C1278 BMW Fault Code

Description:

The Transmission Fluid Pressure Switch allows the engine's control module (PCM) or Transmission Control Module (TCM) to use hydraulic fluid to engage the clutches in the transmission to allow for smoother shifting while driving. If the PCM or TCM detects an issue with the hydraulic clutch or the pressure switch, the BMW PCM or TCM will set code C1278

C1278 Code Symptoms :

The C1278 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. C1278 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 C1278

C1278 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 C1278 code ?

• Exhaust tube
• Dirty Oil
• Continuous oil flow to the VCT piston chamber
• Variable Camshaft Timing solenoid stuck open

Regardless of the design though, the purpose of all clutch actuating systems is to improve the driving experience by removing the need for manual clutch operation by the driver.

Computer-controlled clutch actuating systems work particularly well in dual clutch systems where one clutch controls gear changes of even-numbered gear ratios, and a second clutch that controls gear changes of odd-numbered ratios.