Hydrolocked e39 m 54

[jclausen]

Got a car towed in, won't start, check all the basics, should start. Remove spark plugs, 5 & 6 are wet. Try to turn engine over still not turning over. Try to turn over by hand won't turn. Find out water is in 5 & 6. Look at coolant level fine. Start looking harder, find out the cavity where the brake booster lives is about 2/3 thirds filled with water, remove the booster hose and there is water in the booster. The cavity has a drain hole but it is filled with leaves and stuff. Clean it out and the water drains, but the damage is done. Check some other cars and sure enough there some water in those. Check a 2007 750, water in there. I quickly checked mine there ok. If your car is parked out side remove the microfilters and top, take a look. No matter what BMW model you own I would check it. The customer had an int misfire before this happened and had a misfire fault stored but not present.

[02Pilot]

Good call. I recall the first time I pulled the housings off on my E39 thinking that that cavity was ripe for water retention. Thankfully I didn't have any blockage, but I can easily see where it could happen. Makes me just a tiny bit nostalgic for the hydraulic booster on my old E28....

[bmwdirtracer]

Yeah, the E39 is indeed known for this.....I think it was ptarditi that first warned me of it, years ago. I have seen the flooded compartment, several times since. Never seen it sucked into the engine though, because the booster usually seems to rot away and lose vacuum first.

Let it be known that I make a habit of grabbing all the leaves out of the body drain areas in every BMW I do an oil change on.......... The E39 has a really crappy system up front.....I own one, and I live in the woods......