BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info

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BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
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BMW Fuel Injectors
Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls
By Dave Facciuto

                     Piezo injectors aren’t just for diesels.
                     Understanding new technology is
                     the key to successful repairs.

                      New decoupling rings must be installed each time
                      an injector is removed or replaced.
BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
When we discuss BMW fuel             based injector design that will     First high pressure fuel enters
injectors we will focus primarily    perform as well as the piezo        the injector; all the pressure
on the direct injection type         type, we will focus on the latter   throughout the injector is equal
or GDI. Port injection has           as these injectors are what you     at this point. The piezo stack
been phased out and you will         will encounter most often.          is energized by the fuel control
mostly see the direct type                                               unit and the injection event
injectors in the field. Direct       According to Bosch, which           takes place. Piezo injectors are
injection is not all that new.       introduced piezo injectors to       quieter and more precise than
                                     the industry, a piezo actuator      solenoid units, a huge benefit
BMW used direct injection            acts up to five times faster than   when microseconds count!
in airplane engines in the           a standard injector solenoid
1930s. However they did not          and the motion is frictionless.     Some basics of piezo or
implement DI in automotive           This translates into precise        high voltage injectors:
applications until the mid 2000s.    fuel metering and allows for
                                                                           • The drivers in the
In 2007 BMW introduced the           multiple injector events to
                                                                             DME control both
N54 engine featuring direct          occur each combustion cycle.
                                                                             voltage and current.
injection and turbocharging
on the 335i model.                   A piezo element only expands          • The driver will provide
                                     a miniscule amount, so                  a boost voltage of
BMW’s current lineup features        hundreds of slices are stacked          up to 200 volts.
almost all turbocharged and          on top of each other so that
direct injected engines. BMW                                               • The driver will boost
                                     the net movement is only
made the switch to direct                                                    current to around 10
                                     about 0.004 inch. The actual
injection for good reason            movement is microscopic,                amps for a few hundred
— namely, improved fuel              but enough to make the piezo            microseconds.
efficiency, lower emissions,         element act as the valve.             • Voltage returns to
better performance, and cooler                                               approximately 13.5 V
cylinder temperatures. Are they      Since this movement is a                and the holding current
bullet proof? Of course not .        downward motion, a lever and            drops to around 3 to 4
Yes Virginia, there is a recall.     spring setup inside the injector        amps for the remainder
But before we get into that,         allows the pintle to open and           of the injection event.
let’s delve into what makes the      close. In a piezo injector, the
                                     electronic engine management
modern BMW injector work.
                                     system sends an electrical
                                                                         Fuel system
Modern BMW                           signal to the valve, much like      monitoring
                                     the solenoid operated valve. But    We won’t spend much time on
piezo injectors                      the unique property of a piezo      the theory and operation of the
Although manufacturers such          crystal, as mentioned before,       GDI system and how it works
as Bosch, Siemens, and Delphi        is that it changes shape when       other than a bit of a refresher in
are all working on a solenoid        exposed to electric current.        regard to how the monitoring
                                                                         system affects the injectors.
                                                                         Previous articles have looked
                                                                         in depth at the GDI system as
 The inner workings of a piezo injector.                                 a whole. The self-diagnosis
 Note the stacked discs.                                                 system as it pertains to fuel
                                                                         system monitoring, and
                                                                         particularly fuel injectors,
                                                                         can be broken down into:
                                                                           • Lambda adaptation
                                                                           • Trim control plausibility
                                                                             monitoring

                                                                                             october 2020 21
BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
BMW Fuel Injectors
  • Diagnosis of injector aging        pressure can be adjusted by             • 30BA DME digital motor
  • High pressure fuel                 the high pressure control.                electronics, internal failure
    control system                     If the rail pressure is too high,       • 30BB DME digital motor
                                       the result in the difference in           electronics, internal failure
Diagnosis of injector aging is
simply a way of monitoring             the two values is negative. If          • Here are some of the
injector adaptation. A small           the pressure is too low, then the         affected models:
proportion of the short term fuel      difference in the two values will       • 2007-2013 BMW 135i (E82)
deviation is used for diagnostic       result in a positive. If either of
                                       these two values, negative or           • 2007-2008 BMW 335i (E90)
injector aging and is stored as
an injector adaptation value in        positive, exceeds a calibrated          • 2007-2008 BMW 335xi (E91)
a separate map. The values of          threshold for a certain amount          • 2007-2010 BMW 335i (E92)
the separate map are renewed           of time, a malfunction will be
                                       detected with a fault set. The          • 2007-2010 BMW 335i (E93)
every 497 miles. A fault will be
stored if the injector adaptation      high pressure sensor signal is          • 2009-2010 BMW 535i
exceeds a calibratable                 also monitored for plausibility           & 535xi (E60)
minimum or maximum value.              by using the lambda controller.
                                                                               • 2009-2016 BMW Z4 35i (E89)
In the monitoring of the high          If the adaptation shows rich
                                                                             BMW models with MSD80 DME
pressure fuel control system you       while the fuel pressure controller
                                                                             software may set the fault codes
will be dealing with codes such        is below a calibrated threshold,
                                                                             30BA or 30BB. These fault codes
as p3282, p3284, p3003, and            then a too high pressure signal
                                                                             set when fuel injectors on bank 1
                                       will be detected. The reverse will
p3090. The high pressure system                                              or bank 2 develop circuit faults or
                                       occur when a lean condition is
consists of a common fuel rail for                                           when an injector MOSFET driver
                                       detected and the fuel pressure
all high pressure piezo injection                                            fails. Most times these fault
                                       controller is above a calibrated
valves, a fuel rail pressure sensor,                                         codes will be permanent and will
                                       threshold. This will result in
a high pressure fuel pump with a                                             not clear. However, be mindful
                                       a too low pressure signal.
built in fuel volume control valve,                                          there are situations where the
and an overpressure valve.                                                   fault codes will set intermittently.
                                       Diagnosis
Based on the engine load and           BMW models with turbocharged          When diagnosing piezo fuel
speed, the high pressure needs         N54 engines and MSD80 DME             injector fault codes it is a good
to be adjusted to pressures set        software can develop fuel injector    idea to begin by checking fuel
forth in the map. To accomplish        MOSFET driver failure. MOSFET         injector voltage and current
this the pressure in the rail is       stands for Metal–Oxide–               using a lab scope. This will aid
measured and controlled with           Semiconductor Field-Effect            in determining whether the fault
the help of the fuel volume            Transistor. It is a field-effect      code is caused by the injector
control valve. Using the desired       transistor where the voltage          itself, the circuit, or the driver.
fuel mass and pressure preset          determines the conductivity
value, a precontrol calculates         of the device. It is used for         Remember, piezo injectors
the driver signal as inputs for        switching or amplifying signals, in   normally operate at extremely
the fuel volume control valve.         this case switching the injector.     high voltages, so use extreme
                                                                             care when working around
In diagnosis, the high pressure        The ability to change conductivity    connections. Do not touch any
monitoring system analyzes             with the amount of applied            of the injector terminals while
the difference between the             voltage can be used for amplifying    the engine is running. Set your
measured fuel pressure and the         or switching electronic signals.      scope to display voltage and
set point pressure. Your scan          This driver failure will cause        current at the same time. Set the
tool often has PIDs that display       an injector to stop delivering        voltage range to -200 volts DC
requested fuel pressure and            fuel and an engine misfire to         to +200 volts DC. Current range
actual pressure. The monitor           occur. The Check Engine light         should be set around 10 amps.
determines whether or not the          will be ON with these related         Beginning on a cylinder with no
set point value of the fuel rail       fault codes (error messages):         faults, establish a possible known

22   the bimmer pub
BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
pattern isn’t right   In checking your wiring integrity
                                                         you most likely       you will want to perform a
                                                         have a faulty         voltage drop test of the wiring
                                                         injector or driver.   under load. This is a bit tricky
                                                         Most times when       in that, due to the high voltages
                                                         the DME is at         the engine management applies,
                                                                               you can’t energize the circuit
                                                         fault, the current
                                                                               just by powering it up. You will
                                                         pattern will try
                                                                               have to supply your own load.
                                                         to climb, but fail.   First disconnect the negative
                                                         The MOSFET            battery terminal, then locate
Your lab scope should graph both the current             drivers fail when     the DME and disconnect both
ramp on and off plus the voltage patterns.               the attempt           DME connectors. Consult an
(Courtesy Opus IVS™)                                     to charge the         accurate wiring diagram and
                                                         injector begins.      use your ohmmeter to verify
good pattern. Insert a back probe
                                                                               that you are on the correct wire
into the white wire, then attach        In the event you feel as though        from the DME to the injector.
your current probe around the           you have a faulty injector or
same wire. Be sure to consult the       driver, turn off the engine,           Now that you have identified the
wiring diagram for the specific         remove your test equipment             correct wire, connect the injector
model you are working on.               and disconnect all the injectors.      side of the wiring harness to
                                                                               battery negative. Then, at the
Voltage should range from 0 to          Connect your scan tool, either
                                                                               DME side, connect a test light
almost 160 volts DC. The current        ISTA-D or a factory compatible
                                                                               (the load) to the injector terminal
pattern will peak at around             scan tool, and try to clear the
                                                                               to be tested, then connect it to
8 amps when the injector is             codes. If the codes will not clear     battery positive. You can use
switched on, then the current will      you most likely have a DME fault       the jump start terminal if you
drop while the injector is open,        or wiring issue. If the fault clears   wish, and the test light should
and, finally reverse when the           then most likely the injector is       illuminate. Use your voltmeter
injector is switched off. Current       faulty. Double check this as           now and check the voltage at
reverses because the piezo              these babies are expensive!            the DME connection and you
element acts as a capacitor,
and when switched off,
the voltage travels back
through the injector. If the

In the case of this 535 model the injector wires are white.

                                                                                                 october 2020 23
BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
BMW Fuel Injectors
should have 0.2 V
or less. Check the
integrity of all your
suspect circuits
including both legs
of each injector.

If the fault code
does not clear
even when               You should have 0.2 V or less
disconnecting all       when checking the voltage
the injectors, and if   drop of the injector circuit.
the injector wiring     (Courtesy Opus IVS™)                   This removal and installation tool is needed for the
tests OK, the issue                                            N55 engine. With N54 engines you can use the slide
has been isolated
to the DME. There
                                                               hammer type puller.
is a method for opening the
DME and checking the MOSFET;            injectors may cause misfire faults     to replace ALL fuel injectors
however there are no serviceable        with erratic  engine operation.        depending on which injectors are
parts internally so a new unit                                                 already installed on their BMW.
                                        Your customer may be entitled
from BMW is the answer.                 to repair from the BMW dealer.
                                       To check for recalls go to:
                                                                               What do all those
We have covered a possible
electrical failure of the injectors    www.bmwusa.com/safety-                  numbers mean?
and drivers, but what about a          and-emission-recalls.html               Here is a typical FI part number:
mechanical failure? A common                                                   13537585261-12. The following
                                       Also, BMW has issued extended           is how the part number will read
symptom of a mechanical failure
                                       warranties on injectors for certain     on the actual fuel injector. Here
is a misfire coupled with: black
                                       models according to TIS bulletin        is the breakdown: BMW Part
smoke from the tailpipe; rich
                                       SI B01 05 18. N63T ENGINE               Number -13537585261 Fuel
smelling exhaust; engine oil
                                       FUEL INJECTORS: LIMITED                 Injector Index: 12. BMW only
dilution; and even engine hydro
                                       WARRANTY EXTENSION TO                   manufactures injectors with
lock. You may have misfire codes
and rich fuel trims alerting you       10 YEARS/120,000 MILES.                 an index of 11 or higher. There
to the problem. What typically         TIS bulletin SI B01 02 15 has           are two points to remember:
happens is the injector doesn’t        also extended the warranty
                                                                                1. Direct injection fuel injectors
completely shut and drips              on N54 Engine Fuel Injectors
                                                                                   must use a new decoupling
excess fuel into the cylinders.        – Limited Warranty Extension
                                                                                   ring (13537564751) and a
This is why it is imperative           to 10 Years/120,000 Miles.
                                                                                   new seal (13537584315)
to not let these symptoms                                                          when removed or replaced.
                                       New injectors have been
continue in your customer’s                                                        These part numbers may
                                       released from BMW for the N63,
vehicle, and to repair the                                                         vary depending on the fuel
                                       N74, and N54 with “improved
condition as soon as possible.                                                     injector part number. New
                                       internal filtering” and “special
                                       thermo compensating oil.”                   injectors will come with a seal
Recalls and                            Unfortunately the new injectors             installed, otherwise you will
warranties                             have calibration and construction           need a special tool to expand
                                                                                   the seal when installing
BMW has issued a recall on             differences that prevent them
certain models. This emissions         from being intermixed with older            and compress it again.
recall involves E60, E61, E71,         style injectors “index 10,” but          2. Fuel injectors with an index of
E82, E88, E90, E92, and E93            they can be intermixed with                 10 or lower cannot be paired
vehicles with N54 engines which        newer “index 11” injectors.                 with injectors that have an
were produced from 04/02/2007          So in some cases of injector                index of 11 or higher. They
through 11/30/2008. The piezo          failure, BMW owners might have              are calibrated differently and

24   the bimmer pub
BMW Fuel Injectors Theory, Operation, Diagnosis, and Recalls - Automotive Tech Info
AUTOMOTIVE
                                                                                               TEC H
                                        each installed injector are stored
                                        in the DME control module. The
                                        calibration values are allocated to
                                        the individual cylinders according

                                                                                AutomotiveTechInfo.com
                                        to the installation of the injectors.
                                        The injection volumes calculated
 Be sure the latest index               by the DME control module are
                                        corrected by these calibration
 markings are on the injectors
                                        values, thus improving the
 you are replacing                      exhaust emissions. Using ISTA-P
 (BMW TSB SI B13 14 10).                or compatible scan tool these
                                        values can be changed or new
                      Calibration       values entered. The calibration
                      numbers           values are printed in two blocks
                      marked on         each with three digits on each
                      the injectors     injector. The inscription can be
                                        located either on the plastic
                                        bracket or on the metallic upper
                                        part. If injectors are renewed or
                                        replaced, it must be assured that
                                        the printed calibration values of
                                        each injector are assigned to the
    the newer injectors (index          correct cylinder in the DME.
    11 and up) are made as a
    replacement for the faulty/         The menu on your scan tool
    defective injectors (index 10       will read something like this:
    and lower). This means that           • Vehicle identification
    if the customer is replacing          • Function selection                  Log on for free access to
    some injectors, but not all,
    you must check the index on           • Select “Service functions”          1600+ technical articles!
    the remaining injectors and           • Select “Engine electronics”
    to see if any of them have
                                          • Select “Adjustment functions”
    an index of less than 11. If
    so, those injectors will have         • Select “Adjust injectors”
    to be replaced at the same            • Injection quantity
    time to prevent driveability            compensation
    issues and possible
    catastrophic engine damage.         For each replaced injector,
                                        the adjustment value must
In the end, all of the fuel injectors   be entered according to
on a particular engine must have        the installation location.
an index of 11 or higher. Most
shops agree you should go with          As these vehicles get more
all new injectors index 12 and not      mileage on them, you are
have any issues in the future.          bound to see more fuel injector
                                        failures. Providing accurate
Calibration                             diagnosis coupled with the
During vehicle assembly, after          latest parts updates will ensure
installation of the DME control         your customers of a quality
module, the calibration values of       repair and peace of mind. •

                                                           october 2020 25
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