# P20ee Code



## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

I'm getting the SES light and a countdown from 1500 miles to repair. My Garmin Mechanic shows P20EE fault code.
For those that had this code, have you had any success getting BMW to cover the repair either under the Emissions warranty or Good Will?

My car is out of warranty by a year but with only 51000 miles. ARGH!

Thanks!


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

*Good Will*

UPDATE:

I'll post the work order when it's done. I think he said they're going to _start_ with replacing two mass air sensors. Retail cost is over $2500. But BMW is covering 85% of the cost as good will. It would have been more like 95% considering miles alone - but I'm out of warranty by over a year.

The SA was resolute that this had nothing to do with CBU as no codes were showing for this. So I'm still faced with that specter.

This is the second repair I've had where I needed BMW's "Good Will". I'm starting to get nervous about the car. As our 335D's age more and more of this board is about fault codes & CBU.

Having retired and not commuting anymore the D might not be the best car to own. I'm driving my D less and less as most drives are very short and I'm trying to use our Q5 for those short run errands.

The sad irony of this is that driving the '15 328 loaner makes me realize just how great the 335D is. And if I sell it or trade it in, I will really miss it.


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## 335D Alpha Papp (Nov 25, 2014)

I had that code a few months ago at 61k miles. Its also known as 4D16. They had my car 3 months waiting on parts.

IIRC, they replaced the 02 and both NOX sensors, replaced the SCR and finally cleaned the metering device. The SCR took the longest to get from BMW. It went from delivery in 2 weeks to "we don't know when the part will be available." After replacing the SCR, they could not get the emission to reset until they cleaned the urea metering unit. It was a CPO so it was no cost to me.

Tell them to clean the unit first to see if that eliminates the error.


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks Alpha Papp!
I shared this with my SA.

As soon as I get the paper work, I'll post it here.


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

*Repaired..Sort of...*

Work Done:
Found Fault Code 4D16 (Thanks Alpha Papp) - Replace NOX Sensors before and after SCR Cat Converter; 
System Failed - needs Catalytic Converter.... Back Ordered from Germany.

But apparently the car is drivable.

Cost to me after Good Will $312+tax. That's 15% of about $2100.

No discernable difference in performance.


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## 335D Alpha Papp (Nov 25, 2014)

The SCR is $1800.00 so your getting a good deal. It also has a 2 yr warranty


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

335D Alpha Papp said:


> The SCR is $1800.00 so your getting a good deal. It also has a 2 yr warranty


This stuff is really expensive! This is bringing the total to over $4,000!
Shouldn't a catalytic converter be covered by the Federal Emissions Warranty which as I recall is 70,000 miles?


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

boooomer said:


> This stuff is really expensive! This is bringing the total to over $4,000!
> Shouldn't a catalytic converter be covered by the Federal Emissions Warranty which as I recall is 70,000 miles?


80K miles. Yes.

(70K miles is CA emissions warranty, which would also cover it.)


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

floydarogers said:


> 80K miles. Yes.
> 
> (70K miles is CA emissions warranty, which would also cover it.)


I looked at the Federal Emissions Warranty. The Cat is definitely covered under the 8 yr/80k - under the heading "Major Equipment" Warranty. It looks like the other stuff like the NOX sensors are covered under the CA 7/70 but not at the Federal Level.

BMW is doing the right thing with the 85% Good Will. I'll take it.

But it's still a lot of stuff that's all of sudden going out of whack. At 50k a $600 brake sensor went. And I still haven't confronted the CBU issue! UGH! I don't mind a $400 oil change/DEF service, or a $200 Brake Fluid service. The 335D is absolutely worth it!

But premature emissions stuff failures AND the CBU - that's too much.

I'm beginning to "lose the faith".


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

boooomer said:


> ...
> But it's still a lot of stuff that's all of sudden going out of whack.


IMO, many of these SES's for "DEF Insufficiency" or other indications for NOx sensors etc are bogus. My SES went on, Autozone read codes (Insufficiency), I drove it and the SES went off at the next DPF regen (when the system tests the SCR system.) The system is too sensitive; you get faults when nothing is really wrong.

I bought a BavarianTechnic reader so that I can figure out when to ignore the SES. Cheaper than spending $1800 on a new catalyst.


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## boooomer (Apr 23, 2010)

floydarogers said:


> IMO, many of these SES's for "DEF Insufficiency" or other indications for NOx sensors etc are bogus. My SES went on, Autozone read codes (Insufficiency), I drove it and the SES went off at the next DPF regen (when the system tests the SCR system.) The system is too sensitive; you get faults when nothing is really wrong.
> 
> I bought a BavarianTechnic reader so that I can figure out when to ignore the SES. Cheaper than spending $1800 on a new catalyst.


I drove the car for close to 300 miles and it wasn't going away by itself.

I have a Garmin Mechanic - which gave me the code - and it gave me the option to reset the code. But I don't have the knowledge to know if that would or would not make the issue worse. Also in my case, the car was doing a countdown from 1500 miles. I couldn't tell what would have happened at the end of 1500 miles ... Blow Up?...Self Destruct? ...Limp Mode?? :dunno:

I suspect that, in my case, it could be related to the fact that the car was sitting for extended periods of time in 90 degree plus weather while my wife and I travelled, that perhaps allowed the DEF to crystalize on some of control valves.

If I didn't have the Good Will and now the Fed Emissions Warranties and faced with the specter of having to spend over $4,000 I might have insisted that the components involved be thoroughly cleaned, resetting the code, and then if that didn't work, ignore it.


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