oil separator symptoms

[sfcl]

Originally Posted by juppalgae

what's the part number for valve cover gasket and throttle cover gasket

Valve cover gasket: #16 on this diagram: RealOEM.com BMW E53 X5 3.0i Cylinder head cover

Can't find the throttle housing gasket in realOEM, here it is in the Pelican parts site: Pelican Parts - Product Information: 13-54-7-504-729-M17

Dipstick tube o-ring: #11 and 12 here: RealOEM.com BMW E53 X5 3.0i OIL PAN/OIL LEVEL INDICATOR

[Tleong]

thanks for the help.

[juppalgae]

thanks for your input sfcl!

[juppalgae]

from the picture i upoaded, do i also need to get #1 too or just hoses?

[FAT_X5]

BMW makes a $450 kit that wraps these pipes, it plugs into the wiring harness and keeps the oil separator warm. My car has a bad separator too, I could here oil squirting from behind the engine onto the block.

[juppalgae]

from the picture i upoaded, do i also need to get #1 too or just hoses?

[sfcl]

Originally Posted by juppalgae

from the picture i upoaded, do i also need to get #1 too or just hoses?

#1 is the OS, you need to replace it AND the hoses, common cause of oil and air leaks. To be complete on the subject of air leaks on these motors, I wouldn't replace the OS and its hoses without replacing also the intake boot and the various vaccum lines. They are not expensive and you can take advantage of the OS replacement job to be sure that everything is ok while you are at it...

[rock1571]

I had my dealer replace the OS, hoses and dipstick tube last January when it all froze up and blew out the valve cover gasket. Would it be unusual to have a problem again this year even though I've gotten new parts installed? Last weekend she had some rough idle early in the morning after the vehicle sat out overnight. I checked the dipstick and under the oil cap and there was a small amount of the teltale milky oil. I'm wondering if I need to replace the OS again or can I just take it apart and clean it out? Would cleaning it out just delay the inevitable?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by rock1571

can I just take it apart and clean it out?

Yes, cleaning it out is the appropriate action if you have replaced it a year ago. The buildup of condensate is only inevitable if you don't drive it long enough to get it hot, at least hot enough to boil off the condensation.

[primetime]

Originally Posted by rock1571

I had my dealer replace the OS, hoses and dipstick tube last January when it all froze up and blew out the valve cover gasket. Would it be unusual to have a problem again this year even though I've gotten new parts installed? Last weekend she had some rough idle early in the morning after the vehicle sat out overnight. I checked the dipstick and under the oil cap and there was a small amount of the teltale milky oil. I'm wondering if I need to replace the OS again or can I just take it apart and clean it out? Would cleaning it out just delay the inevitable?

Yes you can absolutely experience the very same symptoms as soon as well...yes the very next winter..

People the oil seperator is an ongoing thing..Meaning just because you get the parts replaced (including the VCG) it doesn't mean anything.. Its not like other parts on the car like a water pump or something. This part will go through continous abuse if you do not clean the hoses and check the cap regularly especially if it sits overnight in cold weather and sub freezing temps. This part is always prone to fail if neglected in such terms, in conjunction with short trips..

The best thing you can do is limit your short trips. The condensate builds up and freezes up because the car has not been driven long enough (needs to be longer then 30 minutes) to burn off that condensate. As a result it freezes, that milky crap under the oil cap is a sign of this happening. Of course, I've seen super milky, paste, and barely any milky crap at all..It can vary.

The newer insulated oil seperator parts are helpful, but not a total solution. The insulated hoses and wraps keeps the condensate warmer longer, but does not prevent it from freezing up also..Especially if left sitting overnite in sub freezing temps like I said..

Do a search on this topic folks..We cover every possible scenario with the Oil seperator on this site. There must be at least a 100 seperate threads on it. GL.

I'm sure JCL will chime in soon with greater detail then i can provide..