[muzzammil15]

Originally Posted by Ripsin

Hey all, new to the forum but have been a reader for a long time gaining lots of good advice from those who really know their stuff.

I have a 08' 335i currently at the stealership in hopes of curing an issue I had with performance. I've been told it needs a carbon cleaning and replacement of the intake manifold = $1345... Ouch. I have just over 50K and it just expired warranty.

The engine light and loss of power on the way to work concerned me, that's why the stealership has it. However, I have a pretty honest foreign car shop who will likely do it for less.

Here's my question... I had injectors 1 and 6 replaced during the recall for HPFI, they say cylinders 5 and 6 are dirty. Is it common for a car with this little mileage to need a carbon cleaning this early and for this cost??? My second 3 series and first time I've heard of this.

Much thanks you guys.

Only way you would need to replace the intake manifold would be, if its damaged in anyway. If it is not damaged than there is no reason to replace the intake-manifold at all.

Carbon built up can happen at any-point on these cars from what I have seen. I have wal-nut cleaning done on my car and I only had 24,400 miles on it. The carbon was pretty caked up on my valves. The shop foreman at my dealer, told me the carbon will build up over time, but it also depends on how you drive the car. People who do a lot of city driving, stop and go traffic will build up carbon quicker than those who do a lot of highway driving.

It seems like mileage does not really matter.

[Blackhawk36]

You can also check out Luther Fleming at Fleming Automotive in Hyattsville, MD. He uses the BWM tools and has good references. I think his price is $400.

luther.fleming@yahoo.com
Luther Fleming
Fleming Automotive
443.336.9521

[Broadsword]

Any recommendation for a place in the 804 that does walnut shell blasting?

[Clem]

I'm gauging interest for Saturday, August 4th. If we can get 3 cars confirmed, I will arrange to have my blasting team here for an all day session. Both are BMW techs and have much experience with carbon cleaning on N54's.

[dinkoh]

I'm in.

[stimey]

You know I'm in Clem.

Thanks!

[Blackhawk36]

Damn, I'm on vacation. I will keep checking back.

[Clem]

Originally Posted by dinkoh

I'm in.

You are #3. You won't get blasted until the afternoon, but we'd like to get all cars here earlier to cool off first. You, and anyone else who wants to come by, are welcome to hang out but it will be a long day. Consider dropping off if you are easily bored. However, it's been a while since we had a good ole' garage meet here and we are overdue. I may spread the word!

Originally Posted by stimey

You know I'm in Clem.

Thanks!

You sir, will be #2. I'll do you brakes and oil change while they wrench on #1

Originally Posted by Blackhawk36

Damn, I'm on vacation. I will keep checking back.

Sorry you missed out. We'll try to do it again soon!

[PSI Power]

Darn it, I can't make this one.
Please let me know when the next will be. Have fun guys.

[Luther@Fleming Automotive]

Thanks for the plug blackhawk36. I want to let it be known I am in no way trying to take anything away from Clem! If anything I am trying to offer you guys more options for this service be it timing or location. We have done 3 cars and all 3 have benefited substantially from the service. If you guys need to get in on a certain day or time let me know I may be able to help! We have a certified BMW tech doing our cleanings as well so you will get the same professional service you get from Clem and the Dealership from us. Hope to see some of you soon!!

[Clem]

Originally Posted by fleming77

Thanks for the plug blackhawk36. I want to let it be known I am in no way trying to take anything away from Clem! If anything I am trying to offer you guys more options for this service be it timing or location. We have done 3 cars and all 3 have benefited substantially from the service. If you guys need to get in on a certain day or time let me know I may be able to help! We have a certified BMW tech doing our cleanings as well so you will get the same professional service you get from Clem and the Dealership from us. Hope to see some of you soon!!

No problem at all here! We need to band together to rid the N54 world of this!!

[bigdaddycane]

Clem,

Can you save some of the carbon remnants? There's a a guy on N54tech that is looking to test the carbon coming out of the N54 motor.

[Blackhawk36]

Tischer quoted me $865 as long as no parts are required.

[bigdaddycane]

"Tischer quoted me $865 as long as no parts are required" = rape

[Clem]

Originally Posted by bigdaddycane

Clem,

Can you save some of the carbon remnants? There's a a guy on N54tech that is looking to test the carbon coming out of the N54 motor.

Shouldn't be a problem.

Originally Posted by bigdaddycane

"Tischer quoted me $865 as long as no parts are required" = rape

Actually, that's cheap for Tischer. Rape is where they charged one of my customers $5600 for a clutch job on an E39 M5! I do them for less than a 1/3 of that which includes a new OEM clutch and flywheel.

[cityazndan]

*COUGH* Clem help me with my RB turbos when the time comes :P

[Clem]

Originally Posted by cityazndan

*COUGH* Clem help me with my RB turbos when the time comes :P

I'm sure we can!

[BimmerGuyDC]

Is this service still available? I've got 82k and never had this done before. My car idles rough at startup but appears to smooth out somewhat after warming up. It still shutters every now and then even after that.

Thanks!

[Luther@Fleming Automotive]

Originally Posted by nchuffman1

Is this service still available? I've got 82k and never had this done before. My car idles rough at startup but appears to smooth out somewhat after warming up. It still shutters every now and then even after that.

Thanks!

Yes it is. Give us a call. Fleming Automotive 443.336.9521 let me know when you want to come in and ill set it up! Thanks

Luther

[Selmaan]

2007 BMW 335i Sedan, 6MT, Sport Package.

Engine Malfunction occurred, turned out it was the HPFP. They changed the HPFP, Vanos and Plugs.

About 10 months later, car exhibited shuddering during start-up, misfiring, SES and Engine Malfunction again. Take it back to the dealer, thinking it is the HPFP again, turns out, it is Excessive carbon buildup on the intake, and it had destroyed the Catalytic Converters and Oxygen Sensors.
Dealership quotes me price to repair everything, including Walnut Blast at just under $5,000 with tax, parts and labor. At this point my car had 90K on it, so I sadly decided to trade it in for a lesser brand automobile, which I refer to as my wife's car.

My question is this, why would the dealership not have noticed the carbon build-up when I first had the HPFP replaced? This was so disappointing, however, I will buy a new Bimmer in another year or so!

Has anybody else experienced a similar situation? How common has this been? Has it been rectified with the F30 and up coming M3?

[bigdaddycane]

About 10 months later, car exhibited shuddering during start-up, misfiring, SES and Engine Malfunction again. Take it back to the dealer, thinking it is the HPFP again, turns out, it is Excessive carbon buildup on the intake, and it had destroyed the Catalytic Converters and Oxygen Sensors.
Dealership quotes me price to repair everything, including Walnut Blast at just under $5,000 with tax, parts and labor.

I gotta call BS on the dealer for this one

Yes, there was carbon build up and yes the HPFP was probably toast, but saying the cats and the O2 sensors were destroyed due to the carbon build up seems like BS to me.

You should have had them fix the HPFP under the extended warranty program and taken the car home, had an Indy shop do the walnut blasting and I bet it would have run fine.

You could have even sold it privately and gotten more money than the dealer gave you for it. sometimes the problem seems insurmountable at the time or something you don't want to deal with, but if you step back and look at it there can always be another solution.

This and other forums have a wealth of knowledge that the dealers don't have or want to tell you.

[galahad05]

I thought Cats were under the BMW extended emissions warranty?

Tell us which dealership so we can all avoid them.