check engine soon light

[Gerard330ci]

Advice please.

My check Engine soon light comes on, and stays on when I turn my key to the on position. All lights ( oil, battery, brake wear ind, Etc...) go out except that( check Engine soon ) light. But as soon as I start the car, the light goes out.

my next service isn't for another 5000 miles.

Is this normal? Or is it something that I should take seriously?

I was informed that this is the way the car performs self diagnosis. Is this true?

[323imankiks]

If it stays on when your driving then you may have some emission part out or even your gas cap was loose. Its normal for check engine light to come on when you first start car.

[Delineate]

I have a 330 ci that has a similar dilemna. The Check Engine Soon light comes on every now and then, perhaps every other week and a half. Then it goes away after several days. This is so annoying! Any remedy from other people who have experienced this, besides taking it to BMW?

[323imankiks]

Originally Posted by Delineate

I have a 330 ci that has a similar dilemna. The Check Engine Soon light comes on every now and then, perhaps every other week and a half. Then it goes away after several days. This is so annoying! Any remedy from other people who have experienced this, besides taking it to BMW?

check engine light will have a code stored in the computer. Take it to Autozone or Oriellys part stores they will check it for free and tell you what code is coming up. Its a start better than dealership chargeing you 100 dollars just have it in there garage.

[325i pilot]

My 'check engine' light came on quite frequently after owning my 325i for only 3 months. After repeatedly changing oxygen sensors, the dealer replaced the engine computer - this solved the problem. Their hypothesis was that the computer was not correctly interpretting the data from the oxygen sensors. This would have been $5000 had my car not been under warranty!