With BMW being so specific on the production #'s I have a feeling they rockwell hardness or material used to make these levers were the problem. If they are soft they will wear faster and increase tolerances. When and if I replace my levers and shafts I will have the Rockwell tested at my job on the old ones and new ones. I can also have mico-grain structure analysis done if I really wanted to put that much effort into it.

Thanks S&S! Info on the differences between the old part and the newer parts would be great!

Thanks S&S! Info on the differences between the old parts and the newer parts would be great!

LVP, I seen in another post in January you had your valvetronic software adjusted form .1 to .3mm on yours. Did that help any or solve your problem?
My guy on Sunday is going to check this and adjust mine if possible, but if it didn't work for you then I won't have him mess with anything on adjusting that. I was wondering if adjusting that at .1mm increments would help and buy some time.

It's supposed to be at 0.3mm or 0.8mm. When I checked mine, it was actually at 0.1mm. We had initially gone in thinking we were going to change it from 0.3mm to 0.8mm, but seeing at it was only at 0.1mm we elected to set it to 0.3mm and see what happened. It didn't fix it. We have subsequently discussed setting it at 0.8mm, but I discovered a loosely seated CCV valve on the driver's side. I reseated that and give it some time. That didn't fix it either. So, recently we debated going back to modifying 0.3mm to 0.8mm. There are drawbacks to the 0.8mm setting - crap mileage, throttle hesitation off the line as it switches from the software fix to the normal mapping. There may be others, but I decided to leave it as warmer days are ahead and this only affects some cold starts, not all. I have my wife sorted so that if the blinking check engine light is on and it feels like a bucking bronco, she'll restart it. So far that has been working well :)

Well, dang. I was hoping changing from .1mm to .3mm worked for you. I wonder if going from .3 to .4 would do anything instead of going straight to .8mm. Honestly if I could go from .3 to .4 and fix our issue and calm the hp down under my wife's lead foot a little it wouldn't hurt my feelings. She's like Ricky Bobby in her X5. haha

0.3mm is supposed to be the factory setting. 0.8mm was the software fix. My GT1 only gives me the 2 options. The shop had AutoLogic software which allowed for setting it in 0.1mm increments. Once it starts without the misfires, it's good. If it starts and has the misfires and you drive it, it's not good (I imagine the cylinders that cut out initially don't come back alive and you damage the cats with the unburnt fuel). I could try it, but getting set up for GT1 and making the changes is a PITA. It won't be back at the shop for another month or so (there we go, jinxed that), but by then it should be warm and misfires go away. If misfires persist in summer, I'll change to 0.8mm and see.

I had Mspec[in queens,ny] check mine , he did the adjustment and I drove it for a bit , I brought it back and he set it back to the original settings and told me that mine where not worn yet , but I only had 70k mile at the time.
He did mention that the levelers and the valve stem seals are prone to going bad in the n62 engines, if You go to there web site You can see how they change the levelers and the valve stems .
If You have low miles let the engine warm up before driving it[until the 2 of the red light drop] and change your oil at 5k miles. I started using Castrol titanium 2 years ago and the engine stop burning oil every 1000 mile to maybe half a quart every 4000 miles , He told me to keep using it and maybe it will save my valve stems too.

good luck.

I checked out their website. Is that your X5 on the hoist in the pictures that scroll by? Free press :)

No lol , they are a good shop,with them less is more [as in if it works don't touch it] if I where to have my engine worked on in NY they are the guys I would trust with my X5............I have a 4.8is 85k miles on her now.