Drivetrain Malfunction - Intercooler Pump

[all8up]

Today I drove the car about 5 miles and when I restarted, I was faced with the drivetrain malfunction error message. The light actually ended up going away and I was about to ignore it all but decided to go ahead and schedule a service appointment. Probably a good thing I brought it in as they said they found my intercooler pump to be faulty. They also said upon review, the error was only tripped once in the history. Unfortunately it will take anywhere between 7-10 business days for the new intercooler pump to get here from Germany, so I'll be enjoying my time in the 328 loaner (really could be worse). Just posting this here in the event this becomes a more prevalent occurrence.

[SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!]

Good to hear they were able get right into the issue. Hopefully it'll be here sooner than that but at least you're not in a rent-a-car. Good luck w the repairs.

[all8up]

Process took faster than I expected and the car is now back in my hands. Per the work order the intercooler pump was replaced and more coolant was added.

I have to say the 328 is not a bad car. My only gripe are the brakes as there were times I felt my foot was going through the floor.

All in all the svc folks at BMW of Sterling handled this situation very well. They kept me informed throughout the process and went as far to offer an exchange of the loaner if I was not happy.

[mul1gan]

so a faulty intercooler pump could cause drivetrain malfunctions? would you think adding downpipes and exhaust could result in a similar malfunction?

[all8up]

Originally Posted by mul1gan

so a faulty intercooler pump could cause drivetrain malfunctions? would you think adding downpipes and exhaust could result in a similar malfunction?

I'd have trouble believing DP + Exh could results in a faulty pump. Those type of mods do not require a significant increase in cooling requirements. However I could see a dealership blaming aftermarket parts as contributing factors towards such an issue.

[04RC51]

Did your car go into limp mode? Or was it fully functional the entire time?

[all8up]

When I received the malfunction message it said the car's power was limited. I did not push the car to verify if power was indeed limited or not.