BMW 2 Series: Multiple Engine Issues, Fuel Sensor Help

Hi there! I have some experience working on cars as a hobby mechanic. Had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW 4 series last winter. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I experienced. Took it to my trusted workshop and turned out it was a loose connection in the wiring harness, one of the plugs wasn't making proper contact. The fix was pretty straightforward and cost me 95 Euro. They had to clean the connectors and secure them properly. Before jumping to conclusions about the fuel pressure sensor though, could you tell us: Are there any specific error codes? When did these symptoms first start? Have you noticed any changes in fuel consumption? This could help narrow down if you're dealing with the same issue I had. The 2 series and 4 series share quite a few components, so I might be able to provide more specific insights once you share those details.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My car has 44833 KM and was last serviced 3 months ago. I'm getting error code P0087, and these issues started about a week ago after filling up at a new gas station. Definitely noticed my fuel consumption has gone up by about 20% since then. The engine feels particularly rough when starting up in the morning. Running pretty well for a while after start-up, but then starts acting up again, especially in stop-and-go traffic. The jerking during acceleration is getting more noticeable too. Really appreciate the tip about checking the wiring harness, seems like a good place to start before replacing more expensive parts.

Hey again! Thanks for those extra details about your 2 series. You know, after hearing about the error code P0087 and especially that bit about the problems starting after using a new gas station, I'm actually thinking this might be different from my wiring harness issue. That error code P0087 is specifically about fuel rail/system pressure being too low, which makes me think my initial guess wasn't far off. When my 4 series had similar symptoms, I eventually dealt with other issues too, and one of them was actually fuel-related. After the wiring fix, I still had some problems and ended up needing to replace the fuel pressure sensor AND clean out the fuel system. Here's what I'd suggest based on my experience: first, try running a couple tanks of high-quality fuel through it, maybe with a good fuel system cleaner. In my case, this helped a bit but didn't solve everything. The increased fuel consumption you're seeing is a classic sign of fuel system problems, had the exact same thing with mine. If you're mechanically inclined, you could check the fuel pressure sensor connections yourself, they're not too hard to access on these BMWs. But honestly, given the error code and symptoms, I'd say there's a good chance you'll need that sensor replaced. It ended up costing me about 300 for the part plus labor, but it was totally worth it. The car's been running like new since then.

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! You've actually made me feel a lot better about this situation. I was worried it might be something catastrophic, but your experience with the fuel system issues sounds spot-on with what I'm experiencing. That's really helpful to know about the fuel pressure sensor replacement cost too, definitely not as bad as I was fearing. Think I'll try your suggestion about running some premium fuel with cleaner through it first. Makes sense since this all started after using that new gas station. If that doesn't sort it, at least I know what to expect when I take it to the shop. The fact that your BMW's running great after fixing these issues is really encouraging. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, really appreciate having some real-world insight before heading to the mechanic. I'll probably get it looked at next week and hopefully end up with the same positive result you had!