No dispute about the snow. I grew up in the Northeast and Southern Californians are clueless about snow (even rain). But, then again, they mostly can afford to be.

Took the intake manifold out to find intake leak. Also to change those plastic water pipes.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YF...8p_F6c7nA=w768

Brake booster hose was cracked under the manifold so hopefully there's my leak. Gotta get new hose tomorrow.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CK...NBc37-x5w=w768

New pipes installed
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fj...V_T85xHw=w1024

Intake manifold gasket"s where quite flat also. One of the water pipes snapped in to the head, so good time to do this all.

How does the CCV and all the vacuum hoses look while you are in there? It looks like a good time to do the $4 OFHG as well, looks like a bit of a mess.

OFHG? Oil filter housing? It's been done also. Oil in there seems to be from vanos pipe that has been also replaced not a long ago... Previous owner.

I did renew ccv with new pipes few months ago.

Excellent, well perhaps it will be a good opportunity to replace just the vanos oil line then. I think you can get it out without removing the oil filter housing. It looks in the picture like there is a big oil leak back there, but perhaps it is just the lighting.

Oil line is new. I was looking the wetness also... It's just under vanos line on the oil filter housing side, so I think who ever replaced it, did not bother to clean it (since protection plate does not have "continuing" wetness). Usually when oil filter housing gasket leaks it would do it underneath also. Anyways, I will clean it as much as I can and see if there is a leak somewhere. And it sure looks wet in there in pictures because I changed coolant pipes and took pictures.


I'm allergic to any leaks so I intend to keep them off. :D

Got it back together and drove it for 30km and no check engine light anymore. I hope this fixed the issue. :D

Drove more today and codes came back. Probably a vacuum leak still somewhere. Gotta test tank purge valve next.

Colder weather brings new trouble. Took a periodic regular glance under Red today while checking the mail today and there is a small oil drip from... you guessed it... the driver's front. It looks like pretty oil and not power steering fluid so that means it's probably time to do the alternator bracket gasket. Oh the fun times that lie ahead for me. :rolleyes: :nervous: :wahwah:

A good 90 minute workout on local streets in 8 inches of snow :-)
 

Woke up to an impressive snow storm this morning. Wife had an appointment at the hospital that she was loath to miss. So, pulled out the e53 (fresh snow tires as of last week). The county had apparently decided that it was not worth plowing the streets and DC did not seem to think it a priority either. Dropped her off just fine except for being held up by a city bus whose driver appeared to be terrified, we were literally moving at 5 miles an hour...... Also lots of 2WD on summer tires just not moving anywhere. The Blizzaks were quite capable in the snow despite their flaws. (Last week I discovered they are not only noisy, they are also not anywhere near round enough (a lot of "hop") and one has some side-to-side motion, definitely second rate tires. Never seen it this bad on other brand tires.) Also 275/45/20 in the snow is a bit big for the e53 I feel.

Here is the X5 after I got back. She did very well in the snow. Glad that I fixed the ABS last winter (the DSC light was on a lot this morning) and that I just installed the new front drive spline stub! All-in-all it was a fun drive!