1+,

Agree with @aureliusmax.

While investigating an oil leak, I left out this aluminum plate for weeks while chasing the leak (turned out to be the return hose to the PS Pump, easy fix).
I drove around for weeks w/o the plate.
Zero issues whatsoever. Yes, I re-used the bolts a few times. Zero issues.

E46 3-series has no plate, E39 5-series has no plate, E83 X3 has a tiny plate.

Every time there is a thread like this, there are armchair generals coming out saying:
- You must use new bolts.
- You must drive with the plate.
Or the sky will be falling....These are the people that believe the BMW engineers like a Bible.

Then there are those of us who don't believe everything BMW engineers tell us. We challenge their wisdom...

This topic (re-use the bolt, and can one drive without the plate) has been beaten to death. For more entertainment, people should search for that thread.

PS: if we want to advance society, we need to challenge the conventional wisdom...

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1998 E39 528i 5sp MT
2006 E53 X5 3.0 6sp MT