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OBD Code

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:48 pm
by Darkfoxx
For Da Bumbs...

I went to get lunch and after I got back in my car I noticed the "Service Engine Soon" light was now off. Hmmm ok. So I went to Advanced Auto Parts anyways and asked if they did OBD code reading. The guy said yeah but there was no one to do it. He said "Can you do it yourself?"...I'm like "Hell yeah!".

Went back to my car with the reader and did work. I'm a boss. 8)

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20120702_141721.jpg (264KiB)Viewed 9009 times


Seems like I was right in my assumption that this was because of the extreme heat. The light went away for now, but should I replace something (thermostat?) to keep this from happening again? Explain on TS later plz.

Found this too: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... ?t=1313609

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:38 pm
by Harness
If I remember right, your thermostat housing has an electrical connector going to it. It's some kind of an electric controlled thermostat, unique to this engine. I have also heard rumors that if it shorts out internally there is a chance to damage your ECM (engine control module), BMW might call it a DME. Either way it's your engines brain and you don't want it to get hurt.

They make a replacement thermostat housing for this problem and it's pretty reasonable and pretty common to fail. Not very difficult for the do-it-yourselfer but your gonna spill coolant all over the place and you need something to collect it. Plus, refilling the coolant and bleeding out all the air can sometimes be more difficult on these cars then just filling up the bottle.

I would post parts and try to find diagrams but someone left out the year, make and model in their post. :roll:

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:13 pm
by Darkfoxx

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:42 pm
by Darkfoxx
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488476

Might as well have you flush it after you replace the thermostat housing.

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:32 pm
by Jif

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:36 pm
by Darkfoxx

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:43 pm
by Harness
Your gonna dump about 75% of your coolant so a flush won't be needed.

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:05 pm
by Darkfoxx

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:20 am
by Darkfoxx
I took some pics the other day. This thermostat housing looks like a bitch to unplug without taking a ton of shit off. The SES light keeps shutting off like a day after it comes on, so I guess it is flapping between states at the moment. But anyways...I can't tell how I'm suppose to unplug the electrical connection. The 2nd pic has an arrow where the electrical connection is.

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:52 pm
by Jif
buy a newer Z4

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:44 pm
by Darkfoxx

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:26 pm
by Jif

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 10:53 pm
by Harness
The picture you posted with the arrow has a little squiggly metal piece attached to the connector. You push the metal piece in toward the connector and pull up and the same time.

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:58 am
by Darkfoxx

Re: OBD Code

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:54 am
by Darkfoxx