1998 BMW 528i diagnostics

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Ignition System
This repair group covers component troubleshooting and re-
placement information for the ignition system.
When diagnosing engine management problems, including
on-board diagnostics (OBD
11) fault code analysis, also refer
to these repair groups:
* 130 Fuel Injection
* ELE Electrical Wiring Diagrams
OED On-Board Diagnostics
Special tools
System diagnosis and testing of the ignition system requires
special test equipment.
4 LED test light
(Tool No. Baum
1 1 15)
4 Automotive digital multimeter
4 Primary voltage test harness
(Tool No. BMW 12
7 020)
-
4 Secondary voltage test harness
(Tool No. BMW 12
7 030)

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120-3
Ignition System
Warnings and cautions
The ignition system produces dangerous high voltage. In ad-
dition the sensitive electronic components can be damaged
if
proper precautions are not adhered to.
WARNING-
* Do not touch or disconnect any cables from the coils while
the engine is running or being
cranked by the starter.
The ignition system produces high voltages that can be
fatal. Avoid contact with exposed terminals. Use ex-
treme caution when working on a car with the ignition
switched on or the engine running.
- Connect and disconnect tlie DME system wiring and
test equipment leads only when the ignition is
OFF:
Before operating the starter without starting the engine
(for example when
making a compression test) always
disable the ignition.
CA
U TIOW-
Do not attempt to disable the ignition by removing the coils
from the spark plugs.
Connect or disconnect ignition system wires, multiple
wire connectors, and ignition test equipment leads only
while the ignition is
off Switch multimeter functions or
measurement ranges only with the test probes discon-
nected.
* Do not disconnect the battery while the engine is run-
ning.
A high impedance digital multimeter should be used for
all voltage and resistance tests. An LED test light
should be used in place of an incandescent-type test
lamp.
In general, make test connections only as specified by
BMW as described in this manual, or as described by
the instrument manufacturer.
Engine management
BMW €39 engines use an advanced engine management
system known as Digital Motor Electronics (DME). DME in-
corporates on-board diagnostics, fuel injection, ignition and
other engine control functions. DME variants are listed in
Table a. Engine management systems.
Second generation On-Board Diagnostics
(OED II) is incor-
porated into the engine management systems used on the
cars covered by this manual. Use a BMW-specific electronic
scan tool, or a "Generic"
OED II scan tool to access Diagnos-
tic Trouble Codes (DTCs). DTCs can help pinpoint ignition
ine management problems.

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I lgnition System
Additional information about DTCs and engine management
system electronic system diagnosis is provided in
OBD On-
Board Diagnostics.
Table a. Engine management systems
Year
l~ngine I Engine type IDME svstem I - I - . . I
Ignition system
1997-1 998
1997
1998
1999-2002
4 All engines use a distributorless ignition system with individ-
ual ignition coils for each cylinder. There is no distributor cap
or ignition rotor.
4 Each coil is controlled and monitored by the Engine Control
Module (ECM) on a cylinder-by-cylinder basis.
1999-2000
1~52 TU 16-cylinder l~iemens MS
42.0
M62
M62
M62TU
Siemens MS 41 .I M52 6-cylinder
V-8
V-8 V-8 Bosch
M 5.2
Bosch M 5.2.1
Bosch ME 7.2

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120-6
lgnition System
lgnition system, troubleshooting
Troubleshooting ignition system faults should begin with an
interrogation of the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD
II) system.
The OBD
II system detects ignition system misfire and other
related faults. When faults are detected, the OBD
II system
stores a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) in the Engine Con-
trol Module (ECM) along with other pertinent fault information.
4 In addition, the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) will come on
if an emissions related fault is detected. Additional OBD
II in-
formation, including a DTC lookup table, can be found in
OED On-Board Diagnostics.
NOTE-
BMWmodels covered in this manual were equipped with one
of three versions of
MIL warning lights (as shown).
Misfire detection
Engine m~sfire in one or more cylinders, may be caused by a
var~ety of malfunctions in various subsystems. The OBD II
system ~ncorporated into the engine management systems is
des~gned to detect and warn of misfire faults during englne
operat~on. See OED On Board Diagnostics.
WARNING -
lgnition misfires can cause high hydrocarbon exhaust emis-
sions andcatalytic converter damage. For this reason, if a se-
vere misfire is detected, the fuel injector
will be turned off to
the specific cylinder and the
MIL will be illuminated. A misfire
may also produce an overheated catalytic converter, which
can be a fire hazard.
Oscilloscope diagnostic diagrams
One way to diagnose a faulty coil is to use an oscilloscope to
analyze spark quality with the engine running.
See Table b. lgnition secondary voltage diagnostics for
list of common ignition
coil voltage faults and related causes.

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120-7
Ignition System
Spark plug electrode gap /Too small /TOO big
Table
b. Ignition secondary voltage diagnostics
Secondary
voltage low
Fuel air mixture
I I Too lean
Secondary
voltage high
Spark plug electrode
Worniburnt
4 The illustration shows normal scope trace of spark at idle.
1. Start of ignition voltage peak
2 Level of ignition voltage
3. Level of combustion voltage
4. Period of combustion
5. Combustion curve characteristics
6. Start of decay process
7. Termination oscillations
Spark plug electrode
temperature
Engine compression
Spark plug wires
4 Short combustion period (indicates large spark plug gap).
Too
high
Too
low
I"" 9, 10 I" to I!, r) i" 21 10 il bW,rn?7G
Too low
Too high
Faulty
4 Ignition spark at idle speed.
A - Normal ignition voltage peak (spark plug is good).
B - Low voltage peak is an indication of a closed plug gap.
C
- High voltage peak indicates an open plug gap.
< Long combustion period (indicates small spark plug gap).
~i,+i!,~,i~tiii~iit~~,t1!lc,',l~~4~l~,~,l,~+~{+',,l 1W W Sl ,@ 10 :o 9 20 21 10 0

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Battery, Starter, Alternator
Water-cooled alternator
The water-cooled alternator, used on 1999 and later M62 TU
engines, is a sealed unit housed inside the engine block wa-
ter jacket. It is cooled via the engine cooling system. It is a
"brushless" sealed unit that cannot be serviced. Maintaining
consistent alternator temperatures increases the life span of
the alternator, and elimination of the alternator cooling fan re-
duces alternator noise
significantly.
The M62 TU water-cooled alternator incorporates load start
reduction. This function is intended to shorten the duration of
engine starting, particularly at low ambienttemperatures. The
current load is limited to
20 amps during starting in order to re-
duce alternator braking torque on the engine. Following the
current limiting phase, full power output is then progressively
reached.
Charging system diagnostics requires special test equip-
ment. If the test equipment is not available, charging system
fault diagnosis can be performed by an authorized
BMW
dealer or other qualified repair shop. See Table a. Battery,
alternator and starter troubleshooting for general electri-
cal component troubleshooting.
Before checking the alternator, make sure the battery is fully
charged and capable of holding a charge. Check that the bat-
tery terminals are clean and tight and the alternator drive belt
is properly tensioned and not severely worn.
NOTE-
Some model require up to 15 second to reacli full alternator
output.
CA UTIOG
If the charge indicator light in the instrument cluster remains
on, the charge warning circuit in the instrument cluster may
be faulty. Check that the ground lead is securely
affached to
the grounding stud on the cylinder head
(A). Replacing the
instrument cluster before repairing the ground lead will both
damage the instrument cluster and cause the failure to
reoccur.

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130-2
/Fuel Injection
This repair group covers service and repair of the Bosch and
Siemens engine management systems used on
1997
through 2002 E39 models. Additional engine management
service and repair information may also be found in the fol-
lowing repair groups:
0 020 Maintenance
120 Ignition System
160 Fuel Tank and Fuel Pump
610 Electrical Component Locations
OBD On Board Diagnostics
NOTE-
Camshaft position sensor, crankshaft speed sensor and
knoclc sensors are covered in 120 Ignition System.
Table a. Engine management system applications
- - ~ ~
1 ~odellmodel year / Engine IDME system I - I
5281, 1997-1 998 IM52. 2.8 liter ISiemens MS 41 .I I 1
528i. 1999ZO00 1~52 TU, 2.8 liter ]siemens MS 42.0 I I
5251, 2001-2002 1~54, 2.5 liter 1 Siemens MS 43.0 I I
530i, 2001-2002 1~54, 3.0 liter ISiemens MS 43.0
5401 1999-2001 1~62 TU, 4.4 liter l~osch ME 7.2
I
OBI) II software and hardware is incorporated in the engine
management control systems. The
OED II system monitors
components that influence exhaust and evaporative emis-
sions. If a problem is detected, the
OED I1 system stores the
associated fault code and condition.
540i. 1997
4 If vehicle emission levels exceed 1.5 times Federally mandat-
ed criteria, the
OED II system illuminates a malfunction indi-
cator light
(MIL) in the instrument cluster.
For the
E39 cars covered by this manual, three different
MIL symbols were used, depending on year and model.
See illustration.
When faults arise, or if the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is
illuminated, begin troubleshooting by connecting BMW ser-
vice tester
DISplus, MoDiC, GTl or equivalent scan tool. The
capabilities of OBD
II software has the potential to save hours
540i. 1998 IM62, 4.4 liter /Bosch M5.2.1
M62, 4.4 liter Bosch M5.2

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Fuel Tank and Fuel Pump
Evaporative system troubleshooting
- Start by accessing diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) using a
BMW or BMW compatible aftermarket scan tool.
For purposes of OBD
II emissions compliance, the DME
system sets a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) when it de-
tects a leak that is equal or larger than minimum
lealc
sensed by system.
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) is illuminated upon sec-
ond recurrence of fault. See OBD On-Board Diagnostics.
- When leak testing, observe following conditions to obtain
plausible results:
Fuel tank
'1, to 'I., full.
0 Vehicle parked for at least 2 hours to allow fuel to reach
room temperature.
Ideal fuel temperature is 10"- 20°C
(50"
- 68" F).
Do not refuel immediately before
lealc test.
- If a leak is detected, check the following areas:
* Fuel filter cap (leaking or off).
Fuel tank ventilation lines leaking at fuel
tank or activated
carbon canister.
i
Tank ventilation valve leaking (in engine compartment).
Fuel level
sensorlfuel pump cap leaking.
Evaporative system component replacement is covered later
in
th~s group in Fuel Tank and Fuel Lines.