1997 BMW 540I engine problems

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

I EXCHANGED THE LAMBDA SENSOR OF MY CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. SUDDENLY MY MILEAGE WENT DOWN AND I STARTED AN ERROR SEARCH. SINCE I WAS DOING A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS ON THE CAR I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE SENSORS UP FRONT. UPDATED 11/16/10 *BF UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF SO WHEN IT CAME TO THEM I RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED THROUGH THE EXHAUST WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO AT MY CAR! WHEN I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER THEY DISMISSED EVERYTHING AS IF IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. AND THEY KEEP SELLING THE LAMBDA SENSORS FOR A RANGE OF CARS THAT DEFINITELY DO NOT FIT! MANUFACTURER IS BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH! LAMBDA SENSOR IS OZH 173 HTTP://BERU.COM/ENGLISH/PRODUKTE/PRODUKTIDENT.PHP?S=OZH+173&EANR=0824010207&ACTION=STEP02 THE DANGER RESULTS FROM THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GROUNDING: THIS LEADS TO A HEATING UP OF THE LAMBDA SENSORS WHICH THEN MIGHT IGNITE UNBURNED FUEL IN THE EXHAUST. THIS FUEL WILL DEFINITELY BE THERE AS THE GROUNDING ALSO DESTROYS THE OUTPUT STAGES OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE. THE CAR WILL ULTIMATELY FATTEN UP, RESULTING IN UNBURNED FUEL GETTING TO THE EXHAUST AND BEING IGNITED BY THE HEATED UP LAMBDA SENSORS! THIS IS WHAT CAN BURN DOWN THE WHOLE CAR DURING DRIVING AND ALSO WHEN STANDING AFTER A LONGER TRIP! SO THESE LAMBDA SENSORS DESTROYED MY MOTOR CONTROL UNIT, MY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, ETC. I WOULD BE GLAD IF YOU COULD RESEARCH FURTHER INTO THIS AND NOTIFY ME OF THE STATUS! UPDATED11/23/10. *JB UPDATED 12/01/10. *JB

NHTSA complaint #10362195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

1997 BMW 540I FUSE TO THE FUEL INJECTOR BLEW OUT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *MR THE VEHICLE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN DIE WHEN IN MOTION DUE TO THE BLOWN FUSE(S) TO THE INJECTOR. THE THERMOSTAT TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAD AN INTERNAL SHORT WHICH CAUSED THE WIRE TO MELT AND BLEW THE FUSE. THE SUNROOF WAS INOPERATIVE DUE TO THE RAIL LIFT PIECES BEING BROKEN. *SC THE WIPER BLADES WERE NOT CLEANING THE WINDOWS PROPERLY.

NHTSA complaint #10130203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

THE RADIATOR NECK BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON MY 1997 540I. IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW BY ALL ACCOUNTS, OWNERS, TECHNICIANS AND EVEN MY OWN PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED IT WITH AN 1988 735I. PLASTIC PARTS ON THE RADIATOR IS UNACCEPTABLE, DANGEROUS AND COSTLY. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS ON THESE EXPENSIVE LUXURY VEHICLES WITH NO RESOLUTION BY BMW.

NHTSA complaint #10116922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

(1) REPLACED WATER PUMP AND ACCESSORY BELTS. ON A FORUM THAT I READ, MANY SUGGEST REPLACING THE RADIATOR WHEN REPLACING THE WATER PUMP, AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DUE TO THE RADIATOR'S HIGH AND FREQUENT FAILURE. REPLACE THE RADIATOR AS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE?!? I WOULD RATHER NOT. A RADIATOR IS NOT AN OIL OR AIR FILTER. (2) UPPER NECK ON THE RADIATOR BROKE AND RELEASED MORE THAN A GALLON OF COOLANT, IN LESS THAN 50 FEET, IN THE FORM OF LIQUID AND STEAM. THE STEAM OBSCURED VISION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY I WAS MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN INTO A PARKING LOT. (3) NO REPAIR AS OF YET. THE FAILURE OF THE RADIATOR OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM. I MADE IT HOME AT 12:05 P.M. I CALLED THE LOCAL BMW PARTS DEPARTMENT (ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES AWAY) TO ARRANGE TO PAY FOR THE RADIATOR BY CREDIT CARD AND THEN HAVE THE PART LEFT WITH ONE OF THE SALESPERSONS, BECAUSE THE PARTS DEPARTMENT CLOSES AT 1:00 P.M. BUT THEY NO LONGER ACCEPT CREDIT CARD PURCHASES OVER THE PHONE FROM IN-STATE CUSTOMERS, EVEN AFTER PRACTICALLY BEGGING. VERY POOR PRACTICE UNLESS THEY WANT TO LOOSE CUSTOMERS. ACTUALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SUBMIT THIS I WILL GO ON-LINE AND TRY TO FIND AN AFTER-MARKET RADIATOR. PROBABLY OF BETTER QUALITY ANYWAY. SAD BUT TRUE. I ENCOURAGE THE RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE TO THE MANUFACTURER OF MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10100611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

THE RADIATOR IN MY 1997 BMW 540I HAS FAILED TWICE SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. I SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10045931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

MY 1997 BMW 540I 6-SPEED HAD A RADIATOR FAILURE AT 77,500 MILES. THE PLASTIC RADIATOR CONNECTION POINT FOR THE TOP HOSE SNAPPED OFF. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL KNOW ISSUE AFTER SPEAKING WITH BMW SERVICE TECHS AND SEARCHING BMW INTERNET SITES.*AK I BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10036982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

I OWN A 1997 BMW 540I. RADIATOR BROKE AT PLASTIC ATTACHMENT POINT. COOLANT LEAKED ALL OVER THE WINDSHIELD AND ENGINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WELL KNOWN DEFECT AMONG OWNERS OF THIS CAR DUE TO THE PLASTIC ATTACHMENT POINT AT THE JUNCTION OF THE HOSE AND THE RADIATOR. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10023565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

MY 1997 BMW 540I6 RADIATOR BROKE ON ME WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON 5/30/03.

NHTSA complaint #10020942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

1997, BMW, 540I RADIATOR FAILURE @ 77,500 MILES (DETECTED BY BMW DEALER DURING ROUTINE SERVICE INSPECTION); RADIATOR REPLACED AT MY COST.

NHTSA complaint #10020931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

RADIATOR FAILURE ON BMW 540I WITH ONLY 51K MILES, CAUSING LOSS OF TRACTION AND ALMOST A WRECK

NHTSA complaint #10002684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

THE UPPER RADIATOR HOSE UNEXPECTLY SEPARATED FROM THE RADIATOR. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE PLASTIC RADIATOR HAD BROKEN AT THE HOSE FITTING. THE RESULTING STEAM CLOUD AND WATER DEPOSITS ON WINDSHIELD ABRUPTLY OBSCURED VISION, LEADING TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. NON-REINFORCED PLASTIC IS AN UNSAFE MATERIAL FOR USE IN THIS APPLICATION.

NHTSA complaint #10000880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE COMPLETE LOSS OF COOLANT AT SPEED. DT

NHTSA complaint #770387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FAILED. MJS

NHTSA complaint #606538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.