Increased Emissions - Solved!

[drchuck72]

Originally Posted by drchuck72

I bought a US 2009 M3 (I am in Canada) back in October. I drove it for the month November and then put it away when the weather started to turn bad as I still have my E46 M3 Cab until the end of February when my lease will run out.

I had some battery issues yesterday (battery froze) and I fired up the E92 to get the winter tires on in case I needed to drive it while I sorted out the battery issue with the E46. When I fired it up, the increased emissions light came on.

I came across this thread by accident. Glad I did. I guess I will be taking the car to its first Canadian Dealership for warranty service. Thanks to the OP. Good post.

I posted this up about 6 months ago. When the car started doing this, it had been stored for about 3 months. After driving the car a bit and getting it to the proper operating temperature, it went away...until last Friday. On Friday, I started getting the light again. Twice, right at start up. Then the 3rd start, it went away again. Yay!

Yesterday afternoon, after sitting for 2 days over the weekend, the light came back. Also, when it was starting, it took a little longer to turn over. This indicates to me that there is an actual problem. Appointment has been booked for tomorrow morning. Will post when I the problem has been solved.

Until then,

DC

[Titanium Silver]

Yeah, I got the same thing. The dealer put in a new O2 sensor. Problem solved. Never affected the driveability.

[drchuck72]

So my SA told me that the car is throwing codes due to low battery voltage. Which would explain why it is struggling to start in the morning. Car is on the charger at the dealer right now. Will have to pick it up tomorrow.

[drchuck72]

Battery was replaced. Code is gone, car starts like a champ.

[E Pluribus Unum]

....purchased a new 2011 e92 M3 and received the "Increased Emissions" warning after only two day of ownership. The first time I brought it in, the techs ran through the suggested motions and thought they resolved the issue by connecting a loose hose by the secondary air pump. The second time the warning came on, two days later the techs got with BMW of NA for next tier support. This time around they say somehow a piece of the air filter broke off and got stuck in one of the check valves on the pump. So a check valve along with the air filter will be replaced and hopefully I won't see this problem again. Considering going with a K&N replacement filter to ensure the stock filter doesn't break apart again, but we'll see.

[Russjeff]

My 2011 E92 just started the "increased emissions" SES last week. It cleared itself on Saturday and came back on Sunday with the addition of the "reduced power" issue as well. I dropped it off at the dealer this morning and they just called to tell me the car has at least 15 different fault codes. While I doubt I'll get by with an O2 sensor, does anyone who experienced similar issues know how many fault codes this type of issue creates? I'm guessing it's nowhere near this many. The SA also asked if the car was a daily driver-yes, if it ever sits for more than a week-no or if I've added any custom software-no. The car only has 4000 miles on it but their questions make me think they are lost. Anyone know how many codes can get set with the increased emissions issue? Thanks for all the great info!

[Russjeff]

Just got the car back from the dealership. Thanks to help from BMW NA, it was the same issue as everyone has seen. O2 sensor. Hopefully it really fixes it.

[immiketoo]

Keep us posted. Mine sits until the weekends and I have about the same milage. Ill be curious to see if I get a code.

[BPMSport]

Originally Posted by Russjeff

Just got the car back from the dealership. Thanks to help from BMW NA, it was the same issue as everyone has seen. O2 sensor. Hopefully it really fixes it.

Can you please advise which o2 sensor it was?

I am going to assume that it's a PRE cat o2 sensor, as you shouldn't get reduced power with a post cat 02 sensor going faulty.

Myself and two customers had this error as well - turned out that all of us somehow had a damaged post cat o2 sensor. One customer said he remembers knicking it leaving a gas station on the curb, and I remember the horrible pavement I drove over which took out one of the heater wires on my post cat sensor.

Remember that even if cat efficiency is turned off with a tune - the sensors still must be in place and functioning or you will still receive a CEL!

Increased emissions can be caused by a number of things, but 9 times out of 10 it is a faulty or damaged sensor. These ECU's are very sophisticated control units and perform quite a bit of testing routines to make sure that everything is in check for emissions related purposes.

[SS32]

Taking my car in tomorrow for this error, first time I've seen it in 46k miles. Hopefully it's something simple like the O2 sensor

[HeartMD]

Oh damn, this morning drove car to work, Stopped to fill her up and when i turned her on got the Icreased emissions light. The car like others drove fine to work and back home. Unfortunately on multiple restarts the light stayed on. Dealer was closed so Im probably gonna take her in tommorow morning first thing and hope they can service it. I hope this isnt the beginnig of PITA dealer trips, like I had with my 09" 335i which was at the dealer at least once every month

[atruelunatic]

Ugh I think I'm in the same boat as some sensors and idle control valve. My scanner is throwing codes for the secondary air pump bank 2. Some cylinder misfires and O2 sensors out of range. -___- Car goes into limp mode every so often and is fixed with a restart. Sucks I can't get a service time until next week.

[rcornelius]

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.

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.

[atruelunatic]

Problem solved... for now...

Just an O2 sensor that needed to be replaced... don't see how this can cause multiple misfires different times though. Thought the O2 sensors don't send any information that alters anything in the engine.

[BPMSport]

Originally Posted by atruelunatic

Problem solved... for now...

Just an O2 sensor that needed to be replaced... don't see how this can cause multiple misfires different times though. Thought the O2 sensors don't send any information that alters anything in the engine.

It depends on which o2 sensor it is...

If it's the post cat o2 sensor, it can not cause misfires.

However, issues with precat o2 sensors can cause a host of issues.

[atruelunatic]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

It depends on which o2 sensor it is...

If it's the post cat o2 sensor, it can not cause misfires.

However, issues with precat o2 sensors can cause a host of issues.

Yeah it was precat O2 sensor. Simple fix for a lot problems.

[ajminn]

Last Friday, I jumped my in-law's car (V6) with my M3. While revving the engine, I got the "increased emissions" light, but no other errors were thrown. SES light came on throughout the weekend. Then, yesterday, I started the car and no codes, lights are all gone. Should I take the car in for service or could this be because I had low voltage momentarily while jumping the other car?

[PVB M3]

Having the same repeated issues with my 2008 M3 Sedan 6MT, Dinan Intake. Have taken it back to BMW two times and they have replaced two of the four oxygen sensors. It solves the problem for a day and the SES comes back on again. They called Dinan to confirm that it does not have a Dinan tune. I am sure they were looking to use the tune as an excuse. Taking it back to BMW next week. Anyone know if there are any TSBs on this issue?

[TommyLights]

Do you have a part number for the pump and sensor?

[RatedEG13]

Increased Emissions came on two days after buying the car...SA said it just needed simple "reprogramming" after paying 2 labor hours and driving 100 miles the light came back on.

I kept my composure and brought the car back in. SA now said it was the fuel pressure sensor and bad fuel pump.

After contacting BMW and leaving a bad review...I was refunded the original amount spent and got the work done under warranty from the car dealer.

Car has 78,000 miles. Throttle response is a lot better and doesn't hick-up.

[happos2]

Ask them for what code is causing the IE light.

[sfortygiantniner]

Currently have the same issue with my 09'. Took it to the dealership paid for service to only get my car back exactly how it was. DISAPPOINTED, but thats another story.

Does anyone know if the O2 sensor can be placed on our own?