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Thread: A few problems and resolutions to share.

  1. #1
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    A few problems and resolutions to share.

    My car went into the shop for the following repair/replacement. Car is 2007 530i, N52 engine and mileage is 187,000km to date. All these problems occurred within a period of a few weeks.

    1. Ticking sound from the valve lifters (Very annoying) - Changed with a set of new hydraulic valve lifters and no more ticking sound, Hooray!
    2. When mechanic took out the camshafts there were scratch marks on the supposedly smooth surface. Mechanic said it has to do with oil. They polished the part and reinstalled with new oil change. Moral of the story is change oil regularly. BMW engines seems to be more fragile than anticipated.
    2. Pressure buildup inside the engine causing poor torgue response at around 3500rpm and up - Turns out the CCV valve has failed. Valve cover is made of plastic material and was also cracked after 10 years of use. Changed with a new valve cover and problem solved.
    3. Next came the unstable idle at startup. Also poor performance at high rpm. Checked with a code reader and the machine threw a 2A98 and P1554 code which has to do with sticky vanos solenoid. - Took out the exhaust and intake solenoids and cleaned with contact and grease cleaner. And blew dry with compressed air as per youtube instructions. Installed back and the car idle perfectly albeit after checking fault code it was still throwing 2A98 fault code. So maybe the solenoids are on their way out. Will replace soon.

    So far so good. Happy with myself that car is back to its old self.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  2. #2
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    EXOTICS
    Infrequent oil changes, maybe coupled with below BMW spec oil,
    Can definitely lead to sludge buildup, and CAUSE each and every one of those conditions you experienced.
    • Ticking and sticking Lifters
    • Sludge clogged CCV System
    • Sludge filled, sticking Vanos Solenoids

  3. #3
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    BMW recommends 15,000mi. Oil change intervals, follow that if you want sludge buildup.
    Most on the forums recommend changes every 5000~7500mi,to prevent such disaster.
    At the very least not over 10,000mi. or yearly(1yr)max! Whichever comes first.

  4. #4
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    You are right MIKYZZ4, I was following the BMW oil change schedule. It really mess up the inside of the engine. Lesson learned.

    Hope this experience can help others to be more prompt with their oil changes.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  5. #5
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    BMW "recommends" 15000 mile changes when THEY pay for it...BUT they really don't give a c**p what happens to the engine after 6 years...they are done with the warranty and the CPO if it goes that way...
    6-7000 miles and at least once a year, especially for cars that are used for a lot of short runs is the best "insurance" there is.
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  6. #6
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    Did your shop also replace the rocker arms as well???

    BMW changed the service bulletin years ago to replace the rocker arms as well as lifters with an updated part. They have a pin hole in the lifter cup that helps the lifters bleed and stay pumped up with oil.
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  7. #7
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    Are the valve covers pricey? I have a slight residue creeping up on mine also...
    '07 e60 M-ish 530i


  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by White94RX View Post
    Did your shop also replace the rocker arms as well???

    BMW changed the service bulletin years ago to replace the rocker arms as well as lifters with an updated part. They have a pin hole in the lifter cup that helps the lifters bleed and stay pumped up with oil.
    No, just the lifter. It was fine for a month driving then the tapping sound came back. I am going to flush the engine and see if I can get any sludge out of the engine. Hope that will clear the pathway for the oil to flow freely inside. Will report back.

    Quote Originally Posted by ExVolvoGT View Post
    Are the valve covers pricey? I have a slight residue creeping up on mine also...
    I bought mine at just under USD400. I think you can get cheaper online. But it is original. Best to change if you have had the car for a while. I changed mine because there was a crack on the cover plus the PCV was not working also.

    With all the problems I have been having with the car, I decided to bring it to the dealer to have a look. They found out my engine was out of timing by at least 5 degrees. They said after fixing the timing issue it will resolve the low RPM and engine vibration issue at idle. I thought that was strange as I have been having the vibration at idle since many years ago. And researching online I noticed a lot of people were having this issue and one of the remedy was to increase the idle speed via computer. But turns out it could simply be that the timing was out.

    After they set the timing, the engine is smooth as silk with very very little vibration. Idling is around 700-750.

    So now my only problem is the tapping sound which by flushing the engine hopefully will resolve itself. Finger's crossed.

    For those of you having vibration at low idle and after changing engine mount, still the same, do have a look at the timing.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  9. #9
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    Since my last update, I have decided to flush the engine oil a couple of times with STP engine flushing agent. First I poured in the agent into the engine and ran the car for around 15 minutes. I immediately drained the engine oil. After the first flushing I replaced the filter and poured in an old supply of oil (never used) I had found in the store and ran that for 15 minutes with the flushing agent poured in. After running for another 15 minutes I drained the oil out. Again replacing the filter and finally putting in the new synthetic oil. The car ran well for a few days still with the ticking noise but quieter. But after running for more than a week, the ticking noise has finally gone. I hope it stays that way.

    I read somewhere someone flushed their engine several times and finally got the ticking noise to go away. The reason why the ticking noise is there is because of oil gunk that has built up over time blocking the passage way for the oil to go to the top of the engine where the hydraulic lifters are located. By removing the gunk via flushing, the ticking noise is history.

    To avoid future issue and prevent the gunk from building up, I will carry out oil changes at every 7500km interval as oppose to the the 11k km interval as per the car computer. I am pretty sure alot of you guys are already doing that but hopefully by sharing what I found out may help someone with the dreaded ticking noise. It may just be a simple flushing of the engine oil to cure that nasty sound. Fingers crossed.

    Happy camper.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  10. #10
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    Update: So far the car has been running silky smooth. The tapping noise is gone and I hope it stays that way.

    I also managed to replace the fuel sender unit on the left side as it was cracked on the top allowing fuel to seep out. It would be hell of a job to do without proper tool.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  11. #11
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    Great, glad there is a happy ending...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by jtbgonesailing View Post
    Great, glad there is a happy ending...
    Thanks. Just sharing so others may benefit from the info.
    BMW E60 530i & F30 320i

    "Its sometimes better to shut up and be thought of as a fool than to speak and have all doubts removed"

  13. #13
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    Want to say thank you for posting your updates and progress. I don't have the same engine as you, but I'm glad to see it worked out

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