2002 x5 3.0i CCV issue?

[x5Alpine]

I just recently purchased an 02 X5 3.0i with 86,000 miles as a daily driver so the M5 wont have to get up for daily duty. It is sienna red on beige with sport premium,and winter package. I love the car but have noticed since it started getting very cold here in Reno NV that there is a yellow sludge buildup on the oil cap and I have tried to go for about an hour drive at freeway speeds but it still wont go away. I haven't replaced the CCV or any related hoses either. Why wont it go away!?

[upallnight]

How often are you changing the oil? How often do you drive the car during your daily commute? If you are driving less than 30 minutes for your commute, you should try changing your oil more often than the recommended mileage by BMW. I change my oil every 5,000 miles. I avoid short trips with the X5 such as taking the kids to school. A little exercise never hurt anyone.

The "Mayo" will go away in the summertime. You live in a desert so the air has less moisture compared to other location.

[x5Alpine]

I change the oil every 5,000 miles. I might do one more hot oil change soon.

[Roman D]

Hi guys, as mentioned it in some other tread - yes, I totally agree, CCV system is complete failure of industrial design, huge "-" to BMW. There is no way they could not place it extended to more service friendly area rather than shovel it where they did. I won't speak for functionality, as if it serves for 75,000 miles run, if it does it's job for average 5 years and cost $200 - I can live with that.

[bcredliner]

I would do a little troubleshooting first. It could be a simple vacuum leak. With the engine running remove the oil filler cap. There should be a vacuum if there is no leak.

Problems with the CCV systems are far more prevalent where winters are extreme. I wouldn't consider Reno having severe winters.

It is not how long a drive you take. It is about driving long enough that the oil temperature has been at normal operating temp-should be 20-20 minutes.

I haven't touched the CCV system. My input is that the design is fine. I do change my oil every 5000 miles and Texas winters are close enough to call them Michigan summers.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by trader4

That's interesting. You have a 13 year old X5, presumably with plenty of miles
and you actually think it's good practice to never have touched the CCV system?
Even the simple, far less problematic conventional PCV systems on most cars
have the PCV valves replaced as part of routine maintenance. And they don't
have the possible catastrophic failure modes either. Not only is there the
oil separator, but there are 5 hoses which are plastic and most of them
run right across the top of the cylinder head. The plastic gets brittle and
cracks. Especially odd given the penchant here for people to do all kinds
of far more optional preemptive service procedures and the many posts
here about CCV problems.

And off you go AGAIN!

I said nothing about not overhauling the system. I suggested doing some troubleshooting first.

I made no mention about good or bad practice. All I said was that is what I have done and the system is still working fine. (FYI-at 115,000+miles)

X5Alpine has decided to rebuild the system which is a good plan. But not doing so IMO would not have been the equivalent of lighting a stick of dynamite under the engine.

Neither of us have any idea as to the extent of CCV problems. From what I have read here, which is VERY small sampling of the X5s on the planet, the serious problems related to CCV systems are primarily in very cold country or associated with only driving short distances.

I have always been very sensitive to any changes in engine or drivetrain performance and at least once a month I am checking for any evidence of problems about to happen.

My opinion based on personal performance history of the CCV system is just as valid as yours, unless of course, if the issues you are referencing are not your personal experience. If that is the cause it is more of your negative rhetoric that you search out opportunities to spew.

[Ricky Bobby]

In my experience on this forum the M62 CCV system is not as problematic as the M54's

[x5Alpine]

I think I'll just go ahead and replace everything as preventative. The cooling system has been done but its getting all new suspension pieces and a paint job at the local BMW body shop as the clear on the roof is starting to show signs of peeling.

[terminx]

Not even BMW thinks the design is fine anymore, hence the design changes to the OEM CCV parts in later years and the fact that such systems were ditched after the M54 in favor of something more reliable.

The stock CCV design is horrible. Any system that can fail out of nowhere to the point of hydrolocking your engine with oil, yet is placed in such an inconvenient location as to prevent it from really being routine maintenance, is awful. It's too complicated of a system for such a simple, necessary function. I would have rather had a catch can to empty during oil changes than deal with this craptastic CCV system.

The problem is compounded by how often the M54 thermostat silently fails in the open position, preventing the engine from ever really reaching operating temperature.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by terminx

Not even BMW thinks the design is fine anymore, hence the design changes to the OEM CCV parts in later years and the fact that such systems were ditched after the M54 in favor of something more reliable.

The stock CCV design is horrible. Any system that can fail out of nowhere to the point of hydrolocking your engine with oil, yet is placed in such an inconvenient location as to prevent it from really being routine maintenance, is awful. It's too complicated of a system for such a simple, necessary function. I would have rather had a catch can to empty during oil changes than deal with this craptastic CCV system.

The problem is compounded by how often the M54 thermostat silently fails in the open position, preventing the engine from ever really reaching operating temperature.

Has your engine been destroyed by a CCV system so you know whether or not it fell out of nowhere or there were symptoms that went unnoticed or there wasn't something unrelated to the CCV system that caused the CCV failure?Since designs are changed all the time, how do you know the CCV design change had anything to do with any shortcoming of the previous design. Could it have been because of new technology or different requirements? Do you know that thermostats normally fail open so that's not unique to BMW?