[hayabusa55]

I don't know how much of it is true.

Her favorite word is 'reprogram'. When I got the 'limp mode' last, they reprogrammed. Problem did go away. They reprogrammed the mirrors to be in proper position. I told her about what I heard about the HPFP, she said they don't replace them, they reprogram them now. Huh?

I told her a friend of mine with a 535i just had to have his HPFP replaced, she said that his setup is completely different than mine. Really?

I took the car in for regularly scheduled service and mentioned some long cranks. She seemed suspicious at first (?) but later I got a phone call and they're doing something about the long cranks. Guess what? Reprogramming.



Sound legit?

[Verbiage]

Legitimate. Software updates are the main form of "repair" unless they diagnose that the entire pump needs replacing, as the software simply regulates the pump usage so it doesn't overwork itself unnecessarily.

[cb1111]

Semi- legit. The "535 completely different" is wrong.

[hayabusa55]

She also told me that I have an error code for having reached zero miles on my gas once and if it happens more often, it could lead to getting denied for warranty claims for certain stuff.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

She also told me that I have an error code for having reached zero miles on my gas once and if it happens more often, it could lead to getting denied for warranty claims for certain stuff.

WTF.

[Verbiage]

Well actually now that I think about it, I guess they COULD say that the car running out of gas is your fault But I know that it is never good to let your tank actually get to E. You've had that happen before? I know that the car goes into a low-power mode when it gets to around 60 miles remaining or so.

[e90David335i]

Originally Posted by Bavarian III

Well actually now that I think about it, I guess they COULD say that the car running out of gas is your fault But I know that it is never good to let your tank actually get to E. You've had that happen before? I know that the car goes into a low-power mode when it gets to around 60 miles remaining or so.

Really? I didn't know this.
Why?

[hayabusa55]

Originally Posted by Bavarian III

Well actually now that I think about it, I guess they COULD say that the car running out of gas is your fault But I know that it is never good to let your tank actually get to E. You've had that happen before? I know that the car goes into a low-power mode when it gets to around 60 miles remaining or so.

What? Really? Where does it say this?

[e90David335i]

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

What? Really? Where does it say this?

^^^
Now I'm all confused!

[khaye1]

Originally Posted by Bavarian III

Legitimate. Software updates are the main form of "repair" unless they diagnose that the entire pump needs replacing, as the software simply regulates the pump usage so it doesn't overwork itself unnecessarily.

+1

It's because they were replacing pumps due to "failures" but when taken out of the car and tested in BMW facility they worked fine...BMW couldn't find anything wrong with the "failed" pumps so they moved to a more cost efficient way of troubleshooting. Start with the software reprogram then if the car comes back a 2nd time then replace the HPFP.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by e90David335i

Really? I didn't know this.
Why?

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

What? Really? Where does it say this?

A control message comes up a lot of the time, and it is also in the manual, which I actually read basically cover to cover before I did any real driving in the car. This thing has loads more features than my E46 325i did, and I am the type of person that must know how everything works/what everything means before proceeding with anything

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by khaye1

+1

It's because they were replacing pumps due to "failures" but when taken out of the car and tested in BMW facility they worked fine...BMW couldn't find anything wrong with the "failed" pumps so they moved to a more cost efficient way of troubleshooting. Start with the software reprogram then if the car comes back a 2nd time then replace the HPFP.

Or a third time. Or until they run out of excuses to pointlessly try and update a "failed" pump

[hayabusa55]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

BMW uses reprogramming to fix problems and on occassion to bandaid a problem instead of actually fixing the real problem.

The N54 HPFP is an example of using software reprogramming to delay the inevitable failure of the HPFP. Lowering boost to stop wastegate rattle resulting in exteme turbo lag, is a bogus reprogramming to fix a mechanical defect also.

It's chaper to reprogram than to fix the real problem. As long as consumers will tolerate the reprogram the real problem doesn't get immediately corrected unless BMW gets sued which is what's happening on several software reprograms and safety defect issues.

So my car is probably not running as well due to the reprograms?

[hayabusa55]

Just pulled up the manual. This is all I could find as it relates to the low fuel issue:

Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters, the indicator
lamp and cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel are displayed briefly. The indicator
lamp remains permanently on if the remaining
range is less than approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

BMW uses reprogramming to fix problems and on occassion to bandaid a problem instead of actually fixing the real problem.

The N54 HPFP is an example of using software reprogramming to delay the inevitable failure of the HPFP. Lowering boost to stop wastegate rattle resulting in exteme turbo lag, is a bogus reprogramming to fix a mechanical defect also.

It's chaper to reprogram than to fix the real problem. As long as consumers will tolerate the reprogram the real problem doesn't get immediately corrected unless BMW gets sued which is what's happening on several software reprograms and safety defect issues.

Oh no, the HPFP reaper appears

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

Just pulled up the manual. This is all I could find as it relates to the low fuel issue:

Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone of approx. 2.1 US gallons/8 liters, the indicator
lamp and cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel are displayed briefly. The indicator
lamp remains permanently on if the remaining
range is less than approx. 30 miles/50 km.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km, otherwise engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.

So it was 30 miles. Less than I thought. But there you go

[hayabusa55]

I don't read that as low-power mode...

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

I don't read that as low-power mode...

SA advised that it regulates fuel consumption more conservatively at that point. Its obviously not the same as limp low-power mode.

Originally Posted by TrackRat

Your comment is complete nonsense. The software reprogramming on the N54 models cycles the LOW pressure fuel pump longer on start-up to pressurize the fuel system because the failing HPFP doesn't hold the proper system pressure when the engine is not running. The software didn't change the HPFP usage at all. You still need to inject the proper volume of fuel at the correct pressure for the engine to function properly. The reprogramming just delays the HPFP failure as BMW owners have confirmed.

So basically, it says the same thing you have been inserting into every one of your posts. The software update is the most efficient time-friendly fix for the pump at the moment for N54 owners. They began production in 2006. A good majority of them are going to be problematic. A newer pump for every single pump that "fails" is not smart; given the large amount of 335i owners that have problems with them, this would not permit them to drive. It just doesn't make sense to continually bash the software update because of this.


And I know you are an extreme advocate of a permanent HPFP fix. Way to go

[Verbiage]

I didn't notice that the OP had an '02 325i. My mistake. The low-fuel notification differences are apparent between the two.


I also never understood why there were so many HPFP trolls on here.

[mike-y]

it kinda sounds like they are saying very low fuel situations may cause a lean condition if the fuel pickup isn't 100% submerged in fuel. we all know that leaning out a turbo motor equals bad things. it doesn't actually say it's putting the car into a low power mode. and I would think some sort of message would pop up on the screen if this happened. But they would have to cut the boost down significantly to avoid that kind of damage, which I think would be very noticeable.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by mike-y

it kinda sounds like they are saying very low fuel situations may cause a lean condition if the fuel pickup isn't 100% submerged in fuel. we all know that leaning out a turbo motor equals bad things. it doesn't actually say it's putting the car into a low power mode. and I would think some sort of message would pop up on the screen if this happened. But they would have to cut the boost down significantly to avoid that kind of damage, which I think would be very noticeable.

I know it does not say it goes into low power mode, I was attempting to recall what I had seen when it happened to me. Must have gotten confused with limp mode But cutting down the boost would be a turbo issue and I don't think he has a turbo motor. There is a control message that flashes upon having too low an amount in the reservoir.

[Oulixes]

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

I don't know how much of it is true.

Her favorite word is 'reprogram'. When I got the 'limp mode' last, they reprogrammed. Problem did go away. They reprogrammed the mirrors to be in proper position. I told her about what I heard about the HPFP, she said they don't replace them, they reprogram them now. Huh?

I told her a friend of mine with a 535i just had to have his HPFP replaced, she said that his setup is completely different than mine. Really?

I took the car in for regularly scheduled service and mentioned some long cranks. She seemed suspicious at first (?) but later I got a phone call and they're doing something about the long cranks. Guess what? Reprogramming.

Sound legit?

It may sound legit but it is not - your service advisor may not know enough, or may have been re-programmed to broadcast "facts" designed to confuse. The engine used in your friend's 535i uses the same fuel delivery system, with the same HPFP, as your car, possibly, depending on MY, the pump part number may be different. If you want to know more, read e.g.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_N54#N54B30

[Oulixes]

Originally Posted by hayabusa55

I don't know how much of it is true.

Her favorite word is 'reprogram'. When I got the 'limp mode' last, they reprogrammed. Problem did go away. They reprogrammed the mirrors to be in proper position. I told her about what I heard about the HPFP, she said they don't replace them, they reprogram them now. Huh?

I told her a friend of mine with a 535i just had to have his HPFP replaced, she said that his setup is completely different than mine. Really?

I took the car in for regularly scheduled service and mentioned some long cranks. She seemed suspicious at first (?) but later I got a phone call and they're doing something about the long cranks. Guess what? Reprogramming.

Sound legit?

Your SA enthusiasm for re-programming is understandable, since many SA simply repeat the fix-it doctrine promoted at any given time. Some car problems can be legitimately fixed by re-programming, others cannot, and are still re-programmed to postpone the inevitable failure.

Many people who have followed the HPFP affairs since 2007 believe for a number of reasons that the high pressure pump fails not because of some inherent design problem in the pump itself, but that the pump fails because of problems in the the fuel delivery control software - these software-caused problems are thought to inflict cumulative damage on the pump, fuel injectors, etc., which results in a complete failure. Mostly, by the time the usual symptoms of pump problem occur, the irreversible, cumulative damage to the components of fuel delivery is too extensive to be fixed by re-programming. The dealer will still mostly likely attempt the re-programming fix, following the corporate policy of the day. The problem is interesting, since the pump failures have been more frequent in some cars than in others operating in similar conditions.

Sorry for your problem - the dealer will fix it in the end.