M3 Problem

[Unichap]

I was driving my 2002 M3 (16k miles) and heard a beep. The SMG gear LED started flashing but I didn't feel anything wrong. I could still shift through all the gears and the drive seemed normal. Placed a call to the dealer and the earliest slot they have for me is this Friday. The car is now sitting in my garage.

Has anyone encountered anything like this? Would appreciate it if someone could tell me what the problem is. Thanks,

 

[vlad]

That's the first that I've heard of that one! I would appreciate it if you could post back when it's diagonosed!

 

[Unichap]

Will do. I miss driving my M3 already.

 

[wizard]

I used to own a 2002 M3 before I traded it in(great car by the way)..believe it or not I used to have the same problem when it was cold and I was very low on gas...once I filled the tank it stopped doing it.

 

[Unichap]

I took the car to the dealership this morning. It turned out that the hood did sit properly ( I recalled a friend of mine popped it up last week right before this happened to admire the engine). I'm told the M3 has sensors to check the hood position to make sure it is secure for high speed driving. I wish I had talked to the right "Service Advisor" on the phone.

BTW, the manual says the blinking happens when the SMG is overloaded which confused the hell out of me. Overloaded with what? for an M3 driven on the street? I spent a lousy one week driving a shitty Camry, but all is well now.

 

[Unichap]

typo. Should be: "didn't sit properly". Sorry.

 

[berhalle]

Wish I would have read this earlier. I had the same problem, called the BMW 800#, they were clueless. Emergency visit to the dealer and he found the problem immediately. Same thing...opened the hood for a friend to admire the engine and didn't close it properly. BMW needs to do a better job in explaining that in the manual!

 

[vlad]

Now I've heard that if the hood isn't fully closed, that the car will not start. But that's the first time I've heard that the LED would flash! Thanks for the feedback!

 

[GGM]

Is that true that it will not start if the hood is open? Wonder how a mechanic would by pass it if working on the car?!

 

[ariper79]

car will start, but won't shift into gear with the hood open.