Planning a "mayor" tune-up
 

I got me a 2005, 3.0i with 110k

I can see that the oil filter housing gasket is leaking, and the oil has "dripped" on top of the alternator, so it looks covered by oil.


The plan is to replace the gasket, but at the same time I'm planning to:

1- Pressure clean the injectors
2- Replace spark plugs
3- Replace valve cover gasket
4- Replace belts and tensioneers
5- Replace the upper oxygen sensors
6- Any vacuum line that looks damaged

(*** New additions as per suggestions. )

7- CCV and Vanos oil line and gaskets
8- Oil pressure switch
9- Water pump and thermostat
10- Coolant expansion tank and thermostat
11- Manifold gasket
12- Disa valve upgrade kit (I was clueless about this potential problem)


Should I replace the water pump and thermostat too?
How can I clean the alternator without damage it?
What else should I address while I have everything apart?

Thank you for your Ideas and comments !

If the history of the truck is unknown. Yes, replace the water pump and thermostat. As well as the coolant expansion tank. You can go nuts with this sort of thing (I tend to) and also do CCV setup as all of those things typically fail @ 100,000 to 130,000 miles. There is also a whole host of cooling hoses and plastic pieces that start to get brittle.



If this is a secondary vehicle then you can do everything mentioned as it fails. If you depend on the truck... I'd do it all at once so as to not have to worry about it.

With OFH out, it opens so much room for CCV. I would do that as well.

Good time to clean out or replace the Power Steering Fluid reservoir. The cap in those has a seal (o-ring, I think) that fails to seal after a while, so replacing that too might help.

In general, it would not be surprising if you fix the major OFHG leak you've got, and that allows you to see the other smaller ones.

Don't underestimate the skill, tools, and effort required the first time you remove the fan nut. After you've done it once, you'll know it will be 5x easier the next time.

Thank you all !
I will definitely tackle the CCV too, and I think without the manifold, will have more room for the OFHG...

I should probably order a new manifold gasket too.

I'll do the pump and thermostat , but I have a question...

Is this the tank you're talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/Behr-Hella-Se...expansion+tank

Yep, that's the tank. It has a habit of cracking around 100,000 miles. Mine did, as have countless others. :rofl:

The tank will come with an internal thermostat. I've read that replacing the thermostat can prevent the tank stuff destructing.

I have two 2001 3.0 gas. Acquired at 128 and 110 thousand miles.

I do few premptive repairs as we can steal a part from one when needed etc..

Parts i've repaired or replaced:

Intake boot
Disa valve
Thermostat
Expansion tank
Door handle carrier
Fuel pump
Fuel siphon jet (design flaw o-ring repair)
Hood secondary latch handle
Secondary air pump
Cam shaft position sensor
Alternator rebuild ($20 kit slip rings)
4 of 8 wheel bearings
Lower control arms
Front tension bushings
All eight brake rotors & pads
Rear brake lines (preventive care will prevent destruction)
Rear tail light design flaw repair
Dry lube window rail to prevent regulator self-destruction
Key cylinder refurbish
Replace all four mirrors with panoramic
Rear O2 sensors higher mileage car

I'm sure there are some things I'm missing. I'll update this post if I think of them.

Amazingly by doing the labor myself we've been averaging $80/mo on the lower mileage car and an astounding $40/mo on the higher mileage car. (110 > 152,000 vs 128 > 162,000) over three years of ownership.

And this is why I love BMW's. They aren't for everyone, but for those that are a little mechanically inclined you get a great vehicle(s) with a low investment. Certainly less than a new car, let alone a new BMW. Sure, some big-ticket items will come up during ownership... but averaged out as a monthly payment it's still very minimal.

I think both, if it ain't broke don't fix it and if it ain't broke it will soon, apply depending on what you tackle. As an example if there is no intake leak I would use don't fix it. Reason is that sometimes one makes a mistake in the fix or breaks something else in the process that is costly repair or extends downtime significantly.

Before tearing anything down--- I would do a smoke test, pressurized cooing system test, compression and leakdown test. I would also clean the engine and verify the source of the oil leak(s). I would pull the oil pan and check to see if there is anything there that shouldn't be. I would certainly check for trouble codes. I would check for brake fluid leaks and see if air conditioning was at the right temp at all vents. The reason is that you may find other problems that are more critical and costly to the point that a prioritized budget is in order. If budget becomes a concern focus on the parts that you would have to do the same big teardown to get to if/when they die. If you don't have the maintenance and repair history I would take a shot at trying to dig it up as you could be do PM on something that has already been done.

In most cases it is best to use OE or OEM parts. In some cases there are upgrades from original suppliers or aftermarket sources that are better. None that I know of come from China.

Some of the preventative maintenance suggested doesn't necessarily fail at miles mentioned. Where your X5 has lived has a lot to do with when parts like the expansion tank, plastic parts getting brittle and coolant hoses fail. For instance, my current BMWs have been in Texas all of their lives so while it gets hot it seldom gets below freezing. The preventative maintenance I did when I lived in Michigan was 20-40,000 miles sooner than here in Texas.

I don't replace things like O2 sensors, rebuild the alternator, replace the power steering reservoir unless there is a problem. Way too much variance as to when failure can occur. Might be 75,000 miles might be twice that and the vast majority of time there are obvious symptoms beforehand.

I would start using fuel with Techron or use a bottle per tank rather than pressure cleaning, unless it is clear you have an injector issue. `

There is always risk cleaning an alternator but I have never ruined an alternator by doing so. I have used Gunk engine cleaner. Currently I use Simple Green. Good practice to disconnect the battery but I don't. I just spray it liberally and hose it off. Sometimes I do it twice depending on how bad it looks. I always wait until I think everything is totally dry and march on. I would do it before any teardown so I could run the engine and see if it was damaged.

Threads like these usually end up with posts that at least indirectly implying one has made a terrible decision or if one makes a list of everything suggested they go into a terminal case of buyer's remorse. Keep in mind that all input is anecdotal, void of the associated circumstances, that human nature tends to better at worst case scenarios and we seldom hear from those that have parts that have not failed failed or failed well after the mileage that is usually mentioned in these threads.

At 110K miles...

1. OFH Gasket is $6 at dealer.

2. CCV Mod.

3. PARTIAL cooling overhaul (FULL overhaul; at 150K-160K etc.).

You can find DIYs for all three of these in forum. I posted some of these DIYs.

OFHG or just filter gasket? My mechanic didn't replace o-ring when did oil change and my entire engine was covered in oil shortly after, got in my alternator and messed it up.

If you take off the alternator to clean it is very robust. I replaced the slip rings and brushes for $20 and cleaned the crap out of the thing before reassembling. I used Dawn dish soap and scrub brush inside and out before putting the voltage regulator back on.

I rinsed it under the facuet of a mud sink. Like I said "robust".

Take a popcicle stick or similar and poke the folds of the intake boot. They fail in the grooves and will give you lean codes.

Change the Oil Pressure Switch, Bentley Manual says change to 120.000km (at least for the V8). $6-$20 aftermarket-original.
Starts to leak thru the plastic part.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...db011af3bf.jpg

I have to check that part I have a mystery slow leak that has my skid plate all oil film covered but no puddles under the car. I'm sure my oil sensor is original.

It may be that. After rebuild “my” engine “we” were mad at the oil drop in the parking places. And the smell of oil no matter driving style (even at idle).
Cleaned the engine bay, the “belows”
and the “leak” showed up.

In Bentley Manual is indicated to be replace to 120.000km Oil Change.
I did at 220.000km.
BTW Schwaben scanner noted the fault up!

I have (well... had) the same part on my BMW motorcycle and it leaked in exactly the same way. Replaced it with an OEM part and it failed too! Went aftermarket after than and no more trouble. :confused:

Might want to check your power steering reservoir hose while you're in the area.

When I did repairs in that area I did all the little coolant hoses as well, those that supply the heater circuit. All in all I did every rubber hose.

In the M54 it's a good time to do that as those hoses are usually buried under the parts you are servicing now.

Good reminder on the intake boot, I experienced that too. Which reminded me, you may want to pull your DISA and check that the flapper mechanism is still in good condition. I checked mine when I replaced my intake boot and it was on the verge of failure.

I repair my disa valve using a kit that replace the plastic flapper with a titanium screw and aluminum flap. It cost 70% less and is 10 * the design


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thank you all for your tips, and replies, I have updated my todo list with new additions plus the replacement of the Oil filter housing gasket.

1- Pressure clean the injectors
2- Replace spark plugs
3- Replace valve cover gasket
4- Replace belts and tensioners
5- Replace the upper oxygen sensors
6- Any vacuum line that looks damaged
7- CCV and Vanos oil line and gaskets
8- Oil pressure switch
9- Water pump and thermostat
10- Coolant expansion tank and thermostat
11- Manifold gasket
12- Disa valve upgrade kit (I was clueless about this potential problem)

I guess I'll have a busy weekend....

^Good list.

The nice thing is that you will have addressed 95% of the common failure points on the M54 (others include cam pos sensors, oil level sensor, etc) and should set yourself quite a nice baseline for maintenance scheduling going forward. Also, all of the above will cost well under $1000. :thumbup:

Planning a "mayor" tune-up
 

Be very careful removing disa valve. The pin that holds the flap can fall out into the intake.

Also unless BMW changed the design of the siphon jet pump I'm quite sure they didn't you should address this problem before it strands you and suckers you into replacing a perfectly good fuel pump.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d89a1d101a.jpg

Find my repair on the siphon jet pump DIY.

Thank you for both tips !! :thumbup:

Tear down is fun
 

bcbedliner is right. But keep in mind all that tear down and you may rebuild the top end intake. Don't change O2 unless you get code or other issue. Mine went 165K the first time around, second set still on at 241K. WHEN doing the intake manifold removal it's easier to get to all the vacuum lines and be sure to connect the small line going from the CCV to the oil pipe into the pan/block, this helps to improve vacuum pressure. If your doing all this front engine replacement, go ahead and do your Dvanos seals if they haven't been replaced. Good luck , have fun, these are easier and more roomy to work on than the E46 330 Ci.

Thank you... Two questions.
Why should I better wait until I get a code to replace the O2 Sensors?

On average at what mileage the Vanos has to be rebuilt?

Thanks !!

Caveat on wait with O2: if you are getting terrible mpg or have irregular readings change them. $10 app and $20-30 wifi obd2 dongle will get you real time O2 readings.

What should those 02 readings be? I have 217,000 miles on my sensors and mileage has recently begun to drop.

There can be several causes of reduction in mileage not associated with 02 sensors. Pre cat sensors are part of establishing proper air/fuel mixture so can be the culprit if mileage is less but so can other issues such as a vacuum leak, MAF etc. That said, 02 sensors replacement guideline is around 80,000 miles.

My biggest mpg change was plugs. I got 7-10% better mpg when I replaced plugs. Still have suck mpg compared to wife's identical car (I get 20-21 she gets 23-24).

My biggest mpg change was plugs. I got 7-10% better mpg when I replaced plugs. Still have suck mpg compared to wife's identical car (I get 20-21 she gets 23-24).

I think a lot has to do with driving style.
Also, I've noticed that clean injectors make a huge difference too.

I'm comparing when I drive to when I drive. If I drive my wife's car with cruise at 75 I get 23-24mpg. Do the same with mine I get 20-21.

I've changed plugs a couple of times. I tried single electrode plugs - mileage went down. Put quad conductor plugs back in and mileage went back up, but has started to come back down. I doubt the O2 sensors have ever been changed and I have 217,000 miles on the clock. Time for precat and postcat O2 sensor change or just precat?

I second Andrewwyn on this.
Bentley Manual dixit: O2 to change them to 160.000km. Don’t wait for errors.
An air filter should last xxxkm but if you drove thru some dusty roads you wouldn’t wait for the kms.
The improvement in mpg (or L/Km) is substantial. {Like a new battery}.
O2 sensors beyond kms are very sensitive to impurities also. I changed the 4 of them at 200.000km and everything improved: smoothness, reaction in acceleration, and autonomy.
If working with on steering lines the reservoir made by ZF was $27, it has a filter at the bottom that can’t be replaced.