catalyst warning/newbie question

[tbrown540]

My Bentley manual is on backorder and my owner's manual is in Japanese (I can read some, but give me a break) and I would like to know specifically what the, "catalyst-see owners manual" means when I start up the car. (1994 540iA 32K miles) The message goes away after about ten to fifteen seconds.

FIGURED IT OUT, just a little paranoid I guess. The following still holds true:

Also I would like thank everyone that participates in this and other forums, you have given me the courage to buy a car that I have wanted for some time. To the person who started and maintains BMW E34.net, if you ever get in my neck of the woods-- I'm buyin'........he writes knowing that the chances are--( insert favorite analogy)

[RobPatt 93 525ia @121K]

an owner's manual in Japanese? How much can you read?

I speak conversational Japanese, read/write the kanas,

and have just begun learning Kanji. (know only about 20 so far).

Interesting.

mata ne.
Rob sends...

[Chad535]

My 535 also is a Japanese import and i get the same message. If you look under the car you should be able to see the O2 sensor infront of the CAT and a second sensor right after the CAT that looks like an O2 sensor, but is infact a temprerature sensor. This sensor monitors the temp of the CAT to make sure that it is working properly and flags the warning message you mentioned if something is wrong. this system seem only to come on Japanese specs cars.
This info was provided to me by Bill R who i thank a million times for checking his ETK and replying back :) .
Now back to the warning message, since i get this message only when starting up the engine, my best bet would be that it comes as a result of initializing the system or......it would stay should anything go wrong with the CAT.
I believe your baby comes with 2 CATs so 2 Oxygen sensors and maybe 2 temp sensors after the CATs.!!

Guys ...... any more info about the subject would be welcome by us who can not read the Japanese manual :p

[tbrown540]

My 535 also is a Japanese import and i get the same message. If you look under the car you should be able to see the O2 sensor infront of the CAT and a second sensor right after the CAT that looks like an O2 sensor, but is infact a temprerature sensor. This sensor monitors the temp of the CAT to make sure that it is working properly and flags the warning message you mentioned if something is wrong. this system seem only to come on Japanese specs cars.
This info was provided to me by Bill R who i thank a million times for checking his ETK and replying back :) .
Now back to the warning message, since i get this message only when starting up the engine, my best bet would be that it comes as a result of initializing the system or......it would stay should anything go wrong with the CAT.
I believe your baby comes with 2 CATs so 2 Oxygen sensors and maybe 2 temp sensors after the CATs.!!

Guys ...... any more info about the subject would be welcome by us who can not read the Japanese manual :p
Thank you for the reply. According to the manual it is completely normal and like you said, it is just part of the initializing of the system. Thank you to Bill R as well.
Also according to the manual, if it starts flashing the same warning while driving, stop driving, take it to the stealer, empty wallet..etc.

How do I know this? I broke down and asked my wife to read the manual to me. (she is Japanese) I say, "broke down" because she was more than a little against the purchase in the first place and I didn't want to bring up the fact that there might be something wrong so soon. Call me a wimp, but I like to think of it more as "noise reduction".

[tbrown540]

an owner's manual in Japanese? How much can you read?

I speak conversational Japanese, read/write the kanas,

and have just begun learning Kanji. (know only about 20 so far).

Interesting.

mata ne.
Rob sends...
I live in Sapporo Japan, hence the manual in Japanese.
I read a few hundred kanji, but as you know that is just the tip of the iceberg especially when you are talking about something technical like an owner's manual.
Good luck with your studies, it can be a bear, but rewarding.

Tony

[RobPatt]

My wife's Japanese also, but we're (I'm) military and we're in Florida (after Hawaii, after Guam, after Portugal, after Panama, after Japan....). We met in Okinawa, but have toured most of Japan. Went to 42nd Sapporo Snow Festival back in '92..?. Rode the train from Awamori. Fun. Enjoy the car, and now I know why you've got such low miles!
L8r,
Rob sends...
p.s.-the other car's a toyota :-)