I've experienced the Increased Emissions light since I returned to the USA from Germany. I"ve experienced this at least 3 times. Your fix is good info, but this was not my fix. My fix was much more simple. BAD GAS!!! or low octane will cause this. If you continue to drive with bad gas or low octane you will eventually have to replace the spark plugs. I was buying Mid Grade 90 octane at the same station in SC to save a few pennies. Once my dealer determined this is what the cause was. I stopped going there, and I now buy Ultimate Prem and add a bottle of Gumout Octane boost to every tank. I've not had this problem in well over a year. Have even tested using Mid Grade 90 Octane with a bottle of Gumout Octane boost and no issues.
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Originally Posted by Eliminator
For those who may encounter this problem and search the board months from now, I'll post here the problem, the diagnosis and solution.
Problem: Increased Emissions light shows up during drive. Picture of yellow motor stays for 10 seconds then goes to a Service Engine Soon light - SES - and stays there permanently. The light may go away every 5 or 6 days for about 2 or 3 starts. Then it returns. Car runs fine. No other faults Ie. DSC, Park Assist, ABS, etc.
Diagnosis: Your car has a Secondary Air Pump and two valves that activate during the first 240 seconds to blow hot air through two valves, one on each bank, on to the catalytic converters. Simply to heat them up so they work. Cats don't work cold. Does NOT affect the driveability of the car that I can tell. The valves sometimes get stuck - open or closed. Open and the exhaust travels backwards in to the Secondary air pump condensing and filling the pump with water. This is where the customer usually hears slurping sounds, like a fat 11 yr old bold that just came from 7-11, during start-up.
Solution - BMW OBDII showed Bank 1 valve faulty. It was changed along with an o2 sensor from Bank 2 side of the engine. It was the o2 sensor before the primary cat on Bank 2.
My impressions -- After suffering from "Idle Valve" issue and never fixing that... it just went away 8 months ago and never came back, I am please the Faults were actually real. Car runs very good, I'd say better then before. Maybe the ECU has better readings to adjust air/fuel/timing with functional O2 sensors and valves stuck open can't help. Must be like an exhaust leak.
Hope this helps some folk during there search to fix "Increased Emissions" SES light since I found NONE during my search! G'day.
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