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Thread: Crankcase Under Pressure

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    2003 BMW 325i

    Crankcase Under Pressure

    Hello everyone, I have made a few threads but I'm still new to the forum. I have a 2003 325i sedan 5 speed.

    The car has been stalling out lately, I have inspected all of the intake for vacuum leaks as well as monitored fuel pressure at the rail. Only code the car throws is P0305, this is a known issue and I do not believe it to be the cause of the stalling. After stalling out, if the car sits for a couple minutes the idle will even out enough for the car to operate.

    My question is about the oil fill cap on the valve cover, while the car was running and struggling to idle, after having stalled, I removed the oil filler cap. It sounded kind of like opening a bottle of pepsi (not quite) and I could hear the pressure escaping from the crankcase as I removed the cap. After this was done, the idle almost instantly corrected and the car ran fine after that, no waiting. So my question is - is there supposed to be a pressure under this cap, under normal conditions when the engine is running? While preforming other maintenance on the car I found that the valve cover gasket has been recently replaced, this could explain the lack of oil leaks around the cover from positive pressure.

  2. #2
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    Crankcase ventilation system is very likely compromised. Replace CCV and all four hoses. Remove dipstick guide tube and clear the CCV drain with a probe and carb cleaner.

    By design there should be light vacuum in the crankcase. Too light, in my experience. If you are consuming oil, look for my extensive CCV thread and you'll find a mod that will bump the vacuum and reduce the consumption. Read the whole thing, as there are several caveats you should be aware of.





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  3. #3
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    yup, i believe this was even mentioned in one of the other threads - vacuum leak! smoke test, and/or do a crankcase pressure test.
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  4. #4
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    Yeti, for your own benefit, it will be better to keep your $%^& in piles. Because you've started a new link, it's difficult for us to see all the information that was in the previous thread(s) on the same subject. At least paste a link in this thread, to the other thread.


    Meanwhile: Are you SURE that you released PRESSURE, not VACUUM? Excessive VACUUM is much more likely. Was the cap a bit difficult to remove, or did it pretty much FLY off when you unscrewed it? I'm really going to have to believe that it was vacuum being released.....which means that you need a new crankcase vent valve with 4 hoses, as mentioned by O2 Pilot, above. I recommend FCP Euro for this:

    https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...on-11617534237

    That part number seems to get you three of the needed parts.

    You need parts # 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 from this diagram:
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_2194

    1, 2, and 3 appear to be included in that kit.

    Sorry, this really should be easier....everyone buys all these parts together.....at work, I just order the set, but you can't buy from WorldPac or SSF; they only sell to shops, sorry.
    Last edited by MauiM3Mania; 06-26-2018 at 12:51 PM. Reason: profanity

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  5. #5
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    Here is the link - https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...71-Overheating

    Possibly this pressure in the crankcase could be caused from blow by gasses on the dead cylinder? I loosened the oil filler cap to relieve pressure temporarily. Idle got much smoother, but the stalling problem is still consistent... I will repeat the test, to make sure that it is indeed pressure and not a vacuum.

  6. #6
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    If it is pressure it could be from severe blow-by combined with a faulty CCV. Further speculation is irrelevant and unnecessary. Time for diagnostics: as noted above, smoke test (followed by replacing the CCV when you discover it's leaking), measure crankcase pressure/vacuum with a gauge (and then more precisely with a slack tube manometer when the vacuum gets down to a manageable range), and report back.





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  7. #7
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    I got into the shop this evening to make a video of the problem, in case anyone can identify it. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LLeAlal5zo
    After I filmed this clip the car started smoking pretty bad, and it's never done that before... To top things off on my way to the shop an industrial truck threw a rock and put a large star crack in my windshield.

    Can this problem be repaired? Time for a new engine?
    Last edited by Yeti325; 06-21-2018 at 10:49 PM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yeti325 View Post
    Can this problem be repaired?
    Maybe, if you do the things we have suggested you do. I have never seen a car repaired by taking a video, but there's always a first time....





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  9. #9
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    It's quite possible you have two things going on. The smoke and crankcase pressure/vacuum likely indicate a bad crankcase vacuum apparatus.

    But: Your EML light is flashing, too, This stands for "ElectroMotorLoad", and refers to the motorized throttle. You can't find a code for this, or many other issues, using a generic OBD reader. An OBD reader cannot read BMW diagnostic codes, it can only read bureaucrat's emissions codes.

    If you brought the car into the shop where I work, I'd scan it with one of our three top end diagnostic computers, do a smoke test of the intake system, and a crankcase vacuum test. With answers from those, I'd still have to search for the misfire....unless the smoke was coming out of the intake manifold at #5 runner.....

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  10. #10
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    What is the best way to test the crankcase for pressure or vacuum? I have read about a test with using a glove or balloon over the dipstick tube. I have also read that another easy way is to pickup another oil filler cap and modify it to connect to a gauge.

    What is the most cost effective way to get access to a high end scanner that can read special codes?.
    Last edited by Yeti325; 06-24-2018 at 03:20 AM.

  11. #11
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    The easiest way to measure the crankcase pressure/vacuum is to buy a spare oil filler cap, drill it, install a barbed fitting, and connect a gauge. Simple, cheap, effective, and most importantly, precise.

    For the scanner, either pay shop time or buy one for yourself. The ECS Tuning Schwaben scanner is around $200, does what you need, and is plug-and-play, but there are other options as well.





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  12. #12
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    O2 Pilot, where do you find a vacuum gauge that reads in inches of water? I'll certainly buy one to replace my slack tube manometer, which is, um, a bit unwieldy.....

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  13. #13
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    EDIT:
    Never mind, I found one and ordered it. I saw analog gauges that were cheaper, but I chose this one:
    http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/ue...xoC6iYQAvD_BwE

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  14. #14
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    Well, when I developed the CCV mod I was quickly dealing with a lot more vacuum than a slack tube could handle, so I transitioned to a traditional vacuum gauge. I have a simple home-made slack tube when I need it, but with the M54 mod generating up to 10inHg, a standard gauge was fine.





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  15. #15
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    I picked up a used Dwyer magnehelic gauge when I built mine.
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  16. #16
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    just looked at the link - chris, that's awesome....i'm gonna have to put that on my list of tools for the shop!
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  17. #17
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    Made some progress by deleting the CCV system as a temporary fix, no more smoke!!!!! I did this by removing hoses and plugging the two ports on top of intake manifold. I left the valve cover to vent to atmosphere. I could see a little oil in these lines when I removed the hoses. I didn’t remove the lower hose that goes to the dipstick... Will this affect anything?

    Anyway I put a good 15 miles on the car and it still drives fine, all of the oil in the intake burned off within several minutes. Still stalls unfortunately, I am starting to think this could be caused by the oil system, the engine gets really noisy at times and will knock you can hear tapping as well. The oil pressure light always flashes when at surging idle like in the video I posted above. This also would make sense because it never happens on a cold start while the oil is thicker and generating more pressure.


    I got a couple new trouble codes and one manufacturer specific code on my limited scanner. P0300 and P16C3. Any information on P16C3? Will try to get the car into a BMW shop to read all of the codes soon.
    Last edited by Yeti325; 06-26-2018 at 10:08 AM.

  18. #18
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    I'm sure P16C3 translates as: Oh my God, WTF do you think you're doing ???
    You need to stop working on your car, and take it to someone who has a clue.
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 06-26-2018 at 08:15 PM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  19. #19
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    Lmao okay

  20. #20
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    Sorry. I know, I'm a butthole sometimes, but sometimes it's the efficient response. Thanks for being sporting. Let me try to make up for it:

    You can't halfway delete the factory CCV system. If you're running a full race car - sure, COMPLETELY delete it, and run a catch can. But I'd bet you dimes to dollars that you have a massive intake/ccv leak right now.

    AND, you can't diagnose this car with an OBD code reader

    But most of all, it's actually painful for me when someone tears apart a complex factory system without extensive research and understanding. I wouldn't do that, and I have a significant data base.

    When the oil can is yellow, it's reading oil level. When it goes to red, that's oil pressure....in your case, that seems to be just as it's stalling, which is normal. The yellow light might mean you're low on oil, or the oil level sensor in the bottom of the oil pan is bad (very common).

    The car's likely stalling because of big intake leaks.....Yes, there are dozens of other possibilities, but a smoke test (AFTER replacing the CCV valve and 4 hoses -- OEM parts!) will be step 1, until no smoke leaks for 7 minutes using a pro smoke machine.

    Remember that I've made far more car mistakes than you'll ever make. That may not necessarily make me wise, but it makes me an old fart, doesn't it?

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  21. #21
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    I got a good laugh out of it! I know it must be painful to follow this thread and watch me hack up a classic car, thanks for hanging in there. I'm an inexperienced auto mechanic. I know just enough to be dangerous lol

    Bottom line, this car needs more time and money than I can give it. It really needs a new engine with lower miles. Heck, one cylinder is completely dead.

    My plan is to fix the stalling issue, sell it before the engine goes, and buy another bimmer with less mechanical problems.

  22. #22
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    Not trying to be negative, BUT,
    used BMWs with a sufficient amount of mileage,
    and not meticulously maintained,
    seem to require more than most are willing or able to give.
    Trouble-free BMWs are usually few and far between, unless currently owned by a BMW mechanic!

    Honda ,Toyota, hell even a used Nissan can usually provide low maintenance enjoyment.
    A BMW is like a high maintenance woman, it takes money to make them HAPPY!
    The same can be said of a trophy wife...LOL!!

  23. #23
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    Oh, damn, Miky ! Trophy wife? High maintenance woman? Oh crap man, here come the P.C. police.....quick, hide over here!

    As for BMW mechanics owning trouble-free cars.....um, no. No. No. You know about the plumber's pipes, don't you?

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  24. #24
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    LOL, yea old school quotes are all I have, sorry PC audience!

    Chris, I have to say no, I know not about the plumber's pipes?
    Share, if you will.

  25. #25
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    The plumber's pipes are always leaking, that's all.

    And me, well, I go through six sets of rotors for every set of pads, and I need to fix the passenger side inner door release handle, and my (stock) alarm goes whacky every now and then....but hey, who's got time to fix their own car when they're fixing everyone else's?

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

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