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BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

2734 messages,  Last post on Mar 25, 2013 at 4:00 PM

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Electrical, Engine, Sedan, Wagon

    
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Messages Page 194 of 274

#1931 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [udive200] by cdnpinhead

Jun 20, 2007 (6:09 am)

Replying to: udive200 (Jun 19, 2007 7:18 pm)
Sean,
 
Couple of things -- first, george. . . posted a month short of two years ago and hasn't been heard from since. He posted once -- if you put your arrow on the screen name, it'll tell you how many posts the person has, when they last posted, etc. You're very unlikely to hear from him, but there are others who prowl these boards regularly who may be able to help. Good luck.
 
Second, don't post your e-mail address in the body of your post. You can put it in your profile if you like & leave it public. The robots that troll for addresses won't find it there.
 
I can't help you. I'm just a BMW wannabe. Welcome aboard!

#1932 of 2734 Re: Maintenance & repairs by tlouie

Jun 20, 2007 (6:19 am)

Replying to: sng (May 08, 2001 10:42 am)
This will be my first Bimmer, a 2008 528xi, does anyone know if the vehicle should be serviced more than the regular service intervals covered under free maintenance? oil change one a year seems like a long time. I am buying this vehicle vs. leasing. ANd what is actually needed for the first 4 years and does it pay to buy extended 2 yr. maintenance plan?

#1933 of 2734 2003 530i A/C Blower Question by jdkoch

Jun 20, 2007 (7:03 am)

The A/C blower fan is making a loud clicking sound as if
something is interfering with the fan blade. What
is the procedure to access the blower??

#1934 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [udive200] by shipo

Jun 20, 2007 (7:10 am)

Replying to: udive200 (Jun 19, 2007 7:18 pm)
Most likely the problem is with your VANOS cam timing system. Said system uses oil pressure to adjust the timing if each cam shaft by pressing against a spring loaded collar gear. As the seals wear out they are not able to maintain the neccessary oil pressure required to conteract the force of the springs, and as such the cams are mis-timed upon start-up. As the problem gradually worsens over a period that is typically a couple of years, idling of the engine becomes problematic regardless of how long it has been running or how recently the throttle was blipped.
 
As I understand it, the repair at a dealership usually costs between five and six hundred dollars.
 
Let us know how you make out.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#1935 of 2734 Re: Maintenance & repairs [tlouie] by shipo

Jun 20, 2007 (7:22 am)

Replying to: tlouie (Jun 20, 2007 6:19 am)
As a general statement, no, you don't need to maintain your car more often than is recommended by the Owner's Manual.
 
Your specific question regarding oil changes is fairly easily addressed, consider the following:
 - Most six cylinder engines in the three liter range from most manufacturers have an oil capacity of between four and five quarts. Your new car uses seven.
 - Most modern ULEV (or better) engines (engines that produce FAAAAR fewer combustion byproducts than older engines) are able to go between six thousand and seventy-five hundred miles between oil changes, on conventional oil. Your car requires the use of a very high quality synthetic oil (most synthetics cannot meet the BMW LL-01 oil spec, and not a single conventional or semi-synthetic oil can).
 - Viewed as a whole, your very efficient (from a combustion perspective) engine with half again as much oil as most other engines of a similar size, and using only the best oil money can buy, can safely go the ~15,000 miles as recommended by BMW.
 - One other point. BMW has now been recommending a 15,000 mile OCI since the introduction of the E46 3-Series back in late 1998. If the 15,000 mile OCI is bad for the engines, we'd be seeing hundreds (if not thousands) of posts clogging up these sites complaining about failed engines. I've seen a handful, and in every case the engine was abused (i.e. run WAAAAY longer than 15,000 miles before the oil was changed and/or run far too low on oil).
 
I hope this helps.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#1936 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [shipo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 20, 2007 (8:13 am)

Replying to: shipo (Jun 20, 2007 7:10 am)
I think some people can also run into problems with VANOS if they are using the wrong weight of oil, can't they?

#1937 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [Mr_Shiftright] by shipo

Jun 20, 2007 (9:01 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 20, 2007 8:13 am)
That makes sense. That said, all accounts of VANOS acting up that I've been privy to were a result of worn oil control "O" rings in the VANOS assembly itself. Could it be that incorrect oil usage is responsible for the worn rings? Ain't no way I'd rule that possibility out.
 
Based upon my very unscientific observations, there seems to be a very hit and miss nature to this problem. Take two seemingly identical cars, driven in seemingly identical conditions and using the same oil, and you might could well find that one runs perfectly while the other will be barely able to maintain an idle. Go figure.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#1938 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [shipo] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 20, 2007 (9:47 am)

Replying to: shipo (Jun 20, 2007 9:01 am)
I was thinking that if the oil is too heavy on cold start up, it won't work the hydraulics for the cam shift.

#1939 of 2734 Re: 1997 BMW 528i Rough idle at cold start [Mr_Shiftright] by shipo

Jun 20, 2007 (10:07 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 20, 2007 9:47 am)
If memory serves, the problem isn't that the oil is too heavy, it's that the oil is leaking past the "O" rings, thus reducing the pressure brought to bear against the VANOS spring. That said, you may have something there in that the oil would be far more likely to leak past the "O" rings when warmer/thinner than when cool in a newly cold-started engine.
 
The absolute heaviest "cold" oil allowable (i.e. that meets the BMW LL-01 oil spec) is 5W-30. It would be interesting to see if the folks who've had the greatest incidence of problems are those that have used the factory BMW/Castrol 5W-30 engine oil versus those of us who converted our cars over to the thinner Mobil 1 0W-40 and/or Castrol Syntec 0W-30 oils.
 
Best Regards,
Shipo

#1940 of 2734 1991 BMW 325i by fordhorror

Jun 23, 2007 (2:23 am)

My friend owns one of these. He has a rebuilt engine on it. The car is fine except it will take 10-20 seconds to strat , he has to keep turning the ksy give it gas for that time till the ignition kicks off. He says the mecahnic said it was a problem with some valves or something not sure what he said. am planning to buy this car from him but not sure if this is a safe buy, the rebuilt engine has 50k now.
At the same time another guy is trying to sell me a 97 MITS eclipse with 73 k on it, looks runs nice. Whats your opinion?

Messages Page 194 of 274

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