E91 Straight Six Bearding

[ExVantagemech..]

Ok, so last night the car decided to stall on me and throw up a 0012 code - camshaft over advanced.
Ive changed both the actuators and when the car is cold its ok. Its only after a long run where it gets properly hot that it plays up.
Last night I cleared the codes and it returned immediately.
I read a few articles online and have found a few BMW bulletins that have alarmingly brought something to my attention.
I did an oil change the other month but left the filter as the tool was at work. I had a new filter in the boot and swapped it over this morning.
Turns out its quite common for people to leave out the cage from the inside if the oil filter, this clips into the plastic cap that unscrews when you change the paper element. This in turn means the filter doesnt work properly and can send unfiltered oil back to the vanos etc....
Low and behold the cage is missing from the cap on my car.
Ive read horror stories of the filter collapsing and wrecking engines, though how much of that is just coincidence?

Thing is, Ive had the car for 40k and its never been in there. Started the car this morning and its running sweet as usual.
I will order the part and see if it solves the mystery.

https://us.autologic.com/news/bmw-vanos-system-fau...

[bmwmike]

Surprised that article doesn't mention the two vanos filters which IIRC are located down below the timing chain tensioner

[rallycross]

A friend has asked me about selling her F31 330d touring auto mentioning on here in case anyone looking to move from an E91 to and F31 its a diesel 6 cylinder auto one owner 2015 black 20k Miles fsh will be listed in the ph ads soon:

[ATM]

ExVantagemech.. said:

Ok, so last night the car decided to stall on me and throw up a 0012 code - camshaft over advanced.
Ive changed both the actuators and when the car is cold its ok. Its only after a long run where it gets properly hot that it plays up.
Last night I cleared the codes and it returned immediately.
I read a few articles online and have found a few BMW bulletins that have alarmingly brought something to my attention.
I did an oil change the other month but left the filter as the tool was at work. I had a new filter in the boot and swapped it over this morning.
Turns out its quite common for people to leave out the cage from the inside if the oil filter, this clips into the plastic cap that unscrews when you change the paper element. This in turn means the filter doesnt work properly and can send unfiltered oil back to the vanos etc....
Low and behold the cage is missing from the cap on my car.
Ive read horror stories of the filter collapsing and wrecking engines, though how much of that is just coincidence?

Thing is, Ive had the car for 40k and its never been in there. Started the car this morning and its running sweet as usual.
I will order the part and see if it solves the mystery.

https://us.autologic.com/news/bmw-vanos-system-fau...

My 335i was throwing the occasional eml and going into limp. I would stop and restart and this cleared it. My chosen BMW specialist suggested something called an engine flush which I assume meant some oil additive and then an oil change. Fixed the problem for me.

[ExVantagemech..]

I occasionally had a EML come on after 5 or so hours, but would clear on restart. Most of my journeys are sub 3 hrs !
Oil has been changed frequently, plus the usual n52 top ups between changes .
I have a spare solenoid that will be swapped over later. Incidentally the BMW OE part was cheaper direct from BMW than from a motor factors! Most online wanted £45, BMW £32 delivered.. how odd...

I will see how it runs today and if it plays up, will asess it its future, I've spent a small fortune on it recently and maybe it's time to draw the line.

[ferrisbueller]

Had the predictable fuel vent leak. Sorted it without needing to drop the tank fortunately but a bit of an arse of a job access wise. My car just stank after being brimmed. Some diesel owners have reported tell tale oil slicks emanating from the right hand sill in front of the rear wheel. Either way, it looks like a case of when, not if, these wear through.

The remedy to this issue was a "quality enhancement" fitted to cars from some time around 2007. That enhancement is an 18" length of split corrugated plastic which slides over the existing pipe to prevent fretting.

If your car doesn't have this it's worth doing as preventative maintenance. All you need to do is remove the wheel arch liner to check. The part is £3.46 from the dealer. Part number 16.12.4.390.434 - Protective tubing. If you inspect your pipe you may get away with just the additional sleeve.

If you have to replace the pipe (Part number 16.12.6.765.748 - Vent pipe. About £50) then there's a note in the system that the additional tubing needs to be fitted at the same time.

Hope this is of help.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Did you need to replace your pipe then?

Mine stinks at the moment so I've already braced myself for needing to get this done, but it'll have to wait for the new year.

[ferrisbueller]

Swervin_Mervin said:

Did you need to replace your pipe then?

Mine stinks at the moment so I've already braced myself for needing to get this done, but it'll have to wait for the new year.

Yup. Took about three hours and an not inconsiderable amount of swearing. Getting to the connector on top of the tank is a fkery.

[zippyonline]

ferrisbueller said:

Had the predictable fuel vent leak. Sorted it without needing to drop the tank fortunately but a bit of an arse of a job access wise.

How did you manage that? I thought I'd be able to, but just couldn't get enough access.

Preventative fix is easies as you can just pull back the liner and slide the corrugated tube down. Tbh, mine wasn't that bad - if I brimmed the tank, it would smell a bit, but not too badly and the fuel was just absorbed by the arch liner.

When I fited my new vent pipe, it also added some of my own additional protective measures as well as the new additional corrugated pipe (which isn't listed on petrol models on realoem, but is on diesels) - and installed new foam pads where they've inevitably fallen off the fuel tank, so the tank is less likely to shift about.

[Swervin_Mervin]

<sigh>

Think I'll just be a lazy git then and cough up for the local indie to drop the tank It needs to go in for some weepy gaskets anyway. What's a bit more money?

[ferrisbueller]

zippyonline said:

ferrisbueller said:

Had the predictable fuel vent leak. Sorted it without needing to drop the tank fortunately but a bit of an arse of a job access wise.

How did you manage that? I thought I'd be able to, but just couldn't get enough access.

Preventative fix is easies as you can just pull back the liner and slide the corrugated tube down. Tbh, mine wasn't that bad - if I brimmed the tank, it would smell a bit, but not too badly and the fuel was just absorbed by the arch liner.

When I fited my new vent pipe, it also added some of my own additional protective measures as well as the new additional corrugated pipe (which isn't listed on petrol models on realoem, but is on diesels) - and installed new foam pads where they've inevitably fallen off the fuel tank, so the tank is less likely to shift about.

Perseverance, with the added motivation of not wanting to remove the propshaft and all the knock-ons that could come with that. My pipe was worn through. The extra pipe is 100% on the BMW system for petrols, though it may be chassis number dependent - I went through it with the parts guy at the local dealer. The original vent pipe has a short section of plastic sleeving which is meant to do the job of protecting it, so clearly this is something they were aware of. There's a load on various forums about it. Cars which had the issue in early life may have got some help from BMW or warranty cover; 12 years down the line you've just got to take the hit.

As a note of caution, there are a few posts I'd read on line that trying to do it without fully dropping the tank had led a few folk to try to force the connection to the point of snapping it off, at which point it's £XXXX to get a new fuel tank fitted.

[zippyonline]

My car came with the leak when I bought it, and I knew about it. It also came with the new vent pipe (including protective sleeving) but not the additional corrugated sleeve.
I did a load of other little jobs whilst the tank was out, new donuts on the prop, etc. so it wasn't wasted, and it wasn't financially costly, just a bit time consuming.

I've had a clunk on the rear of mine for a little while, that I couldn't narrow down, having effectively put new bushings everywhere at the rear end and double checking them all, it's now started rumbling with the tell tale bearing failure sound. I have new wheel bearings and wheel carrier semi-ready actually, so will get on that next..! Got my MOT due soon, not sure if I'll have a chance to change before then...

[ferrisbueller]

SKF bearings?

[zippyonline]

Bought them straight from BMW as there was little in it price wise and I got the circlip and the new driveshaft bolt with it anyway. But yes, they're SKF.

Nerdy information. 330i and 335i have larger driveshafts and wheel bearings than 320i/d etc. This also means the ABS/wheel speed sensor which is done via the normal toothed arrangement on the driveshafts on the smaller diameter stuff, the pulse is actually taken from the wheel bearing on 330 and 335i - so different wheel speed sensor and the bearing has to be installed the right way round!

[ferrisbueller]

A front bearing, which comes in the housing, from BMW is £210 a pop! SKF parts direct from online suppliers £70.

BMW must lose a stload of trade by being so greedy on their aftermarket pricing. Their mark-up is massive.

[zippyonline]

ferrisbueller said:

BMW must lose a stload of trade by being so greedy on their aftermarket pricing. Their mark-up is massive.

I half a agree from what I've come across so far. A lot of parts, I agree, and seen similar - subframe bushings is a prime example where the OEM part from Lemforder (BMW part number rubbed off - so I'm presuming OE) was about 1/4 of the price direct from BMW. But some stuff, like the rear wheel bearing, there wasn't a lot in it.

I've also seen massive price difference according to the time. Some of those little clips that hold on arch liners, undertrays etc - that are half consumable, first time I bought a pack of 20 or so, where about 10p/ea, went to ask again, and the price had gone up 10x and I got them elsewhere instead...

Fuel filter lockrings, £4.50 or so from BMW, brand new, or £20 from the breakers for a second hand one - or that was the going rates when I needed one.

A bit all over the place to be honest - from my recent experience anyway. Your experience my differ etc.!

[Mr Tidy]

I've just read about the fuel vent pipe - I wondered why my car always stank of petrol after I had brimmed out!

Another job to add to the list.

[ferrisbueller]

One temporary fix is to only fill it to 3/4s.

[cerb4.5lee]

ferrisbueller said:

One temporary fix is to only fill it to 3/4s.

That's what I always did too.

[Mr Tidy]

cerb4.5lee said:

ferrisbueller said:

One temporary fix is to only fill it to 3/4s.

That's what I always did too.

Typical - just when I've got one of those 10p a litre off coupons from Tesco!