Owning an E70 X5///M

[Gordvisr]

Small update.

This weekend, reached 210 000 km mark,.
Since owning this car, i have had the "no acoustic tones" problem, so had no sound. Got my hands on a replacement amplifier and the same alarm persists. So did some digging, the TV unit aswell as the earphone unit, tucked away in the boot failed due to an earlier leak i had in the car. Because they were part of the Fibre optic network nothing worked. With some more homework , found that you get a MOST loop bypass, bought myself two of these and tunes banging again.

 

[Gordvisr]

After having tunes again, the itch started to fill the bass properly. So have added a targa TA-K18500.1D together with a JBL CLUB 102SL Shallow woofer. It took some time getting the box to work. First tried a High to.low converter , feeding from the signal from amp to the underseat subs, needless to say, i fried the converter, then i tried something else, connected the RCA cable directly from the sub outlet into the amplifier. Banging quite good for the size of the sub.

 

[Gordvisr]

Then allas, today back as the workhorse

 

[Gordvisr]

View attachment 28461
Hallo All

So the car started Smoking intermittently, sometimes none and at other times sommer a huge pile of smoke.
After doing some home work, the snail inlets is quite wet for some time now, replacing the vent hoses will not help this.
The Earlier S63 engines had this oil seperator cartridge(Circeled above) built inside the valve covers, At agents they sell them as a kit, valve cover gaskets with bolts included.

Ordered the kit last week, work keeping me busy so will probably fetch tommorrow. Hoping this will stop the smoking issue.View attachment 28461

So Monday I have started with this journey, bliksem, it aint fun and games but managed to remove the RHS valve cover.

 

[Gordvisr]

 

[Gordvisr]

Important to note the valve cover kit with oils seperators does not come with completer valve cover seals the part that goes under the HPFP flange is not included, only saw this last night.
While dismantling, i broke one of the PCV lines, they become hard and brittle, Got some silicone hoses from FTF, will try them and see if it will do the job.
No crossing fingers it would stop the smoking, still a few days to go before we shall see.

 

[Gordvisr]

Removing or loosening the feul lines from fuel rail to injectors is also a pita, due to lack of space, finding fuel line removal sockets is also a pita so i did this.....

Used a long #14 socket and cut it to fit, it helped a few other headaches.
This job is not for the feint hearted but patience is key and more importantly, having the correct tools. Some tools i did not have, and lack of knowledge( first time doing this on this car/ engine) . There were actually a few times i wanted to abondon it and send it somewhere to get it done.

 

[Gordvisr]

Small update on work done.
Valve cover gaskets and oil separators replaced. found a few leaks on vacuum lines, replaced all of them. car pulling lekker strong but, it is still smoking. What bogs my mind, if cold it is not smoking, when all is up to normal temps it is smoking, intermittently. So next up will do the vent lines of which this hopefully solves my issue. engine on inside is super clean for the mileage of which tells me it cannot be stem seals. Crossing fingers. Will update once i get to the vent lines.

 

[AshG108]

Then allas, today back as the workhorse
View attachment 30432

you literally have junk in your trunk bro! lol

 

[boost3d]

Small update on work done.
Valve cover gaskets and oil separators replaced. found a few leaks on vacuum lines, replaced all of them. car pulling lekker strong but, it is still smoking. What bogs my mind, if cold it is not smoking, when all is up to normal temps it is smoking, intermittently. So next up will do the vent lines of which this hopefully solves my issue. engine on inside is super clean for the mileage of which tells me it cannot be stem seals. Crossing fingers. Will update once i get to the vent lines.

What colour is the smoke? Is there a possibility its injector related?

 

[Gordvisr]

What colour is the smoke? Is there a possibility its injector related?

it is definitely not injector related, they not leaking, it is oil, can even smell it

 

[boost3d]

it is definitely not injector related, they not leaking, it is oil, can even smell it

I have no experience with the s63 platform but could it be similar to the N54 and either be pcv or turbo seals related then?

 

[Gordvisr]

I have no experience with the s63 platform but could it be similar to the N54 and either be pcv or turbo seals related then?

I have had turbo seals failure before, and the smoking was different. pushing it and quick idle and pulling away it did not smoke , but on longer than 30 seconds, started smoking and will just become more, more and then some more. I do hope it is the PCV lines, will replace them soon. Will upload a video of the intake on idle. Thought by replacing the oil separators will remedy the problem of which it did not. The way it currently smoking, when cold, cold start , no smoke at all, but do smell the oil. just before operating oil temps, there would be some smoke sometimes a little some times a lot, now with the oil separators replaced it actually started smoking on hard acceleration and it does not go away until leaving the pedal.

 

[Gordvisr]

Video above taken on idle, engine still "cold". I geuss with airbox and filters on this fumes will accelerate even more. On the RHS of the car you can see the fumes pulling into the suction of the turbo , on the left bank, none.

 

[Gordvisr]

And a short clip of cold start some time ago.

 

[General.Massacre]

I have had turbo seals failure before, and the smoking was different. pushing it and quick idle and pulling away it did not smoke , but on longer than 30 seconds, started smoking and will just become more, more and then some more. I do hope it is the PCV lines, will replace them soon. Will upload a video of the intake on idle. Thought by replacing the oil separators will remedy the problem of which it did not. The way it currently smoking, when cold, cold start , no smoke at all, but do smell the oil. just before operating oil temps, there would be some smoke sometimes a little some times a lot, now with the oil separators replaced it actually started smoking on hard acceleration and it does not go away until leaving the pedal.

check the PCV lines by just unplugging them from the inlets, leave it open, and see what happens, then idle, drive or do whatever you normally do that gets the smoke and try replicate it, if it clears up, then you know thats the issue.
Could just be a mild pressure issue on the one side.

 

[Gordvisr]

Took a 1900km round trip to Kzn, Stretched the legs a bit, 215342 Km now.