Hydrolock Anyone? NEED HELP!!! please.

[primetime]

You should get all those checked out and fixed or replaced. Yes it is necessary..Those are all related to seperator failure...Up north, I hear alot of people have block heaters...I think its a great idea, if there was some way to hide that ugly plug hanging outside of the hood that would be something I would consider if I were you.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by toddj

Same issues for me... Hydro-locked X5...
Caused by the oil separator system freezing. .....<snip>

What are your thoughts on block heaters, oil heaters???

Block heaters and oil heaters make logical sense, but aren't commonly used on the X5. BMW does not recommend or fit them on any model. I have used lots of block heaters, and some oil pan heaters, but never on a BMW. I don't see a block heater as significantly impacting the oil separator issue, as it won't warm the oil enough to take the condensation out. Yes, if it was used continually it could help avoid the issue, but the real problem is short trips that don't get the oil hot enough.

[ih82lose]

It appears I have the same problem. My wife's x5 died tonight at a stoplight. We tried to jump it, but no luck. Temps are around -6, so I thought it was just a dead battery. We towed it home and I saw oil on the ground of the garage. !!! There is froth under the oul cap, no oil registering on the dipstick, low coolant, and oil "spray" around the valve cover. The car will not crank at all.

Her commute is around 35-40 minutes, but not highway. Does his sound like the crankcase breather problem? Has anyone had success getting BMW to take care of this problem at a reduced cost due to the design flaw?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by ih82lose

Does his sound like the crankcase breather problem? Has anyone had success getting BMW to take care of this problem at a reduced cost due to the design flaw?

Seems like it might be. BMW covers it if it is under warranty. You don't say what year your vehicle is.

[toddj]

Yeah... Sounds like the same problem. I talked to a number of people at the dealership, and one of the tech's told me that they had 3 vehicle's in the shop right now for the same problem.
And if you have run past your warranty (like I did) neither the dealership, nor BWM will offer any support. I asked why this never became a "recall' item and was told because it needs to be a safty issue...

It sure seems like a safty issue to me!!!!!!!!!!!!

The real kicker is... last winter on real cold days it started to show symptoms as it ran a little rough and the "engine service" light came on... They couldn't find any stored codes, and the engine service light cleared itself after a couple days and it was fine...

I love the vehicle, but this is bulls**t!

[2002Silver4.6is]

"Back to the condensate valve and hose assembley, the newer unit, which is an update, is heated so the valve will never freeze again. Anyone who lives in cold climates should have the update done in my opinion."

I believe this post refers to a related issue:

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...lp-please.html

[primetime]

Originally Posted by toddj

Yeah... Sounds like the same problem. I talked to a number of people at the dealership, and one of the tech's told me that they had 3 vehicle's in the shop right now for the same problem.
And if you have run past your warranty (like I did) neither the dealership, nor BWM will offer any support. I asked why this never became a "recall' item and was told because it needs to be a safty issue...

It sure seems like a safty issue to me!!!!!!!!!!!!

The real kicker is... last winter on real cold days it started to show symptoms as it ran a little rough and the "engine service" light came on... They couldn't find any stored codes, and the engine service light cleared itself after a couple days and it was fine...

I love the vehicle, but this is bulls**t!

I completely agree with you 100%...

[primetime]

Originally Posted by ih82lose

It appears I have the same problem. My wife's x5 died tonight at a stoplight. We tried to jump it, but no luck. Temps are around -6, so I thought it was just a dead battery. We towed it home and I saw oil on the ground of the garage. !!! There is froth under the oul cap, no oil registering on the dipstick, low coolant, and oil "spray" around the valve cover. The car will not crank at all.

Her commute is around 35-40 minutes, but not highway. Does his sound like the crankcase breather problem? Has anyone had success getting BMW to take care of this problem at a reduced cost due to the design flaw?

I'm dealing with the same issue..although my car didn't die..The valve cover gasket blew (it was leaking oil prior to when it blew) and yes your issue is all oil seperator related...You're going to need a new valve cover gasket and most likely a new seperator.. If not, during cold morning starts you could experience serious problems..Get it checked out asap. Mine's going in for a new seperator on feb 4th..I've already had the valve cover gasket replaced...

[ih82lose]

No warranty for me. It's an '03. Is there a writeup for the replacement of the necessary parts? I am pretty handy with a wrench, but I have no experience with the x5. I didn't see anything in a search, so I assume most people just drop the car off at the nearest shop when this happens?

As far as a safety issue goes, if the motor would have hydrolocked as my wife was driving 50-60mph, there would have been serious safety concerns. How can they say an engine that unexpectedly hydrolocks is safe???!?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by ih82lose

No warranty for me. It's an '03. Is there a writeup for the replacement of the necessary parts? I am pretty handy with a wrench, but I have no experience with the x5. I didn't see anything in a search, so I assume most people just drop the car off at the nearest shop when this happens?

As far as a safety issue goes, if the motor would have hydrolocked as my wife was driving 50-60mph, there would have been serious safety concerns. How can they say an engine that unexpectedly hydrolocks is safe???!?

I understand your frustration, and agree that it shouldn't happen, but it happens with a lot of vehicles, not just BMWs. I am referring to the PCV or equivalent freezing up, and consequential damage.

It is not likely that an engine suddenly locks up while you are driving at 50-60 mph. It is more likely to make clouds of smoke, you pull over and shut it off, and later it fails to turn over.

The safety card is not likely to get BMW replacing engine parts well outside the warranty period. It is more likely that we will see recommendations for the crankcase ventilation valve to be replaced at Inspection II as a preventative maintenance item.

If you do a search on google, there are years worth of posts of other BMW models and the replacement steps, complete with pictures and how-to articles. In addition to the crankcase ventilation valve, you need to deal with any consequential damages such as leaking valve cover gaskets, engine damage due to entry of coolant, etc.

Good luck.