general problems of the 2008 BMW 550

Vehicle abruptly shut off while reversing out of my driveway. Vehicle restarted after a long crank and appeared to enter a reduced power mode/limp mode with a transmission fault that locked the transmission in 4th gear. Reading obd2 codes revealed a code for the crankshaft position sensor. Inspection of the 3 terminal sensor revealed 2 of the terminal contacts on the sensor to be shorted out with melted plastic on both the sensor and the wiring connector plug. Shorted wire could be a result of a leaking coolant passage at rear of engine within bellhousing where sensor is located. Coolant intrusion into sensor connector resulted in electrical short and melted connections.

I was driving and came to a stop and noticed smoke and an odd smell coming from under the hood. The heater control valve and the wire connector started to smolder and melt the plastic. If it wasn’t for me disconnecting the connector wire to the heater control valve, it would have definitely would have caught on fire. There was no warning other than the smoke and smell coming from the car. I am in the process of the car getting inspected from a BMW service center.

The wiring in my headlight assembly is crumbling and the headlight is shorting out. The coating on the wiring is trash. I own a 08 Bmw550i. BMW should be ashamed. Thanks barnabas emerson.

BMW 528i - if you carry liquids which spill in your trunk, the liquid can seep through and burn the wires, or the car will stop running (per service department), which can cause an accident. On 7-5 my car had a low tire light go on. I was told to take the car in as they might need to "reset" something. I took the car in &was told to return on 7-7 as they couldn't get the light to go off. On 7-7 we took the car in. The service rep. Called &asked me if I had spilled water in the trunk. I told him on 7-4 a water bottle spilled. He told me due to the water spill, the repair would not be covered under warranty. He said they ran tests and wires were burnt 3 to 4. He said there is a chance when you put water bottles in trunk & they are not sealed tightly the heat can cause them to expand,& open up & spill. He said he warned his wife of this. I was not warned the wires are down there & not to carry liquid in the trunk. I asked if I could drive the car and he said no there is a possibility of the car shutting down when the wires are burned. I can't use the trunk for grocery shopping for fear that something will leak and cause the wires to burn again,creating a possible fire hazard. If there is no fire due to the burnt wires, there is the possibility of the car shutting down, causing an accident which could cause injury to myself or another party. The general public should be warned the BMW trunk can't handle transporting liquid stored in containers. The wires should have been protected from water damage due to their location and possible damage by liquid. These wires are somewhere under the spare tire in the trunk area, which is, in my opinion, a flaw in the design. I would feel bad if anyone was injured because they are not aware of the wires placed where they are & the fact that they are not protected from liquid.

The contact owns a 2008 BMW 528i (na). The contact stated that a sealed bottle of water stored in the trunk leaked. The leak caused an electrical shortage, which burned the wires and modulators. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 6,000.