TIS Service Bulletin

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SI B12 04 19
Engine Electrical Systems

February 2019
Technical Service

DME FAULT MEMORY ENTRY FOR THE CRANKSHAFT
SENSOR
MODEL
F90 (M5 Sedan) with
S63M

G05 (X5 xDrive50i)
with N63M

G14 (M850i xDrive
Convertible) with N63B

G15 (M850i xDrive
Coupe) with N63B

G07 (X7 xDrive50i)
with N63M

G12 (750i xDrive
Sedan with N63B,
M760i xDrive Sedan
with N74L) Produced
from March 1, 2019

All models produced thru February 28, 2020

SITUATION
Technicians may notice this fault logged during a diagnostic session:

Fault code:

Control module:

Fault Text:

160021

DME

Crankshaft sensor: general loss of synchronism

Environmental conditions are vehicle speed 0 (stationary) and engine speed less than 1500 rpm.
There is no customer-facing symptom nor related check control message displayed.

CAUSE
Phantom/pseudo fault due to unsuitable DME software.
Background:
After parking the vehicle and turning off the engine, both DME control units go into sleep mode at different
times.



The DME of cylinder bank 2 ("secondary") goes into sleep mode first.
The DME of cylinder bank 1 ("primary”) is still awake, and can experience a reduction in signal voltage for
the crankshaft sensor signal.

This signal change can mistakenly be evaluated as a skipped crankshaft sensor cog by the DME.
If the engine is started while the primary DME is still awake, this causes a brief loss of synchronization with the
secondary DME.

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Fault 160021 is logged after three (3) consecutive engine starts with this momentary loss of synchronization.
Note: Starting the engine after the primary DME has also gone into sleep mode will avoid the loss of
synchronization.

PROCEDURE
When DME fault code 160021 is present:
1. Read out the environmental conditions for fault memory entry 160021.
2a. If the environmental conditions are:


Engine speed: less than 1500 rpm; and



Vehicle speed: 0 mph

Solution:
o Ignore the fault
o Clear the fault memory
o Do not replace the crankshaft sensor.
2b. If the environmental conditions are:


Engine speed: greater than 1500 rpm; and/or



Vehicle speed: greater than 0 mph

Solution:
o Perform and complete diagnosis with ISTA. Do not deviate from the test plan.
Note:

a. The test plan will be updated with the release of ISTA 4.17.1x (estimate availability late April, 2019)
b. Parts replacement will not provide a solution to this situation.

WARRANTY INFORMATION
2a: In conjunction with the ISTA diagnosis of un-related issue(s), covered under the terms of the BMW New
Vehicle Limited Warranty for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks.

Defect Code:

1214101400

Crankshaft sensor, temporary malfunction

Labor Operation:

Labor Allowance:

Description:

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Refer to AIR/KSD2

Continuing vehicle test and performing quick delete

Or:
2b: Under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty, if other eligible and covered work is performed
as a result of performing the ISTA diagnostics and the related test plans, claim this work with the applicable
defect code and labor operations provided AIR/KSD2 (including diagnosis with separate punch times, when
applicable).
[ Copyright ©2019 BMW of North America, Inc. ]

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