[quote=J


The idling problem has to do with the crankcase ventilation valve freezing, but it doesn't happen after one or two occurences. It is statistically more likely, that is all. I don't think there is anything unique about a BMW in the cold vs another vehicle. It is just that the parts (and repairs) are more expensive, and BMW really doesn't have much experience in very cold weather. They are naturally cautious.[/quote]
I have the impression that BMW does VERY little cold weather testing on their vehicles. Maybe their engineers are afraid if they get further north than Bremen, their beer will freeze . Volkswagen does extensive cold weather testing here where I live, they ship up entire fleets of Jettas, Passats, Bugs, Eos and even Bentleys!! (The only way you'll ever see a Bentley up here.) The cars get driven all over the place, they are left outside and cold started every morning.

I think a viable solution to the crankcase ventilation lines freezing is take the lines of once a year (maybe even more often if the car is subjected to lots and lots of cold starts and short trips) and clean them out. It is not terribly difficult to do. (see post #45 here: http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...=oil+seperator)

I recently was looking at a friends Cat skid-steer loader, as the small turbo-diesel engine in it had spewed oil all over the engine compartment. Turns out it has a oil separator set up that is very similar to the BMW 4.4l engine. The oil separator looked very similar, but about 50% bigger, and it is connected with two lines that are about 1.5 feet long. Very similar to the 4.4 liter engine design. And guess what? It is prone to freezing up also!! So CAT says to pull the oil separator and lines off a couple times a winter and thaw them out!! Go figure.

I'm convinced that the whole problem is the fact that the oil separator lines are too damn long. They should be a few inches long max.

To answer the OP's original question (seem to have strayed a bit off topic here...) I'd go ahead and drive your X5 in the winter, install the Webasto heater since you don't have access to power to plug the car in and just accept the fact that since you are driving around in an Arctic environment, your car just isn't going to last as long as in would in some dry southern climate.