Big PCV issue with arctic weather
 

2005 X5 3.0i

We've been having subzero weather lately and yesterday while I was driving, I started to smell oil burn. I popped the hood open and it's smokey. I take it to my mechanic and he tells me my car's not designed for short trips and cold weather and the PCV will collect condensation and eventually bust. So he says I now have to get all the pcv gasket, hose and all the oil line replaced.

What would be your guess on the cost?

$200 in parts and about 5 hours labor. Make sure to get cold climate CCV kit (insulated hoses and unit)

For reference: Dealership cost was about $580 on mine.

2002 X5 3.0 246,800 miles
2004 325i 109,000 miles

My mechanic quoted me around $900. He's an honest guy whom I've been going to for years. Perhaps, there's more to it than what I described?

Buy a Chevy or Dodge or Ford beater that you can drive in cold weather with the money.

When the crankcase ventilation system (BMW's term for a PCV) gets clogged up with condensate (accumulated from short trips over an extended period of time) it can freeze, because it contains water. Then the crankcase isn't vented, so pressure builds up and the oil from the crankcase is forced out the path of least resistance, which is usually the valve cover gasket. That leaves you with oil around the engine bay, and when it contacts the exhaust manifold it smokes. Sounds like what happened to yours.

The repair is not too complicated, if we are just referring to updating the CCV, and that is what the prices being quoted above refer to. All of the vent and drain lines to it should be cleaned out at the same time, since they will have the condensate paste in them as well. If the oil was forced out the valve cover gasket, then that gasket will also have to be replaced. The engine bay will likely need to be cleaned. It depends on how far your mechanic is going, but yes, it can often be more than replacing the CCV itself.

We would need a more complete description of what he proposes to repair and replace, and the number of hours he has estimated, to evaluate his quotation more completely. If you have a history with this mechanic and trust him, that is a great starting point. He can actually see the vehicle, and we are essentially guessing here.

I'm pretty sure the above procedure have to be done. He did mention there will be hours of labor. Sorry to be so vague. If above is involved, is $900 reasonable?

Seems high, but we don't know what he is doing for that price.

On short trips, when I stop, I pop the hood and open the crank case, then let it vent for 2-3 minutes. An imperfect solution perhaps, but sometimes all the driving you're doing for the day is a grocery run... I'm still replacing the ccv, but until I do, I'm venting that sucker manually ;)

The shop quoted me 3 hrs labor, I'm paying $200 for parts, so it'll be $470.

I tend to park my X more in the cold temps if I know all I'm doing is short trips. Plus to being married I guess, I can always use the wife's whip lol!