New owner e46

[Scottr09]

Just picked up 2001 321xi touring on a trade deal. This will be my first bwm past the 90s but so far it seems to be going good! It came to me not running, would start but quickly die. I started by unplugging the maf and it seems to run ok. I drove it onto the trailer and got it home.

Upon my first inspection I found most of the rubber had deteriorated so my first order consists of new boots,vac hoses and ccv kit. Now I need to decide if I will have to pull the intake manifold to get this job done. Any input?

I have done a bit of searching on the forum but any other common issues with these cars?

The only codes I found were maf and lean issues which I assume are caused by the vac leaks.

Not sure if I will fix and sell this car or keep it for a winter cruiser.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this forum I have found a lot of good info already.

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[superj]

I am in the same club you are coming from, all e30s and e21s as past bmws, basically. I am learning this platform is very easy to work on except the area you are talking about, under the intake. I haven't figured an easy way to work on stuff there, either

[MarcoZandrini]

Replacing the CCV without pulling the intake is a pain but it’s very doable. Mark every connector so you know where it’s supposed go when you reassemble everything. The hard part is getting the hose that runs from the air distribution manifold (it sits on top of the main intake manifold) to mate with the CCV body. Unlike the other hoses, thus hose screws onto the CCV body. It requires a 90 degree rotation mate. Here’s how I did it:
- tie a 2 foot long piece of string to the upper connection of the hose
- shove the hose down between intake runners 1 and 2.
- wrap the other end of the string around the oil filler cap
- rotate the CCV body 90 degrees so that its bottom is facing the engine block
- put a large blade screwdriver down alongside the hose as it sits in the gap between the intake runners
- use the screwdriver to force the bottom end of the hose towards the CCV body connection
- rotate the CCV body 90 degrees so that its bottom is pointed down
- pull the string so that the hose is in the proper position.

The hard part is over!

[Scottr09]

I am in the same club you are coming from, all e30s and e21s as past bmws, basically. I am learning this platform is very easy to work on except the area you are talking about, under the intake. I haven't figured an easy way to work on stuff there, either

E21,E30 and E23 for me! I found another e21 5speed locally and it makes me want another one!

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[Scottr09]

Replacing the CCV without pulling the intake is a pain but it’s very doable. Mark every connector so you know where it’s supposed go when you reassemble everything. The hard part is getting the hose that runs from the air distribution manifold (it sits on top of the main intake manifold) to mate with the CCV body. Unlike the other hoses, thus hose screws onto the CCV body. It requires a 90 degree rotation mate. Here’s how I did it:
- tie a 2 foot long piece of string to the upper connection of the hose
- shove the hose down between intake runners 1 and 2.
- wrap the other end of the string around the oil filler cap
- rotate the CCV body 90 degrees so that its bottom is facing the engine block
- put a large blade screwdriver down alongside the hose as it sits in the gap between the intake runners
- use the screwdriver to force the bottom end of the hose towards the CCV body connection
- rotate the CCV body 90 degrees so that its bottom is pointed down
- pull the string so that the hose is in the proper position.

The hard part is over!

Thanks for the detailed info, I think I am leaning towards removing the intake now......the condition of anything rubber under the hood is terrible on this car so I want to make sure I don't miss anything.

Now I need more parts, if anyone has anything else to add to the list please let me know.

Here's what I have:
CCV kit
Intake boots
Intake manifold gasket
Throttle body gasket
Fuel injector o rings just in case
Dipstick o ring
DISA geaket
Bulk vacuum hose

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[MarcoZandrini]

Don’t forget to replace the air distribution manifold orings. What’s the air distribution manifold? It’s a plastic manifold they sits on top of the main manifold. It’s used to scavenge vacuum from the intake manifold and route the vacuum to the CCV. Definitely replace the injector orings. You’ll need 12 as each injector has 2 orings. They are if 2 difference sizes. Use silicone spray lube when reassembling.

While the manifold is off you should replace the 2 PLASTIC cooling pipes. One connects to the back of the cylinder head and runs forwards. The other is at the front of the engine. Go to www.realoem.com and enter the last 7 characters of the car’s vin. Hit enter and bookmark the page. You’ll find the pipes in the engine section.

[Scottr09]

Thanks for the tips I'll get it ordered.

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[Scottr09]

I assume it's the 2 hoses in this picture? Do they just get brittle and crack as a common problem?

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[MarcoZandrini]

That’s them!! Be advised that the section of pipe in the cylinder head may break off, leaving a bit of pipe and at least one oring in the head. Also, clean the “hole” in the head thoroughly or else you’ll have a leak. Some have successfully use high temperature RTV to seal the pipe in the head. They did this as the hole in the head was badly corroded and the surface was pitted. This is caused by improperly long coolant change intervals.

[Scottr09]

Well new parts are all installed. Nothing changed. Not sure if I missed something and still have a vacuum leak. Runs bad and gives a misfire code. If I unplug the MAF it runs fine. With the MAF plugged in it wants to stall, wont rev up all the way and shifts funny going down the road.

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