In the Year 2023, the situation with the piezo injectors has normalized so I will publish a summary.
Formally, the BMW dealer network still has a large backorder amount (15’000 .. 25’000 pcs) both for *048 (N43/N53) and *079 (N54/N63) injectors, but in reality – when ordering these injectors, you will get them during (in average) 2 .. 3 weeks.
The price of the injectors is EUR 400 .. 550. EUR 550 is a “list” price, EUR 400 – if you get a 30% discount.
At this moment, it is worth mentioning some nuances which became known during last year – both from BMW inside channels and a huge amount of information received from BMW users:
a) all “new” injectors, manufactured since the Year 2020, actually are not new but refurbished by the manufacturer (VDO). VDO also performs the repurchase of old/used injectors:
b) quality of these refurbished injectors is worse than that of new injectors. It can be seen visually too – they can be dirty, with fingerprints, with rusty bodies, etc.;
c) on spring 2022, there was a hidden recall of all these refurbished injectors. Yes, no one was talking of it, because there still was a huge backorder of these injectors, a relatively long waiting time, and there was not (and there still are not) a fundamental solution. There are no new injectors;
d) parameters of these refurbished injectors are unpredictable. Even in an ideal case, the parameter dispersion is wider than it previously was for new injectors. Very often, there are injectors whose true parameters are significantly different from the planned ones. Or – there are injectors, which encoding data (typically – Delay parameter) are close to min or max allowed threshold (something like that was not common for new injectors).
Yes, there are known situations when after a short time of operation, these ”new” injectors fail. The injectors start to fail during the cold start (in easier cases – the engine vibrates; in worst cases – some cylinder is switched off, EML (Check Engine) lights up in KOMBI), or their parameters are “floating” and vibration/misfires appear for the warm engine too.
And here, we have to keep in mind significant nuances (information compiled from the experience of many users):
a) typically, the dealer refuses a warranty if these injectors are not installed in the dealer’s service. As reason typically is the argument: “How can we know that you purchased these injectors from us, exactly in our dealer center”? This a strange argument because logically – if it is an original spare part, you should be able to replace it in any other BMW dealer center (for example, if the owner of the car changes the place/country where he lives);
b) typically, the dealer refuses warranty if only the vibration of the engine can be felt (but there are no error messages regarding turned-off one cylinder or several cylinders). The argument – a certain vibration is normal; nobody measures the “strength” of the vibration. Instead, if there is an error message regarding only one switched-off cylinder, according to TIS, the problem should be solved within the framework of the exact cylinder. As we know, typically – not the leaking cylinder is switched off, but the one that works correctly (the fuel mixture in it is lean because DME has reduced the injected fuel in the whole bank due to a leaking injector in the “neighboring” cylinder). As a result – be ready that the dealer will not be able to solve this problem of the switched-off cylinder. In the beginning, the dealer will replace the ignition coil and the spark plug of the switched-off cylinder (requirement of TIS). At the next step (if the problem will not disappear), the injector will be replaced. It is possible that you will have to pay for the replacement of the correctly working injector (if it has not been replaced previously). If the problems will continue, it is possible that the dealer will admit his powerlessness. Or, to get rid of the customer, will offer to replace the CO catalytic converter or the engine;
c) the dealer typically will refuse warranty if you will bring the injector with reclamation, that it is damaged. The dealer is not bound by the conclusions of diagnostics performed by you or the 3rd side. The dealer will try to perform diagnostics by himself, according to his abilities;
d) remember – the dealer has no access to INPA data (dealer centers are not allowed to use INPA, although this is a tool developed by BMW AG), and INPA data are not bound to the dealer’s specialists. Accordingly, even if you feel the vibration of the engine, and INPA indicates incorrect injector/cylinder data – these data will not help you in any way to get the injector to be replaced. Even if you show these INPA data to the dealer, the personnel will ignore them – because they are not allowed to use them, and because (with a probability of 99,9%) they will not understand a thing from these data).
Due to all previously mentioned, I strongly suggest:
a) purchase the injectors ONLY from the full-fledged BMW AG dealer. Do not try to save several tens of EUR (which is only several % of the sum), but losing the warranty;
b) assign the replacement of the injectors to the dealer. In such a way, you will avoid warranty refusal with the reason “we don’t know if these are original injectors purchased from us”;
c) follow up that all repair documentation is filled in precisely. The exact cylinders in which the injectors are replaced should be indicated. Save this documentation to avoid some information regarding repairs being lost;
d) if you feel the vibration (for example, during cold start – it is the most typical symptom), don’t restart the engine several times. Allow it to vibrate so the DME “feels” the problem in full amount! If the EML (Check Engine) lights up, DO NOT DELETE the error messages! The error messages will be the best proof that the engine has problems. Make ISTA screenshot copies, which confirm that the error messages are recorded in the DME error message memory (regarding fuel mixture, switched-off cylinder, etc.);
e) arm yourself with patience. With a large possibility, the dealer will not solve this problem with the first attempt (because TIS recommends replacing the ignition coil and spark plug as the first option, and it will not make sense in 99.9% of cases);
f) there are cases when the replaced injectors fail again after some time. Unfortunately, the refurbished product is not new. This is today’s reality.
Keep in mind that there are different “dealers”:
a) full-fledged dealers who sell BMW cars, perform warranty maintenance; sell BMW spare parts and accessories. These dealer centers sell only original spare parts (delivered only from the warehouses of BMW AG) and follow the service procedures of BMW AG;
a) there are “limited” dealers. For example, a certified service center. Such a center does not sell (is not allowed to sell) new BMW vehicles, but its service department (spaces, establishment, equipment) is appropriate to the requirements of BMW AG. And here, the most interesting part starts. I am not aware of legal nuances (and I assume that they are different in different countries), but, for example, the certified service center in our country offers alternative spare parts too, and purchases as if original spare parts from the “alternative” suppliers. The repair procedures also are quite interesting – for example, it offers to “delete”, not replace, the DPF filters for diesel engine cars. There are known cases when such service centers sell more than strange injectors. I DO NOT recommend purchasing injectors in such (as if) certified centers – this is a huge risk.
And in conclusion – a picture of an excellent example (see above). On the box – is the label of the actual injector code. The injector itself – is fake. Why? The manufacture of injectors with this code was stopped 10+ years ago (but on the injector, the Year 2021 is indicated). And they did not have a 12th release. Yes, exactly such injectors have been purchased in such a certified BMW center (a few years ago, the current service center was “stripped” of a full BMW dealership due to gross violation). How do these injectors work? Where have they been manufactured? What about the warranty? So many questions – no answers…
