Big oil leak, Valve cover/PCV Valve on my 35d

[Duc Hunter]

So my x5 35d just started blowing a lot of white smoke on the freeway. Looks like the valve cover is leaking bad. Seems the PCV valve is blowing pressure into the crank case, and the gasket is the original from 2012, so oil is leaking down the passenger side of the engine, onto the turbo…hence the white smoke.

The local BMW Independant guy looked at it and validated what I thought the issue is. They want about $900 for labor, which I get. That bigger catch is they said the part is $2,300 (valve cover with PCV built in etc) from BMW. I looked online briefly and FCP Euro has a valve cover for $1400. I don't know if that includes all the parts I need, as they also have a bolt kit, etc. I could do the jobs myself, I just don't think I want to deal with it.

Does $900 seem reasonable for the install? What other parts do I need to do a proper replacement other than the valve cover (part# 1127809860 I think).

Any advice would be appreciated.

[andrewwynn]

For gas burners there are repair kits for the CVV so you don't have to replace the entire valve cover. That being said, something went haywire with my engine i think boost got into the c case and blew the oil out the front and rear main seals, starved the rod bearings and seized the rod bearings so there is some risk of significant damage. I had to replace my motor so whichever route your take do it sooner than later.

I did the valve cover replacement it was a satisfying DIY job i did it ina couple hours a day over two days. Not sure the difference between sparked and non sparked engines. (i saw that in a bmw tech manual once: cute way to say gas vs. diesel).


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[Duc Hunter]

I had a Porsche Panamera turbo and had the exact same experience you did with all the seals getting blown out. In that case, it was the air oil separator, which of those cars is in the valve cover and also access the PCV valve. It was allowing boost to get into the crank case which, as you said, blew out all the seals. This engine is only leaking from the valve cover right now so it’s not getting driven until it gets fixed.

I was hoping somebody with a diesel might chime in, I did a little searching and could not find a thread where somebody had a similar issue in our place the valve cover. Is what it is, I love the vehicle, I’ve had it since 2014 when it had 30,000 miles on it so it’s definitely worth it and it doesn’t owe me any money.

[andrewwynn]

I made the same determination with having to replace my motor.

It would cost triple to get a similar car with more miles on the engine than the one i bought.

Have you searched YouTube for a valve cover CCV fix on the diesel?

If the layout is similar i have one important tip: release the AC lines from the bracket over the right fender made all the difference in getting the VC in/out.


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[andrewwynn]

If you determine it's worth the effort to diy here's a thought:

https://ebay.us/m/MbK89C


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[andrewwynn]

https://a.co/d/dXO2eaS

Somebody makes a CCV repair kit for that valve cover. You still need to change the gasket but you can maybe save $1370 on the parts bom.

[Duc Hunter]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

https://a.co/d/dXO2eaS

Somebody makes a CCV repair kit for that valve cover. You still need to change the gasket but you can maybe save $1370 on the parts bom.

Thats a great find. Thank you! That and a gasket kit seems like a good option. Have to see what the rest of the job looks like in terms of time and difficulty.

[robinasu]

If you don't recall the CCV hose being replaced, it's a very common issue that hits around 75K+ from what I can tell, and you should check it.

This looks worth it:

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...-335d-e70-35d/

Others use their own hose.

I bought this style from a different shop:

https://cascadegerman.com/product/cc...DSwVvhxHa_0s9E

Probably should inspect it.

A big leak at this hose would cause havoc for the CCV system, I would think.