No Power at low revs

[Nikhil]

Ok so just had a look, your car has the N47 not N47N, take a look below your intake manifold there will be a large plastic pipe with 4 smaller rubber lines attached to it. Trace each of these lines end to end and check the line for cracks or splits, even if its brittle it should be replaced.

There is also a sensor that sits on your intake manifold located on the side between cylinder 1 and 2, in some instances when the sensor is dirty it will either under read or over read boost pressure resulting in power lag or a drop in power, clean this sensor aswell as the sensor at the top of the cold side boost pipe with some electrical cleaner.

Revert back to use once you’ve completed the above. Please also disconnect the battery when removing the sensors.

---

Bud where about are you based? if you are close to Midrand i could possibly take a look and help diagnose the issue. Dont know how the f u c k SW an DP is going to help you fix anything. :hammerhead:

Thank you so much for the offer, i am based in cape town :-(

the other things i came across was that these 320d's apparently came with 2 turbos, a garret and a mitsubishi. from that thread, based in the UK, it said that the actuator on the turbo can cause this and that apparently on the garret it can be replaced however on the mitsubishi you have to replace the whole turbo as the actuator is built into a sealed unit.

on a side note, does anyone know if these cars work of a vacuum? my friend has a '08 polo tdi, stage 1 software, cat delete and straight flow pipe. He experienced a similar issue at cruising speed, in his case it was a small vacuum pipe that ran into the turbo that was damaged.

Damn ok. Your car is pre LCI being an 2009 so it should be vacuum actuated turbo. You won’t pick up a vacuum leak on the error codes if one of the pipes has a slit, my suspicion if you boosting properly after 3rd is a vacuum leak to the turbo actuator or one of the other pipes in your vacuum system as they have a single feed to a vacuum block from the vacuum pump. What’s the mileage on your car and whats the last 7 digits of your vin, would like to check the tech diagrams for your vehicle so I can help troubleshoot properly.

Nah dude its LCI if its an 09

hmmm ok ive seen 09 but pre lci, must have been registered in 09 but 08 build. but anyway vin will give me the tech details i need.

LCI was late 2008 so there are a few 09 reg pre lci's.

from real oem

2004 - 2008 Pre lci

2007 - 2012 Lci

but from what it looks like they only got the N47N engine in 2010

---

I will do and advise. thanks for all the assistance everyone, i really appreciate it. what is the difference between the N47 and N47N? is it just the power difference?

---

The intake manifold , then various pipes including boost pipes and the vacuum system is different. what ive been told but never validated is that the injectors, turbo and Engine management is also different.

 

[naren512]

Ok so just had a look, your car has the N47 not N47N, take a look below your intake manifold there will be a large plastic pipe with 4 smaller rubber lines attached to it. Trace each of these lines end to end and check the line for cracks or splits, even if its brittle it should be replaced.

There is also a sensor that sits on your intake manifold located on the side between cylinder 1 and 2, in some instances when the sensor is dirty it will either under read or over read boost pressure resulting in power lag or a drop in power, clean this sensor aswell as the sensor at the top of the cold side boost pipe with some electrical cleaner.

Revert back to use once you’ve completed the above. Please also disconnect the battery when removing the sensors.

---

Bud where about are you based? if you are close to Midrand i could possibly take a look and help diagnose the issue. Dont know how the f u c k SW an DP is going to help you fix anything. :hammerhead:

Thank you so much for the offer, i am based in cape town :-(

the other things i came across was that these 320d's apparently came with 2 turbos, a garret and a mitsubishi. from that thread, based in the UK, it said that the actuator on the turbo can cause this and that apparently on the garret it can be replaced however on the mitsubishi you have to replace the whole turbo as the actuator is built into a sealed unit.

on a side note, does anyone know if these cars work of a vacuum? my friend has a '08 polo tdi, stage 1 software, cat delete and straight flow pipe. He experienced a similar issue at cruising speed, in his case it was a small vacuum pipe that ran into the turbo that was damaged.

Damn ok. Your car is pre LCI being an 2009 so it should be vacuum actuated turbo. You won’t pick up a vacuum leak on the error codes if one of the pipes has a slit, my suspicion if you boosting properly after 3rd is a vacuum leak to the turbo actuator or one of the other pipes in your vacuum system as they have a single feed to a vacuum block from the vacuum pump. What’s the mileage on your car and whats the last 7 digits of your vin, would like to check the tech diagrams for your vehicle so I can help troubleshoot properly.

Nah dude its LCI if its an 09

hmmm ok ive seen 09 but pre lci, must have been registered in 09 but 08 build. but anyway vin will give me the tech details i need.

LCI was late 2008 so there are a few 09 reg pre lci's.

from real oem

2004 - 2008 Pre lci

2007 - 2012 Lci

but from what it looks like they only got the N47N engine in 2010

---

I will do and advise. thanks for all the assistance everyone, i really appreciate it. what is the difference between the N47 and N47N? is it just the power difference?

---

The intake manifold , then various pipes including boost pipes and the vacuum system is different. what ive been told but never validated is that the injectors, turbo and Engine management is also different.

---

ok cool, thanks. i had a look and it seems that the one vacuum line has a fracture on it. also i noticed that the boost pipe into the intake is a little loose, it moves front and back slightly. im waiting to hear now what is happening as apparently the vacuum line and boost pipes were checked. will keep you all updated.

 

[Nikhil]

bud the lines are really cheap. just get some silicone hose or fuel hose in the same diameter and replace everything. 6 metres should be more than enough from a spares shop

 

[naren512]

ok cool, thanks bud.

 

[naren512]

**UPDATE**

Hi guys,

Just an update on this, so the vacuum lines have been changed and the boost pipes checked and inspected for leaks. The issue is still there, the Mech says that they are getting an error on the diagnostics indicating that there is too much air passing the MAF, however they are still investigating.

So the hunt continues...

**NEW UPDATE**
Just got off the line with the guys, they have advised me that everything mechanical checks out and suspect the software is an issue. They have arranged for this to be addressed on Monday.

 

[Nikhil]

What diagnostics are they using and what's the actual error code?

 

[davelo]

What is the current mileage? My '09 X3 2.0d (same N47 engine, i think?) gave some similar error codes at around 180 000km, although there were no driveability issues. I seem to remember the throttle actuator and MAF codes. I ended up replacing the intake manifold, which was badly fouled with carbon and one of the flaps was broken. I suspect the flap issue caused a discrepancy with the expected vs measured air flow. All was fine after that, with no more codes. Just another possibility you could check in case you don't come right. Unfortunately not a cheap fix, as the manifold was over R8000, but you could try to find a used one.

Just for info, the fuel heater code likely indicates the diesel heater (part of the filter assembly) is faulty. Not an issue unless you have seriously low temperatures where diesel flowability becomes an issue. When mine failed it remained on, which drained the battery overnight. I just unplugged the connector on the heater and taped it up. There was a recall about this - you can maybe check if it was done on your car. Mine had been replaced as part of the recall, but the replacement also failed.

 

[naren512]

What diagnostics are they using and what's the actual error code?

I didnt ask for the exact code, however they said they the same errors where coming up, mass air flow sensor pciking up too much air, fuel pump pressure low.

The car is at Brilliant Mechanical Works, they have a BMW specific tool

---

What is the current mileage? My '09 X3 2.0d (same N47 engine, i think?) gave some similar error codes at around 180 000km, although there were no driveability issues. I seem to remember the throttle actuator and MAF codes. I ended up replacing the intake manifold, which was badly fouled with carbon and one of the flaps was broken. I suspect the flap issue caused a discrepancy with the expected vs measured air flow. All was fine after that, with no more codes. Just another possibility you could check in case you don't come right. Unfortunately not a cheap fix, as the manifold was over R8000, but you could try to find a used one.

Just for info, the fuel heater code likely indicates the diesel heater (part of the filter assembly) is faulty. Not an issue unless you have seriously low temperatures where diesel flowability becomes an issue. When mine failed it remained on, which drained the battery overnight. I just unplugged the connector on the heater and taped it up. There was a recall about this - you can maybe check if it was done on your car. Mine had been replaced as part of the recall, but the replacement also failed.

My Car is on 185 000 km now. I have asked them to check the swirlflaps as my basic code reader which was a generic P code but from what i found indicated an issue on the swirl flaps. They said it all checked out fine though.

 

[naren512]

****UPDATE****

So we are in to week 3, the last update I received was that the car was sent to another company in montague gardens for assistance and they have not been able to replicate the fault. I check the the tracker report and they did not follow instructions. I advised that that the issue comes up when I drive below 40km/h for a period of 1.5 to 2 hours. I saw on the report that they driving between 80 and 120 freeway driving which is not where the issue happens. So i gave it a few more days and checked the tracker report this morning and........ nothing changed :rage: still driving freeway, still driving 80-120km/h.

Its been a total of 5 weeks now that the car has been back and forth and now just been there, im starting to wonder if i will remember how to drive by the time the car comes back? Hell the car may even by paid off by then :hammerhead:

Sorry for the rant guys, just starting to loose hope.

 

[naren512]

Latest Update,

I received my car back yesterday, the issue still isn't fixed and i will have to take it back in Jan as they are closing next week. They suspect that it is the actuator on the turbo that is faulty. I asked them to check what turbo is in, and im lucky enough to have the Mitsubishi Turbo, which from what i read has a built in actuator that can not be replaced, so i am looking at a turbo replacement in Jan.

 

[evnmopwr]

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well.

Been having a power loss issue on my car, 2009 E90 320d. some days the car drives fine, however sometimes in bumper to bumper traffic, it looses complete power. idles fine though. if i come to a stop and take off, with my foot to the floor the car shudders a little crawls off. once it eventually gets to about 2500 rpm it starts picking up some speed, once i get to 3rd gear it starts boosting like a bar out of hell.

whats been done so far is the following:
1) Diesel filter replaced with BMW part
2) Diesel Pump replaced with BMW part
3) MAF sensor replaced with original Bosch part
4) Fuel ekp / epk control module replaced with BMW part

although it is better, the issue is still there and i really have no idea what it could be.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hate chasing this Issues

---

Latest Update,

I received my car back yesterday, the issue still isn't fixed and i will have to take it back in Jan as they are closing next week. They suspect that it is the actuator on the turbo that is faulty. I asked them to check what turbo is in, and im lucky enough to have the Mitsubishi Turbo, which from what i read has a built in actuator that can not be replaced, so i am looking at a turbo replacement in Jan.

I have A replacement Garret Turbo if you need...
came off the Facelift E46 With the M47N 320d engine in.. so not sure if it will work on yours

Will check ETK on compatibility

---

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well.

Been having a power loss issue on my car, 2009 E90 320d. some days the car drives fine, however sometimes in bumper to bumper traffic, it looses complete power. idles fine though. if i come to a stop and take off, with my foot to the floor the car shudders a little crawls off. once it eventually gets to about 2500 rpm it starts picking up some speed, once i get to 3rd gear it starts boosting like a bar out of hell.

whats been done so far is the following:
1) Diesel filter replaced with BMW part
2) Diesel Pump replaced with BMW part
3) MAF sensor replaced with original Bosch part
4) Fuel ekp / epk control module replaced with BMW part

although it is better, the issue is still there and i really have no idea what it could be.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hate chasing this Issues

---

Latest Update,

I received my car back yesterday, the issue still isn't fixed and i will have to take it back in Jan as they are closing next week. They suspect that it is the actuator on the turbo that is faulty. I asked them to check what turbo is in, and im lucky enough to have the Mitsubishi Turbo, which from what i read has a built in actuator that can not be replaced, so i am looking at a turbo replacement in Jan.

I have A replacement Garret Turbo if you need...
came off the Facelift E46 With the M47N 320d engine in.. so not sure if it will work on yours

Will check ETK on compatibility

---

Just checked, not compatible.. good luck with this issue:thumbs:

 

[naren512]

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well.

Been having a power loss issue on my car, 2009 E90 320d. some days the car drives fine, however sometimes in bumper to bumper traffic, it looses complete power. idles fine though. if i come to a stop and take off, with my foot to the floor the car shudders a little crawls off. once it eventually gets to about 2500 rpm it starts picking up some speed, once i get to 3rd gear it starts boosting like a bar out of hell.

whats been done so far is the following:
1) Diesel filter replaced with BMW part
2) Diesel Pump replaced with BMW part
3) MAF sensor replaced with original Bosch part
4) Fuel ekp / epk control module replaced with BMW part

although it is better, the issue is still there and i really have no idea what it could be.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hate chasing this Issues

---

Latest Update,

I received my car back yesterday, the issue still isn't fixed and i will have to take it back in Jan as they are closing next week. They suspect that it is the actuator on the turbo that is faulty. I asked them to check what turbo is in, and im lucky enough to have the Mitsubishi Turbo, which from what i read has a built in actuator that can not be replaced, so i am looking at a turbo replacement in Jan.

I have A replacement Garret Turbo if you need...
came off the Facelift E46 With the M47N 320d engine in.. so not sure if it will work on yours

Will check ETK on compatibility

---

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well.

Been having a power loss issue on my car, 2009 E90 320d. some days the car drives fine, however sometimes in bumper to bumper traffic, it looses complete power. idles fine though. if i come to a stop and take off, with my foot to the floor the car shudders a little crawls off. once it eventually gets to about 2500 rpm it starts picking up some speed, once i get to 3rd gear it starts boosting like a bar out of hell.

whats been done so far is the following:
1) Diesel filter replaced with BMW part
2) Diesel Pump replaced with BMW part
3) MAF sensor replaced with original Bosch part
4) Fuel ekp / epk control module replaced with BMW part

although it is better, the issue is still there and i really have no idea what it could be.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hate chasing this Issues

---

Latest Update,

I received my car back yesterday, the issue still isn't fixed and i will have to take it back in Jan as they are closing next week. They suspect that it is the actuator on the turbo that is faulty. I asked them to check what turbo is in, and im lucky enough to have the Mitsubishi Turbo, which from what i read has a built in actuator that can not be replaced, so i am looking at a turbo replacement in Jan.

I have A replacement Garret Turbo if you need...
came off the Facelift E46 With the M47N 320d engine in.. so not sure if it will work on yours

Will check ETK on compatibility

---

Just checked, not compatible.. good luck with this issue:thumbs:

---

---

---

Thanks bud, Much appreciated. thankfully i have 6 months of the warranty left so holding thumbs.

 

[Static E90]

I suggest a DP and SW.

Just had did a cat delete and SW on mine, got rid of almost all the turbo lag. The car also hasn't gotten much louder, if that is an issue

 

[naren512]

I suggest a DP and SW.

Just had did a cat delete and SW on mine, got rid of almost all the turbo lag. The car also hasn't gotten much louder, if that is an issue

Thanks Bud, im considering doing that after the turbo repair / replacement.

 

[naren512]

Hi Guys,

Just another update. I got my car back and the company that was investigating the issue said they couldn't replicate the fault, yet I was from the time i got the car back. Last Friday night the issue was there and quite bad. My friend picked up something quite interesting. There is smoke coming from the intake side and what seems to be a lot of carbon bits around it. I have attached pics of where the smoke was coming from when i tried to rev the car.

Another thing that i found interesting, was if i drive with the AC on, the issue doesn't seem to replicate. which makes sense now as to wy the guys could not replicate the issue. According to the tracker reports, the cat was driven early morning and late afternoon, and i can only assume that the aircon was on during the afternoon drive.

Brillaint called me today and advised that they will be doing some more research over the holidays and prep for when i bring the car back in Jan but would like to pull the intake and do a carbon clean as well.

On a side note, how would i upload a video?

 

[naren512]

Good Morning Guys,

Compliments of the season to all of you and your families.

We are making some progress with this issue, davelo mentioned that he has an issue on the intake and it turns out I am experiencing the same issue. So I am in for a new intake and hopefully will be back to normal.

 

[davelo]

Glad you appear to have found the root cause. Hopefully that sorts it out. Did you keep all those parts you replaced? Chances are some of the old parts are still good. When my vehicle was at BMW for some other minor work they wanted to replace my MAF sensor too, when they found that code. Fortunately I told them not to, as that's an expensive component to purchase unnecessarily. Replacing the inlet manifold cleared all the codes and all is still good, approaching 220 000 km now.

Dave

 

[naren512]

Glad you appear to have found the root cause. Hopefully that sorts it out. Did you keep all those parts you replaced? Chances are some of the old parts are still good. When my vehicle was at BMW for some other minor work they wanted to replace my MAF sensor too, when they found that code. Fortunately I told them not to, as that's an expensive component to purchase unnecessarily. Replacing the inlet manifold cleared all the codes and all is still good, approaching 220 000 km now.

Dave

Thanks for the info bud, the only think i kept was the fuel controller module which was over R5k to replace. I was stupid to not keep the old fuel pump(R7k) and maf sensor ( this was another R4k). Not waiting for the pricing and to see what warranty is going to pay out. I still told them last year already to pull and inspect the intake. I just received the below pic from them

 

[naren512]

Good Morning guys,

Just a final update, the issue has been resolved. A complete new intake has been installed (R12 500) and the car is back to normal.

thanks to all of you for your advice and assistance.

 

[Zach]

Damn! That looks like the electronic EGR caught fire! There is a massive recall on these as they lead to the entire car burning down. There was an article recently from South Korea over bmws catching fire from the electronic egr, big law suit.

Edit: Here we go https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?pid=1366758