Are these common problems?

[4 Wheels of Fun]

Originally Posted by mgruber

A few questions:
- What is your car's date of production?
- I don't recognize any of those part numbers. Are there any other part numbers listed on your receipt?
- You mentioned getting another extended warranty. I assume then your 6 year 100,000 mile warranty is the one expiring. When you decide on another extended warranty, please post the info as I'm sure plenty of people would be interested in it.

My date of production is 04/2003

I updated the part numbers in my previous post for the oil separator / cyclone valve replacement

I'll be sure to discuss what warranty I buy with the board. I'm sure there is some good information already here if I search for it.

[X5 Meister]

First let me say, thanks for following up so diligently. It's just that that makes these threads so informative in the long run. This is definitely getting interesting!

Second, some questions for clarification. You said that your car is CPO with 85,000 miles (with an extended BMW warranty (presumably to 6 year/100,000 miles). However, you said you bought the car from a non-BMW dealer. So how can that be a CPO? Are you the 3rd or 4th owner at this point? My point isn't to grill you, it's to understand how the work you had done wasn't covered under the CPO warranty.

Third, was the work done by a BMW dealer or an indy shop? The reason I ask is that they appear to have changed all the necessary parts out (even the cover at the back of intake manifold (must have been compromised during the leak I guess)), but as far as I know all those parts are just now 'new' and nothing has been done per se to address the actual problem. In other words, they fixed what broke, but didn't do anything to prevent it from happening again, as per the SIB write-up, which for your car (a 2003 4.4 made in 4/2003 with the M62 engine involves installing the heated wrap for the crankcase kit (P/N 11 61 0 390 846).

So IMHO you have 2 options. #1. Do nothing until the problem happens again and then take the SIB to the place that did the work and tell them you are not paying for squat this time and that you expect ALL the work to be done. or #2. Take the SIB to them now and ask them why that stuff wasn't done... and quite frankly it should be done under warranty.

Lastly, some of your part numbers were off by a digit. I fixed them below:

Parts / Part #'s for Oil Separator / Cyclone Valve Replacement

Cover: 11-61-7-508-541
Oil Separator: 11-15-1-705-237
Vent Hose: 11-15-7-556-837
Vent Hose: 11-15-7-556-838
Oil Return Hose: 11-15-1-438-302
Hose Clamp: 16-13-1-179-065
Oil Return Hose: 11-15-7-560-068
Hose Clamp: 16-13-1-379-229
Hose Clamp: 07-12-9-952-109

PS. I still don't know what the hell a 'cyclone valve' is?!

[4 Wheels of Fun]

The truck was originally purchased in June of '03 so that's why my warranty expires in June. I believe I am the third owner but according to the BMW website under the warranty section it transfers from owner to owner. Technically I didn't buy it from a BMW dealer but it was traded in at a BMW dealership owned by the same owners and that's where we went to look at it. I just completed the transaction at a different dealer.

Based on the fact that they didn't list the Cyclone Valve as a separate part I'm starting think that it is a valve contained within the Oil Separator part as a whole.

I don't have a copy of the warranty so it would be hard to challenge them on what they did and didn't repair under warranty. The repairs were all free from my perspective (due to the repair credit I received from the purchasing dealer) so it's not really a point I'm interested in challenging.
I am a little concerned about the heated wrap thing but I'm not sure if they would be required to replace it under warranty with the 'improved' part.

More fuel to add to the fire...here's a list of what they repair under warranty and what they said wasn't covered by the warranty:

Covered:

Valve Cover Gaskets
Airbag - Seat Mat
Left front VANOS Seal
Valley Pan Gasket
Coolant Rear Galley
Gaskets on Manifold / Intake reseal
Tank Venting Valve
Fuel Tank Breather Valve

Not Covered:
Oil Separator / Cyclone Valve + Hoses
Drive Belts
Transcooler & transcooler lines

[X5 Meister]

Thanks for the clarification. Keep in mind that the heated wrap isn't an improved part, it's a fix for a poorly designed part that should have been implemented. Best way to describe it is sort of a jury-rig fix. (You are adding something on) The fixes for the other engines are a bit more elegant I'd say (You are actually replacing an older part with a newly designed part).

The oil separator fix for the M54 engine involves a newly designed crankcase vent valve, crankcase vent hoses and dipstick guide tube. The fix for an N62 engine involves installing a newly designed cylinder head cover and updated ventilation hoses.

I would really suggest you at least ask them why they didn't do it given that there is an SIB on the issue and what kind of guarantee you have that it will not happen again, because based on what they repaired, I honestly do not see how it wouldn't happen again.

[4 Wheels of Fun]

Those are good points - I'll see what they have to say...

[X5 Meister]

Any update on this?

[4 Wheels of Fun]

I've been trying to determine the service bulletin # so I can sound credible when I go in there.

[X5 Meister]

It's SIB 110104. Check the thread called: "Thanks for nothing BMW NA ( Blue smoke/Oil loss/Oil separator )" Reply #35