318i ES Efficient Dynamics (2008)

Swifty75 · 09-21-2009, 09:45 AM

Hello all, wonder if anyone might be able to help.

I have had a 318i ES for a year now. When I first got it it seemed to miss low down in the rev range. I took it back 3-4 times and it had a software update this did not solve the problem. One dealer then denied any problem existed even thought they had upgraded the software? and then the second dealer said "they are all like this". I think they did not really know what to do. It seemed to get better but I think I just drove it harder avaoiding annoyance by being over 3000 revs most of the time. I just accepted what they had told me and could not be bothered wasting anymore time taking it back, this is probably a mistake. Anyway I took it in for its second service (30k) last week and the guy there said "we notice your car is misfiring". He said that they think they had sorted it. I drove off and it was much worse than it ever had been? I rang them up and they said they would have to have it back in another 2 weeks.

Has anyone else had this "missing" problem?
Does anyone have any advice about what I should say to the dealer?

Thanks for any advice in advance.

jamesno1 · 09-22-2009, 04:10 PM

i have also just purchased a new 318i se business edition and it too hesitates and misses. As it only has a few hundred miles under its belt i thought it may go away but reading this doesnt give me cofidence now. I filled the car up earlier tonight with super unleaded (97ron) to see if that improves things..even although the filler cap states 95ron petrol is suitable. If you get any joy when the car goes back to the dealer then let me know what they done to fix it

cheers

Swifty75 · 09-24-2009, 02:05 PM

The car has been back to the dealers today. They have fitted a new coil pack and I am glad to say it feels a damn site better. When I asked why they had not done this from the outset they said that they did not know?

mcgowand · 09-26-2009, 04:28 PM

Hello,

New to the site so bear with me...

Bought a 318 ES Edition 58 plate september last year. No problems other than a flat spot.

7 months in had hesitancy and major flat spot along with some idling issues. Cutting a long story short dealer has had the car 6 times to sort out issues.

Software upgrades, new coils, new plugs, new injectors. Finally on the last trip they said the car was running within the designed specification however I still felt there was a problem although runing at 90-95% of what it should be.

Various visits later and complaint to BMW UK and I should be picking up my 318D M Sport 09 plate this week to replace my 318 petrol. This is costing them over 4k and me a further 7 months finance.

Shame because I loved my 318 Edition with the 17" wheels and leather but glad to be going to a diesel with no issues!

jamesno1 · 09-29-2009, 04:43 PM

when you say better, do you think it's completely cured or is it just better? im getting worried iv bought a nightmare now....

Swifty75 · 09-30-2009, 02:41 PM

I thought the car was cured.... but no, he hesitancy and stuttering is back, intermittently anyway. I called the head of service at the dealer today who said that he would check what I had had done to the car and look at what else they could do and call me back today, well no call yet and it is 7.30pm, I won't hold my breath. He told me on the phone conversation to try premium grade fuel. He also told me that they had been experiencing problems with the engine and BMW had designed it to drive that way and were looking for a solution? and have realised that the customers are finding it problematic. Really not very happy with the car.

jamesno1 · 10-08-2009, 04:50 PM

well my car went in to douglas park bmw in hamilton on wednesday and apparently got new software which had only just been released. must say when i got the car back wed evening it felt much better to drive but today it started misfiring again, usually when just under constant speed with very light load applied to the accelerator. So its going back into the dealers tmrow......

incidentally the brand new 318i ES courtesy car i had on wed had exactly the same issues.....surely bmw can come up with a fix for this problem...it seems bloody common enough for them to get their finger out......

Anyways i'll wait n see how they get on with the car tmrow and if it doesnt fix this time, i'll be taking steps to reject it! Too much money to spend on a premium car that drives like a fso polonez.....

Has anyone had similar problems and actually had it solved..seems to me everyone who has had this issue hasnt managed to get it resolved???

gmkay · 10-13-2009, 01:03 PM

I am having the exact same problem, and I would guess its all down to the efficient dynamics technology on the car. Until recently I just put up with it, but a car of this value should be perfect and a joy to drive. It isn't.

I was called on Friday to say a new software upgrade is available. So, I took my car in today and infact its been in all day. At 4pm it wasnt ready- so its either a mighty software upgrade or something else is being changed.

I am collecting tomorrow - I hope its fixed. Will keep you posted.

(You would think BMW with all the testing they undertake would have spotted this issue before launch!)

gmkay · 10-14-2009, 02:13 PM

The garage has replaced "a coil" and updated the software to the latest version. Driving home the car felt like a different car, much more responsive and without the hesitation.

As the hesitation didnt always happen, I will see how it goes over the next few days.

jamesno1 · 10-22-2009, 12:59 PM

a quick update guys......car is back in the garage today with same problem, this is its third time, and iv just had a call to say "we cant find the fault you describe but we have reset the adaptations of the car" !!!!!!!!!!!!!! wtf...adaptations.....is that technical jargon for " we've done absolutely fcuk all with your car and are just wearing you down till you stop complaining"...i think so!

So here's my next step (for anyone suffering same nonsense)

contact motor industry code of practice 0800 692 0825, they will investigate the problem and ask BMW to permanently rectify the fault on my car

phone my finance company and inform them that if the car is not fixed this time i wish to reject it.

and finally, should the problem not get fixed im going to phone a certain dealership in Hamilton and tell them to jam their sub-standard bmw car right up their bum...and walk away from it

arghhhh sorry for the rant, just sick fed up with this bloody misfiring....everything else about the car is good, i like it, i dont want to get rid of it but im bloody certain im not paying this kind of money for a car that cant drive properly.

Anyone else managing to get a fix for their car yet??

:-)

09-21-2009, 09:45 AM	#1
Swifty75 Registered 3 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 318i ES Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: North iTrader: (0)	318i ES Efficient Dynamics (2008) Hello all, wonder if anyone might be able to help. I have had a 318i ES for a year now. When I first got it it seemed to miss low down in the rev range. I took it back 3-4 times and it had a software update this did not solve the problem. One dealer then denied any problem existed even thought they had upgraded the software? and then the second dealer said "they are all like this". I think they did not really know what to do. It seemed to get better but I think I just drove it harder avaoiding annoyance by being over 3000 revs most of the time. I just accepted what they had told me and could not be bothered wasting anymore time taking it back, this is probably a mistake. Anyway I took it in for its second service (30k) last week and the guy there said "we notice your car is misfiring". He said that they think they had sorted it. I drove off and it was much worse than it ever had been? I rang them up and they said they would have to have it back in another 2 weeks. Has anyone else had this "missing" problem? Does anyone have any advice about what I should say to the dealer? Thanks for any advice in advance.
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09-22-2009, 04:10 PM	#2
jamesno1 Private 2 Rep 53 Posts Drives: 330i m sport manual Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 320d M Sport [0.00] 2005 330i M Sport [0.00]	i have also just purchased a new 318i se business edition and it too hesitates and misses. As it only has a few hundred miles under its belt i thought it may go away but reading this doesnt give me cofidence now. I filled the car up earlier tonight with super unleaded (97ron) to see if that improves things..even although the filler cap states 95ron petrol is suitable. If you get any joy when the car goes back to the dealer then let me know what they done to fix it cheers
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09-24-2009, 02:05 PM	#3
Swifty75 Registered 3 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 318i ES Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: North iTrader: (0)	The car has been back to the dealers today. They have fitted a new coil pack and I am glad to say it feels a damn site better. When I asked why they had not done this from the outset they said that they did not know?
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09-26-2009, 04:28 PM	#4
mcgowand Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 318i Edition ES Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Saxmundham iTrader: (0)	Hello, New to the site so bear with me... Bought a 318 ES Edition 58 plate september last year. No problems other than a flat spot. 7 months in had hesitancy and major flat spot along with some idling issues. Cutting a long story short dealer has had the car 6 times to sort out issues. Software upgrades, new coils, new plugs, new injectors. Finally on the last trip they said the car was running within the designed specification however I still felt there was a problem although runing at 90-95% of what it should be. Various visits later and complaint to BMW UK and I should be picking up my 318D M Sport 09 plate this week to replace my 318 petrol. This is costing them over 4k and me a further 7 months finance. Shame because I loved my 318 Edition with the 17" wheels and leather but glad to be going to a diesel with no issues!
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09-29-2009, 04:43 PM	#5
jamesno1 Private 2 Rep 53 Posts Drives: 330i m sport manual Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 320d M Sport [0.00] 2005 330i M Sport [0.00]	when you say better, do you think it's completely cured or is it just better? im getting worried iv bought a nightmare now....
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09-30-2009, 02:41 PM	#6
Swifty75 Registered 3 Rep 3 Posts Drives: 318i ES Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: North iTrader: (0)	I thought the car was cured.... but no, he hesitancy and stuttering is back, intermittently anyway. I called the head of service at the dealer today who said that he would check what I had had done to the car and look at what else they could do and call me back today, well no call yet and it is 7.30pm, I won't hold my breath. He told me on the phone conversation to try premium grade fuel. He also told me that they had been experiencing problems with the engine and BMW had designed it to drive that way and were looking for a solution? and have realised that the customers are finding it problematic. Really not very happy with the car.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-08-2009, 04:50 PM	#7
jamesno1 Private 2 Rep 53 Posts Drives: 330i m sport manual Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 320d M Sport [0.00] 2005 330i M Sport [0.00]	well my car went in to douglas park bmw in hamilton on wednesday and apparently got new software which had only just been released. must say when i got the car back wed evening it felt much better to drive but today it started misfiring again, usually when just under constant speed with very light load applied to the accelerator. So its going back into the dealers tmrow...... incidentally the brand new 318i ES courtesy car i had on wed had exactly the same issues.....surely bmw can come up with a fix for this problem...it seems bloody common enough for them to get their finger out...... Anyways i'll wait n see how they get on with the car tmrow and if it doesnt fix this time, i'll be taking steps to reject it! Too much money to spend on a premium car that drives like a fso polonez..... Has anyone had similar problems and actually had it solved..seems to me everyone who has had this issue hasnt managed to get it resolved???
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10-13-2009, 01:03 PM	#8
gmkay Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: BMW 318i (58 plate) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lancashire UK iTrader: (0)	Not The Ultimate Driving Machine I am having the exact same problem, and I would guess its all down to the efficient dynamics technology on the car. Until recently I just put up with it, but a car of this value should be perfect and a joy to drive. It isn't. I was called on Friday to say a new software upgrade is available. So, I took my car in today and infact its been in all day. At 4pm it wasnt ready- so its either a mighty software upgrade or something else is being changed. I am collecting tomorrow - I hope its fixed. Will keep you posted. (You would think BMW with all the testing they undertake would have spotted this issue before launch!)
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10-14-2009, 02:13 PM	#9
gmkay Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: BMW 318i (58 plate) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lancashire UK iTrader: (0)	The garage has replaced "a coil" and updated the software to the latest version. Driving home the car felt like a different car, much more responsive and without the hesitation. As the hesitation didnt always happen, I will see how it goes over the next few days.
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10-22-2009, 12:59 PM	#10
jamesno1 Private 2 Rep 53 Posts Drives: 330i m sport manual Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 320d M Sport [0.00] 2005 330i M Sport [0.00]	a quick update guys......car is back in the garage today with same problem, this is its third time, and iv just had a call to say "we cant find the fault you describe but we have reset the adaptations of the car" !!!!!!!!!!!!!! wtf...adaptations.....is that technical jargon for " we've done absolutely fcuk all with your car and are just wearing you down till you stop complaining"...i think so! So here's my next step (for anyone suffering same nonsense) contact motor industry code of practice 0800 692 0825, they will investigate the problem and ask BMW to permanently rectify the fault on my car phone my finance company and inform them that if the car is not fixed this time i wish to reject it. and finally, should the problem not get fixed im going to phone a certain dealership in Hamilton and tell them to jam their sub-standard bmw car right up their bum...and walk away from it arghhhh sorry for the rant, just sick fed up with this bloody misfiring....everything else about the car is good, i like it, i dont want to get rid of it but im bloody certain im not paying this kind of money for a car that cant drive properly. Anyone else managing to get a fix for their car yet?? :-)
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