BMW fault codes
BMW uses P1 codes for systems such as Valvetronic, VANOS and the thermostat. A workshop tool also shows BMW's own code. The same P1 code means something else on another make. Check the make first.
How BMW codes work
Besides the generic OBD-II codes (P0xxx), BMW uses its own codes. Engine and gearbox codes usually start with P1 or P3, body codes with B1, chassis codes with C1 and network codes with U1. The same number can mean something completely different on another make, so always make sure the code was read for the right make.
Our list has 14 BMW codes. Most of them are in these systems: fuel mixture, camshaft timing (vvt), oxygen (lambda) sensors. The most serious ones, where you shouldn't keep driving: P1397.
A basic cheap code reader often shows a make's own codes only as a number, or misses them altogether. Finding the real cause takes a diagnostic tool with the make's software, voltage and current measurements and often a test drive. That is what we do in the workshop: we read the codes, check the sensors and wiring, and tell you what needs fixing and roughly what it costs.
Make-specific codes
Want a definite answer?
Bring the car to our workshop in Estonia for diagnostics. We read the fault codes, test the sensors and tell you what is wrong. Repair price depends on the work involved, generally €45 per hour.