[niju321]

Hi, apologies in advance for the long post.

I am the original owner of a 2019 540i xDrive with approximately 84000 miles. I suppose this is my first real issue with the car--while parked I noticed a rough/erratic idle, check engine light, and drivetrain malfunction warning ("You can continue driving. Reduced power"), accompanied by a loud squealing/whistling sound. I shut the car off immediately and let it sit for a few minutes. On restart, the idle was still rough, I still had the check engine light/drivetrain malfunction, but there was no squealing sound--instead, a large cloud of white/blue smoke (I was in the middle of Manhattan at night so it was hard to tell which)--during the course of my drive home, the smoke disappeared, the idle became completely smooth again, and the drivetrain malfunction/check engine light disappeared.

I called BMW roadside assistance, and eventually got followup from one of their mechanics, who told me there was a catalytic converter fault code and that he was concerned the catalytic converter was "fried." The next day, I started the car to drive straight to the dealer--no smoke, no check engine light, no drivetrain malfunction message, and completely smooth/normal engine operation. The car has been exclusively dealer maintained per CBS intervals (with the exception of transmission/transfer case/differential fluid changes at 60k) and until approximately 350 miles ago, my driving was 95% highway. Since then I have moved to NYC, with much more stop and go traffic, and more idling, though I have made it a point to go on a 40-50 mile highway round trip every couple of weeks at least.

The highlighted codes from the dealer are as follows:
101F01, 120408, 140001, 140010, 140101, 140110, 140201, 140210, 180001, 190F08.

There are also codes 0304D1, 800A01, 800ABE though these were not highlighted.

The dealer is stating there is a problem with the PCV valve, and therefore the entire valve cover must be replaced. From my reading I see that PCV valve issues are a "known" issue with B58 engines, and that the PCV valve is integrated with the valve cover.

My questions are:

-Is PCV valve failure a reasonable diagnosis based on the symptoms and codes described?
-The dealer is NOT recommending catalytic converter replacement, to my relief. I am concerned by the roadside assistance folks telling me the converter is dead, but while it was a higher level tech (not the initial rep who answered the phone) who made this diagnosis, I am hopeful that because there is no more error message/check engine light the converter may actually be OK. Is it possible that they may replace the valve cover thinking everything else is fine, and subsequently tell me I do need to replace the catalytic converter? Or, can the dealer tell from the codes that there is no current catalytic converter fault, just a transient issue?
-I read through the valve cover replacement procedure - 47 pages long! I note it seems to require removal of the VANOS solenoids, as well as ignition coils. Should I ask the dealer to perform any other service in addition to the valve cover, to save on labor costs in the future?

This is not the only issue--I also hit a huge pothole a few days ago with apparent control arm/strut damage, but that is for another thread. Also, I was surprised that despite my BMWCCA membership, no discount was available!

Thanks in advance for your help!