1997 BMW 5 Series problems

“I EXCHANGED THE LAMBDA SENSOR OF MY CAR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. SUDDENLY MY MILEAGE WENT DOWN AND I STARTED AN ERROR SEARCH. SINCE I WAS DOING A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS ON THE CAR I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE SENSORS UP FRONT. UPDATED 11/16/10 *BF UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF SO WHEN IT CAME TO THEM I RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE GROUNDED THROUGH THE EXHAUST WHAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO AT MY CAR! WHEN I ASKED THE MANUFACTURER THEY DISMISSED EVERYTHING AS IF IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. AND THEY KEEP SELLING THE LAMBDA SENSORS FOR A RANGE OF CARS THAT DEFINITELY DO NOT FIT! MANUFACTURER IS BORGWARNER BERU SYSTEMS GMBH! LAMBDA SENSOR IS OZH 173 HTTP://BERU.COM/ENGLISH/PRODUKTE/PRODUKTIDENT.PHP?S=OZH+173&EANR=0824010207&ACTION=STEP02 THE DANGER RESULTS FROM THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GROUNDING: THIS LEADS TO A HEATING UP OF THE LAMBDA SENSORS WHICH THEN MIGHT IGNITE UNBURNED FUEL IN THE EXHAUST. THIS FUEL WILL DEFINITELY BE THERE AS THE GROUNDING ALSO DESTROYS THE OUTPUT STAGES OF THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE. THE CAR WILL ULTIMATELY FATTEN UP, RESULTING IN UNBURNED FUEL GETTING TO THE EXHAUST AND BEING IGNITED BY THE HEATED UP LAMBDA SENSORS! THIS IS WHAT…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BMW 528I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TRAVELED OVER A ROAD BUMP AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHEN THE VEHICLE RELEASED AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE STRUTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT INQUIRED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V183000 (SUSPENSION) BUT HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE THE RECALL REPAIRS WAS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE AND THE FAILURE HAD ALREADY OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”

“WHILE STARTING THE CAR THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *TR”

“INCIDENT #1 2010: ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE TO 75MPH TO ENTER FREEWAY. TOOK FOOT OFF GAS AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. ENGAGED CLUTCH TO STOP ACCELERATION AND RPM CONTINUED TO RISE TO THE LIMITER POINT (APPROX 5500 RPM). PULLED OVER, STARTED CAR AND ENGINE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE RED LINE. ON INSPECTION, A PLASTIC PART ON AN ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD CRACKED, CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR TO LOCK IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. IF THE CLUTCH HAD NOT BEEN ENGAGED (I.E. IF THIS CAR HAD AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION AND POSSIBLE INJURIES OR FATALITIES. INCIDENT #2 12/2/2012. STARTED CAR AND PULLED AWAY FROM CURB. AT ABOUT 3-5 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. STOPPED CAR, TURNED OFF IGNITION AND STARTED IT AGAIN. THE WHEEL UNLOCKED BUT THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE CLICKING SOUND WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. CAREFULLY DROVE ABOUT ONE MILE TO HOUSE AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AGAIN AND CAR COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE WHEEL LOCKING WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WAS A CONDITION THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COLLISION AND POSSIBLE INJURIES OR FATALITIES. *TR”

“TWO THINGS SPECIFICALLY WHICH APPEARS TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE. FIRST, THE TRANSMISSION HAS LOST ITS REVERSE FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE GOES IN DRIVE WITHOUT A SINGLE PROBLEM AT ALL. THIS APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO A DEFECT IN THE DRUM ON THE VEHICLE. (A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH WILL SHOW YOU AND UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM) ALSO, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT STAYS ON EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE TRANSISTOR IN THE LCM (LIGHT CONTROL MODULE). MY LIGHT STAYED ON IN MY 97 BMW 528I AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING THE HEADLIGHT CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD. THE HEADLIGHT CAUGHT AFIRE BECAUSE THE LCM MODULE DIDN'T TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. ALSO,THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT FOR REVERSE. *TR”

“1997 BMW 528I WAS RUNNING HOT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT, MECHANIC REPLACED THE RADIATOR. SHE STATES THAT THE VEHICLE IS STILL RUNNING HOT AND THE BRAKES WERE SCREECHING AND SQUEAKING. ANOTHER DEALER REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. *KB”