Two weeks ago installed new battery; 90Ah AGM. The old one was an 80Ah lead acid and was about six years old. It went into decline a few months ago and was terminal when I got back from a three week trip overseas and temps went below freezing.

Last weekend put in a fresh oil filter and a batch of Mobil1. Drained the transmission to check condition after the clutch cage replacement about 7k miles ago. Did not see anything untoward in the drain tray! :-) Then refilled with Ravenol 5/4HP. Sucked the power steering fluid out and refilled with generic Valvoline ATF. Also removed the brake fluid which was slightly cloudy and refilled it with Pentosin DOT4 brake fluid, then flushed the brake lines. A new rear badge and a puddle light completed the fixes.

Figured I'd drive it to the ski area last Sunday to give it a shakedown before the annual trip to Canada at the end of the month. When I got to Pennsylvania after driving just shy of 200 miles I got an SES light. Checked yesterday on return, INPA showed a fault relating to injector dwell being too high. Adaptation value additive showed about 3 and 5, not terrible but still. [The engine had been a bit lumpy at idle when cold for a while already and getting worse.] I took my clues from here <https://www.meeknet.co.uk/E38/Diagnostics.htm> and this: <https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/109484-solved-calling-all-m62-gurus-3.html>, thanks Overboost!

Time to pull out my home made smoke generator! (Something like this: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tixozqgSwN0&t=271s> but I used a black rubber cap to close the top) Of course when I built it I didn't worry about getting hoses for it..... Ugh! Why is it that one never seems to have the exact bit of hose needed? Anyway....after enough searching in my box with hose scraps I found something workable.

Pulled the air filter housing out of the engine bay and put a small plastic bag over the MAF end using a zip tie. (Promptly dropped one of the clips into Narnia!) First tried injecting smoke through the larger connection on the inlet elbow but wasn't sure if the smoke was getting past the throttle plate. Next decided to connect to the TLDM vent pipe connection just behind the throttle body. BINGO! The seal between the throttle body plate and the intake manifold leaks like a sieve! No wonder the idle is lumpy. I left things cooking a bit longer but found no other leaks.

New seal inbound coming Wednesday, going to be spending a bit more quality time under the hood. I should probably install the new hood shocks as well, car has been trying to do a Marie Antoinette on me.....




Below my version of Mr Fusion :-)

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2003 4.4i black ext./black int./black headliner (kid's runabout)
2014 535d X-drive, M package, silver/black interior

Sold but not forgotten:
2009 E70 35d, black ext./black int./black headliner (sold 2021)
2006 4.8iS Le Mans blue/cream int./black headliner, SOLD in 2012 sadly...

Other hardware:
2015 Cayenne S (wife's new DD and definitely wroooommmmm)
2016 Tundra 1794 edition crew cab, luxo hauler
2005 Tundra crew cab, weekend hauler. Sold after 150k very happy miles.