Thanks for nothing BMW NA ( Blue smoke/Oil loss/Oil separator )

[vegasX5]

My biggest fear would be to not do the preventative repair and have a failure only to have BMW only pay for a "portion" of the cost of replacement - making you pay labor or some other bogus charge (which would exceed the ~$750 cost I'm sure). Worse would be if you kept just passed 100k and then the failure happens and you're left holding the bag. Best thing to do is what you've done by ensuring the problem in your case is documented just in case something does happen. I would hate to have to pay for this repair when we all know it should be a BMW corporate responsibility, but being stranded in the middle of a blizzard sucks and is very unsafe as well!

[nrgetic99]

Got the parts down to $363 !

[X5 Meister]

Man this is really a horrible situation. When did BMW "solve" this problem and how in terms of the production run of the car?

In my opinion, at least in the current situation you are in, the biggest problem is risk of getting stranded. Given that it has already happened once (or more then once?) and a BMW dealer has documented the complaint (get copies of all the paperwork by the way) then perhaps you could try to get BMW NA to supply you with free BMW Assist in case you get stranded, or at least a promise, in writing of course, that they will reimburse you for the towing charge to the dealer (which if 250 miles away will probably be more expensive then a new engine!).

Other then that I would drive the hell out of it and when it happens again, tow it to the dealer immediately and get yourself a brand new engine, which I would only imagine would come with a 50,000 mile warranty.

I'm really sorry to hear about all this mess. Such a relatively easy repair to fix the problem and so little headache on BMW's part. Then again, it seems like free recalls have disappeared from BMW since they started to classify stuff as not directly safety related (can you believe it)!

[primetime]

Originally Posted by mgruber

Man this is really a horrible situation. When did BMW "solve" this problem and how in terms of the production run of the car?

In my opinion, at least in the current situation you are in, the biggest problem is risk of getting stranded. Given that it has already happened once (or more then once?) and a BMW dealer has documented the complaint (get copies of all the paperwork by the way) then perhaps you could try to get BMW NA to supply you with free BMW Assist in case you get stranded, or at least a promise, in writing of course, that they will reimburse you for the towing charge to the dealer (which if 250 miles away will probably be more expensive then a new engine!).

Other then that I would drive the hell out of it and when it happens again, tow it to the dealer immediately and get yourself a brand new engine, which I would only imagine would come with a 50,000 mile warranty.

I'm really sorry to hear about all this mess. Such a relatively easy repair to fix the problem and so little headache on BMW's part. Then again, it seems like free recalls have disappeared from BMW since they started to classify stuff as not directly safety related (can you believe it)!

Yeah, Bimmer won't recall anything...ever..Its a pain in the ass..And its horrible business..This is a safety issue for certain, and they claim it is not. BMW quite frankly, just doesn't give a ##%$ what your problem is..Its your problem..Not theirs...nice huh?

[midwesterner]

Does this problem exist in later model years such as 2005 or 2006 X5 3.0s?

I have heard of this issue in 3.0 liter 5 series and X5 as late as 2003!!!!

I know at least a few people that have experienced this issue and now they are buying a Lexus/Acura

[vinuneuro]

It seems to be a problem in vehicles with greater miles, 50k+. It's an issue in vehicles that make short trips, and not getting the engine to operating temperature.

[nrgetic99]

Originally Posted by vinuneuro

It seems to be a problem in vehicles with greater miles, 50k+. It's an issue in vehicles that make short trips, and not getting the engine to operating temperature.

Thats an oversimplification. I will copy and paste the text from the Service Bulletin later on...

David

[JCL]

Originally Posted by nrgetic99

Thats an oversimplification. I will copy and paste the text from the Service Bulletin later on...

David

I don't think that is an oversimplification. Yes, these vehicles can have this problem. Yours didn't. You have assumed that a stumble on idle one time was caused by a frozen separator when in fact it may not have been.

You speak about the production window as if it applies to 2003 vehicles. It is a ten year problem, BMWs have had this issue for that long. Yours is no more likely to have the problem than any other year, or than many other makes of vehicles that use similar crankcase vents.

I wouldn't put the heated lines on, simply because it can fail with them; they aren't a sure fix. They simply decrease the odds of it happening if your vehicle is predisposed to freezing up. That predisposition starts with many short trips and condensation in the separator, it doesn't start with leaving it parked in the cold. If you do a lot of very short trips, then yes, consider the heated lines as insurance. Apart from the lines, however, the best thing you can do is move to an extreme service interval for oil changes, every 7500 or even every 5000 if you want to triple the manufacturer recommendation. Check for signs of water in the oil around the oil filler cap (a white paste). It may be worth having the separator/crankcase vent cleaned out or changed, without going to the heated hoses (they aren't putting any heat down when you start it and it is very cold, and so wouldn't have impacted your stumble if in fact it was caused by a frozen separator).

You imply that it is a sure bet that your engine will eventually fail. Statistics don't support that conclusion. Hundreds may fail eventually. Many thousands have been built. The ones that failed had a heavy buildup of moisture in the lines over time. It is a simple actuarial calculation, nothing more. You can bet that BMW is far ahead by waiting until some fail. Your best bet to ensure you don't get stranded is simply to maintain the vehicle properly, and more frequently given the extreme conditions.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by mgruber

Given that it has already happened once (or more then once?) and a BMW dealer has documented the complaint (get copies of all the paperwork by the way) then perhaps you could try to get BMW NA to supply you with free BMW Assist in case you get stranded, or at least a promise, in writing of course, that they will reimburse you for the towing charge to the dealer (which if 250 miles away will probably be more expensive then a new engine!).

Other then that I would drive the hell out of it and when it happens again, tow it to the dealer immediately and get yourself a brand new engine, which I would only imagine would come with a 50,000 mile warranty.

What has already happened? The engine stumbled once when cold? How do you know it was due to the oil separator, and if it was, how do you think it cured itself?

On a separate note, replacement parts do not come with a warranty beyond the original warranty. For example, if you have a 50,000 mile warranty and the engine fails at 49,000 miles, you have 1,000 miles of warranty left. A replacement engine will come with 1,000 miles of warranty. You didn't pay for a warranty beyond 50,000 miles, so you don't deserve to get one. The warranty isn't on the replacement part, the warranty is on the original part. What you suggest would lead to 'forever warranty' as long as it kept failing. Not going to happen. You will likely have a short (ie 6 month) warranty on the service labour work, but nothing more on the part. This is not strictly a BMW policy, it is common to all brands of vehicles that I have worked with. Some additional things may be done by the dealer as a courtesy, but you don't have a right to betterment.

[X5 Meister]

Originally Posted by JCL

What has already happened? The engine stumbled once when cold? How do you know it was due to the oil separator, and if it was, how do you think it cured itself?

On a separate note, replacement parts do not come with a warranty beyond the original warranty. For example, if you have a 50,000 mile warranty and the engine fails at 49,000 miles, you have 1,000 miles of warranty left. A replacement engine will come with 1,000 miles of warranty. You didn't pay for a warranty beyond 50,000 miles, so you don't deserve to get one. The warranty isn't on the replacement part, the warranty is on the original part. What you suggest would lead to 'forever warranty' as long as it kept failing. Not going to happen. You will likely have a short (ie 6 month) warranty on the service labour work, but nothing more on the part. This is not strictly a BMW policy, it is common to all brands of vehicles that I have worked with. Some additional things may be done by the dealer as a courtesy, but you don't have a right to betterment.

Not sure I agree with your comment on the warranty period. His car is already at 70,000 miles and BMW stated they would replace the engine for him given that he falls in the window of cars the this is likely to happen to, per the SIB. I would be shocked as hell if BMW installed a new engine, and let's just say it fails 2,000 miles later, they tell him to take a hike. Personally, I'd call an attorney.