Car Care

How to Diagnose 6 Types of Issues With Your BMW

Whether you’re driving to and from work, to the grocery store, or off on an exciting adventure, no one wants to get stuck on the side of the road, struggling to get your car started while it makes funny noises.

If your BMW is acting strangely, here and some tips and tricks to help you diagnose the problem and get you back on the road.

Engine Won’t Start

It’s one of the most common problems and one of the most annoying. There’s nothing worse than getting behind the wheel for your engine to sputter and refuse to start — or make no noise at all. Many things can keep your BMW’s engine from starting, including: 

  • Dead battery
  • Damaged or corroded battery terminals
  • Starter failure
  • Fuel pump failure

For battery problems, either the engine won’t make any noise, or you’ll hear the starter trying to turn over, but it doesn’t have enough juice to start the engine. A clicking noise usually designates starter failure. Fuel pump failures will sound like regular starts, but since there is no gas making it to the chamber, it will just keep turning over. 

Engine Stalls

This issue can be both annoying and dangerous, especially if your engine stalls while you’re on a busy highway. The list of things that can cause an engine to stall isn’t as long, but here are still a few possible causes to consider. 

  • Alternator failure
  • Fuel pump failure
  • Clogged fuel filter

The alternator charges the battery while the car is running, providing power to the vehicle’s electrical system. If it’s not charging, the entire car’s electrical system is running off the battery, and when it discharges, the engine will stall. If the fuel pump fails and there is no gasoline reaching cylinders, the engine will stall. 

Poor Gas Mileage

While the gas mileage ratings provided by the manufacturer might not be exact under normal driving conditions, they can still give you a good idea of what sort of gas mileage you can expect from your BMW. If your car is supposed to get 30 miles per gallon and is suddenly getting less than 20, it could be a sign that there’s a problem. Potential causes include: 

  • Dirty air filter
  • Issues with fuel injection system
  • Under-inflated tires
  • Faulty O2 sensors

Anything, from a faulty O2 sensor on the exhaust system to a clogged air filter, can negatively impact the car’s performance. Many of these problems, such as the O2 sensor issues, will trigger the check engine light to illuminate. 

Uneven Tire Wear

We expect our tires to wear out over time, but they should wear evenly in a properly functioning car. If your tires start to show signs of uneven wear, it could signify a more significant issue hiding in the undercarriage. Problems that can cause uneven tire wear include: 

  • Improper alignment
  • Bad suspension
  • Incorrectly inflated tires

If the tires aren’t aligned correctly, or parts of the suspension fail, the tires won’t connect to the road properly. In addition to causing uneven wear, this can create traction issues, especially on wet or icy roads, making the car dangerous to drive. 

Overheating

Internal combustion engines operate due to contained explosions, so it makes sense that they generate a lot of heat. The engine’s cooling system is designed to help keep those heat levels manageable, but it’s easy for the engine to overheat and shut off if it stops functioning. Most overheating issues are related to the cooling system, including: 

  • The thermostat is stuck closed
  • Temperature gauges are reading incorrectly
  • The system has little to no coolant
  • Water pump failure

Monitoring the coolant level is one of the easiest ways to prevent overheating. Repair any leaks quickly and top off the coolant reservoir as needed. If the water pump or thermostat does fail, replacement is the only option.

Wobbly Wheels

While you’ll feel the bumps in the road, especially if the surface is rough, your wheels shouldn’t feel wobbly when you’re driving down a flat stretch of road. Various issues can cause wobbly wheels, including: 

  • Uneven tire wear
  • Improperly inflated tires
  • Loose lug nuts or wheel bolts
  • Suspension issues

If your wheels are wobbly, stop driving and check immediately for loose lug nuts or wheel bolts. This issue can be hazardous if one of your wheels comes off while you’re driving down the highway. 

Stay Safe Out There

No one likes to think about their car breaking down on them, but it does happen. Regular maintenance can reduce the chance of a severe issue, but it can’t always prevent your car from leaving you stranded on the side of the road.

Hopefully, these troubleshooting tips can help you figure out the issue and get it fixed faster if any of these issues arise.