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SI B12 18 14
Engine Electrical Systems

October 2014
Technical Service

This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B12 18 14 dated October 2014.
designates changes to this revision
SUBJECT

Engine Misfire Due to Failed Ignition Coil
MODEL

All
With the N51, N52, N52K, and N52T engines
SITUATION

• The Check Engine or Service Engine Soon (MIL) lamp is on with misfire fault(s) stored in the DME.
• Intermittent performance or rough running without a relevant DME fault stored
The most likely cause is that an ignition coil has failed, which can be confirmed in many cases with basic
diagnosis.
CAUSE

During operation with high temperature fluctuations, the different materials used in the ignition coil construction
can deteriorate over time, leading to a failure.
CORRECTION

IMPORTANT NOTE:
The current ISTA misfire test plan for these engines can be lengthy to complete, and does not provide an
effective method to diagnose a faulty secondary ignition component.
If basic diagnosis determines the cause to be a faulty coil or spark plug, follow the inspection/replacement
procedure listed below.
Make certain to test drive the vehicle after the repair is completed to verify the effectiveness of the repair.
Only if misfire faults or rough running are still present, continue with further diagnosis as recommended in
the misfire test plan.
Since the remaining ignition coils have been subjected to the same operating conditions, it will be necessary to
follow the appropriate procedure listed below (specific to the engine variant), to ensure the best customer-oriented
repair.
1. For vehicles with the N51, N52, and N52K engines which have been in service for over 24 months or
10,000 miles, during the first service visit due to an ignition coil failure, replace all Bosch ignition coils
with the replacement Bosch coils.
If any ignition coil(s) was replaced previously with a Delphi part, it would NOT need to be replaced.
Only replace the remaining Bosch coils, as a mix of the two types is allowed, and will not cause an engine
running problem.

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2. For the F10 and F25 with the N52T engine, replace all Bosch ignition coils with the replacement Delphi
coils under these situations:
◦ At the first service visit with for an ignition coil failure
◦ Alternator failure (see SI B12 12 13)
◦ DME replacement due to a failed Bit Serial Data (BSD) interface circuit
Ignition Coil Identification

PARTS INFORMATION

Part Number

Description

Quantity

12 13 7 594 937

Bosch coil

Up to 6

Delphi coil

Up to 6

or
12 13 8 616 153
WARRANTY INFORMATION

Covered under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle/SAV Limited Warranty or the BMW Certified PreOwned Limited Warranty.
Vehicles equipped with the N51 engine only (PZEV/SULEV): This repair is also covered by the terms of
the State-specific Emissions Warranty (dependent on the vehicle model year, state of registration and inclusion in
the list of covered components).
Defect Code:

12 13 00 12 00

Labor Operation:

Labor Allowance:

Description:

Refer to KSD2

Performing “vehicle
test” (with vehicle
diagnosis system –
checking faults)

00 00 006
And:
61 21 528

Refer to KSD2

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Connect an approved
battery charger/power
supply(indicated in
KSD 2 as Charging
battery)
And, as necessary:
12 00 009

Work time (WT)

Troubleshooting

Labor operation code 00 00 006 is a Main labor operation. If you are using a Main labor code for another repair,
use the Plus code labor operation 00 00 556 instead.
Even though work time labor operation code 12 00 009 ends in “009,” it is not considered a Main labor operation.
Work time (WT) labor operation 12 00 009 requires an individual punch time and an explanation in the claim
comments.
And:
Replacing Coil(s) Only
Labor Operation:

Labor Allowance:

Description:

12 13 511

Refer to KSD2

Replacing one ignition coil

Refer to KDS2

Replacing more than one ignition coil

Or:
12 13 512
Or:
Replacing Coil(s) with Checking and/or Replacing Spark Plug(s)
Labor Operation:

Labor Allowance:

Description:

12 12 521

Refer to KSD2

Removing and installing/renewing all
spark plugs

Refer to KSD2 for the corresponding flat rate unit (FRU) allowance. Enter the Chassis Number, which consists of
the last 7 digits of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Click on the “Search” button, and then enter the
applicable flat rate labor operation in the FR code field.
Other Repairs
If performing the additional ISTA diagnostics and related test plans results in other eligible and covered work,
claim this work with the applicable defect code and labor operations listed in KSD2.
[ Copyright ©2014 BMW of North America, Inc. ]

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