With the large amount of CCV issues, we need a failsafe
 

I can't believe we have so many CCV posts when the weather gets cold. Blowing con rods from your engine is no joke. There are many I am sure who have lost their investment and their X over not being able to buy a new engine.

I think it is time we find a failsafe. What would you say about a pressure release valve like a blow off valve installed on the spark plugs in the style of a spark plug non-fouler? All you would need to do is create a non fouler style cylinder with a pressure fail seam in the middle that would release at the specific pressure point designed. It wouldn't even need moving parts, just a pre-ribbed seam.

As the normal pressures of the cylinder were reached everything would hold fine. If there was a catastrophic failure inside that made the pressure greatly increase the seam in the pressure cylinder would fail and blow it's top allowing the oil to shoot straight out the plug hole. "Popping it's top" dispersing of the spark plug in it's way.

Being just a piece of metal you could manufacture these for pennies and sell them cheap. It would affect so any BMW across the board using these engines.

A roll of pink panther insulation has jack to do with venting the block. We need a real failsafe. :)

Suit yourself.

GL w/ your spark plugs.

I can believe it. It has been going on for more than a decade, and it happens every winter. Then it goes quiet again until the following November.

If the vehicle is used properly, then it isn't an issue, or is far less of an issue. Get it good and hot every now and then, and keep it there long enough to dry the engine out. Avoid short trips, don't ever let it idle to warm it up.

If that isn't possible, due to short trips and no chance to warm it up, then add the CCV to your annual maintenance schedule. Clean it out if you have condensate (paste) in it.

If you want to try the latest updated parts, great. They are addressing the symptoms, not the problem, but they may help.

I can't imagine building a pressure relief into the engine block, essentially in order to compensate for poor operating practices and lack of mantenance. And if it is all just too much trouble, sell it and buy a vehicle that has a simple PCV valve.

JCL is right on, as his usual, imo.

o.l.t. : imo, where you live, I would rec'd possibly getting your existing CCV situ cleaned out/replace lines, and then just drive it, and not worry.
Or, not even worry currently, with your used car, other than a good hot oil change or two...
Chattanooga doesn't get the colder temps that seem to exacerbate the situ, and unless you are doing 5 mile commutes, I think it is a non-event
for you, assuming the current CCV system in your car isn't close to being debilitated.
GL, mD

^ yes mD I was more concern for others. My truck came from cartersville, ga so even warmer temps most of its life.

My climate stays around 35 in the winter. It just seems like such a issue why not try to create a failsafe for others? It's not really every man for himself when you own an X5 it seems we are all in this together one way or the other. Just trying to help. I've never really liked the screw you not my problem mentality, seems it always comes back around.

I'm on your side, o.l.t. ...it is a 'small' but ever growing problem, as the E53s age, and posters show up on this board writing, "what is wrong with my car?", every winter, it seems like a minor plague.

We have good friends in Chat, so I knew it wasn't like Duluth there; we are ~3hrs over the Mtns in Waynesville, NC near the eastern edge of SmokyMtnNat'lPark.

As you have discovered, there are some very knowledgeable engine heads on this board. Maybe there is a fix, other than cleaning, new lines, hot oil changes, careful driving habits, and a watchful eye. It is a remarkably debilitating problem/flaw for anyone living in cold weather climes...and, in 47+ yrs of driving an eclectic collection of cars, I have never had the problem, and was never really aware of this Achilles Heel, until we got our '01 X, way back. We have been lucky, thus far.
GL, mD

Ahhh I see. I am on the front of Signal Mountain overlooking Chatta-vegas so I stay about 7 to 10 degrees colder than the valley. It's usually just cold enough to get the ice and snow when the valley gets rain.

I made a suggestion on one of the many threads about ccv .
you could fit a T fitting on the hose attached to the cam cover . fit 2 pressure valves . 1 to suck and 1 to blow . should prevent all the problems .

I agree with JCL and others that as part of regular maintainance you should check and clean/inspect the ccv parts. The only trouble is that this includes a LNG list of items; dipstick tube, oil sep, oil sep hoses, bottom oil sep hose, rear ccv on the intake manifold, intake manifold ccv hose.

(I'm speaking in terms of the M54 V8 engine.). There are many narrow spots in the system that can become clogged with the sludge. If you only check the top oil sep hoses and the oil sep itself you may miss a buildup somewhere else.

As for the pressure relief idea, it's a great and simple one. Why didn't BMW think of it, or at least offer one as a fix.???
Someone else on the board suggested to clip one of the o-rings on the top of the dipstick, giving a weaker seal and providing a pressure relief point. On Gm and ford engines, this sludge problem can happen but typically the pressure (and oil) shoot out the dipstick tube or pcv hoses, which is a helluva lot better than valve covers and hydrolock failures.

I had two sets of valve cover gaskets blow back to back within a month one winter. The second time was because the bottom oil sep hose and return tube were not cleaned (thanks BMW of Rockford, il). BMW lost a lot of integrity points with this problem. But, faaaack, the X5 looks hot! And when something looks hot, we put up with more sht.

Oil separator and window regulators are probably the two worst designed pieces on the car.......crap engineering

I hear you, and understand your frustration. What I don't understand is why some owners have so many problems, while with my last six BMWs (dating from a 1994 318i) I have driven in lots of cold weather, down to -30C, and have never had a problem with any oil separator. I have also never failed a single window regulator. :dunno:

I agree JCL...no window problems on mine but a friend with an '04 has had to change out 3 regulators already. He drives a lot with the windows all the way down in the summer whereas I never do. I was never too happy with that rattle the door/window made when you closed it with the windows down so I don't do it- I'm convinced that that is why his went.
Same for oil separator...no problems or gunk here so far (touch wood) and I am one of the park outside/short winter trip 'offenders' - no problems either with my E46 M3 and my previous E46 330Ci. Don't know why I have escaped...although Boston doesn't get too cold in the winter .....relatively speaking.

To add to this thread, if the valve freezes it can ehiter freeze open or closed. And pressure relief valves on the spark plugs only cover one mode of failure. (which would never work imo as they would let out compression or not be effective enough to release that much viscous liquid at that speed to save the rods, and would cause coil fitment issues) The other mode of failure pressurizes the crankcase and blows the oil out of the weakest link, usually the valve cover gasket. amacman's idea is more plausible as the CCV system is a very low pressure system usually (negative pressure, but still) The valve that would let pressure out would become the fail point for oil blow out while the in valve could possibly let in enough air to prevent it from sucking oil from the crankcase...

But as usual I agree more-so with JCL that it is more important to properly operate and maintain the vehicle than to accommodate for preventable failures. And I also agree with a point he made on a previous thread that most window regulator failures are likely caused by slamming the doors closed with the window down, as when it is down it isn't fully supported by the guide tracks. If you are able to adopt the practice of rolling the windows up before closing the door your regulator should last much longer. Otherwise Tom (mrbmwx5) had a great fix where he used a piece of house wiring (I used coat hanger :)) to clamp the cable to the bracket where it breaks out. If you do this as preventative it will make the regulator clip more robust and help prevent failure.

replacing oil separator valve to easily reachable location?
 

While so many X5 owners frustrated with oil separator valve problem and especially pain in a neck job to replace it, I was thinking of making some modification to mount it somewhere easy to reach location within the engine compartment. In this caase, we can not use OEM hoses but we may use oil resistant flexible hoses and attach them to the valve and place it at some place within the engine compartment so that one can easily remove and replace whenever it needed.

Anyone please reply how this idea sounds. Has anyone done such a remedy?