Drivetrain malfunction while eating donuts

[Hoopumpers]

Was out playing today, some closed course drifting and at one point did an intentional donut. Car immediately went into limp mode with a drivetrain malfunction. Turned car off/on, still there. After a few miles of gentle driving it disappeared.

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the car at all. Just curious if others who drive aggressively have witnessed this. It is an ///M car...and shouldn't whine and complain when looped around a few times IMO. A little embarrassing.

Haven't posted in a while, so saying hi more than anything happy motoring all

[N.S.A]

Originally Posted by Hoopumpers

Was out playing today, some closed course drifting and at one point did an intentional donut. Car immediately went into limp mode with a drivetrain malfunction. Turned car off/on, still there. After a few miles of gentle driving it disappeared.

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the car at all. Just curious if others who drive aggressively have witnessed this. It is an ///M car...and shouldn't whine and complain when looped around a few times IMO. A little embarrassing.

Haven't posted in a while, so saying hi more than anything happy motoring all

was traction turned off?

[M5 RAG]

Originally Posted by N.S.A

was traction turned off?

I don't think you'd do much of a Donut with the TC on, more of a Doh! than a Donut

[RealStig]

It may be the differential bolts and one of them may be cracked/loose. The problem is, if you go to the dealership and say you were doing donuts, you will be handed (if it is in fact the diff bolt) a rather hefty bill (around 8-13k).

[SDf10]

At least we had a lot of fun eating donuts yesterday! Some fun driving for sure. Remember to get the coffee out of the back controls hahaha.

[B-1Pilot]

Originally Posted by RealStig

It may be the differential bolts and one of them may be cracked/loose. The problem is, if you go to the dealership and say you were doing donuts, you will be handed (if it is in fact the diff bolt) a rather hefty bill (around 8-13k).

And your basing this on what? Surely not any experience in an M5.

The car can get the drivetrain error/limp mode for any number of reasons. In the two years I have been following this board 99% of them have not been tied to any real mechanical damage (oil pump issue excluded). Most have been for momentary deviations from normal operating parameters, and the car returns to full normal operation after it is either restarted or after it has run a sufficient time and the ECU has determined that there is in fact no problem with the car.

I agree the car should do donuts all day long... heck didn't it set the longest drift record?

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/15/b...ew-m5-w-video/

[dhirm5]

Originally Posted by RealStig

It may be the differential bolts and one of them may be cracked/loose. The problem is, if you go to the dealership and say you were doing donuts, you will be handed (if it is in fact the diff bolt) a rather hefty bill (around 8-13k).

I'm fairly certain there's no legal basis for denying a warranty claim due to doing donuts.

[NickRac]

Had the same thing happen on Christmas Eve. Donuts in a light snow in the parking lot - hit limp mode.

Parked the car and walked into nearby restaurant. When I came back all was OK and I haven't had an issue since. 5k+ miles since.

[Mbmw5]

Yep happen to me this past week. I live on Long Island. Car has been in garage all winter, 2013 9k miles. I took it to work one day. When leaving work and started it up I got it. I shut it off right away and restarted and it was gone. When it happened it was running rough.

[RealStig]

Originally Posted by dhirm5

I'm fairly certain there's no legal basis for denying a warranty claim due to doing donuts.

There is or there isn't. The fact of the matter is, dealerships DO deny warranty claims for broken/cracked differential bolts for M cars than anything else I have ever seen in the last 2-3 years. There were many many threads in the M3 forum and every time it was the same story. Most of the time people fought with BMWNA and some even lawyered up and the issue was resolved, but it still doesn't change the fact that the burden is on you to prove this. They record every single thing you do in the car and can easily associate lack of traction control + differential state + RPMs + and the fault code in the computer. You can argue with me all you want and I am like you guys at the end of the day and can be burned by this as much as anyone else. I can only tell you what I have seen and observed.

[B-1Pilot]

Originally Posted by RealStig

I can only tell you what I have seen and observed.

By your own admission, what you've "seen and observed" is on a forum, about M3s.

Not sure exactly how much of that is relevant to the OPs question, but I am sure we will take your opinion on what might be wrong with the M5s under advisement.

Has their been any reported cases of a cracked differential bolt in the F10 M5? The answer is one because the M5 setup is completely different than the E9X M3s.

Sorry if I come off as terse, but why would wade in with spurious, unsubstantiated diagnoses on a car you have only test driven?

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by B-1 Pilot

And your basing this on what? Surely not any experience in an M5.

LOL! But play nice B-1. RealStig is a good kid, just a little overzealous at times.


Anywhoo, Drivetrain Malfunctions on the F10 M5 are about as common as getting the DSC light flickering on and off. Heck you could fart the wrong way in your M5 seat and the car will throw a Drive Train Malfunction error. There's so many sensors in this car it's almost unfathomable. Probably what happened to Rob was something got out of wack while eating donuts and the car didn't like the fact that Rob was eating a Glazed Donut, when then M5 really wanted a Chocolate Frosted Donut. If the car stops working, then I'd take it in.

P.S. Rob, I felt a great disturbance in the force when that happened to you. Also where's the video?!

[PatrickC23]

Y even tell them you were doing donuts? Got a drivetrain malfunction, its a $100k car, give me at least a 5 series loaner, fix it please.

[ptt]

Originally Posted by Hoopumpers

Was out playing today, some closed course drifting and at one point did an intentional donut. Car immediately went into limp mode with a drivetrain malfunction. Turned car off/on, still there. After a few miles of gentle driving it disappeared.

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the car at all. Just curious if others who drive aggressively have witnessed this. It is an ///M car...and shouldn't whine and complain when looped around a few times IMO. A little embarrassing.

Haven't posted in a while, so saying hi more than anything happy motoring all

I bet you had less than a quarter tank of gas?

[N.S.A]

Originally Posted by M5 RAG

I don't think you'd do much of a Donut with the TC on, more of a Doh! than a Donut

hahaha I was checking you never know lol

[Hoopumpers]

Good thought on the fuel question, as I've seen the car act crazy when starved...but no, I had a full tank.

It's a sensor malfunction, I'm sure, just curious to see if others had experienced it.

And no one with stig in their name should be so cautious!

[tven99]

This happened to me a few times, first at Atlanta after a long day of driving hard and also smooth on the highway. It got fixed when i kept the car off. It just happened to me now again, late at night in the middle of the parking lot. I wasn't doing any donuts or driving it hard at all. I called BMW roadside assist, but before they sent me a tow truck my car went back to normal. It wouldn't even start when this happened.

[positiveions]

So eating a donut is not healthy

[sharifm3]

Originally Posted by B-1 Pilot

By your own admission, what you've "seen and observed" is on a forum, about M3s.

Not sure exactly how much of that is relevant to the OPs question, but I am sure we will take your opinion on what might be wrong with the M5s under advisement.

Has their been one single reported case of a cracked differential bolt in the F10 M5? The answer is no because the M5 setup is completely different than the E9X M3s.

Sorry if I come off as terse, but why would wade in with spurious, unsubstantiated diagnoses on a car you have only test driven?

There has been one report, unfortunately.

Loud "clunking" Noise From Under Rear http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=947133

In the case of the donuts I think it's just sensors going crazy thinking the car is spinning out of control crashing

[B-1Pilot]

Originally Posted by sharifm3

There has been one report, unfortunately.

Loud "clunking" Noise From Under Rear http://f10.m5post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=947133

In the case of the donuts I think it's just sensors going crazy thinking the car is spinning out of control crashing

Ugh... well sorry to see that. I was hoping the bad bolt batch thing was over with 3 years ago. Hopefully this is an isolated case.

That being said, don't think that was in conjunction with doing donuts, and he didn't even get the standard drivetrain error that most have had pop up at some random point (mine was backing out of my garage at 5 mph when it was 5 degrees outside). It definitely not the direct indicator of a large repair uncovered by BMW - more to the opposite.