abiazis

I was accelerating up a slight hill yesterday and the car went into limo mode and Check Engine Light went on.

Turned the car off, it returned to normal operation and got me home with the CEL on.

Same thing this morning......

Read my OBD II codes and had 8 misfires detected on cylinders 7,8,9,11 and 12.

Car backfires when I rev it and smell of gas.....

I am thinking ignition coil failure issue on one bank of the V-12 engine or ignition module on that side.

Anyone experience similar problem and if so, solution?

EXECMALIBU

I am surprised it went back to normal operation?... It is probably a coilpack but check ALL of the other things ( IC pump, sensors etc) first! Because the CPs are expensive... There are plenty of new coilpacks on ebay for $1,100 plus core/shipping. The newer improved type has part numbers as I remember ending in 0680(R) and 0780(L) and the older type are 0480 and 0580...

I might have a good used one, which side (part number) do you need...

abiazis

will be sure to check other possible causes......thx for heads-up

abiazis

24 new plugs.....old ones were fouled......5 years and 40,000 miles......

abiazis

CEL back on and misfired again.....must be ignition module which is hard to diagnose.....ignition coils are testing okay, but may replace anyway......frustrating.....

V12Godspeed

Can't be the Ignition module, if it would have been the module you would have misfires in multiple cylinders not on the driver side of the engine only (cyl7-12). It sounds like that side coil pack.

abiazis

I am going to have the coil replaced on that side since warranty covers.....it has to be that and that was my first instinct......

I read somewhere on the forum that the ignition module failure was difficult to diagnose for either bank, so I thought it might be that....but it is logical that it is only that coil on the one side.........that is bad.

My warranty covers module and coil plus labor, so I will go with coil first, even though my indie tells me it is okay from a resistance test....

Fun and games this week.......

My question is whether I negotiate for reimbursement on the labor on the new plugs when it all could have been covered with warranty if coil was done first..I would have to pay nothing, but I probably would have replaced plugs in 20,000 at 60K on the car.....indie gets paid for labor from warranty on coil, but will lose some time working twice on the car.....goodwill issue to me...

abiazis

Catalytic converter defective causing back pressure.....and the misfires and limp mode......on to the dealer to replace the cats under warranty....

NCE500

Sounds like you have had quite the adventure. Please keep us posted....yours is the first clogged V12 cat I've heard about.

Has it come back from the dealer yet?

alx

the hint was "50k miles and fouled plugs". a plugged converter would do that...

abiazis

Now the car has been diagnosed at the MB dealer with a bad ignition module
($ 900)and a faulty secondary air temperature cooler motor ($ 400 - related to intercooler pump)........

Covered thankfully by warranty - $ 2,000 cost including labor.

Cats seem to check out okay.......NOTE: only one cat to replace on a 65 according to diagrams as everything flows through the one cat......$ 4500 to replace plus labor.....yikes......

Expect car back next Monday.......we'll see if it returns to 100% operation....

So far.....my Easy Care warranty cost $ 4000 in July 2009......have had about $ 3,100 in repairs covered by warranty.....

Repairs/maintenance not covered include trunk struts - below deductible, front brake rotors, oil/brake fluid changes , new tires, and 24 spark plugs.....another $ 4,000 in total....

I must love this car......lots of money spent for a car with 40,000 miles, but it is a paid for car................all this repair/maintenance money spent in the last 13,000 miles or 2 years......about $ 7K......

May be time for a new car, selling it at 100% operational to the next guy....

Still have to change the V-Belt tensioner per manual and differential fluid at this 40K point......

The joys of German car ownership - having owned BMWs, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche..........I wish I liked Japanese cars more........my experience is that they are definitely more reliable than German cars and MUCH cheaper to maintain...change the fluids/tires/filters and GO.....

My 2003 C4S Porsche had $ 12,000 in warranty repairs over 5 years and I sold it once the warranty was done.....I was a regular at the dealer.....donlt want to relive that down time again.......

I guess I'll give this car another year max and then decide....

abiazis

Well......got the car back from dealer with the ignition module replaced and secondary sir temperature cooler motor replaced for a cool $ 2,000 under warranty.....

Cat was fine.......

Took it out and gave it a good test of high and sudden acceleration and long idles, on and off starts, high speed, low speed stuff and the car seems to be fine now......runs real strong and starts better......

The dealer did say that if the CEL comes on again, it most likely will be the ignition coil pack on the one bank that was misfiring......we'll see......

So....I replaced the 24 plugs at the 5 year point per manual although early on mileage and paid about $ 600 for stuff not covered by warranty related to this issue....due to misdiagnosis by indie shop which had been perfect for two years in their diagnosis of issue with the car.......

NCE500

I would not worry much about the indie doing plug replacement; I did mine myself earlier this Summer, at 25K miles, and it was definitely time. If you havn't yet, be sure you also replace the belt tensioner.

Glad to hear your beast is back in order and that Easy Care stepped up.

abiazis

How much was belt tensioner service/replacement ? $ 200 with labor ?


My current list to be done this summer - some listed in manual/others on inspection.....

Belt tensioner replacement - which dealer did not know was necessary
Transmission Service - they offered to do - others here have recommended
Brake Fluid change - they offered to do - fluid is worn
Differential oil change - in manual
Fuel Filter replacement- in manual

Looks like another $ 1,000 - no warranty this time.....

abiazis

My car misfired today when I floored it to pass a very slow car in merging traffic........returned to normal after a few starts, but CEL on....

Code PO300, cylinders 11,12...........check engine light......

I have replaced plugs, ignition module (voltage), map sensor that was cracked, etc.....coil packs checked out okay with resistance test........that was last August and car has run great since........oh well......

Went to dealer and will book appointment for back pressure test of cats which checked out okay in August.......wanted them to see the CEL on....only way they will honor federal/manufacturer warranty on cats.....

Also.......some ABC fluid on the floor under passenger front strut........confirmed........leaking.......Easy Care warranty should cover.........except for $ 100 deductible....

Not a great day.........car parked until strut comes in..................once repaired by indie on to the misfire again.........at the dealer......

LukasBMW

So true!

I think I could live with a Lexus GS series with a V8 or even an Infiniti M45 with the V8, but nothing out of Japan can come close to the driving experience of Porsche, BMW, or Benz.

abiazis

If I had the bucks......maybe a Lexus LFA!!!! would do the trick.......

German cars are so over engineered and the ongoing flaws have to be because someone was scared to speak up to their bosses during the design/build process.....human nature exacerbated by the German culture I guess......having worked for German companies for over 12 years gave me some insight into working relationships within German companies, etc.........sort of like working for P&G, or GE, or any other large Fortune 50 company in the US who talk of core values for their employees, etc. and does the opposite when the going gets tough......

There isn't a perfect world, but Japanese cars come close on reliability.......

the head

I did the tensioner and belt myself recently after rolling over 40k miles. It's really tight, so unless you have small hands or are willing to spend extra time removing stuff then the shop might be worth it. It will come out without removing the fan shroud, just takes a bit of time to fish it out and put the new one in. Didn't do the transmission service, did do the brake fluid, rear fluid. Didn't see the fuel filter in there and the dealer didn't recommend.

Have had a similar misfire once after a hot start. Still have about 16 months of warranty left - thinking about selling mine and trying somehting else out myself. Love the car, but I'm starting to feel the itch to get on the track more like I used to do pre-kids.

Z06KLR

Not to sound conceited, but one day I hope to have a car in which I have the opportunity to have a problem with my 12th cylinder.

Glad to hear you got it fixed.

carlsturm

Good-luck getting this totally fixed. You must feel real good you have the extended warranty.

Were you able to pinpoint what caused your fouled CAT converter? Fuel additive or accidental leaded racing fuel ?