Has your engine been destroyed by a CCV system so you know whether or not it fell out of nowhere or there were symptoms that went unnoticed or there wasn't something unrelated to the CCV system that caused the CCV failure?Since designs are changed all the time, how do you know the CCV design change had anything to do with any shortcoming of the previous design. Could it have been because of new technology or different requirements? Do you know that thermostats normally fail open so that's not unique to BMW?

The M52/M54 CCV systems do not fail out of nowhere. Mater of fact they do not "fail" and cause the engine to hydrolock.

What happens is on some cars, depending on how they are maintained (or lack of being maintained), how they are driven, in what climate they are driven and if the thermostat has gone soft the Mayo can build up inside the actually CCV valve and some of the hoses and then the Mayo can and will freeze. In most cases the freezing of the Mayo does not damage the CCV or the hoses, but it can cause the valve cover or valve cover gasket to fail in extreme cases. But by the time the CCV freezes it is usually about time to replace it anyway. But in some cases people have had CCV freeze ups on systems that were only months old.

When the Mayo freezes inside the CCV system a few things can happen. The CCV valve will not regulate the engine vacuum and venting correctly and crankcase pressure builds ups and will force oil up the dipstick tube it can be sucked directly into the intake. In some cases the dipstick will pop out due to pressure build up and you will have a mini volcano under the hood and the valve cover gasket can be blown and in some cases the valve cover can actually be cracked.

Some of the V8 engines also have some problems as well, not sure they are as bad as the I6, but I know BMW offers a heated and insulated CCV hose kit for some of the V8's.

The thermostats do not usually "fail" open, they can, but almost every thermostat I have investigated and analyzed had a weak main spring that causes the thermostat to loose its preload and it just opens too early. This can cause the engine temperature to operate too low and this is usually not a problem until the ambient temperatures drop below 70F. With the temperature gauge being buffered in these vehicles the low engine temperature goes unnoticed for some time. The temp gauge stays at the 12 O'clock position over about a 50F range. It is not until deep into the Winter that people may start to notice the temp gauge is not at the 12 O'clock position.

Overall proper engine oil change intervals for how the car is driven can and is essential. Not every vehicle in every climate and ever driving pattern can have the oil change interval at ever 15k miles. BMW should have had a different algorithm other then fuel usage to determine the OCI. They should have taken into account average ambient temp, average engine temp, average MHP and so forth. BUT this would have required Marketings approval and sign off.

The CCV system really comes down to M&M, Maintenance and Management. The problem is people do not open their hood, check their oil, check under the oil fill cap, monitor the engine coolant temperature or pay attention to how long the vehicle has been driven.

Regardless of how large the oil sump is, the oil can become prematurely contaminated if the engine oil never reaches and stays at a solid operating temperature for boil/cook off moisture and fuel in the crankcase. With a 8-9 quart oil fill capacity, it can and will take 2-4 times longer for the engine oil to come up to operating temperature than the engine coolant. If the thermostat is soft, you may never get the oil up to temperature unless you take some very long continuous drives and even then the oil may be just on the edge of reaching the proper temperature to "cook" off contaminates.

We see more problems with frozen CCV systems in the Northern part of the US and in Canada during the Winter. The common denominator with most of the failures is a combination of soft thermostats and short commutes. Many in Canada live close to work and often walk or ride a bicycle or public transportation the 3-6 miles to work, but then the hard Winter sets in many may choose to drive. But this is really a BAD thing for any vehicle, much less a BMW with a 8-9 quart oil sump, a soft thermostat and a CCV system that can freeze.

Anyone that pays attention to what is going on with their vehicle can easily avoided if the oil is changed in the Fall, the thermostat is verified to be good by monitoring the engine operating temperature and to check the underside of the oil fill cap once a week.

Some may not think this is the way people need to operate a vehicle, but there are many engines, BMW and otherwise, that are ruined or severely damaged or just sludged up because of how the vehicle is used and under maintained.

The BMW brand is the most reliable brand that I or my family have ever owned. If you complain about the little issues these cars have because of lack of preventative maintenance then I suggest you go take a look at ANY Chrysler made product. You'll be guaranteed to throw a rod or two and drop a transmission and watch it skip down the highway. Chrysler products are truly absolute garbage so in the end I can put up with a cooling system and other minor easy fixes here and there. This is my 3rd BMW and second X5 and both have been dead reliable from day one because I take care of them. My current 02 E39 M5 has been bullet proof as well.

The E39 M5 is probably the best BMW of that era, except for the suspension busing issues and a few other annoyances, if you drive the E39 M5 normally is is probably one of the more reliable BMW's.

If you run the engine to redline every other block, like anything it will not last, but this would be a self induced failure.

I've had every part down to the sub frame bushings replaced in my suspension. The car is truly immaculate. It has 108,000 miles on it and lets just say no freeway onramp is wasted with the M5. I don't abuse it but I do drive it spiritedly. I change the oil in it every 4,000 miles and it runs like a top. Planning on having the rod bearings replaced soon however as preventative. I bought this guy's M5 when he traded it in at BMW of SF Some Sterling Gray M5 goodness... ! ;) - BMW M5 Forum and M6 Forums

Nice article, guessing that in part , this is one of the reasons how NY cabbies reach 300K mile marks on 4 cylider toyotas. I, personally, would not/did not challenge the design of the CCV system itself, I mean whatever it is - it could always be made better and better and better and so on. Stop should be made once it is good enough. On other hand placement of it is simply idiotic, as you said and I agree that severity of CCV issue is combination of few factors including maintenance or absence of such. Well... if this unit is part normal maintenance practice, and should be periodically replaced (not should be but must be given that tubes are made out of cheesy plastic that dries up and cracks) what kind of idiot would shovel it where it is? There is plenty of room for that unit in outer side for electric distribution box (the one where bunch of sensors connected to) Should I have to touch that thing again, I will make a custom brackets, tubes and place it outside, may be even add an oil catch can. From technical point of view - you make a lot of sense but people carry on with their lives based on requirements of.... Well... their lifes and can't/won't run it around "many short trips are not good for your bimmer". Even, lets say , someone agrees to follow and takes the car to a mechanic, what is the normal time charge for CCV replacement? Same as OFHG, I was quoted $400 to replace $20 gasket - I'd curse the designer out and most likely he so deserve it, may be even a punch in the face but lets be politically correct and say that it is simply sad.

One of the reasons the CCV is buried where it is to hopefully keep it warmer, they even have insulated "cold weather" CCV valves and hoses. I use these when I replace the CCV and hoses.

You can typically get 10-12 years out of the CCV system. I prefer to replace mine along with intake boots, valve cover gasket, OFHG, fuel pump and filter and pretty much any headache part by year 8. This way I rarely, if ever, have unexpected repairs. The deal is these repairs WILL need to be performed, I prefer to do them on my schedule and not the cars schedule.

Its not just BMW's that need to be driven in the cold weather for longer distances, but your average I4 or V6 engine in a Japanese or American car has a 4-5 quart oil sump, the BMW's tend to have 7-9 quart sumps depending on the engine and vehicle model. Driving any car in the Winter temps short distances can and will be catastrophic.

I recall MANY years ago like in the in 1979-1980 a car was towed into the shop in the Winter that was a no start. A full size late 70's GM, probably a Buick or Pontiac owned by an elderly woman that did not drive far. After a lot of head scratching and attempts to get the engine started, we finally figured out the muffler was filled with condensation and frozen. Layers of condensation built up in the muffler because the car was driving for only very short trips and finally the exhaust was fully restricted and the engine either would not start or start and die quickly with no power.

I have seen it all at one point or another. The BMW CCV system works when it is clean and maintained, it needs to be replaced like most other CCV/PCV systems in other vehicles and you change it probably once in your ownership of the vehicle.

For anyone that does not want to deal with vehicle repairs. Lease a car, it may still have problems, but it will be under warranty for the entire lease in most cases and you will not have the car typically past year 3.

Simple solution, replace the vehicle every 3 years and do not pay for repairs. Just keep the annual mileage under the max allowable otherwise it will cost you plenty at the end of the Lease.

Trader4 you offer no useful information for anybody's questions. I have dealt with your kind many times before. You are the customer that I toss out of my shop and tell you to never return. I do not want or need the headaches that would accompany your business.

I have seen MANY kinds of CCV failures over the years by know exactly what happens in the hydrolocking cases, every one I have seen have been in the Winter time with below freezing temps. Can a CCV fail in Houston TX and cause a hydrolock situation, possibly, but I do not live in Houston and anyone I have interacted with that has had problems typically lived in the upper half of the US and/or Canada.

All you want to do is argue and you have NO IDEA what you are talking about the majority of the time.

You are obviously have no interest in learning anything or listening to any other opinion or fact.

You want to take very word someone puts out as 100% literal so you can ARGUE and COMPLAIN.

Too bad you have not found a way to be financially successful with your arguments and complaints as you would not be spending any time here or whining about your other other peoples BMW.

You seem far more experienced with arguing, whining and complaining then actually resolving and repairing problems!