DIY: 2006 BMW X5 3.0i PARTIAL Cooling Overhaul @ 116K miles

[cn90]

DIY: 2006 BMW X5 3.0i PARTIAL Cooling Overhaul @ 116K miles

The last time I did the cooling overhaul in my 1998 528i (E39) at 90K, it did the “overkill cooling overhaul”, basically everything had to do with the cooling was replaced. See link below:

ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT Tips and Tricks (Very Long, Enjoy!)

In retrospect, it was a bit overkill. As time goes on, the bimmerfest E39 community learns more about lifespan of each component. Below is a list of approx. lifespan that I gather from years of users’ feedback:

- Belts x2 (main belt and AC belt) ---> 70K-90K.
- Pulleys bearing: usually dry out after 40K, a bit of noise at 80K, then noisier at 115K (current situation in my X5), then potentially falling apart at 150K throwing the belt out, unless it was greased every 40K.
- Fan Clutch should last to about 150K. In the M62 V8, it can blow up at less than 60K. But in the I6 M52, M54 engines, the fan clutch easily lasts some 140K.
- Fan Blade should last 150K or so. Do not use aftermarket Fan Blade such as the MTC brand, been there done that, I’d never use MTC brand again.
- Radiator should last to 150K or so.

- The 2 big Radiator hoses easily last beyond 150K, I’d replace them at 160K-180K interval.
- The smaller heater hoses should last some 160K or so.
- Thermostat usually go out (broken prong) at 80K-90K or so. Once I removed the old Tstat with 116K, it appears OK, but with the new Tstat in, the heat is MUCH better for winter!

- Coolant reservoir may burst any time after 110K.
- The factory WP itself should last some 130K or so. My factory WP with 116K has slight play. A tiny piece of black impeller (size = 2mm) was retrieved inside the engine block. WP had slight play on bearing but no leak.

- The WP Pulley sometimes crack at 140K. I replaced mine for peace of mind.
So, for my 2006 X5 with 116K, I need to replace the worn cooling parts now. Then do the other items (radiator, big radiator hoses, fan clutch, fan blade) later at 150K-160K or so.

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Before we get into this E53 X5 partial cooling overhaul, you may want to read some of the DIYs I did in the past, it will make this job much easier…

* 1998 528I Cooling Overhaul:
ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT Tips and Tricks (Very Long, Enjoy!)

* Fan Clutch Re-installation trick using Poultry cord. This will make re-installation of the fan clutch much easier.
DIY - Fan Clutch Nut Installation - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

* How to re-grease the 3 pulley bearings on a 1998 528i:
DIY: Re-grease the 3 belt pulleys - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

* E39-M54 How to bleed cooling system:
DIY: Bleeding the E39 Cooling System - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

* The 2006 X5 splash shield screws locations etc:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...se-fluids.html

* The 2006 X5 Water Pump, Thermostat DIY by Wayne's World:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-3-0-auto.html


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So, my “116K Partial Cooling List” is as below.

BTW, you should use realoem.com for parts lookup.

Local NAPA:

- AC pulley: Gates pulley made by NTN Canada: about $18. Note that normally you need to buy the entire mechanical assembly for about $45-$50 by INA. However, if you want only the pulley, then use NAPA Gates pulley. Do not buy Autozone or Advance Auto pulleys, they are made in China. The NAPA Gates pulley is high-quality stuff made by NTN in Canada. The Gates pulley has round edge, so you can’t re-install the dust cover, instead I smeared a bit of grease on the outside to cover the lip for extra measure. Many people do nothing (no dust cover) and it is fine too.

Eeuroparts.com (Free shipping > $99):
- Belts: Contitech x2
- HEPU Water Pump
- Wahler Thermostat (including housing and gasket)
- Pulleys x2 (My AC pulley is mechanical, but Tensioner pulley is hydraulic)
- Brass bleeder screw
Total ~ $174.00.

Husker BMW dealer in Lincoln Nebraska
Chevrolet GMC Cadillac BMW Mercedes Benz Parts and Accessories
- Coolant Reservoir: 17117573781 ---> $76
- WP Pulley: 11511436590 ---> $24

Total ~$100

Grand Total: $18 + $174 + $100 = $292 for this partial cooling overhaul.

Plus Prestone concentrated coolant $13/gallon at Walmart, I bought 2 gallons but used only a bit more than 1 gallon. Don’t forget to buy some distilled water. The debate between BMW coolant vs Prestone is out there. I have used Prestone for 30 years, zero issues, so there you go.















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PROCEDURE

1. Again, please read the above links!!!
---> For all connections (WP O-ring, O-rings inside the hoses), I applied a thin smear of grease, it make installation very smooth.


2. Drain coolant, if still new, re-use it, but use a coffee filter paper to filter it before putting it back into your engine. This is because bugs, debris etc. usually get to the coolant in the collecting pan. Mine is 4 years old, so I use new Prestone coolant + distilled water.
- The lower rad hose can be a pain (see link above @ Wayne's World), or you can simply drain the petcock and just let it drain.


3. Fan Clutch-Fan Blade combo off. Remove Fan Shroud (plastic rivets x3).
During re-installation, use some antiseize on Fan Clutch and the “Poultry Trick” in the link above.






4. AC Pulley is Torx 60, if you don’t have the T60, then use T50 on the Pulley Center Bolt, it is fine too.
If short of budget, you can re-grease old pulley (gently pry the seal and inject some grease into it). I use new pulleys (Gates x1, INA x2).






5. Main Pulley is Allen 8mm or 5/16” type. BTW, make a note of the belt routing for installation. Tons of photos on the web re M54 belt layout.






6. Old Water Pump: Pulley is held by 10mm bolts. WP held by 10-mm nuts. To remove WP: some use extractor bolts. I use a pipe and gently tap the WP, once the gap is shown, pry it out.
During re-installation, finger tighten the WP bolts, then stop!
Wait until the belt is installed, then tighten the WP Pulley further. I use 1 finger on the ratchet to prevent stripping the bolts. You need to look up torque values.










7. Thermostat Housing: d/c connector then 10-mm bolts x3. Engine Hook: 11mm and 13-mm bolts.
Clean Tstat mating surface with steel wool. Just remove trace of old gasket so it is smooth. Do NOT score this surface b/c you will have leak. Keep it smooth.










8. New HEPU Water Pump: I applied a bit of grease on the O-ring to make installation easier. I used new BMW Pulley for peace of mind.


9. To remove the hose from Tstat Housing, pry metal clip out, then ROTATE the hose a tiny bit (you cannot rotate much because of the groove, however this tiny bit of rotation break the seal between the O-ring and the plastic housing). Then slide the hose out. It is challenging though!
*** New Wahler Thermostat: I also applied a bit of grease on the seal.
*** Make sure you use proper torque, it is easy to strip these WP and thermostat bolts. I simply snug the bolt, then use one finger on the ratchet to tighten it a bit and that is all you need.
















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[cn90]

10. New coolant reservoir: note the attachment points. I use a bit of grease on all connections to make things slide in easier. This reservoir setup is the most stupid engineering ever, it WILL drive you nuts!!!
Sensor: from above looking down, turn CCW to remove it.
#1-#2: reservoir and radiator attachments. Pry very very slowly to avoid damage to the radiator neck!
#3: heater hose connection
#4: is the most retarded engineering fiasco. The big hole is a “Blind End leading to nowhere”. The smaller hole is the heater hose. You have to be very very patient to deal with this setup. Pry very very gently where the connections x2 meet the reservoir. You don’t care about the reservoir (because you are replacing it) but you do NOT want to damage the base connection!















11. If you want to flush the engine block, pour some distilled water into the block using a long hose.


12. Now, button everything back:
- New Idler, Tensioner, AC Pulleys
- Main serpentine belt
- Zip tie the connector near thermostat housing
- Fan Clutch: antiseize and use “Poultry Cord” trick.
- Fan Shroud: re-use plastic rivets.
- Splash shield
BTW, the Intake Air Duct: I removed it and store it inside my garage. With this out of the car, it is easy to inspect, belts, pulleys, radiator hoses etc.










13. Now fill system with coolant. I want a 50-50 mix for northern climate, the system capacity for M54 engine is somewhere between 11L-12L range (if someone knows for sure what it is, please post). I put in 5.5L of concentrated Prestone coolant. The rest is distilled water. I will check the coolant strength after a few thousand miles.

- I filled through: Reservoir and Bleeder Screw (don’t over-tighten it, I use brass screw for a change).
- Make sure you don’t overfill the reservoir, stop when the floater hits the top cage of reservoir.
- Drive car around block for 15-30 min., not too far from home, turn on the heat etc.
- Bring car back home, let it cool down, then check coolant level.

- To check coolant strength, wait another month of a few thousand miles of driving to be sure coolant is mixed evenly, then check it before winter.

That is all boys and girls, Happy July 4!!!












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[Joshdub]

Awesome. Good work as always!

[StephenVA]

Great great and thanks for making it IDIOT proof with lots of photos.

[puddinboo]

thanks I will be replacing the pulley,WP,and TS this summer. thanks again for some good tips. by the way how hard is it to get the water pump out, can`t you just reach down and wiggle it out, or is it a bit harder than that?

[Ricky Bobby]

Thats a great writeup, thanks cn90! I need to check receipts from previous owner, I think the hoses, reservoir, Tstat, were done in 2010-2011 by previous owner. Possibly water pump too.

I did both belts, both tensioners, idler pulley, and fan clutch in 2012 after I bought the X5. Probably am due for coolant drain/fill, however.

[squidzilla]

Thanks. I think all of your DIY will be my service manual when I do all of this stuff in the fall.

I have a dumb question though, when you mention you used some grease, what kind of grease are you referring to?

[cn90]

Another update Dec. 2015...

I installed Gates 38018 pulley for my 2006 X5 M54 engine. The Gates 38018 pulley fits well, the only issue (described in different forums) is that: one can't use the factory dust cap because the Gates pulley has round edge and thus the dust cap does not fit.
Being a bit "OCD", I smeared a bit of grease on the outside of the bearing seal just to cover it up: I don't think this is necessary at all.

So, I was looking for parts for my 2005 XC90 2.5T and happen to see the serpentine belt pulley INA 8627994 = Gates 36313.

I did some checking, and this very INA pulley might have been the pulley that was placed inside Autozone Duralast box a few years ago (not sure, but I think so).

For comparison purpose:

Gates 36313: OD= 70 mm; W = 26 mm, Bore = 17 mm
Gates 38018: OD= 70 mm; W = 25 mm, Bore = 17 mm

So, I am thinking: those who want to use the factory dust cap may want to explore the option of INA 8627994. If you do, please report back whether it fits or not. Between 25 vs 26 mm, I think it is a non-issue.



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[Joshdub]

Thanks for bumping this. I'll need this in a couple days.

[g300d]

Nice write up, very comprehensive!

I may have missed it but if you replace the reservoir, get a transmision thermostat, they like to break when pulling out the old reservoir.

I wish I got the same lifespan from my parts as you, at 50k most of the parts listed were dying and the rest of the system I replaced for good measure.

Only parts I have not replaced are water pump, pump pulley, and thermostat.