotlanta heat sets in, it needs a full overhaul. See the few sticky threads on this forum for cooling system info.

Good luck.

Why on earth does everyone say this... I have almost 130k and only had to replace my expansion and upper rad hose.. I don't find this to be particularly true for all BMW's. I also have another 330ci which also hasn't had any of those problems at 160k. And have owned it since 20k. Just my 2 cents

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by Orchazum

Why on earth does everyone say this... I have almost 130k and only had to replace my expansion and upper rad hose.. I don't find this to be particularly true for all BMW's. I also have another 330ci which also hasn't had any of those problems at 160k. And have owned it since 20k. Just my 2 cents

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Bimmer App

Not sure "everyone" says what I state. I likely have more years working on cars that you have been alive. My statement is also not directed specifically to BMW owners, it it true for ANY car owner.

Mileage has nothing to do with the rubber and plastic parts, you did not mention what year you car is.

Rubber last reliably about 8 years under most circumstances. It also depends on what part of the country you live in and what ambient temps you drive and and if you are stuck in stop and go city traffic that will elevate underhood temps.

But the general comment was to the OP he has a higher mileage car that if he plans on keeping it reliable and in top shape he needs a scan tool and/or software in order to maintain and repair his car. Otherwise he will soon be spending a lot of money on the car and be very inconvenienced.

Currently my newest vehicle is a 2006 model year and I want to keep my current vehicle in as best shape as I can because I do not like surprises and to be inconvenienced.

If you have your original CCV & hoses, DISA, SAP hoses, power steering hoses, you are likely to very soon have issues. I see you live in FL so you do not deal with the over 100F temp extremes that many of us deal with in other parts of the country. Also your milder weather temps likely do not cause as many lean misfires as the northern states.

If you read the links in my signature you will learn what the rest of the world deals with on a regular basis.

Originally Posted by Bmwguy321

It was my air temperature sensor... It's saying its 125 degrees outside when it only 73

No.

Editisregard. It could be.

That's what autozone told me. That it was my air temperature sensor. The only code that popped up!

What was the code that popped up?

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

Are you sure? The temp probe does not throw a code.

Pull codes, and tell us what you get. Expect a 5-digit code that reads P0nnn or P1nnn (where nnn are numeric digits).

Yea it does .A busted ambient sensor will throw a SES Engine Service soon


http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=966261