CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM / OIL SEPARATOR NOW COVERED UNDER CPO !!!

[DimAciD]

thank you!

Update:
After worrying for last couple of weeks about condensation build up, pulling out dip stick and seeing oil almost white aand i changed oil 3 weeks ago. I finaly took it to my friend (bmw technician) he checked hoses - brand new, someone changed them before me, oil was clear too
He told me to avoid problems i have to drive it! More than my wife does(10 minutes, twice a day), atleast once a week, put something like 100 kms and all condensation will be gone!
So for 15$ a week - i think it is reasonable to avoid all the issues with CCV
I am surpriced that i didnt have this issue last winter, it was cold one too, as low as -40C
He also mentioned that there is a permanent sollution but - 40 labour hours! 5000$ and your X5 will never have issues with condensation
It won't be me getting this fix for sure. It requires something added to engine, which reqiures engine to be taken appart

[jayhawker]

I have a 2005 Range Rover HSE that has the BMW 4.4 liter motor and believe is the same as in some of the X5's. A few months ago, after it was warmed up, I would start getting a blue cloud out the exhaust. I immediately knew it had something to do with the crankcase ventilation and took it to have it worked on at the Range Rover dealer. It didn't show a problem for them and so they did nothing. It would only happen when it was warmed up and so it didn't show for them.

A few days later, the blue cloud was so bad you couldn't see anything behind you and it was thick. I knew I had a problem, and was going to replace the oil separator kit. On the way home, I stopped at a hardware store, I started it when coming out and it idled fine for a short time and then blue smoke and it stopped in an instant with hydraulic lock. I removed the plugs and they were soiled with oil, lots of oil.

Trying to crank the engine it won't move. Even manually with a crowbar it won't move and so I am very confident a rod is bent wedged up against the bottom of a cylinder. I believe it is the furthest back cylinder on the passenger side of the car since it is closest to the top of the cylinder head when measuring through the spark plug hole.

I am in the process of trying to repair it, with the belief since it was at idle, the only problem will be a bent rod. So I am hopeful I can just replace it and the oil separator kit, and be back in business.

My question is this. Is there any possible way I can replace the rod from the bottom. I would like to do so without even having to drop the crank shaft hoping that disconnecting the rod on the piston, and having the crankshaft rotated maximizing the distance between it and the base of the piston will give me enough room to remove the piston pin for the rod and then remove it. Replace the rod with a new piston pin, connect it to the crankshaft and be on my way.

Is that possible with these engines?

I am being told I will have to remove the intake manifold, head, and timing chain to do this work. that the rod will have to come out through the cylinder. Is that true?

Last question. I believe it would be less hassle to drop the crankshaft and do it from the bottom. But I am interested in what others know about these engines. It has been 35 years since I overhauled an engine, and it wasn't a BMW engine.