CCV Preventive Maintenance on High Mileage M54 3.0
 

I've been reading some threads and posts on the CCV system, watching some videos on Youtube and want to avoid CCV problems, so I'm looking to you all for some wisdom here, thanks!

My newly acquired 2004 3.0 6MT has 176k on the clock. The PO lived in a year round warm climate, no freezing conditions. He was very good about maintenance, but never needed to address anything with the CCV system. I'm concerned it is 13 years old, and has been in use for 176k miles. This X5 will most certainly be used this winter here in CT, and I don't want any CCV related problems. Is this something to proactively address, and if so, is there a "kit" available, or list of the necessary parts to ensure proper function? Or am I overthinking this and should just drive it?

THanks!

The only maintenance for the CCV is replacement. I'm in the process of doing that now. It's a major PITA. I'd say drive it. You'll know when it needs to be replaced when you start getting random clouds of smoke out of the exhaust. It's oil building up and getting sucked into the intake. It stops when it has sucked the excess oil out.

Replace your CCV system with the winterized version that includes insulated hoses to help retain heat. After that, I'd recommend inspection/cleaning every two years because of your winters. I service mine every 100,000 miles but I'm in Texas and driving the X5 over 2000 miles per month with a 62 mile round trip commute for work that always gets the oil up to full operating temperature.

2002 X5 3.0 327,500 miles
2014 428i 29,000 miles

2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles

1970 Firebird Under restoration

Two things come to mind:

1. Cooling Overhaul. I did a partial overhaul at 115K, but at your mileage of 175K, do a complete overhaul.
I posted a DIY in forum.

2. CCV, don't replace the stock CCV, search for "BavarianE39 CCV Mod" using Duralast PCV valve, this reduces my oil consumption from 1qt/400 miles down to zero oil consumption.
I posted a photos in that infamous thread.

Good comments, thanks!

PO reports the engine will be down a qt. between 1500-2000 miles which sounds fine to me.

CN90, I have read your thread on the "alternate" PCV system. That is definitely in the running as a choice. Everything seems to be working fine now, but with the age/mileage involved, I want to address this before the weather turns cold.

Sometimes it's hard to get a feel for the prevalence of a given issue when they can occupy so much forum space. It appears this is one issue I should get ahead of now, before it gets cold out and I don't want to get under the hood.

I want to do the same for my wife's x5. She has about 20k less miles then me (130 v 150) but her's is sucking oil pretty bad while mine is not. I'm glad to get some heads up on this procedure.


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M56 valve cover swap along with deleting the entire original CCV should really cure all the oil burning issues...

If your going to replace the CCV you might as well do the Oil Filter Housing Gasket (OFHG) as you are probably leaking oil there. Removing the OFHG gives you easy access to the CCV system. Bavarian Auto has a Viton version of the gasket for 20 bucks which will last much longer than the oem version that cost $5 bucks.

And while your working in that area you might also replace the power steering reservoir clamps since they tend to leak after a few years.

Had. They no longer sell it as the manufacturer stopped producing it. I tried to organize a group buy of 100 gaskets with an E46 forum and the manufacturer declined.

I would just pull one of the big vacuum hoses off and look for oil sludge. If you have no sludge, don't worry about replacing things quite yet My car was a PNW car all it's life, and all the vacuum hoses, the vacuum manifold, etc were nearly clogged with mayonnaise after only 95k miles. It was fortunately not in the valve cover much, but in all the hoses.

I've noticed that when driving it in cold weather it will always develop more sludge over time, even with the cold weather components I installed. But on hot days like we've been having lately, I don't see any sludge under the oil cap ever, even after short trips. So I would inspect closely first and then plan on replacing it sooner or later. Especially if you don't have the cold weather equipment on the car already.