BMW Fault Codes

BMW Fault Codes Explained

BMWs are fantastic cars and can last for many years if well looked after and maintained, but it’s likely at some point in your ownership, you will run into an issue. The BMW onboard computer can help identify and determine an issue with your car, which when running a scan will bring up error codes to determine where and what the problem is.

These codes can then be cross-examined to determine what the issue is – the codes start with a letter followed by four numbers. Looking these up can help you to identify where and what the problem is and the best course of action. Sometimes this might be a simple DIY job, but it is usually advisable to go to a BMW specialist in Essex such as Power Developments.

The letter these codes start with will help inform where the issue is, so for example P stands for Powertrain, this is an engine management related fault code, B is a body defect and C is a defect in the chassis.

The number helps to narrow this down even more, so for example a common fault in BMWs is an engine misfire, the code for this would be P0301 for a combustion misfire in engine cylinder one, while P0302 would mean the same for cylinder two and P0303 for cylinder three and so on.

What Do I Do With BMW Error Codes?

If you decide to run a scan yourself and identify the BMW fault codes that are causing the issues with your car, this might give you some idea of what the problem is and how it can be fixed. Some people try and fix these themselves or take their BMW to a garage to be fixed.

How the next step is approached is critical, which is why it is important to seek out a BMW specialist such as Power Developments to run the diagnostic beyond the fault code. The fault code will not give you a complete diagnosis but just identify where the fault is.

In our example earlier, such as an engine misfire, looking at a BMW fault code list would identify that P0301 means a combustion misfire in cylinder one, but this could be from any number of common causes such as an ignition coil failure, a faulty spark plug, faulty fuel injector or in the worst-case scenario, an internal engine fault affecting the compression of the cylinder.

Many garages will rely on diagnosing the fault based on the fault code alone, then offer a quote to replace an item such as an ignition coil but after this replacement, the fault could still be present and inevitably you will end up replacing all the parts that could be causing the misfire. Eventually, the fault will be fixed but you’ll be out of pocket.

To conclusively diagnose the fault, troubleshooting really has to be done manually. Which is what we do and thanks to our many years as BMW specialists and experience with common BMW trouble codes, we know the best way to investigate the issue and get it fixed first time round saving your time, money and further damage.

BMW Engine Fault Codes

We recommend visiting a BMW specialist like us to ensure that any BMW engine fault codes that flag up are fixed thoroughly and properly. Our service is affordable, honest and quick so you can get back on the road issue free!

Contact us today to book in for a BMW service or to fix what is causing your BMW error codes.