crankcase vent hoses shot
 

I was told today by deal i mean stealer that the 2 crankcase vent hoses on my o1 4.4 are collapsed and need to be changed to the tune of $600.

My question is what causes this and how long can i continue on like this before repairing, btw X seems to be running ok. Also should this repair be covered by the cpo warranty? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx. Great Site btw.

The CPO warranty is very ambigiuous and every little thing that goes wrong, you have to verify with the dealer if it's covered or not.. The crankcase hoses just seem to go on these X5's and I think BMW considers this wear and tear..

I know CPO does cover the major coolant system components such as water pump, thermostat, and radiator..

:iagree: They can be replaced for about $45 if you DIY.

are there any how to's posted?

You can do a search, but this should get you started.

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...crankcase+vent

replacing the two vent hoses is pretty easy. I just did it myself last month on my 4.4l. Took me less than an hour and I had to pay $70 for the two hoses (I happened to be at the dealer for something else, didn't shop around...). Its really pretty obvious what needs to be done. The hoses are on the top, rear of the intake manifold. Once you pull the engine cover off, you will see them. The hoses are made of unreinforced rubber and they just disinegrate over time. Bad choice of hose material, I think. :confused:

Also, BMW is selling a $400-500 heating pad that is designed to keep the hoses warm to prevent them from freezing. That might be part of the $600 bill they quoted you. IMHO, this really overpriced pad is not necessary, my take on it is the reason the hoses freeze up is:
1- not changing your oil often enough in the winter months, as condensation builds up much quicker in your oil, especially if you are doing in-town driving
2- both of the hoses lay right on the manifold. In the winter, the intake manifold is very cold from all that cold winter air flowing thru it. Thus, the hoses get really cold. All that needs to be done is to wrap the hoses in some fire-proof insulation (header heat wrap works good) to prevent direct contact between the hoses and the intake.
3- See comment # 1. BMW recommended oil change intervals are not adequate for cold weather driving. If you live somewhere warm, then never mind! :rofl:

I'm sure someone will disagree with this fix, but it has worked for me, and I live in Alaska and have driven my X in -40 F weather.