2002 BMW 3 Series Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2002 BMW 325i. The contact stated that upon exiting the store, he observed fire emerging from the driver's side dashboard. The vehicle spontaneously combusted and was engulfed in flames. There was no warning light illuminated prior to the failure. The fire department was able to successfully extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was still in the parking lot where the incident occurred. A police officer was on the scene, but no report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the automated system confirmed there was no recall coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

KEEPS LEAKING ENGINE OIL EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE CHANGES. (CITY STREET, CHICAGO ILLINOIS) STATIONARY MOST OF THE TIME. HASN'T BEEN MOVED SINCE LEAKING OIL. (TOO WORRIED)

THE CAMSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR A CIRCUIT INTERMITTENT CAN GO BAD LEADING THE ENGINE TO STOP WORKING ALL TOGETHER THIS COULD CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF DRIVING ON THE ROAD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MECHANICAL MAIN BELT TENSIONER HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A HYDRAULIC VERSION ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,170 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,300. *TR

HAD MAJOR OIL LEAK FROM VALVE COVER AREA. WAS PUTTING A QUART OF OIL INTO THE CAR EVERY 500 MILES. WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOUND OUT THAT VALVE COVER WAS CRACKED. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED AND REPLACED THE VALVE COVER AND GASKETS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE SET AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT A SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON. *TR

WAS PUTTING OIL INTO THE ENGINE EVERY 500 MILES FOR ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS AND FINALLY DECIDED ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH. NO ACCIDENTS WITH CAR. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, TECHNICIAN PERFORMED LEAK DOWN TEST ON ENGINE AND NOTICED CYLINDER 1 READING AT 50 PSI AND #2 CYLINDER READING AT 5 PSI. PERFORMED COMPRESSION TEST AND CYLINDER #1 AND #2 FAILED. COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS DONE AS REPAIRS COULD NOT BE GUARANTEED. COST WAS OVER $5000. *TR

VEHICLE ROUTINELY STALLS WHEN ENGINE IS COLD AND CAR IS PLACED IN REVERSE. WE BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE AND GO OVER THE SLIGHT BUMP AT THE THRESHOLD, AND THE CAR STALLS AND MUST BE RE-STARTED. SEEMS AS IF ENGINE IS IDLING VERY HIGH AS WELL. ONCE RE-STARTED, THE CAR SEEMS TO RUN OK. *KB

VEHICLE WAS BURNING A QUART OF OIL EVERY 800 MILES. COMPRESSION TEST AND LEAK DOWN TEST SHOWED 220PSI. TECHNICIAN SUSPECTED CRANKCASE VENT VALVE. REPLACED CRANKCASE VENT VALVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATED DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE FAN MOTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V138000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND ONLY INCLUDED THE 2001 BMW 325I NOT THE 2002 MODEL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

2002 BMW 330CIC. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE GEARS DO NOT ALWAYS SHIFT DOWN WHEN NEEDING TO STOP, OFTEN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD AND CONTINUE AT THE SAME SPEED. *TGW THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE VANOS UNIT WHICH CONTROLLED THE CAMSHAFT AND IS PART OF THE ENGINE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED TO 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED SLOWLY TO THE SHOULDER AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THERE WERE SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING AND PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, AT THE DEALER'S RECOMMENDATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AND PARKED IN A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT. WEATHER WAS WET AND RAINY, THE DEFROSTER WAS RUNNING ON THE CAR FOR MOST OF THE TRIP. AFTER SITTING 25-30 MINUTES A RESIDENT NEAR THE RESTAURANT CALLED TO NOTIFY THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. EMPLOYEES OF THE RESTAURANT ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH HAND HELD EXTINGUISHER BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY DO SO. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHOWED UP ON THE SCENE A SHORT TIME LATER TO UNPOWER THE CAR AND PUT OUT THE FLAME. POLICE AND FIRE TEAMS WERE ON THE SCENE. THE FIRE SEEMS TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE AUXILIARY A/C FAN IN FRONT OF THE CONDENSER AS THAT IS WHERE THE HEAVIEST DAMAGE IS. *TR

COOLANT LIGHT WENT ON WHILE DRIVING. WENT TO DEALERSHIP - TECHNICIAN STATED THAT COOLANT TANK WAS EMPTY. PERFORMED PRESSURE TEST AND FOUND EXPANSION TANK AND UPPER RADIATOR HOSE LEAKING. REPLACED EXPANSION TANK AND UPPER HOSE. *TR

MY SON PARKED HIS 2002 BMW 330XI IN A PARKING LOT EARLY AM TO SLEEP. IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS WHILE IDLING, KILLING HIM. HE WAS LAYING DOWN IN FRONT SEATS. EVENT WAS CAUGHT ON SURVEILLANCE CAMERA, NO FOUL PLAY WAS DETECTED. CLAIMED TO BE "ACCIDENTAL FIRE" BY POLICE REPORT. NOTICED 2001 BMW 3-SERIES HAD MAJOR RECALL FOR SAME TYPE OF EVENT WITH FAILURE OF COOLING FANS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHEN I SAW SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CAR WAS NOT OVERHEATING AND I PULLED OVER, OPENED THE HOOD AND THE WIRES CONNECTING TO THE COOLING FAN HAD CAUSED THE PLASTIC TO START ON FIRE. LUCKILY I WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND HAD ACCESS TO A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES. *TR

HEARD A HIGH PITCHED NOISE WHEN STARTING AND DRIVING THE CAR. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP - TECHNICIAN SAID THAT HE FOUND THAT THE ALT BELT TENSIONER PULLEY WAS FAULTY AND ALSO FOUND DEFLECTOR PULLEY DEFECTIVE. REPLACED. *TR

2002 BMW 325 XI HAVING NEW WATER PUMP AND FAN CLUTCH REPLACED AND OIL CHANGE (4/27/09). AFTER 15 MINUTES DRIVE ON I-90 (4/28/09) THE CAR SUDDENLY STOP ON THE MIDDLE OF I-90 NEAR EXIT 11A. NEAR COLLISION WITH A BIG TRUCK THAT CAUSE TRAFFIC STOP. MANAGE TO GET INTO THE MASPIKE TOLL PLAZA, THE ENGINE DAMAGE AND OVERHEATED. CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER, THEY HAVE THE OLD PUMP, NEW PUMP, FAN CLUTCHES (OLD AND NEW). THE CAR NEARLY GOT HIT BY A TRUCK THAT MAY CAUSE FATAL. THE ENGINE THAT HAVE THE PARTS REPLACE TO PREVENT THE ENGINE OVERHEAT OVERHEATED. NO REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

BMW 2002 325XI AT LOW TEMPERATURES LIKE 5 OR 6 F. THE CRANKCASE VENT VALVE FROZE AND THE HIGH PRESSURE BUILT UP CAUSED THE VALVE TO BLOW AND COUPLE OF GASKETS BURNT. OIL SPILLED OVER TO THE EXHAUST CAUSING SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IF DRIVEN COUPLE OF MORE MILES THE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN ON FIRE. THE CAR JUST HAS 67000 MILES WHICH IS FAIRLY LOW MILES AND NEW CAR. ALL THE MECHANICS I TALKED TO QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND ASKED ME NOT TO DRIVE AT ALL. THEY SAID IT CAN CATCH FIRE IF DRIVEN LITTLE MORE. ITS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT MOST OF THE MECHANICS RECOGNIZE AND FREQUENCY IS HIGH BUT IN COLD STATES NOT IN WARMER STATES. *TR

NOTICED THAT THERE IS A LOUD SQUEAL NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING COOLANT ONTO ENGINE BELTS. BLEEDER SCREW WAS STRIPPED IN EXPANSION TANK. REPLACED THE WATER PUMPAND FILLED SYSTEM UPON BLEEDING THE SYSTEM FOUND THE BLEEDER SCREW STRIPPED OUT. REPLACED COOLANT EXPANSION TANK AND BLEEDER SCREW. *TR