Can I drive with the drivetrain malfunction warning?

Usually yes, gently, to a shop: the car limits power to protect itself. If it also flashes the check engine light or runs very rough, stop: misfires can damage the catalytic converter.

Will clearing the fault restore full power?

Clearing it lets the engine try again, but if the cause is still there the fault and the reduced power come right back.

BMW drivetrain malfunction warning

"Drivetrain malfunction" (a yellow gear symbol, on BMWs from about 2006 on) means the engine or the transmission found a fault serious enough to limit power. The car often feels slow or won't rev; driving moderately to a shop is usually possible.

The message doesn't say which part: the fault stored in the engine module, or the transmission module, does.

Usual causes

Misfires: ignition coils, spark plugs, fuel injectors.
Fuel pressure on direct-injection engines: the high-pressure fuel pump or the low-pressure supply.
On turbocharged engines: a boost leak, a wastegate or its control, or a turbocharger.
The VANOS (variable valve timing) or the Valvetronic.
The transmission: low fluid, overheating, or a fault in its control unit or its connector.

What to do

Read the faults in the engine module and the transmission module: the code points to the system, and its details show when it happened.
Check the system the fault points to, and the battery: low voltage can set faults in several modules at once.
After the repair, clear the faults and drive the car: if a fault comes back, the problem is still there.

General guidance from how BMWs work, not a diagnosis of your car: the fault the module stored, with its details, tells you more.

The fault codes behind it

Engine electronics fault codes 5694 codes · E46, E52, E53, E60, E61, E63, …
Diesel electronics slave fault codes 1671 codes · E65, E66, E67
Transmission control fault codes 789 codes · E53, E60, E61, E63, E64, E65, …

How-tos

Check if your BMW is ready for an emissions inspection

Reading the fault

AutoLingo for BMW reads the fault behind the light from the module that stored it, in plain English and with its details, and clears it after the repair, with BMW's own diagnostic protocols: a generic OBD2 code reader only reaches the engine's emissions faults. See what it does on your BMW.

Questions

Can I drive with the drivetrain malfunction warning?: Usually yes, gently, to a shop: the car limits power to protect itself. If it also flashes the check engine light or runs very rough, stop: misfires can damage the catalytic converter.
Will clearing the fault restore full power?: Clearing it lets the engine try again, but if the cause is still there the fault and the reduced power come right back.

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