Poorly injector
 

Hi all,

My X5 e53 3.0d has poorly injector on cylinder 2. (At least i hope thats the case and not compression issues... it’s intermittent so there is a high chance that I’m right in my diagnosis.)

Anyways my question is:

Should i attempt cleaning it or just buy reconditioned? Cleaning seems pretty straight forward!

Hoping any of my fellow X5 enthusiast have more experience with this and could share it with me.

Also would you suggest to do anything else whilst at it?

Thanks,

L

If you have a ultrasonic cleaner or know someone who does nearby then I’d give cleaning it a go first. The jetting pattern on modern CR diesel injectors are tiny and prone to getting screwed up so be carful cleaning them. But it won’t make it any worse if it costs you nothing/penny’s then give it a bash! Worst happens you have to get a new/recon one anyway.

I’ve got a cheap Chinese ultrasonic cleaner, was something like £40 off eBay and works a treat for carbs and the injectors off my 535d. But my injectors were working and I just gave them a blast while I had them out. Tbf the ultrasonic did a great job, I just used vinegar/water with some baking soda and it worked a treat.

As for while your in there jobs I would get a intake gasket set and do then while your there as they harden up over the years. They are quite cheap anyway.

Change the glow plugs if you think they need doing. But use a tourqe wrench in reverse as if they don’t move after the specified tourqe just leave them be (they have a habit of shearing off) I managed to change 5/6 on the X5.

I would replace the injector seals while your in there but that’s a matter of course with new ones. But if you do clean and refit the old one just get some new ones.

Last inspect all the vacuum tubing under the manifold if it looks anything other than new just replace it while the manifold is off. I always replace mine with black silicon as it’s material properties are way better than the OE rubber hoses.

Your biggest pain will be getting the bloody thing out. It’s a case of roll the dice and pray that they come out easy! I got 5/6 out easy on the e61 and the last one I ended up with the bonnet off and me on standing on the engine squatting a slide hammer for about an hour!

And don’t look on YouTube! Some people have had managed to lift the car by an injector!!!

Oh and just a smear of copper slip on any new glow plug threads and the mating surface of the injector before refitting. Makes life for future you/next owner so much Easier!!

Have you tried getting a bottle of the RedEX pro stuff? The gold bottle at Halfords. May be worth a shot first? Sling the bottle in with say 1/4 of a tank (25litres left ish)so it’s at a high concentration. Then give it the old Italian tune up down a duel carriage way for 40 mins. That should knock quite a bit of crud off the injectors.

Obviously other makes are avalible Heard good things about Seafoam but that seems to Be for petrol guys who arent having to deal with thick soot,carbon and general filth diesels seem To produce!

May be worth it before fighting with car taking it to bits!

So you have checked the injector correctional values with diagnostics? If there is a large fluctuation on some injector correctional value it could simply be caused by poor contact on injector connector plug and rectified with new connector pins.

What age E53, M57 or M57N engine?

Those crazy videos must be from the older models (pre 3/2000) where there is no o-ring on the injector body so the injector can badly corrode on the head. I've encountered a few of these and they needed special tools (pull out bed or pull hammer type tool used by impact hammer) to remove. On the injector models with o-ring on the body I have never had any problems. The easiest way is to loosen the injector clamp nuts a few rounds and run engine until the injector "pops out" and starts to leak by. (Engine properly warmed up before procedure.) Then you can lift the injector out just by hand (after intake manifold and fuel line is removed).

Yeah used ISTA D, fluctuations are intermittent. One time I will start the car and all is good then at so pint misfire kicks in. But alarmist always it starts when I rev the car a bit when stationary and let it drop down to Idle and then it misfires for a shorter or longer bit.
How can I check if the plug is shot?

That’s a cool way of doing it!
It’s injector on cylinder 2 so need to take the intake manifold off...will clean it and replace The seals On it too.

By the way, any idea when to replace glow plugs, was thinking of doing them at the same time but on the other hand car starts beautifully so perhaps there is no point?!

Cool info thanks!
Did you use one of those jewellery ultrasonic cleaners?

I’ve tried Seafoam, I thought I felt difference initially but when refilled the tank things seemed to slip back to normal.

Car hesitates when want to accelerate quickly much more than it used to as well.

I got one of these ones. Basically measured up the Mikuni Carbs I originally bought it for and got the size that fit! For £30 it’s great if a little loud. But I do everything In there now! If it’s dirty and fits.... then it gets a half an hour blast!

It brings out EGR valves like new!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112937773390

Cool! Which size did yo go for?

Will the membrane in EGR survive this process?

What ratio of vinegar, water and baking soda do yo use?

Oh I just leave the diaphragm out of the fluid. Also never stick electrical connectors in there..... but by all acounts you can stick electrics in them with the right fluid.

I got the 3l digital one as it has the heater and is just two buttons.

For degreasing I use maybe 2.9l of water..... 100ml of vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda.

Or if it’s honking dirty you can use kitchen floor degreaser in for good measure. So maybe 2.5l water, 400ml degreased, 100ml vinegar and then the tablespoon.

But equally you can get big 5l bottles of propper stuff from amazon/eBay..... but how much is bicarbonate soda and vinegar!! I got 5l of vinegar from Asda for about £5 and baking soda a huge pack from lidel for penny’s!

Just google some recipes lol people get really argumentative about “their special recipes” lol.

Lots of people swear by Super Green Pine but it’s a bit of a pain getting it in the UK

You can try bending and jerking the wire connector on injector to see if there's any change in engine note /misfire. Again is yours M57 or M57N engine?

Injectors and glow plugs are best removed on a warm engine - never stone cold.

Glow plugs are used for more than just starting - they are turned on at other times too (as part of the emissions system). On a car with 100,000miles or more, I'd replace them all and the glow plug controller if the engine is the M57TU.