He still hasn’t fixed the issue.

MUNICH—In what language experts are calling an “accidental immersion success story,” a local BMW owner has reportedly become fluent in German after spending weekends deciphering check engine light (CEL) codes and diagnostic messages.

“I didn’t mean to learn anything,” said 35-year-old owner Miguel Herrera. “I just wanted to know why my E90 was sputtering like the Scatman.”

What began as simple Google searches for terms like “kauf dir einfach einen Honda” quickly spiraled into full linguistic comprehension. “I was on forums every weekend, reading threads that started in English but always ended in angry German. Also, for some reason, the manual I ordered was only in German. Eventually, I just… understood,” Herrera admitted. “The car taught me a new language. Every flash of the warning light was a lesson.”

BMW vehicles, known for their precision engineering and fondness for glowing orange warning lights, frequently report faults using untranslated factory codes—because diagnostics aren't complicated enough. According to a recent study, over 62% of BMW drivers now recognize the word “Kühlmitteltemperatursensor.” However, Herrera is the first known case of full fluency. He’s now able to both diagnose and argue with German engineers in their native tongue.

BMW has acknowledged the phenomenon but denies any formal language-learning partnership. “Our vehicles are designed for performance and driver engagement,” said spokesperson Anna Schäfer. “If someone also happens to become conversationally fluent in the process, well… we’ll call that the cherry on top—or ‘Sheer Linguistic Pleasure.’”

Other owners are taking notice. “I’m still stuck on ‘Bankrott gegangen,’” said fellow enthusiast Corey Lam. “But if Miguel’s CEL is teaching German, maybe mine can teach me Italian. My girlfriend’s Fiat’s been yelling at me for months.”

Herrera, meanwhile, is putting his newfound skills to use. “I’ve started doing my own translations for the BMW forums,” he said proudly. “No more copy-paste into Google Translate. And now when I have something to say to BMW about my rod bearings, I can speak to them directly and say, ‘Danke, kann ich noch eine haben.’”

As for the CEL? It’s still on. But according to Miguel, “It’s fine—or ‘Es ist in Ordnung.’ In German.”