What did you do for your ZHP/ BMW / MINI today? #2

[johnrando]

Wow, sux to hear.

[BMWCurves]

That must have been maddening. I do often curse the engineers at BMW when I'm doing some work.

[alexandre]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

[Ssparrow]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

Stater replacement is a huge pain, but definitely possible. Just make sure you have lots of extensions and patience, helps to have another set of hands if possible. Took me about 2 and a half hours to remove my old one, and only another 30 minutes to install the new one. Good luck!

[stephenkirsh]

Picked up the X5 from the dealer today... All new injectors replaced, courtesy of BMW... Such a good feeling getting such a massive service for FREE...

Now time to drive down to the tuning shops...

Doesn't it make you nervous that they had to replace all the injectors at such low mileage?

[slater]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

yep, it's one of the only things on this car that is a pain - or, at least, i assume it is - i haven't replaced mine but i did note the location, and it is not in a fun spot. i do have a repair manual here, i can scan + email the pages on it if you want, alex.

[JupiterBMW]

Doesn't it make you nervous that they had to replace all the injectors at such low mileage?

It's a common thing with the S63...


Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus using two hands to hold the damn thing!

[ecrabb]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

It's an '07 E83 X3 3.0si... N52B30, the same engine used in the E90 and a bunch of others. I think it's actually a great engine... It's just a nightmare to work on with all the tiny clips and connectors and sensors - especially if you don't know exactly how a connector releases. Getting the valve cover off is more like disassembling a computer than it is a car. The difference is that if you break a connector on a computer it's easy to replace. On these cars, it's a harness that loops all over to hell and back. There's a reason the factory trains the technicians to work on these cars.

I'm wondering if the DIY was even correct now. Maybe that part didn't even need to come off. I should have ordered a Bentley before I got started.

BTW, I'd much rather do things like brakes, starter, transmission mounts, bearings, etc. and leave this fine work to a tech. It may be cramped and frustrating doing a starter, but I think the stakes are much lower because you don't have to worry about breaking super-expensive things or losing tiny parts.

SC

[az3579]

Sunday, I started to do the valve cover gasket replacement on my wife's X3...

Half an hour in, I break a retaining clip on a sensor plug. The plastic is ridiculously brittle. This is an '07. With 45k miles on it. Wow.

Half an hour later, following a less-than-clear step on the DIY, I remove six clips, only to realize they were the wrong six clips. It should have been the six *wire spring clips* that held some wiring in place, but I removed the six stainless clips that secure the fuel rail to the fuel injectors. Face palm. Reinstalling them all, I dropped one, then listened to the telltale sound if it bouncing off the floor once, then into a plastic cover on the bottom of the car. Jacked up the car, removed half the belly cover, found the clip, and put it back on.

So, now I go to work on the spring clips I should have removed. Its extremely cramped. The only way to get to them is a tiny screwdriver. You pull one side and push it around the piece it's retaining, then do the same for the other side. I work at it for 15 minutes, splayed across the engine compartment to reach the rear, and have 5 out of 6 done. My legs are burning. I can't get the sixth. If I could bring home the entire Home Depot lighting aisle, there wouldn't be enough light to make it easy to see in the cramped quarters. Every time I release the second half of the clip, the first half springs back. I tried everything. I'm almost two hours in now, and I'm still not close to actually removing the valve cover to instal the gasket. Never mind the spark plugs or cabin fan I want done while I'm in there.

Screw it. I reinstalled the clips, reconnected the sensors, put the vanity covers back on, reinstalled the intake airbox, fan shroud, strut brace, cabin air filter box, and went inside and emailed the indie shop to do it. $350 labor to install the valve cover gasket, install spark plugs free of charge, $69 to swap the cabin fan. Done. Appointment scheduled. Three hours of my Sunday down the crapper.

The stuff under the hood on these things is really crazy. Teeny tiny parts, super-cramped spaces, brittle plastic, and materials and design that won't last (hello, valve cover gasket shot in 42k miles!) and is difficult to work on. It's sad, but these new cars are going to be like TVs long-term... Once their value drops to say $5,000, the repairs are going to be so cost-prohibitive that in many cases, they're going to be cheaper to throw away and replace with another than they will to repair.

Lesson learned. Should have let the indie shop do this one in the first place.

SC

The car is 9-10 years old... the plastic will be brittle. Mileage is irrelevant.

[ecrabb]

The car is 9-10 years old... the plastic will be brittle. Mileage is irrelevant.

I wouldn't say mileage is irrelevant. Plastic degradation is a function of time and exposure. Plastic in an engine compartment will be much more brittle after 10 years and 100k miles than it would be after 10 years and 10k miles. The opposite extreme would be sealed in a baggie in a cool environment, where it should still have the majority of its original flexibility.

SC