M54 EDK X5 3.0 Throttle valve FIXED!!!!

[Jluttyx5]

Our 2001 X5 3.0 started acting progressively worse a few days ago.

THIS CAR ONLY ACTS UP WHEN I AM OUT OF TOWN!!!

I like this X5 alot. I have built and repaired cars and motorcycles and hottubs and winery equipment for years. I only have a BMW mechanic because this car only breaks while I am away for work.

At its worst, the car was showing all the warning lights were lit and the car maxed out at five miles per hour.
I'm pretty sure that even the "SCHVEINHUNT!!!!" light was on.

At idle, it was surging with a huge lope in the idle and fluctuated from 200 to 1200 RPM. It was backfiring and stuttering horribly.

In a panic, my 8.5 month pregnant called me and screamed, "Where do you want me to tow my car?"

I said, "TOWED????"

She said, "DON'T START WITH ME!!!!!"

So, she left the car where it was and I drove all night to get home from my business trip. I stopped only for naps and kept going. I limped it home the next day after I found the plastic intake tube loose at the MAF sensor.

We had the MAF and rubber boot at the intake replaced by our mechanic the last time I was out of town.

I did not know that there is a detachable rubber donut missing from between the MAF sensor and the plastic tube. I just thought it got old and hard and loose from heat. So I wrapped the end of the MAF sensor tube with black tape about 15 times and made up the difference to make the tube tight.... No Improvement.

I got our mechanic to come and scan it for a bottle of wine. He said it was the first bad throttle valve he had seen in ten years.

That was the night before Thanksgiving.

Today, (Saturday) I checked this site again to see if anyone had responded to my "M54 EDK trouble " post.

Nothing. And we still had not made arrangements to get it towed.

So I tore into it. I removed the air plumbing, the idle control valve, the intake boot..... AND ......

I found the seal from the MAF sensor/ plastic tube connection hanging out in the throttle valve. This kept the throttle from opening and closing and really upset the computer.

I put it all back together, recalibrated the gas pedal as per a post here, started it six times to clear the trouble, and it runs like it did four years ago again.

BAM> Easiest, cheapest repair yet!

Bad news: I spotted a tear in a CV boot.....Argh!