2000 BMW 528i Blog (Engine - M52TU)

[iShipwreck]

Hey there! So I was planning on using this as kind of a blog in case anyone comes across the same issues as I have, or to just check out what I'm doing while I memorialize the work I do to my E39. If I'm in the wrong area, I'll move.

IMAG0194.jpg

I bought this car about 2 weeks ago and since then have been doing LOTS of research, following a bunch of threads on this forum, and getting acquainted with my new ride, websites, retailers, parts catalogs, etc... A bunch of you guys have been very helpful so far and I truly appreciate it. I went ahead and ordered INPA (along with other software) and the respective cables since that seems like what a lot of people are saying to do. "CODES CODES CODES". I hear ya, don't worry. Oh and I also grabbed myself a set of snap-on torx bits. Those have already come in handy and was something my toolbox was lacking.

A bit about the car when I bought it.. The guy seemed to like the car but not how much money it took to fix things when they went wrong. He was basically telling me he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it but gave me some codes his buddy pulled: P1580, P0101, P1423, P1421. I won't go into detail what those codes mean but basically there was something wrong with the throttle body, MAF, and air pump for emissions. After initial inspection the engine looked clean for the most part. Hoses were good, no active leaking oils (just old dry stuff), but the fan had a broken fin and there was no fan shroud. He said he had the muffler removed but he still had it and he had a fan and fan shroud he got from the junk yard that was in good condition. I bought the car for less than what it should have been sold for and left. I forgot the extra parts he had so I went back the next day and grabbed it, including the catalytic converter that was also not on the car.. $%@! Oh well. Registration isn't due for a while and I'm quite the DIYer.

Interior looked like a soccer mom's minivan. Crumbs, spilled somethings, and mystery substances on the carpet. Leather was in good condition and there weren't any tears in the interior. Everything just looked tired and needed some TLC. I can tell he didn't take care of it very well. This car deserved MUCH better.

So anyways, the car wouldn't let me go over 60mph and the throttle wasn't very responsive. It was drive-able but not the best and would go into limp mode often. I finally cracked it open to see what I could do. First things first, throttle body. Took all the stuff out of the way and got to the root. Found out the little tab that would catch the throttle wire to open the valve was broken.
Capture.JPG

So pressing on the pedal would open the throttle when the car was on thanks to the electric solenoid in the hybrid type throttle body I had. When the car was off though, stepping on the pedal would do nothing! I suppose this is what the "Throttle valve mechanically stuck" code was trying to tell me. Pulled it, jerry rigged it, cleaned it up all nice and bright, and stuck it back in. I reset the adaptations (or at least I think I did) by disconnecting the battery and leaving it for a few hours before hooking everything back up. I know I know, I only slapped a bandaid on there temporarily so I could still drive it to work but a new OEM throttle body is already on it's way and as soon as I get it it's going in, don't worry. I fired her right up and so far I haven't gotten any throttle codes nor has it gone into limp mode. Throttle seems a bit more responsive as well and it idles better with cold starts. A more in-depth driving experience is in order just to be safe. I also replaced the fan and added the fan shroud to the mix.

I deep cleaned the interior, took a tooth brush to the seams of the leather, vacuumed every nook and cranny I could fit the hose in, shampooed the carpet, and took note of the cup holders that needed to be replaced. Looks mush better now but I would like to get the seats out and do a much more thorough job. There's still some messes I can't reach.

Lastly, I found out the MAF that the guy used was not only a knock-off but a REMANUFACTURED part as well... Ugh. People trying to go cheap on a car that doesn't like cheap. There's the MAF code then... need to replace that one as well.

So far that's everything I have done with her but there's still a lot more to go. New throttle body, new MAF, fix vacuum hoses, new headliner, paint job, clean interior, clean and condition seats, replace broken or missing interior accessories/covers, new radio unit (for aesthetics and functionality), vanos rebuild, oil change, VCG, CCV, etc. etc. etc........ I love this stuff.

[iShipwreck]

Update on the throttle body jerry rigging: Everything seems normal, no codes are being thrown at me at the moment so that's good news for me. Now I know that when I get the new throttle body it should work perfectly.

I am experiencing (have experienced) some hard shifting going on. From what I have read is that it could be the TPS (already solved) and/or the MAF (which is currently the remanufactured knock-off). So next up I'm ordering a new oem MAF to hopefully fix that problem.. I really don't want it to be a transmission problem. I'll check trans oil and see if there's any sediment or metal pieces in it and also check if it's low just in case.

As soon as I get her mechanically sound I can start worrying about the cosmetic stuff. Priorities first!

[iShipwreck]

New throttle body and the laptop I'm going to use for diagnostics has arrived! Just have to wait for the INPA software to get here then I can start playing with stuff. Have to wait to do work until I can get the software loaded so I will be able to clear codes and reset adaptations when I replace the throttle body.

I did notice that the part number on RealOEM.com I found for my throttle body shows a blue label, however, the throttle body on my car (could be a junk find) has a yellow label and the part number is slightly different. I haven't been able to find any immediate differences as they both look identical to one another just different color label... weird. Oh well, according to RealOEM I got the right one.

I found a Siemens oem MAF at RMeuropean I believe that costs about $180 which isn't too bad in my opinion considering I've seen some options that are $400+. Whole lot of NOPE right there. If that's the last thing I need to get in order for my car to run great though, for $180, I'm all for it. I also wanted to do an oil change and preventatively replace the VCG and VANOS seals. I found a kit that includes VANOS seal kit, anti-rattle spacer ring, VANOS gasket, VCG kit, AND genuine BMW oil change kit, all for $250 at ECS Tuning. I can do all the work myself to save a bunch of money and I'm actually pretty excited about it too. I haven't done serious mechanical work (just simple oil changes and vacuum hose replacement) since the service.

I noticed while I was doing the temporary throttle body fix that the plastic connections from the intake filter housing to the MAF are broken and currently zip tied together. Stuff like that really bugs me and makes the engine compartment look ugly so I'm going to head down to my local "pick a part" junkyard and snatch one out of one of the bimmers they have there. Should be pretty cheap.. it's only plastic.

[JamieG296]

I would definitely suggest going with the beisan systems kit for your vanos rebuild. The job isn't too hard at all though. Everything else I used bmw parts for.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[iShipwreck]

Oh right, I think I have heard of Beisan Systems for the VANOS rebuild. Is it just better quality stuff? I found some sources that have the viton o-rings in their kits that's supposed to last much longer instead of the standard buna. Is there a huge difference with Beisan?

Is there somewhere you would suggest getting the kit or just head over to beisansystems.com? Also they don't really have much info on their site... just kind of.. plain..

[iShipwreck]

Got the last of my order from ebay. Got software cd with INPA, NCS Expert, EDIBAS, NCS Dummy, Tool32, and WinKFP including the cable I need to connect to the port for $35 total. Super easy installation. Stuck the CD in, clicked setup, it did it's thing, done. I'm looking forward to using it. I suppose I should start watching some YouTube videos about it since I have no idea what I'm looking at at the moment.

I need to start pricing out my VANOS rebuild parts and oil change kit since that's next on my list. I'm still getting a code for the MAF but it's not negatively affecting performance so I think I'll hold off on that for another day. I don't know how long it's been since it's had its last oil change so I think that's more of a priority.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it... I did notice when I was taking the air filter housing out to service my throttle body, there was no rubber o-ring on the MAF or in the filter housing connecting to the MAF (#5 on RealOEM). The connection actually seemed a bit loose.. That paired with the broken clips that are currently replaced with zip-ties holding the MAF on makes me think that is what is causing the code... a $4.50 part sure beats a $180 one...

[iShipwreck]

Well shoot... She started overheating really bad this morning. I made it to work and started doing some investigating. Turns out when I installed the fan shroud I didn't properly position the expansion tank hoses and they ended up rubbing against a pulley for the last week or so. Today it finally made it all the way through and emptied my radiator. I obviously don't have any replacement hoses on hand so I had to order them. OEM from fcpeuro was $66 and they don't get here until Thursday. Not too expensive but I don't know what I'm going to do until they get here.

I found some "self fusing silicone tape" that is very strong works well in high temperatures but I can't seem to find it in stock in an auto parts store. I can't order it online since I can't really wait for it to get here. I have no other vehicles to drive so I need to find a solution quickly.

After she cooled down completely I started checking fluid levels and they all looked within range (except coolant of course). I fired her up to check for any noises and everything seemed okay. Turned-over no problem, no knocking, no pinging, no valve noise.. So far so good. I didn't see any leaks anywhere and when I checked the oil it looked good. No contamination from a possible blown head gasket.. So far I don't see any damage from overheating so I'm a bit relieved. I would like to get her up to operating temperature and check again for any unusual sounds. Goes without saying that I will be keeping an eye on her for the next couple weeks after the fix. Can't be having her take a dump anytime soon.

*Update - I used some JB water weld on the hose to fill the hole and grooves, let it set for a half hour then wrapped it with Sharkbite silicone tape a few times. I wanted to over-do it to make sure it wouldn't happen again and last at least until Thursday when my new hoses get here. I waited another 30 minutes for the JB weld to cure then added water. I've had it at operating temp and it never went over. Took it on the freeway a few times and so far it's all good, no leaks and no over-heating.

[iShipwreck]

Another goof with a semi-steep learning curve.. I improperly filled my cooling system (didn't bleed the lines at all when I repaired the hoses...) so it created "hotspots" in my engine. The temp needle would creep up and want to overheat but then after a few seconds would go right back down. The worst was when I would just be sitting idle. I'm guessing air was trapped in the cooling system, got hot, built pressure, then finally pushed water through and cooled down. Then it would happen again.. Eventually I burst a hole in my expansion tank (I guess that added pressure had to go somewhere). It sprayed everywhere so I had to add water to get it to my dad's place that was nearby. Didn't overheat at that time, just made a mess. I cleaned everything up, tried filling the hole with my jb weld stuff, properly filled the cooling system this time and let it idle for a while to check for any leaks. All seemed good. I drove the car back to my house without issue, no overheating issues (even ran a bit cooler than usual), no leaks... until I turned down my street and I noticed steam coming from my engine compartment. It started getting worse and worse, I parked as there was steam pouring into my cabin through the vents. Didn't overheat though! I shut her down and popped the hood. I guess my jb weld job couldn't handle the pressure, popped off and shot water/coolant everywhere into my engine compartment and burned up on the exhaust.

A new thermostat was ordered as well as a new expansion tank. After I replace the thermostat, expansion tank, expansion tank hoses, and refill the coolant, I SHOULD be good to go. Would ONLY be a $200 learning experience after it's all said and done. Good grief...

[iShipwreck]

Finally got my new expansion tank, hoses, caps, thermostat, etc. etc. etc.... and replaced them all. I PROPERLY filled the cooling system this time and drove her to work this morning. No issues *knock on wood*.

I suppose the upside of having high pressure scalding coolant spray all over your engine compartment is that it did a pretty good job cleaning the whole engine compartment... so there's that..

Next up, I ordered a Liqui Moly oil change kit and vcg. I desperately need to change the oil and replace the o-ring for the oil filter housing. It's leaking a bit. VANOS rebuild will have to be another day. Been doing too much corrective/preventative maintenance lately, I need to sit back and save for something fun to do with her now.

[iShipwreck]

New cooling parts all still working great, no leaks, no overheating.. feels good to finally put that past me.. until next time.

Got the Liqui Moly and oil filter, went ahead and changed the oil, it needed it pretty bad. Probably the easiest oil change I've ever done too. I noticed this sticker on the window that said "We recommend your next oil change at 193,000" ...my car has 202,000. PO not only put in cheap parts when he did his fixes but rarely kept up with maintenance. Can't wait to see what else is jacked up on this poor car.

I also changed the VCG while I was in there. It DESPERATELY needed to be replaced. When I took it out it was nice and crispy, breaking apart as I was pulling it off. Underside of my valve cover was caked in burnt oil and carbon so I cleaned that all up as best I could with a toothbrush and some engine degreaser. Everything went back together smoothly.

While I was taking the valve cover off I noticed a line that was disconnected (or broken?) and I traced it back to my vacuum housing. I guess that explains the codes the PO was pulling for the vacuum lines. Need to find out where that goes and replace the hose. I'm going to replace everything on this car one piece at a time until it's a brand new car.