Man I remember doing a valve cover gasket on my E36 couple years back and I was so proud of myself.. and watching you go through this, the E36 VCG was a walk in the park compared to this
You’re a true BMW doctor and the best content creator with excellent explanations and the best at offering practical solutions. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge. Much appreciated 🙏
WoW!!!! What a lot of intricate details to remember or know of just to get to the valve cover!!!! This is why BMW maintenance is so expensive - just the time it takes to get to the parts that require attention - plus all the things that need to go back in precise order....yech! Thanks for this highly detailed video. Nowhere else to get this kind of info I think.
I absolutely love all your videos. Even though I drive an e90 n52, every time I watch your videos I learn so much. Thank you for taking the time out to record and edit. 🙏🏽
@@billgrows6574 that’s what’s up. The more I learn about the newer engines and the tech behind it all really makes me want to get into a newer chassis. I’m still really new to the bmw game. My first one was the e46 in my picture and boy do I miss that car even though it was a pure hooptie. 🤣
@@eriqrosado3337 that’s the best way to start makes you appreciate when things go right I love all my cars regardless of speed a lot of people who trash the n52 only own 1 car or don’t care about they’re shit
Please do a video on changing the gear box oil, they say it is lifetime oil but you should never go by that, it is recommended to charge the gearbox oil at 60000miles, it would be a great DIY and would really like to see how it is done🙂
I’ve gotten mine done at a shop at 60K and I have the ZF8, the mechanic sent me videos of it, the oil was filthy inside, he had to flush it twice, I highly recommend get it done at 60K. Lifetime fill is BS, I guess BMW meant the 5yr warranty is the lifetime.
@@ramen9996 Yeah it is not good, a guy who works at BMW told us that the life time is actually for some part in germany where they crush the cars when the only a few years old it is just what they do there unfortunately, and that is what they call life time a few years meanwhile tptje rest of the world kepp the cars for many many years😂
@@moonwalk6404 You see I would believe that if BMW themselves didn’t put their 30-40yr old cars in their commercials. They’re obviously proud of their older designs and models, doesn’t make any sense that they don’t provide owners with realistic maintenance timeframe for keeping their cars running.
One of your best uploads! Edits were on point, info was just enough, and the time lapse of reconnecting the harness was great! I forsee a lot of people installing the injectors like this. When the cheap tools come out for that job, they better be prices right. This looks simple ...and good enough, imo.
Thank you for your detailed tutorial. The part relevant to me is the vanos actuator removal and replacement. I looked a long time and could not find an actual video showing how those clips work. Many online comments on the mystery of them. My B58 gen 1 thanks you :)
Just an FYI, you need to think long and hard if you want to DIY this on a B46/B48. The room between the engine and firewall makes it pretty close to impossible to remove and re-install the vanos actuators, and/or get the connectors back on once you get the actuator back installed. Turbo oil feed also has to be removed on the B46 (230i) to get the cover off. On the good side, the injector removal tool was only $140 on amazon.
@@medogabr9952 Good question. I'm not sure. I replaced mine without paying attention to that. They look identical, and have there is only one part #, I think. I have to pull them again, and either put it in correctly, or replace the seal, and then put them in correctly, as it seems like I have a leak there, and a check engine light and a limp mode warning on the car status screen. I think if I cut down the actuator wrench some, it will make the re-install much easier. The handle is just too long to get in the area you have.
another great video, I really enjoyed the previous one too - learned a ton, love it. if you don't mind, could you make a video on all the different sensors there are and their purposes? I know there's a ton, you could limit it to the most interesting ones or the ones that cause/alert most of the codes and issues.
I love your enthusiasm for BMW's - although I've never in 30 years of motoring had have a valve cover gasket replaced (on Japanese cars). My 2012 X5 no doubt will be the first... There is so much plastic in that engine bay that you are working on, just biodegrading as you work - ticking time bomb!
I would MUCH rather do this job on a B58 rather than a Honda J series. The only bad thing about Japanese cars is that often the tolerances are so low, things can be near catastrophic in failure yet exhibit little to no symptoms. And parts availability & diy info is nonexistent compared to Euro cars. (For obvious reasons 😂)
Great fix. So BMW is capable to mount decent gaskets if they wanted! My '93 e36 325i had still the original oil pan gasket, when I sold it. 27yo and 130k miles. That's quality! But back in the 90's, BMW made their money by selling cars. Nowadays it's expensive repairs and selling expensive parts and putting bad quality gaskets in engines.... But probably they had to go the better way because the Japanese are not used to oil leaking cars. LOL. Btw I did my intake ports last week and they were pretty gunged up for only 56k miles. I cleaned these by hand. l used your method. The soap dispenser was super handy to get out the solved carbon build-up. Better throttle response, better performance, and a smoother idle. I am planning the Walbro 450 conversion because the LPFS upgrade to the Bosch one didn't solve my 2AAF code. Car's running great. So my pump is almost gone by age(13yo)
Mine is a 2016 with just over 100k miles, so older with slightly fewer miles, there is a small amount of seepage so I'm getting mine done to be proactive though the dealer said it would be okay for a little while more but need to be done eventually. It could be age is more of a factor especially with colder weather lately the heat cycling is more substantial.
Bmws always been reliable depending on witch model you got, example n54 days you had the option for a simpler more reliable n52 and now that they perfected on turbo engines these should also have a long life span.
Dealer mechanics replaced the valve cover gaskets three times on my 2001 X5 M62 and they all leaked within 2yrs. I did the job and still no leaks in 11yrs.
@@VehicularDIY I did the chain guide job and sold it to my neighbor 3yrs ago and she drives it virtually everyday to see her grandkids. We just did the water pump for the second time and It has 265Kmi on the odo. Burns no oil.
That's How It IS All The Time @ Dealer I Buy NEW NEVER BACK TO THE DEALER & Take care OF 5 Car 7 Trucks Some Are 22 years Old & Run Better NEW & Run ANY , Light To Light The BMW Man Said Your Still There Yes With a 3;73 Gear & On Highway Gear Vendor Over Drive Just Get Started @100mphThat My F350 7.3 It The SET UP ..If you Build Your Self .....Like YOU Said Dealers Sells .. Do NOT FIX Any THING But Take YOUR MONEY ..& Fight For The FIX...saw Mom Get Rip Off To Many Times
@@toothpickdic If NOT For The EPA ALL Would Be Right When You See This Think Nuclear & They Look The Other WAY & WE PAY Cancer lotto IS Nuclear / Not The IC Engine.... They Push Lies & We PAY
Thanks for watching! I think the earlier versions were pretty rough in terms of reliability but the engine has been in production for so long now that the N63TU is vastly improved. It's still going to require much more maintenance given it runs a hot V configuration but it's viable to own one if you will consider wrenching on it yourself. I bought an X5 for the channel and ran it for over a years and it was problem free so I ended up just selling it. It was a 2015, it only had about 60K miles but it was still bone dry.
I had a 3yr lease at 15k a yr on a 2019 540i xDrive MSport and for 49,400(NJ-NY daily) miles I NEVER got a check engine light and I beat the sh*t out of it. Stage1,intake,SprintBooster. The ONLY small issues was coolant usage which is nothing. Amazing platform BMW made or did they???? Being that Toyota uses the B58tu1 (Tech Update 1)
You say you like to see the cams silver but on the e90 n54 you said that the bronze cams were fine for the mileage?? Kinda contradicted yourself there, could you elaborate ? I think you mean if there was any actual bits of carbon deposits or more scored looking cams would be the issue w higher miles & would indicate no proper interval oil changes? Not just the bronze color? Correct me if I'm wrong. Great vid as always.
Are you referring to when I did my valve cover gasket on my E90? I was close to 200K miles on that engine at that time so to elaborate I would be pretty happy with a gold color at that mileage. Silver is ideal, a light gold color is decent as well. A dark copper or bronze color wouldn't be ideal it's not a deal breaker, if it was bronze with bits of sludge visible that would be a bit of a red flag.
Thanks for these great how to's! Would love to get on of these cars used, but my mechanical aptitude sucks and can't dyi 😢 How much does the gaskets cost and how many hours labor from a Bmw independent specialist you recon? Cheers
A lot of that insulation is for sound deadening, not insulating. It can be argued that insulating can lead to earlier part failure/faster aging (coils, plastics, wire insulation, etc.) Areas commonly insulated for heat retention would be the PVC system. Both cold weather and gas laws (Venturi, Bernoulli’s) can lead to freezing of water vapor. Many vehicles have an active method of PCV system heating via coolant or an electric heating element for this reason.
I'd say its definitely a fair argument that one of the primary motivations for incorporating heat retention would the PCV system given the issues that used to plague the M54. The official term that BMW used for the B58 is "Thermal Encapsulation" if you want to read up on it more. I think the insulation up at the front is a stand out difference from previous models.
Hey man, Just did my VC on my 2016 340i. How did you keep the outer gasket in place? It seems as mine moved around when I got it on and now have a leak in the back left on the exhaust cam side. I only have drove it about 30 miles and then noticed it leaking in the rear. I believe the gasket rolled when I got it on the head…
How close is this to the B48 valve cover DIY? There appears to be no vid for that anywhere yet... And from your experience, or, anyone else's here, would you replace ignition coils and plugs while in there on a car with 68k ?
have a 2014 m235i n55 w solid crank. most reliable car period. only oil filter gasket after 60k miles. need oil pan gasket and control arms but after 110k miles. by far a million times more reliable than my pos 335i was
Great video once more! Shame they moved the timing chain to the back, seems like it will be a hassle once that will need replacing, whats your take on it? What do you think is better, chain on the front or back? And would that make much difference?
I would say that having the chain at the back would make a huge difference it it needed to be serviced. Luckily they have been okay on the B58 given it's naturally balanced.
Have you heard of the B58 ever needing a fuel injection service at 55K miles? Dealer told me my 440i xdrive gran coupe is due for one. I guess they hook it up to a machine and run a cleaner through the fuel system...
@@dvatch0339 Damn! Did you have the old original plastic charge pipe? They are known for cracking under “modified” boost levels. Well, just remember it’s almost always cheaper to fix a part than buy another car, unless the rest of it is falling apart too.
You've fitted a cone filter which is sucking in hot engine bay air that must be over 100C/232F when the engine is at operating temperature ...and you think it improves the power? Okay! 🙂
I would say it's slightly better given it has some minor improvements. For perspective I had a 2014 N55 in my X5 and by 97K miles the gaskets were completely shot and all the plastics on the top of the valve cover were super brittle. I needed to change the entire valve cover and they were readily available online with many knock off covers being offered. There are videos on my channel regarding that job.
@@mikemata623 Exactly, oil seals are designed to withstand oil and heat. When acid and other reactants are added to the mix its a complete disaster. A dealer service history is no longer a good thing, unless there's proof of annual oil changes.
Looks like this isn't that big a deal it isn't sealing the water jacket from the oil passages or anything like that so it would just leak a little when it starts to fail no risk of coolant getting into the oil or worse coolant getting into the cylinders. You could even run the engine for a short period without the valve cover except that the spark plug and injectors go though it so that wouldn't be possible.
BMW has never made a valve cover gasket that lasts. They only made the problem worse lol. I never did have to change the VCG on my 2011 N55 that I owned from 70k - 110k miles, but the oil pan gasket was starting to leak though.
@@VehicularDIY I checked the oil filter it’s dry however I jacked my car and I see oil on front differential that’s where is the oil leak but it’s not differential oil though.
Seems more complicated job than on N54... On n54 you didnt even have to remove the injectors to replace valve cover... which i thought was neat. But hey if VCG dont leak and fail like on n54 then it doesnt really matter how much more complicated it is or how many special tools are meant for the job.
I purchased used 100 000km 318d 2013 model in 2016 for 19500€. now with ca 192 000km I invested 6000€ in preventive service (chain+clutch+many other small things) then I got oil burn and again motor was out... so this is done now also in last 2000km.... so BMW is reliable as much as you pocket deep is...
@@VehicularDIY If heat on the engine is "ideal", then why is it that when someone tunes their cars and puts the car on a dyno, after a few runs on the dyno, they always let the car cool down before running the car on the dyno again? From what I have seen, it's always because they state that the engine produces less performance/horsepower when the engine is hot. At least this is what I have always seen and heard.
Hot air is less oxygen dense so you lose power. Because the car is to maintain a stoichiometric ratio (14.7 parts of air to fuel) so less oxygen less fuel less power. Heat overall for the engine block is bad to an extent where there is so much heat that the whole engine block warps causing issues and leak. Then again heat in the combustion chamber is important for proper fuel vaporisation and efficiency.
The B58 valve cover seems to sit much more flat and parallel to the ground so the exhaust side probably doesn't have that hot oil sitting right next to it either🤷🏻♂️
The valve cover & gasker on my N55 that was 8 years old when I had to replace it started leaking right at the rear of the engine as in just above the intake. Again I have to say it was partly my fault it failed, age, hot and cold cycles, ignoring oil service intervals, driving hard while not fully warmed up etc.
The heat shield around the turbo is also pretty huge. The N55 in my 2014 X5 with 97K miles had brittle plastic everywhere, I had to change the valve cover as a whole and the PCV piping etc. would crumble as soon as you touched it. The gaskets were also shot, I could find about 10 difference knock off valve covers.
Also disagree. More strict emissions standards means more sophisticated engine management parts. A 1.6 Honda SOHC will outlast a modern Honda engine with normal maintenance
I would say the cross over point for what I consider a someone modern BMW is when they started coming with wideband oxygen sensors and direct injection. I think the higher target fuel pressures for emissions naturally equate to much higher tolerances and improved reliability but yes quality and knowledge and quality as a whole has improved with time.
Hey @vehiculardiy I've been working on my B52 2018 440i Gran Coupe and I've been having problems with the Car turning off only when it's stopped at Red Lights. I wanted to see if you can please help me with any ideas that can be causing the Car to shut off. We Believe it has something to do with the Idle Air Control when the Vehicle is Stationary. Please if you see this message help me out with any Ideas it may be coming from a Professional. Thank You!
Are you sure it's not the start/stop feather on the car? There's a button next to the start button you can press to turn it off. Get a engine code scanner to check for codes.
Yeah we get bad rep ……was at dealer with my N54 e90 last week and got estimate for valve cover replacement at $1600 and oil cooler leak fix at $1300 lmao
@@john-om4nj *OR* a car for someone who knows how to diy. I just bought a N54 E90 as well and did a valve cover, oil cooler gasket, oil filter housing gasket, low pressure fuel sensor, ignition coils, plugs, serpentine belt, transfer case and diff fluids, upgraded all vacuum hoses, walnut blast (valve cleaning), changed air and cabin filters, transmission filter and mechatronic adapter, and new battery and oil change...car purrs like a kitten and takes off like a cheetah....all for about $700 in parts, plus all the parts including even ALL the fluids came with free life replacement warranty at fcpeuro...saved literally $10K in labor and now won't have to pay for any of the warrantied tune-up parts in the future. Its a great car for the diyer!
My 2017 BMW 540i G30 just burned a valve #4 cylinder. (105k miles) I had the vsfr high flow cat, upgraded charge pipe, k&n air filter, new B58TU Fuel pump and Bootmod3 Stage 2+ 93 octane. I am beyond depressed! Single Dad with special needs, kid. I was told I need a new engine. 21k installed. I just can't. I still owe 25k. Only car.... HELP Please 🙏
@@BretBerger Yeah, not really a fan of K&N ever since I did a used oil analysis and it revealed high silicone levels from dirt passing through the filter. Went back to paper and never looked back.
@@TML34 agreed but damn the gasket leaks are a pain to do every couple of years, still doable but it would be nice if there was a way to keep the engines from heat cycling the plastics that are all over the engine bay. I would love to just drive for 5 years and not worry about oil leaks every time I change oil and do standard Routine maintenance. That doesn’t involve plastic hoses and oil cooler gasket changes. Not complaining, I still love both of my engines. Just wish there were things that we could do to make them more efficient and less failure prone
Does bmw ever think of serviceability on their engines? Who'd ever think of removing half of the wiring harness and the whole fuel system to get a valve cover off? Geez what a nightmare. And don't get me started on the rear timing, hope you never have to touch it. Good video though :)
New BMWs Are Reliable - because the valve cover gasket is not leaking? Sounds like a high school student logic...lol And few pieces of foam here and there will not be able to thermally insulate a 500 lb engine, you'd need a lot more insulation to do that
"It's done for emissions purposes" "Forced to be reliable for emissions" Wake up call buddy. Engines have become extremely complex to meet emissions regulators which always and only decreases the reliability. This engine is no way near as reliable as, for example, an M54 built with modern materials could be and still this engine (mine atleast) is now at 300k km without any engine maintenance worth mentioning.
TOTALLY DISAGREE!!!! My 21 x5 b58 with 18k miles valve cover it’s all grimy and wet around scheduled for service next week,the turbo has oil on it from dripping , total garbage Now my 23 g80 has dirt on the back corner on VC next to fire wall , that tells me oil is getting Out car has only 2000 mile 🤬 not to mention s58 on cold start feel like is misfiring skips a beat, car shakes …… 👎
Man I remember doing a valve cover gasket on my E36 couple years back and I was so proud of myself.. and watching you go through this, the E36 VCG was a walk in the park compared to this
right? working on E36's is easy af compared to these. I guess thats why I would never own a newer gen bmw
You’re a true BMW doctor and the best content creator with excellent explanations and the best at offering practical solutions. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge. Much appreciated 🙏
I have to be up for work in a few hours and here I am watching a diy on an engine I don’t have
WoW!!!! What a lot of intricate details to remember or know of just to get to the valve cover!!!! This is why BMW maintenance is so expensive - just the time it takes to get to the parts that require attention - plus all the things that need to go back in precise order....yech!
Thanks for this highly detailed video. Nowhere else to get this kind of info I think.
I absolutely love all your videos. Even though I drive an e90 n52, every time I watch your videos I learn so much. Thank you for taking the time out to record and edit. 🙏🏽
N52 is the best engine ever
@@billgrows6574 don’t know about that. But it is reliable so far. 👍🏽
@@eriqrosado3337 I have n54s and a b58 I love my n52 equally as much
@@billgrows6574 that’s what’s up. The more I learn about the newer engines and the tech behind it all really makes me want to get into a newer chassis. I’m still really new to the bmw game. My first one was the e46 in my picture and boy do I miss that car even though it was a pure hooptie. 🤣
@@eriqrosado3337 that’s the best way to start makes you appreciate when things go right I love all my cars regardless of speed a lot of people who trash the n52 only own 1 car or don’t care about they’re shit
Please do a video on changing the gear box oil, they say it is lifetime oil but you should never go by that, it is recommended to charge the gearbox oil at 60000miles, it would be a great DIY and would really like to see how it is done🙂
I’ve gotten mine done at a shop at 60K and I have the ZF8, the mechanic sent me videos of it, the oil was filthy inside, he had to flush it twice, I highly recommend get it done at 60K. Lifetime fill is BS, I guess BMW meant the 5yr warranty is the lifetime.
@@ramen9996 Yeah it is not good, a guy who works at BMW told us that the life time is actually for some part in germany where they crush the cars when the only a few years old it is just what they do there unfortunately, and that is what they call life time a few years meanwhile tptje rest of the world kepp the cars for many many years😂
@@moonwalk6404 You see I would believe that if BMW themselves didn’t put their 30-40yr old cars in their commercials. They’re obviously proud of their older designs and models, doesn’t make any sense that they don’t provide owners with realistic maintenance timeframe for keeping their cars running.
@@ramen9996 100%
One of your best uploads! Edits were on point, info was just enough, and the time lapse of reconnecting the harness was great! I forsee a lot of people installing the injectors like this. When the cheap tools come out for that job, they better be prices right. This looks simple ...and good enough, imo.
Thank you for your detailed tutorial. The part relevant to me is the vanos actuator removal and replacement. I looked a long time and could not find an actual video showing how those clips work. Many online comments on the mystery of them. My B58 gen 1 thanks you :)
Just an FYI, you need to think long and hard if you want to DIY this on a B46/B48. The room between the engine and firewall makes it pretty close to impossible to remove and re-install the vanos actuators, and/or get the connectors back on once you get the actuator back installed. Turbo oil feed also has to be removed on the B46 (230i) to get the cover off. On the good side, the injector removal tool was only $140 on amazon.
Do the actuators need to be placed in the spot they came out of? Like does it have to come out of the intake side and go back into the intake side?
@@medogabr9952 Good question. I'm not sure. I replaced mine without paying attention to that. They look identical, and have there is only one part #, I think. I have to pull them again, and either put it in correctly, or replace the seal, and then put them in correctly, as it seems like I have a leak there, and a check engine light and a limp mode warning on the car status screen. I think if I cut down the actuator wrench some, it will make the re-install much easier. The handle is just too long to get in the area you have.
another great video, I really enjoyed the previous one too - learned a ton, love it. if you don't mind, could you make a video on all the different sensors there are and their purposes? I know there's a ton, you could limit it to the most interesting ones or the ones that cause/alert most of the codes and issues.
Never had to replace the valve cover gasket until my wife bought a BMW. Thanks for your vids. I like the the vids, hate my wife’s car.
I love your enthusiasm for BMW's - although I've never in 30 years of motoring had have a valve cover gasket replaced (on Japanese cars). My 2012 X5 no doubt will be the first... There is so much plastic in that engine bay that you are working on, just biodegrading as you work - ticking time bomb!
I would MUCH rather do this job on a B58 rather than a Honda J series. The only bad thing about Japanese cars is that often the tolerances are so low, things can be near catastrophic in failure yet exhibit little to no symptoms.
And parts availability & diy info is nonexistent compared to Euro cars. (For obvious reasons 😂)
Great fix. So BMW is capable to mount decent gaskets if they wanted! My '93 e36 325i had still the original oil pan gasket, when I sold it. 27yo and 130k miles. That's quality! But back in the 90's, BMW made their money by selling cars. Nowadays it's expensive repairs and selling expensive parts and putting bad quality gaskets in engines....
But probably they had to go the better way because the Japanese are not used to oil leaking cars. LOL.
Btw I did my intake ports last week and they were pretty gunged up for only 56k miles. I cleaned these by hand. l used your method. The soap dispenser was super handy to get out the solved carbon build-up.
Better throttle response, better performance, and a smoother idle. I am planning the Walbro 450 conversion because the LPFS upgrade to the Bosch one didn't solve my 2AAF code. Car's running great. So my pump is almost gone by age(13yo)
Awesome! Yeah the hand method is a little tedious but the results are well worth it.
It's a good thing they're more reliable cause they sure as hell don't look like they're any easier to work on.
Mine is a 2016 with just over 100k miles, so older with slightly fewer miles, there is a small amount of seepage so I'm getting mine done to be proactive though the dealer said it would be okay for a little while more but need to be done eventually. It could be age is more of a factor especially with colder weather lately the heat cycling is more substantial.
Bmws always been reliable depending on witch model you got, example n54 days you had the option for a simpler more reliable n52 and now that they perfected on turbo engines these should also have a long life span.
You literally a genius!! make everything look so easy
Dealer mechanics replaced the valve cover gaskets three times on my 2001 X5 M62 and they all leaked within 2yrs. I did the job and still no leaks in 11yrs.
11 years is impressive for valve cover gaskets to be leak free.
@@VehicularDIY I did the chain guide job and sold it to my neighbor 3yrs ago and she drives it virtually everyday to see her grandkids. We just did the water pump for the second time and It has 265Kmi on the odo. Burns no oil.
That's How It IS All The Time @ Dealer I Buy NEW NEVER BACK TO THE DEALER & Take care OF 5 Car 7 Trucks Some Are 22 years Old & Run Better NEW & Run ANY , Light To Light The BMW Man Said Your Still There Yes With a 3;73 Gear & On Highway Gear Vendor Over Drive Just Get Started @100mphThat My F350 7.3 It The SET UP ..If you Build Your Self .....Like YOU Said Dealers Sells .. Do NOT FIX Any THING But Take YOUR MONEY ..& Fight For The FIX...saw Mom Get Rip Off To Many Times
Love the video! You make it look so easy...R&R in 20 minutes! Wonder what that works out to per hour from a dealers quote?
All diy videos should be like this
Great video, thanks!! How about the N63 engine. Do they remain problematic? Or has BMW made improvements with the V8 also?
Ask any BMW tech how many revisions the N63 had. Most of them wouldn't be able to give you an answer lol.
@@toothpickdic If NOT For The EPA ALL Would Be Right When You See This Think Nuclear & They Look The Other WAY & WE PAY Cancer lotto IS Nuclear / Not The IC Engine.... They Push Lies & We PAY
Thanks for watching! I think the earlier versions were pretty rough in terms of reliability but the engine has been in production for so long now that the N63TU is vastly improved. It's still going to require much more maintenance given it runs a hot V configuration but it's viable to own one if you will consider wrenching on it yourself. I bought an X5 for the channel and ran it for over a years and it was problem free so I ended up just selling it. It was a 2015, it only had about 60K miles but it was still bone dry.
I had a 3yr lease at 15k a yr on a 2019 540i xDrive MSport and for 49,400(NJ-NY daily) miles I NEVER got a check engine light and I beat the sh*t out of it. Stage1,intake,SprintBooster. The ONLY small issues was coolant usage which is nothing. Amazing platform BMW made or did they???? Being that Toyota uses the B58tu1 (Tech Update 1)
You say you like to see the cams silver but on the e90 n54 you said that the bronze cams were fine for the mileage?? Kinda contradicted yourself there, could you elaborate ? I think you mean if there was any actual bits of carbon deposits or more scored looking cams would be the issue w higher miles & would indicate no proper interval oil changes? Not just the bronze color? Correct me if I'm wrong. Great vid as always.
Are you referring to when I did my valve cover gasket on my E90? I was close to 200K miles on that engine at that time so to elaborate I would be pretty happy with a gold color at that mileage. Silver is ideal, a light gold color is decent as well. A dark copper or bronze color wouldn't be ideal it's not a deal breaker, if it was bronze with bits of sludge visible that would be a bit of a red flag.
@@VehicularDIY This is the answer I was looking for, thank you for being concise with the answer. Leaves no room for interpretation now.
Thanks for these great how to's!
Would love to get on of these cars used, but my mechanical aptitude sucks and can't dyi 😢
How much does the gaskets cost and how many hours labor from a Bmw independent specialist you recon?
Cheers
A lot of that insulation is for sound deadening, not insulating. It can be argued that insulating can lead to earlier part failure/faster aging (coils, plastics, wire insulation, etc.) Areas commonly insulated for heat retention would be the PVC system. Both cold weather and gas laws (Venturi, Bernoulli’s) can lead to freezing of water vapor. Many vehicles have an active method of PCV system heating via coolant or an electric heating element for this reason.
I'd say its definitely a fair argument that one of the primary motivations for incorporating heat retention would the PCV system given the issues that used to plague the M54. The official term that BMW used for the B58 is "Thermal Encapsulation" if you want to read up on it more. I think the insulation up at the front is a stand out difference from previous models.
@@VehicularDIY yes, definite cold weather pvc woes on M54. I will surely give that a read
Hey man, Just did my VC on my 2016 340i. How did you keep the outer gasket in place? It seems as mine moved around when I got it on and now have a leak in the back left on the exhaust cam side. I only have drove it about 30 miles and then noticed it leaking in the rear. I believe the gasket rolled when I got it on the head…
How close is this to the B48 valve cover DIY? There appears to be no vid for that anywhere yet... And from your experience, or, anyone else's here, would you replace ignition coils and plugs while in there on a car with 68k ?
have a 2014 m235i n55 w solid crank. most reliable car period. only oil filter gasket after 60k miles. need oil pan gasket and control arms but after 110k miles. by far a million times more reliable than my pos 335i was
N55 is one the best engines indeed.
Enjoyed, thanks for posting 👍
Sweet vid! But dang the B58 is a PITA to disassemble. I'll keep my N54
Great video once more! Shame they moved the timing chain to the back, seems like it will be a hassle once that will need replacing, whats your take on it? What do you think is better, chain on the front or back? And would that make much difference?
I would say that having the chain at the back would make a huge difference it it needed to be serviced. Luckily they have been okay on the B58 given it's naturally balanced.
@@VehicularDIY Thanks for your reply!
would this be any different than m340i valve cover removal?
Have you heard of the B58 ever needing a fuel injection service at 55K miles? Dealer told me my 440i xdrive gran coupe is due for one. I guess they hook it up to a machine and run a cleaner through the fuel system...
Thank you for the video. If you change the oil every 5k miles, should using a Catrol edge( European version) be ok?
I love BWW's
Excellent video thanks for sharing your knowledge.
You should do an E46 M3. I would love to see what you can do with it.
amazing how much more room there is in the engine bay on the f chassis 3 series
I replaced N54 valve cover seems easier. Great Video.
Great video thank you very much I'm looking to upgrade from my 135 N54 to m240
That’s not an upgrade IMO. The 135 has character and feel, don’t give up on it!
@@TML34 Unfortunately piece of the charge pipe broke offgot sucked in Cylinder 6 valve Bent valve now it stuck👎 closed
@@dvatch0339 Damn! Did you have the old original plastic charge pipe? They are known for cracking under “modified” boost levels. Well, just remember it’s almost always cheaper to fix a part than buy another car, unless the rest of it is falling apart too.
Was your valve cover leaking? Is that why you replaced it?
Great upload!!!! Should put Valve Cover Gasket on B58 on the title.
I video on all the water pumps and explanation would be cool
Like the background tunes also.
You've fitted a cone filter which is sucking in hot engine bay air that must be over 100C/232F when the engine is at operating temperature ...and you think it improves the power? Okay! 🙂
Do you believe that the N55 that was produced beside the B58 between 2015 and 2018 has been vastly improves over the N55 produced before 2015?
I would say it's slightly better given it has some minor improvements. For perspective I had a 2014 N55 in my X5 and by 97K miles the gaskets were completely shot and all the plastics on the top of the valve cover were super brittle. I needed to change the entire valve cover and they were readily available online with many knock off covers being offered. There are videos on my channel regarding that job.
How reliable is the B58 compared to the N55 with 109k miles on it
Looking to refresh an engine, do you have a link for the torque wrench you use?
I always blamed the long oil changes for hardened gaskets. No car should ever go more than a year without an oil change.
I've heard somewhere online that as oil ages it becomes acidic. Maybe wrong but I always thought the same about long interval oil changes.
@@mikemata623 Exactly, oil seals are designed to withstand oil and heat. When acid and other reactants are added to the mix its a complete disaster.
A dealer service history is no longer a good thing, unless there's proof of annual oil changes.
For sure ensuring you change the oil regularly regardless of miles can go a long way.
Not so sure about that sir. Plastic oil housing? That's waiting to crack and it is placed in the rear of the engine! A pain to work with.
Looks like this isn't that big a deal it isn't sealing the water jacket from the oil passages or anything like that so it would just leak a little when it starts to fail no risk of coolant getting into the oil or worse coolant getting into the cylinders. You could even run the engine for a short period without the valve cover except that the spark plug and injectors go though it so that wouldn't be possible.
BMW has never made a valve cover gasket that lasts. They only made the problem worse lol. I never did have to change the VCG on my 2011 N55 that I owned from 70k - 110k miles, but the oil pan gasket was starting to leak though.
After 100k you don’t think that many miles it gets to it 😐
The one u use to remove the injector is what tool ah the one like golf stick like this @9.57 min
Why did this 1st gen B58 only lasted 3yr before they redesigned it?
I have 340i with low miles and it has leak when parked on hill or incline. Is that valve cover ?? Also I just had oil changed at bmw week ago.
Check around the oil filter housing, on the driver side of the engine bay closer to the firewall.
@@VehicularDIY I checked the oil filter it’s dry however I jacked my car and I see oil on front differential that’s where is the oil leak but it’s not differential oil though.
Seems more complicated job than on N54... On n54 you didnt even have to remove the injectors to replace valve cover... which i thought was neat. But hey if VCG dont leak and fail like on n54 then it doesnt really matter how much more complicated it is or how many special tools are meant for the job.
How many hours does this take?
Ia there a diagaram for torque sequence?
I purchased used 100 000km 318d 2013 model in 2016 for 19500€. now with ca 192 000km I invested 6000€ in preventive service (chain+clutch+many other small things) then I got oil burn and again motor was out... so this is done now also in last 2000km.... so BMW is reliable as much as you pocket deep is...
Wait, I thought heat was an engine's enemy? Isn't that the reason why you have the cold air intake?
Heat on the intake air charge isn't ideal but the engine as a whole operates best with heat so it can burn the fuel as efficiently as possible.
@@VehicularDIY If heat on the engine is "ideal", then why is it that when someone tunes their cars and puts the car on a dyno, after a few runs on the dyno, they always let the car cool down before running the car on the dyno again? From what I have seen, it's always because they state that the engine produces less performance/horsepower when the engine is hot. At least this is what I have always seen and heard.
@@berniecruz8405 he said efficiently, not max horsepower
Hot air is less oxygen dense so you lose power. Because the car is to maintain a stoichiometric ratio (14.7 parts of air to fuel) so less oxygen less fuel less power. Heat overall for the engine block is bad to an extent where there is so much heat that the whole engine block warps causing issues and leak. Then again heat in the combustion chamber is important for proper fuel vaporisation and efficiency.
@@Dmxravin 🤔🤔🤔🤔👍
That's a lot of bolts! Makese sense tho with it being a plastic vc.
How do you remember where everything goes back lol?
The B58 valve cover seems to sit much more flat and parallel to the ground so the exhaust side probably doesn't have that hot oil sitting right next to it either🤷🏻♂️
The valve cover & gasker on my N55 that was 8 years old when I had to replace it started leaking right at the rear of the engine as in just above the intake. Again I have to say it was partly my fault it failed, age, hot and cold cycles, ignoring oil service intervals, driving hard while not fully warmed up etc.
The heat shield around the turbo is also pretty huge. The N55 in my 2014 X5 with 97K miles had brittle plastic everywhere, I had to change the valve cover as a whole and the PCV piping etc. would crumble as soon as you touched it. The gaskets were also shot, I could find about 10 difference knock off valve covers.
Eh don't agree that emissions is the reason for better quality but nevertheless quality has improved since n54 days
Also disagree. More strict emissions standards means more sophisticated engine management parts. A 1.6 Honda SOHC will outlast a modern Honda engine with normal maintenance
I would say the cross over point for what I consider a someone modern BMW is when they started coming with wideband oxygen sensors and direct injection. I think the higher target fuel pressures for emissions naturally equate to much higher tolerances and improved reliability but yes quality and knowledge and quality as a whole has improved with time.
Hey @vehiculardiy I've been working on my B52 2018 440i Gran Coupe and I've been having problems with the Car turning off only when it's stopped at Red Lights. I wanted to see if you can please help me with any ideas that can be causing the Car to shut off. We Believe it has something to do with the Idle Air Control when the Vehicle is Stationary. Please if you see this message help me out with any Ideas it may be coming from a Professional. Thank You!
Are you sure it's not the start/stop feather on the car? There's a button next to the start button you can press to turn it off. Get a engine code scanner to check for codes.
@@drone1028 Nah its not cause it happens even with the Auto Stop Off so it has to do with something with the Idle. But thanks tho. 👍🏽
Do you like aftermarket air intakes? K&N type filters let fine particles in that surely damage engines in the longer term?
They have served me well, you just have to ensure you service them about every 6 months.
I’ve only read the title and already I’m.😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 ok, I’ll watch the rest.
dude, you are so awesome
Just commenting for the algo👌
Cheers to that!
Don't forget DECOUPLERS gotta be replaced everytime
Yeah we get bad rep ……was at dealer with my N54 e90 last week and got estimate for valve cover replacement at $1600 and oil cooler leak fix at $1300 lmao
and thats why BMW is a rich man's car lol
@@john-om4nj *OR* a car for someone who knows how to diy. I just bought a N54 E90 as well and did a valve cover, oil cooler gasket, oil filter housing gasket, low pressure fuel sensor, ignition coils, plugs, serpentine belt, transfer case and diff fluids, upgraded all vacuum hoses, walnut blast (valve cleaning), changed air and cabin filters, transmission filter and mechatronic adapter, and new battery and oil change...car purrs like a kitten and takes off like a cheetah....all for about $700 in parts, plus all the parts including even ALL the fluids came with free life replacement warranty at fcpeuro...saved literally $10K in labor and now won't have to pay for any of the warrantied tune-up parts in the future. Its a great car for the diyer!
Impressive.
My 2017 BMW 540i G30 just burned a valve #4 cylinder. (105k miles) I had the vsfr high flow cat, upgraded charge pipe, k&n air filter, new B58TU Fuel pump and Bootmod3 Stage 2+ 93 octane.
I am beyond depressed! Single Dad with special needs, kid. I was told I need a new engine. 21k installed. I just can't. I still owe 25k. Only car.... HELP Please 🙏
Nice K&N dust ingester.
😂😂😂 Yes it is!
@@markkauffman6184 Also, sucking down that sweet hot engine bay air. So you also got that going for you.
@@BretBerger Yeah, not really a fan of K&N ever since I did a used oil analysis and it revealed high silicone levels from dirt passing through the filter. Went back to paper and never looked back.
Super Super detailed
Now show us how to apply these engineering techniques to the N54 and N55 engines. Please, lol 😂
Fr though🤦🏿♂️
The N54 and 55 are much easier to work on that this. It’s just you gotta do the preventative maintenance and not wait until something shits the bed.
@@TML34 agreed but damn the gasket leaks are a pain to do every couple of years, still doable but it would be nice if there was a way to keep the engines from heat cycling the plastics that are all over the engine bay. I would love to just drive for 5 years and not worry about oil leaks every time I change oil and do standard Routine maintenance. That doesn’t involve plastic hoses and oil cooler gasket changes. Not complaining, I still love both of my engines. Just wish there were things that we could do to make them more efficient and less failure prone
@@irontrev1640 At least you know where to look. 😅
Does bmw ever think of serviceability on their engines? Who'd ever think of removing half of the wiring harness and the whole fuel system to get a valve cover off? Geez what a nightmare.
And don't get me started on the rear timing, hope you never have to touch it.
Good video though :)
How do they normally do the timing set on these? I can't imagine it would be possible in the car?
@@ichoozjc I'm going to guess that the first thing the service manual says is to remove the engine lol
Awesome!! I just subscribe!!!
Speak oh wise Sensei. For we are listening😀
Rule of thumb if it ain't broke don't fix it leave it alone
He said newer bmws 2016 up consider newer
B58 is a reliable engine.
Bmws* I gotchu bro lol
I think he was just hungry and thinking about getting some wings. We’ve all been there. 😆
Lol fixed, thanks.
New BMWs Are Reliable - because the valve cover gasket is not leaking? Sounds like a high school student logic...lol
And few pieces of foam here and there will not be able to thermally insulate a 500 lb engine, you'd need a lot more insulation to do that
"It's done for emissions purposes" "Forced to be reliable for emissions" Wake up call buddy. Engines have become extremely complex to meet emissions regulators which always and only decreases the reliability. This engine is no way near as reliable as, for example, an M54 built with modern materials could be and still this engine (mine atleast) is now at 300k km without any engine maintenance worth mentioning.
TOTALLY DISAGREE!!!! My 21 x5 b58 with 18k miles valve cover it’s all grimy and wet around scheduled for service next week,the turbo has oil on it from dripping , total garbage
Now my 23 g80 has dirt on the back corner on VC next to fire wall , that tells me oil is getting Out car has only 2000 mile 🤬 not to mention s58 on cold start feel like is misfiring skips a beat, car shakes …… 👎
And I have proof of bigfoot.
Most of your theory are so wrong. More wrenching and less inaccurate theories.
Comments can be an open discussion, if you have a rebuttal I'm sure the viewers would be interested in different viewpoints.
I would never buy a used bmw. I would only buy new vehicles. I hate other peoples throwaway