U0181 BMW Fault Code

Description:

Catalytic converters must be warm before they can work properly. On a cold start the PCM provides a rich mixture to keep the cold engine running.
All that extra fuel goes into the catalytic converter. But the exhaust isn't very hot, because, ah, the engine is pretty cold. GM has employed several strategies to fire up the catalytic converter quicker and reduce cold start emissions. One way is to use a secondary air pump that pumps outside air directly into the catalytic converter.

U0181 Code Symptoms :

The U0181 Check Engine lamp is perhaps the most troubling of lights because it could mean so many different things, from you didn't screw the gas cap on tightly enough to look out for pistons flying through the hood and into the stratosphere. The easiest way to find out what this light is telling you is to hook your vehicle up to a scan tool. U0181 diagnostic tool looks a little like an oversized calculator and plugs into a communication port inside the car. After you instruct it to perform the scan, it speaks with your car's computers to find out exactly what's prompting the light to turn on.

Diagnosis And Repairing U0181

U0181 the main thing to check is to verify the operation of the VCT solenoid. You're looking for a sticking or stuck VCt solenoid valve caused by contamination. Refer to vehicle specific repair manual to perform component tests for the VCT unit.

How to fix U0181 code ?

• Air fuel ratio (A/F) Sensor 1 Bank 1 harness is open or shorted
• EVAP canister or fuel tank leaks
• Damaged ECM
• Faulty spark plug (s)

Circuit High Input codes like U0181 are mostly caused by defective alternators that develop excessive voltages, although there may be other causes as well, such as short circuits that 'leak' current into a particular system from other, unrelated systems that work on higher voltages. Note that in the case of short circuits that leak power into a control circuit, there is likely to be other, seemingly unrelated trouble codes present along with the code(s) being investigated. Diagnosing a 'high input' code will always involve a thorough testing of the charging system as a first step, followed by measures to isolate the system from all other possible sources of power during resistance, continuity, and reference voltage tests.