Full Drivetrain Power Not Available

Phinehas · 10-08-2016, 10:24 AM

Last night I merged interstate traffic and proceeded to accelerate as normal, however, I almost immediately received a warning on the dash and multimedia screen that full drivetrain power was not available. The conditions were wet and it was an uphill section. In addition to the warning light, the car has significantly reduced power, had considerable vibration in the drivetrain under acceleration or even at idle. I clicked the service request, it self diagnosed and sent it to the BMW overlords. The message did into that continued depriving was possible but to drive moderately. I made it home, restarted the car and the same warning and conditions arose.

This morning I got up early to take it into BMW. Started the car and the warning came back on, but as I drove to the dealership it disappeared. I tested it out in different driving modes and pushed it under acceleration...no trace of the problem. Made it to the dealership but they don't have any openings for two weeks! And my case isn't an emergency so I'm out of luck for now.

Anyone got thoughts on what the heck might have happened and if this is a serious issue or not? Thanks in advance.

KPD · 10-08-2016, 02:57 PM

If it were just a warning with no other obvious signs, I'd agree that it's not an emergency and probably... hopefully just an electrical or software glitch. But "reduced power and considerable vibration" do not sound good. If it happened again, take it back to the dealership and insist on getting it fixed ASAP.

I've had a electrical leak in one of my old cars (not a BMW). One of the wiring looms was damaged and the car kept going into limp mode randomly and hesitated on acceleration (sort of like hiccups). Identifying the problem was pain and took three trips to the dealership. The actual fix when they found the cut loom took literally 20 minutes. Car was ready before I got back home from the dealership and I had to turn around and go back!

When you say vibration, was it accompanied by any nasty mechanical noise? Engine vibration or transmission/differential?

Either way, hoping that it's electrical, not mechanical. Might be trickier to trace. But fixing it should be easy.

Phinehas · 10-08-2016, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPD

If it were just a warning with no other obvious signs, I'd agree that it's not an emergency and probably... hopefully just an electrical or software glitch. But "reduced power and considerable vibration" do not sound good. If it happened again, take it back to the dealership and insist on getting it fixed ASAP.

When you say vibration, was it accompanied by any nasty mechanical noise? Engine vibration or transmission/differential?

Either way, hoping that it's electrical, not mechanical. Might be trickier to trace. But fixing it should be easy.

The vibration definitely felt mechanical and based on it being primarily under throttle I think it's sourced in the drivetrain as the message seems to indicate. If it is mechanical it baffles me how it would revert to proper working order today.

I also had a previous car with an electrical wiring harness gremlin that took several times to diagnose so I'm familiar with that kind of ordeal.

This is my first BMW so I'm keeping tabs on my various first impressions. Service guy this morning isn't in the plus column at the moment.

I'll update if anything else happens. Honestly, not sure if I want it to be a definite problem so that I can get it fixed or hope that it doesn't reoccur. If it doesn't resurface I'll always have doubts about the cars reliability.

DARKMTTR · 10-09-2016, 05:35 PM

This exact same problem happened to me as well after a 200km trip in the rain. As I was proceeding to overtake a vehicle, in Eco Pro mode, the engine lost a considerable amount of power and I got similar warnings, stating "Drivetrain Malfunction, please drive moderately". I immediately pulled off the highway and noted that the car ran very roughly and throttle response was absent. Overall, the entire car was very jittery.

Like you, this is my first BMW and let me tell you, I was extremely disappointed with BMW's roadside assistance and valet service. Very unprofessional and they refused to cover the cost of a rental (because the dealership was closed by the time everything was sorted out with the tow truck). Its disheartening to not be accommodated when after two months of ownership and still under warranty, a $50,000+ car experiences this type of problem.

Anyways, after leaving the car in the dealership for a day, the technicians were unable to reproduce the error, but stated that an injector misfired. If I have to guess the main cause of the problem, I'd say its due to moisture.
Really hoping this does not happen again.

E90Fleet · 10-09-2016, 05:49 PM

Sounds like the cars went into limp mode.

Hopefully its just a software bug (something like a too sensitive parameter) and it will be fixed or even has been fixed in software updates.

The X1 software is still pretty new and will go through many versions.

To check if it just a transient fault, stop the car and switch it off totally (2 presses of the Start/Stop button).
Wait a few seconds then restart the car.
If the fault does not return quickly it may just be a transient error.

If the warning said do not continue driving, its best not to. But limp mode or sensor faults are often easily cleared with the above.

Phinehas · 01-26-2017, 07:51 PM

So, same thing reoccurred with my X1 today except it was a perfectly dry day. Despite multiple restarts and time intervals the problem didn't go away. Scheduled appointment with local BMW for Tuesday, best they would offer. In the meantime I have an X1 with about 40% of normal power.

E90Fleet · 01-27-2017, 02:04 PM

Sorry to hear

Hope its an easy fix
If the problem is still showing it will have error messages stored so the dealer can quickly trace the problem

Good luck with the wait

Let us know what happens

Phinehas · 01-31-2017, 06:12 PM

Got the X1 into the dealer this morning and it looks like they'll be keeping it a few days. Apparently, a bad MAP sensor which needs to be replaced. Seems unlikely to cause a drivetrain malfunction, but so be it.

Makes me stop and think though as I added the Dinan unit to the car (took off for today) which could have affected the sensor. The thing is I got this malfunction before I had ever installed that unit so I doubt it was the cause.

Should get the car back on Thursday; will report back if anything of interest is mentioned.

E90Fleet · 01-31-2017, 06:17 PM

Interesting.
There is a thread in the M5 section about DINAN units giving "phantom" problems in the cold weather due to it not letting all signals get through to the DME.

http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1349075

10-08-2016, 10:24 AM	#1
Phinehas New Member 10 Rep 25 Posts Drives: 2017 X1 - Xdrive28i Join Date: May 2016 Location: North Carolina iTrader: (0)	Full Drivetrain Power Not Available Last night I merged interstate traffic and proceeded to accelerate as normal, however, I almost immediately received a warning on the dash and multimedia screen that full drivetrain power was not available. The conditions were wet and it was an uphill section. In addition to the warning light, the car has significantly reduced power, had considerable vibration in the drivetrain under acceleration or even at idle. I clicked the service request, it self diagnosed and sent it to the BMW overlords. The message did into that continued depriving was possible but to drive moderately. I made it home, restarted the car and the same warning and conditions arose. This morning I got up early to take it into BMW. Started the car and the warning came back on, but as I drove to the dealership it disappeared. I tested it out in different driving modes and pushed it under acceleration...no trace of the problem. Made it to the dealership but they don't have any openings for two weeks! And my case isn't an emergency so I'm out of luck for now. Anyone got thoughts on what the heck might have happened and if this is a serious issue or not? Thanks in advance.
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10-08-2016, 02:57 PM	#2
KPD Lieutenant 171 Rep 549 Posts Drives: F48 xDrive 20i xLine Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Surrey iTrader: (0)	If it were just a warning with no other obvious signs, I'd agree that it's not an emergency and probably... hopefully just an electrical or software glitch. But "reduced power and considerable vibration" do not sound good. If it happened again, take it back to the dealership and insist on getting it fixed ASAP. I've had a electrical leak in one of my old cars (not a BMW). One of the wiring looms was damaged and the car kept going into limp mode randomly and hesitated on acceleration (sort of like hiccups). Identifying the problem was pain and took three trips to the dealership. The actual fix when they found the cut loom took literally 20 minutes. Car was ready before I got back home from the dealership and I had to turn around and go back! When you say vibration, was it accompanied by any nasty mechanical noise? Engine vibration or transmission/differential? Either way, hoping that it's electrical, not mechanical. Might be trickier to trace. But fixing it should be easy.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-09-2016, 05:35 PM	#4
DARKMTTR Second Lieutenant 229 Rep 218 Posts Drives: '20 M2 Competition & '18 X1 Join Date: May 2016 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2020 BMW M2 Competi ... [0.00] 2018 BMW X1 [0.00]	This exact same problem happened to me as well after a 200km trip in the rain. As I was proceeding to overtake a vehicle, in Eco Pro mode, the engine lost a considerable amount of power and I got similar warnings, stating "Drivetrain Malfunction, please drive moderately". I immediately pulled off the highway and noted that the car ran very roughly and throttle response was absent. Overall, the entire car was very jittery. Like you, this is my first BMW and let me tell you, I was extremely disappointed with BMW's roadside assistance and valet service. Very unprofessional and they refused to cover the cost of a rental (because the dealership was closed by the time everything was sorted out with the tow truck). Its disheartening to not be accommodated when after two months of ownership and still under warranty, a $50,000+ car experiences this type of problem. Anyways, after leaving the car in the dealership for a day, the technicians were unable to reproduce the error, but stated that an injector misfired. If I have to guess the main cause of the problem, I'd say its due to moisture. Really hoping this does not happen again.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-09-2016, 05:49 PM	#5
E90Fleet Lieutenant General 1312 Rep 10,185 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Africa iTrader: (0)	Sounds like the cars went into limp mode. Hopefully its just a software bug (something like a too sensitive parameter) and it will be fixed or even has been fixed in software updates. The X1 software is still pretty new and will go through many versions. To check if it just a transient fault, stop the car and switch it off totally (2 presses of the Start/Stop button). Wait a few seconds then restart the car. If the fault does not return quickly it may just be a transient error. If the warning said do not continue driving, its best not to. But limp mode or sensor faults are often easily cleared with the above. __________________ BMW if you are reading, I need a job, Please.
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01-26-2017, 07:51 PM	#6
Phinehas New Member 10 Rep 25 Posts Drives: 2017 X1 - Xdrive28i Join Date: May 2016 Location: North Carolina iTrader: (0)	So, same thing reoccurred with my X1 today except it was a perfectly dry day. Despite multiple restarts and time intervals the problem didn't go away. Scheduled appointment with local BMW for Tuesday, best they would offer. In the meantime I have an X1 with about 40% of normal power.
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01-27-2017, 02:04 PM	#7
E90Fleet Lieutenant General 1312 Rep 10,185 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Africa iTrader: (0)	Sorry to hear Hope its an easy fix If the problem is still showing it will have error messages stored so the dealer can quickly trace the problem Good luck with the wait Let us know what happens __________________ BMW if you are reading, I need a job, Please.
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01-31-2017, 06:12 PM	#8
Phinehas New Member 10 Rep 25 Posts Drives: 2017 X1 - Xdrive28i Join Date: May 2016 Location: North Carolina iTrader: (0)	Got the X1 into the dealer this morning and it looks like they'll be keeping it a few days. Apparently, a bad MAP sensor which needs to be replaced. Seems unlikely to cause a drivetrain malfunction, but so be it. Makes me stop and think though as I added the Dinan unit to the car (took off for today) which could have affected the sensor. The thing is I got this malfunction before I had ever installed that unit so I doubt it was the cause. Should get the car back on Thursday; will report back if anything of interest is mentioned.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-31-2017, 06:17 PM	#9
E90Fleet Lieutenant General 1312 Rep 10,185 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Africa iTrader: (0)	Interesting. There is a thread in the M5 section about DINAN units giving "phantom" problems in the cold weather due to it not letting all signals get through to the DME. http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1349075 __________________ BMW if you are reading, I need a job, Please.
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