BMW x5 2005 4.4 unknown problem
 

So after changing 8 coils and mass airflow sensor..and $ 1,400 later my love is still acting up. This happens mostly in the morning. I start it..it settles and starts shaking, sometimes goes away after a re-start, sometimes check engine light comes on. Now they are cleaning up the injection system... Anyone else has had this problem???? It went for days without shaking, and then one day starts again...they said i've had many misfires on both sides even after all they have done to the car..back in the shop since saturday once again..:(

Help!!!

Hey, first, welcome on board.

I have the same symptons before, and the next thing that'll happen is, oh boy, you won't believe me, but it happened on my 01 3.0i, it blew my engine cover gasket and oil gushed out from there lighted up when in contact with exhaust manifold.

GL

when the service engine soon (SES) light comes on, what codes are you getting?

this sounds like a vacuum leak, check the hoses that run to the brake booster and all associated vacuum lines. The vacuum lines that run to the brake booster can look fine and hide a break easily.

that sounds like you had a frozen or plugged oil separator.

Yeah just for fun change your oil separators... it's around $35 and takes about 15 minutes to do both of them.
My 05 4.4i was studdering a bit in the AM, then I changed them out and it's been great ever since.

how many miles on the ride ? thx

ohhh greattt!

66,700

The guy will call me back with the error codes...now they are cleaning the injection system...for some reason i have doubts that will fix the problem.
I did telll them what you guys wrote here..check the oil seperators and that possibly a vacuum leak...Im a girl..i dont think they take me seriously ...

GRRRRR

Definitely check the codes. Another thing to research are intermediate levers. I get rough idle intermittently on very cold mornings.

You say happens mostly in the mornings. Has it been very cold in your area?

two? pretty sure we have one OSV (~$35) at back of passenger side head and one PCV (~$100) at the back of the intake mani. u must be super quick to do both in 15minutes...

OK so the error codes were
P0303
P0307
P0306 misfires in those cylinders.

He said they already checked..the oil seperators, for a vacuum leak and now as i said they are cleaning the injection system - he said there is a low injector pulse (sprays - low)
When i mentioned the intermediate levers - he said they want to make sure they check everything before they get to that, because it is a pretty expensive repair.

Thank you all for your advice!!!

Just don't let them throw parts at the X. You said you already spent $1400 so I hope you can trust them.

I'm pretty sure my rough idle problem on very cold mornings are the intermediate levers. I'm going to live with it until I can't anymore because, as you said, they are a expensive repairs.

Good luck and let us know how it all plays out.

Yes... there's two. One on top of each valve cover. This is on the 05+ 4.4l

You're probably mistaking the pressure regulating valves (#13 below) for the oil separator.


http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/i/e/218.png

Yep. That's them... I always thought those were the oil separators. woops.

well... when I changed those thingamabobs I stopped getting crappy idle at start up in the mornings. :)

Thanks for the clarification. :)

Thanks for the tip. I might just go ahead and replace them as they're very inexpensive compared to the intermediate levers.

I rarely get the rough idle on cold starts as it doesn't get too cold around here usually. However, I'll probably do it the same time when I need to do the valve cover gaskets.

Wait .. those are on TOP of the covers. Even easier. LOL! Now I regret not taking up SlickGT1s offer on those valves.

Well in live in SW Florida, so it doesn't exactly ever get 'cold' here. :) More of a 'haven't started the engine in a few hours' type of symptom.