[porsche959]

planning to install my stage 3 intake manifold...i promised myself i wouldnt spend more money on this car unless something broke...but while im in there...

would you replace the starter? Not sure if it was ever replaced. it is a 2006 325i 6pd with 115k miles.

it has never not cranked, however, it does sound a little bit sluggish, but again, never left me stranded, threw codes, etc.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I mean... it's just a intake manifold in the way if it ever breaks. I wouldn't spend money now if it ain't broke just to avoid having to take off intake manifold. Subframe yes but not for intake manifold.

[oVeRdOsE.]

knowing that is a common issue around 60-90k miles, on city driving is up to you.
-If you're manual and low mileage, don't do it.
-If you're automatic high mileage, do it.

Since you're manual and high mileage... well, flip a coin.

[relative4]

No. Pulling the manifold off is not that hard.

[ricx]

Replace.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

I mean... it's just a intake manifold in the way if it ever breaks. I wouldn't spend money now if it ain't broke just to avoid having to take off intake manifold. Subframe yes but not for intake manifold.

I agree.....you can pull the IM if you ever need to replace it. The 3IM swap was the first time I ever pulled my IM, and it only took me about an hour taking my time. I bet I could pull it in 30 minutes now easily.

[ryan stewart]

I personally would because its not really that expensive and pulling the manifold (well really pulling everything off to pull the manifold off) is basically the SAME job save for 3 bolts and a few wires.

And if the starter goes, unless youre expecting to be able to bump-start it, youre stranded. I do a lot of road trips and would rather drop $240 to significantly reduce my risk of being stuck on the side of the road in rural alabama with a motorcycle on a trailer behind the car. So once a part reaches the "common failures" point it gets put on the shopping list for the next time Im working near it.

If you rarely go beyond 10 miles from home and arent bothered by maybe having to get a tow and be without the car for a couple of days for the part to come in then dont.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by porsche959

planning to install my stage 3 intake manifold...i promised myself i wouldnt spend more money on this car unless something broke...but while im in there...

would you replace the starter? Not sure if it was ever replaced. it is a 2006 325i 6pd with 115k miles.

it has never not cranked, however, it does sound a little bit sluggish, but again, never left me stranded, threw codes, etc.

Battery - how old is it?

My original OEM starter has 171,000 miles on it & it still is going strong. If you want to change it out, go for it, but I'd wouldn't.

[rick100]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

knowing that is a common issue around 60-90k miles, on city driving is up to you.
-If you're manual and low mileage, don't do it.
-If you're automatic high mileage, do it.

Since you're manual and high mileage... well, flip a coin.

where did you get the starters are common to fail at around 60-90k

I ve been here for a while and I dont recall any failed starters ... I m not saying it doesnt happen , but i wouldnt say its a common issue with the e90s

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Battery - how old is it?

My original OEM starter has 171,000 miles on it & it still is going strong. If you want to change it out, go for it, but I'd wouldn't.

Battery is about a year old.

[The Nightman]

I replaced mine when I did the 3IM as preventative maintenance. It's straightforward if you have a ratcheting E14 wrench. Brand new OE starters are also surprisingly cheap. FCP has it for $150, but you can probably find it cheaper elsewhere

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-bosch-sr0492n

[mecheng77]

100% yes. Unless your Yonge it is very time consuming and your back will
Ache. If it's starting to sound sluggish it will leave you stranded as it did for me

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by rick100

where did you get the starters are common to fail at around 60-90k

I ve been here for a while and I dont recall any failed starters ... I m not saying it doesnt happen , but i wouldnt say its a common issue with the e90s

Mine went at 93k. And one in 10 starts for the months prior to that would be a little slow, kind of like the battery was low. I had the battery tested (it was only a couple years old) and it tested perfectly.

I ordered one and the day it arrived, "click." Nothing else. Thankfully happened in my garage. Had a new starter that night and the difference between an old starter and a new one is radical. Less than a half-second start.

[smass]

Yes do the starter. As they age, they get slower and slower until they fail. At a minimum look for a date code on it while the intake is off. If it is original, change it.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

100% yes. Unless your Yonge it is very time consuming and your back will
Ache. If it's starting to sound sluggish it will leave you stranded as it did for me

Man, becoming old makes me scared when reading your comment

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

I mean... it's just a intake manifold in the way if it ever breaks.

Says the guy whose engine has the plastic valve cover with integrated oil separator.

Originally Posted by Rmtt

I bet I could pull it in 30 minutes now easily.

Not the manifold on a N52 with the magnesium valve cover, unless you just cut all the CCV plumbing and replace with new ($).


I'm very competent when it comes to working on cars, and removing my intake manifold and replacing all the CCV plumbing including the external oil separator took SIGNIFICANTLY more time that I could have possibly estimated. I ended up just cutting all but one hose and replacing them with new. While I had the manifold off I saw the starter staring at me and I was tempted to replace, but I left it alone for now.

If I ever have to remove the intake manifold again, I'm going to use generic rubber heater hose and hose clamps for all the PCV hoses (without the integrated heating wires). It's such a PITA to work with the corrugated plastic hoses and connect them all to the oil separator that's buried under the manifold. There's just no room to work back there.

[Rmtt]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Says the guy whose engine has the plastic valve cover with integrated oil separator.




Not the manifold on a N52 with the magnesium valve cover, unless you just cut all the CCV plumbing and replace with new ($).


I'm very competent when it comes to working on cars, and removing my intake manifold and replacing all the CCV plumbing including the external oil separator took SIGNIFICANTLY more time that I could have possibly estimated. I ended up just cutting all but one hose and replacing them with new. While I had the manifold off I saw the starter staring at me and I was tempted to replace, but I left it alone for now.

If I ever have to remove the intake manifold again, I'm going to use generic rubber heater hose and hose clamps for all the PCV hoses (without the integrated heating wires). It's such a PITA to work with the corrugated plastic hoses and connect them all to the oil separator that's buried under the manifold. There's just no room to work back there.

Never did one with the magnesium cover, but I have done my Intake and just recently my Valve-Cover when I did my Milvs modification. On both jobs, I was able to get my CCV plumbing off without breaking anything although I had spares on hand just in case as I know those were prone to be brittle.

My car has 70,XXX miles on it..so maybe they were in better shape. But once I could get my hand on the connector, I never really had an issue applying pressure and getting it to disconnect.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

Never did one with the magnesium cover, but I have done my Intake and just recently my Valve-Cover when I did my Milvs modification. On both jobs, I was able to get my CCV plumbing off without breaking anything although I had spares on hand just in case as I know those were prone to be brittle.

My car has 70,XXX miles on it..so maybe they were in better shape. But once I could get my hand on the connector, I never really had an issue applying pressure and getting it to disconnect.

The problem is the location of the external oil separator. It's buried at the back of the manifold and there's no room to get your hand on those collars of the connectors and get leverage to pull them off.

On top of that, the wires for the heaters plug into a little distribution block further restricting the movement.

If there was room to work, I could have gotten all the connectors off but since there was no room, I just cut the plastic tubes to remove the separator.

[CTinline-six]

Only do the starter if you plan on replacing it with a quality part. If you throw a cheap one in there, you will be doing the job again shortly after, which defeats the purpose.

[Efthreeoh]

I have an '06 325i. I was really replacing the CCV. I replaced the starter, but my car was at 383,000. The starter was cranking slower than the new unit I installed.

The manifold is a tedious job on the '06. It took me an hour just to release the engine electrical junction box. It takes an hour just to disassemble the CCV and clean all the oil residue inside the manifold.

Installing the manifold is quite difficult. Take my advice and remove the alternator and PS reservoir mounting bracket. Get the CCV hoses for the valve cover side and the return drain hose. You'll most likely break both. Being your car is a NYC vehicle, I'd spend the extra $180 and get a new genuine BMW starter from Tischer.

Keep track of the electrical connectors as you unplug them. Make a list of them and descriptiion of each (i.e. pin count, shape, coloring).