BMW X5 CCV

[puddinboo]

^ what failure happened

[stabmasterflex]

Sell it to me as is. I'm in Edmonton. Pm me

[BMWX5CHI]

Originally Posted by ProfessorX5

When I lived in Saskatchewan I saw people who had some mind of blanket on their hood in addition to the radiator cover. I'm guessing it was a low tech way to keep the engine warmer than it'd be without it. If you're going to keep it, an block heater might be good.

Also, another way to help with condensate is when you do a short drive, pop the hood, open the crankcase cap, and let it vent a bit. That way perhaps that moisture won't get a chance to condense. While I was waiting for a chance to do my tstat, tht's what I did, and I stopped getting yellow goop on the cap.

[Sniffer]

Originally Posted by JCL

I told you what i would do. I was in Alberta over the holidays. Never worried about our X3. I watched temperatures.

If you are carefully watching temperatures why not just cover a portion of the radiator, a home made winter front? Every truck in Alberta seems to have one. I did when I lived in GP and Edmonton.

It is a good thing you are now thinking about how to get the engine warm, solving the problem, and not just focusing on the condensate freezing, accepting that it will happen.

So do X3s have issues along these lines too?

Thats the thing - I WAS running a "home made winter front" when this happened and the oil was still struggling to get to 100F during my 22 mile trip to work! Thats why I`m sooooo sceptical that it wont happen again if I simply go back to the standard setup

So if all this isnt enough to burn off the condensate what is required? A longer trip? (I did do longer trips occasionally) Drive it harder (I generally drive it pretty sensibly but thats because I am scared to rev the head off it as in my mind that will increase crankcase pressures to breaking point if it has frozen - a real "catch 22" situation)

Thoughts?

[Sniffer]

Originally Posted by ProfessorX5

When I lived in Saskatchewan I saw people who had some mind of blanket on their hood in addition to the radiator cover. I'm guessing it was a low tech way to keep the engine warmer than it'd be without it. If you're going to keep it, an block heater might be good.

Also, another way to help with condensate is when you do a short drive, pop the hood, open the crankcase cap, and let it vent a bit. That way perhaps that moisture won't get a chance to condense. While I was waiting for a chance to do my tstat, tht's what I did, and I stopped getting yellow goop on the cap.

Hmmm, interesting, was the blanket in the engine bay or over the top of the hood (external)?

I was told that you cant put a block heater on these vehicles (no frost bungs I think was the reason given) but I did get an oil pan heater installed (supposedly the next best thing)

Thanks for the advice, the problem I have is at work, theres nowhere to plug the car in so it sits outside all day and it wouldnt really be practical to leave the hood open unless on my arrival to work I open the hood, open the oil cap then close the hood until my first break (2.5 hours later) when I could return and put it back on

Would that work? Thoughts?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Sniffer

So do X3s have issues along these lines too?

Thats the thing - I WAS running a "home made winter front" when this happened and the oil was still struggling to get to 100F during my 22 mile trip to work! Thats why I`m sooooo sceptical that it wont happen again if I simply go back to the standard setup

So if all this isnt enough to burn off the condensate what is required? A longer trip? (I did do longer trips occasionally) Drive it harder (I generally drive it pretty sensibly but thats because I am scared to rev the head off it as in my mind that will increase crankcase pressures to breaking point if it has frozen - a real "catch 22" situation)

Thoughts?

All BMWs have these issues, there is nothing specific about the E53 except that due to packaging constraints the separator is further away from engine heat that would help keep it warm.

Check and see what the oil temp is after a one hour drive, for example. Does it get properly up to temperature than, or is it still cold? This will help tell you if the problem is more one of overcoolong, or more related to not a long enough drive. You aren't going to burn off the condensation at that oil temperature IMO.

If it is not a long enough drive, ie it gets hot enough with more time, then an oil pan heater can help. If it doesn't get hotter with a longer drive, then a heater will have no impact. The only thing an engine heater is doing is giving the engine a head start on warming up, it isn't heating the CCV.

Once you get it warmed up somewhat each day, you should use some revs. These vehicles were meant to be driven. They don't take well to idling all day.

[ProfessorX5]

Originally Posted by Sniffer

Hmmm, interesting, was the blanket in the engine bay or over the top of the hood (external)?

I was told that you cant put a block heater on these vehicles (no frost bungs I think was the reason given) but I did get an oil pan heater installed (supposedly the next best thing)

Thanks for the advice, the problem I have is at work, theres nowhere to plug the car in so it sits outside all day and it wouldnt really be practical to leave the hood open unless on my arrival to work I open the hood, open the oil cap then close the hood until my first break (2.5 hours later) when I could return and put it back on

Would that work? Thoughts?

The blanket was external. The cap trick just involves popping the hood, taking the cap off and letting it breathe for a minute or two (and wiping the cap off if it's got any moisture), then closing it all up again. That seemed to do it for me when my tstat was stuck open and I had a few days until I'd have a chance to put in a new one. I still do it on short trips, jic.

That would probably help at least a bit, since most of the potential condensation would be at or near the cap when the engine's been running, and would escape fairly quickly when you open it.

[stabmasterflex]

The issue is in the design! Period end of story. Bmw messed up. Nothing you do other than changing it to the 5 or 7 series system will really work. The ice accumulates in the back cover of the intake in the elbow. This is the problem! You have to get that water away from there. The cars were fine. That's the fix. Again. That's... The.... Fix. Thank you.

[Ricky Bobby]

Ok so let's have the part numbers for conversion to the 5 or 7 series system, is that a BMW authorized fix?

[stabmasterflex]

11151705272 oil seperator,11151705301vent pipe, 11617501563 rear cover. This absolutely was the authorized bmw repair.