[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Schmitz

Thanks. Looking forward to the 400,000 thread.

Edit : looks like very little has actually broken.

LOL, yeah, well you just made me write it

The thing is a tank. Even deer can't kill it. (jinx...)

If I stop posting soon, it probably means the car out lasted me.

[leif20]

Have you (or anyone) ever had to replace the PCV oil separator? I had a look at mine when I did my starter back in December (at 200k km, now at 214k) and it seemed to be pretty gunked up. The inlet looked partially blocked with residue of solid oil. Is it a bad idea to replace this part or is it fairly standard at high miles? Will the car throw a code if the PCV gets blocked?

Also my car is affected by the 2006 recall of these units, but I don't want to have the shop take apart my car for something that probably won't be a problem.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by leif20

Have you (or anyone) ever had to replace the PCV oil separator? I had a look at mine when I did my starter back in December (at 200k km, now at 214k) and it seemed to be pretty gunked up. The inlet looked partially blocked with residue of solid oil. Is it a bad idea to replace this part or is it fairly standard at high miles? Will the car throw a code if the PCV gets blocked?

Also my car is affected by the 2006 recall of these units, but I don't want to have the shop take apart my car for something that probably won't be a problem.

Several Forum members have replaced the CCV and found them clogged up. I have yet to do the CCV in my car, but plan to soon. The recall only affects the heated PCV valve, which is removed and replaced by removing the alternator, the tech doesn't touch the rest of the CCV system.

[mp-E46]

Sorry to dig up an old thread.

Wow! I own a 2011 E90 N51 with sports package. After I test drove one with the Sports pkg along with non Sports it was a no brainer. The Trans shifting curve are quite different that non sport. Road & Track did an article mentioning to save your money by not buying a 335 and buy a 328 with sport pkg.

I think a lot has to do with your 150 mile drive everyday. I own an e46,e60 and e90. Any rubber gasket for me good for about 60kish miles. It's a scheduled leak seems like....lol.

I read all the comments. I didn't see any mention of replacing oil pan gasket. Did you ever replace one?
Also you mentioned. you used Permatex UB. Do you just use the PUB alone or along with the rubber gasket. I have always wondered if you can use just PUB. Doing an OPG on an xi is not fun.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mp-E46

Sorry to dig up an old thread.

Wow! I own a 2011 E90 N51 with sports package. After I test drove one with the Sports pkg along with non Sports it was a no brainer. The Trans shifting curve are quite different that non sport. Road & Track did an article mentioning to save your money by not buying a 335 and buy a 328 with sport pkg.

I think a lot has to do with your 150 mile drive everyday. I own an e46,e60 and e90. Any rubber gasket for me good for about 60kish miles. It's a scheduled leak seems like....lol.

I read all the comments. I didn't see any mention of replacing oil pan gasket. Did you ever replace one?
Also you mentioned. you used Permatex UB. Do you just use the PUB alone or along with the rubber gasket. I have always wondered if you can use just PUB. Doing an OPG on an xi is not fun.

You missed it. It is in the list on my initial post. I replaced the pan gasket at 293,000. I used P-tex Ultra Black on both sides of the OEM gasket. Leak free at 388,300 miles. Go to the pan gasket DIY, I made multiple comments in that thread.

My VCG never leaked. I changed the ESS, which required a new gasket of course. I use P-tex Ultra Black, both sides on that too. I've done the OFHG twice. I finally changed the CCV around 382,000 IIRC, in December 2019.

[C4maro]

That's like 625000 kms Holy crapoly

[MadJoe]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

7:04 AM April 18th, 2016

Oil Life Monitor:
On the E90 (at least for my 2006 325i) the CBS oil service indicator (oil life monitor) is programmed to stop working after 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles). The system is programmed to stop processing the oil quality data provided by the oil quality/oil level sensor that is in the oil pan. If you are not familiar with the CBS oil life monitor system, the sensor that determines the level of the oil in the engine also measures the quality of the oil though a practice of measuring the dielectric of the oil. The oil quality sensor provides oil quality data to the CBS that is used as part of the data input to the BMW algorithm used to determine when the oil needs changing. So I changed out the oil level sensor (as a DIY). The part is around $160. The new sensor did not change the behavior of the system and the CBS still would not reset. So, figuring it was a software issue, off to BMW of Sterling I went. BMW of Sterling, who was great in really trying to solve the issue BTW, had my car for 8 days. BMW of Sterling followed the procedure noted in the attached bulletin, and when that didn’t work, they hooked my car up to the BMW NA engineering network to let BMW’s NA engineering department have a crack at it. BMW NA couldn’t fix it either, and opened a PUMA case, sending the issue off to BMW AG. Since August 2014 BMW has not addressed the issue and never followed up on the PUMA case. So if BMW puts the software patch in your car, the CBS still tells you it is over due for an oil change every time you start the engine. UPDATE: In July 2016 I gave BMW one last chance and they finally came up with a fix in February of 2016. The CBS now does not report anything about OCI. Cost me $100.

I have a similar car to yours, a 2006 Sport Package manual. Mine does only have 194,000 miles on it so far, but my oil life sensor never stopped working...that I noticed. My oil life indicator seemed to be working normal for the past few months since I reached over 186,000, but now I'm wondering if I missed a sign. What would be the indicator? Do I need to wait until the oil life runs out and it signals it needs changing, or would it immediately signal needing an oil change at 186,000 and not be able to be reset?

Thanks, and dang man, you hit a lot of deer!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by MadJoe

I have a similar car to yours, a 2006 Sport Package manual. Mine does only have 194,000 miles on it so far, but my oil life sensor never stopped working...that I noticed. My oil life indicator seemed to be working normal for the past few months since I reached over 186,000, but now I'm wondering if I missed a sign. What would be the indicator? Do I need to wait until the oil life runs out and it signals it needs changing, or would it immediately signal needing an oil change at 186,000 and not be able to be reset?

Thanks, and dang man, you hit a lot of deer!

If you reset the oil monitor after 186K, the reset interval should have been lower than expected. I strictly followed the CBS for oil changes, so after 186K the reset mileage dropped in half. At 221K it wouldn't reset and the telltale sign is the CBS tells you the oil change is past due upon every engine shutoff. Good news is now, after I brought it to BMW's attention, they fixed the software patch so the notification can be coded out of the COMBI in the gauge cluster.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

If you reset the oil monitor after 186K, the reset interval should have been lower than expected. I strictly followed the CBS for oil changes, so after 186K the reset mileage dropped in half. At 221K it wouldn't reset and the telltale sign is the CBS tells you the oil change is past due upon every engine shutoff. Good news is now, after I brought it to BMW's attention, they fixed the software patch so the notification can be coded out of the COMBI in the gauge cluster.

^^^
There's a whole separate thread about this topic, great info as these cars start to get a lot of miles on them. I ran into this on my car just after I turned over 220K miles and was able to code out the CBS reminder in less than five minutes using Rheingold/ISTA. Now I don't get any electronic reminder to change my oil, though a nifty little trick is that I have a physical reminder. I'm consuming a quart every 1500-2000 miles, so when I do an oil change I buy two 5-quart containers and use 7 quarts for the oil change, leaving three spare quarts. When I get the "+1qt" message after adding that third extra quart, it's time for an oil change, which ends up being a 6000-8000 mile interval.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

^^^
There's a whole separate thread about this topic, great info as these cars start to get a lot of miles on them. I ran into this on my car just after I turned over 220K miles and was able to code out the CBS reminder in less than five minutes using Rheingold/ISTA. Now I don't get any electronic reminder to change my oil, though a nifty little trick is that I have a physical reminder. I'm consuming a quart every 1500-2000 miles, so when I do an oil change I buy two 5-quart containers and use 7 quarts for the oil change, leaving three spare quarts. When I get the "+1qt" message after adding that third extra quart, it's time for an oil change, which ends up being a 6000-8000 mile interval.

Yeah, I know there is a separate thread. I'm the one who started it in Sept/Oct 2012. The reason it can be coded it out is because BMW N.A. opened a PUMA case with BMW Ag based on me bringing it to BMW's attention in August 2012.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Yeah, I know there is a separate thread. I'm the one who started it in Sept/Oct 2012. The reason it can be coded it out is because BMW N.A. opened a PUMA case with BMW Ag based on me bringing it to BMW's attention in August 2012.

Oh yeah, I'm well aware it's your thread, I was just pointing that out to anyone else who may be intersted and not know about it (wasn't responding to you directly). You're the first one to discover the issue and force BMW to change their software, that's actually pretty cool. BMW likely expected their customers to trade these cars in long before they hit the mileage that we're starting to see a lot more of these days.

[213e90n51]

How hard did you drive the car in the mountains on your way back home? And how much miles was it? Also did you do alot of hard downshifts and braking while pulling lots of Gs in corners? How Often did you do a brake fluid service also. And did your car see alot of bad roads?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 213e90n51

How hard did you drive the car in the mountains on your way back home? And how much miles was it? Also did you do alot of hard downshifts and braking while pulling lots of Gs in corners? How Often did you do a brake fluid service also. And did your car see alot of bad roads?

Still drive it hard on back roads twice a week. Smells like it is going to catch fire. Every 2 years. No.

[Greyfox]

Well, I'm sitting at a tad over 295,000. But I've been allowed to telework for the last two weeks so it has been sitting... and at this point, it may be a while before it stretches it's legs out on my weekly commute.

[amtex]

How is the car doing? Is it over 400,000 miles already?

[rt7085]

Time for a M3 wagon. You have earned it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by amtex

How is the car doing? Is it over 400,000 miles already?

Close, the E90 has 397,300 or there about. It was on the lift for a week during a very s-l-o-w rear brake rebuild, LOL. I bought an E46 Cabrio in Sept 2019. It's kept some miles off the E90. I've run the E46 20,000 miles since Sept. '19.

Might hit 400,000 in December. I'm not in a hurry. I may swap in the old sport springs. The H&R's I'm not happy with.

[ewicky]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

...I may swap in the old sport springs. The H&R's I'm not happy with.

why not? About to put the tried & true H&R/B8 combo on mine...

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ewicky

why not? About to put the tried & true H&R/B8 combo on mine...

So I liked the combo a bit at first, but the spring rates never seemed "right". I never thought it magically transformed the car like I expected. I have a 2-post lift, which servers as a static chassis height (drop) measurement tool. The lift arms have never easily slid into place under the front lift blocks. The rears have always fit fine, until recently. So I can tell the springs keep sagging lower over time. I expected some settling, but it keeps dropping and the suspension has gotten real bouncy and harsh. It's been just 60,000 on the set up.

I have a Bilstein/H&R suspension on my wife's Z3 for the past 9 years and it's been great since day 1 with no major changes. I had Bilsteins on my E30 for a good 10 years and they never faltered. Maybe I just got bad parts for the E90.

[213e90n51]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So I liked the combo a bit at first, but the spring rates never seemed "right". I never thought it magically transformed the car like I expected. I have a 2-post lift, which servers as a static chassis height (drop) measurement tool. The lift arms have never easily slid into place under the front lift blocks. The rears have always fit fine, until recently. So I can tell the springs keep sagging lower over time. I expected some settling, but it keeps dropping and the suspension has gotten real bouncy and harsh. It's been just 60,000 on the set up.

I have a Bilstein/H&R suspension on my wife's Z3 for the past 9 years and it's been great since day 1 with no major changes. I had Bilsteins on my E30 for a good 10 years and they never faltered. Maybe I just got bad parts for the E90.

How would you get bad parts? You mean the manufacture of this combo messed one or the other up?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 213e90n51

How would you get bad parts? You mean the manufacture of this combo messed one or the other up?

Well as I remember it, I had to source the struts from Turner, one of the shocks and the spring kit from Tire Rack, and one rear shock from Rock Auto. So it wasn't a kit from one source of supply. At the time Bilstein was having logistics issues or manufacturing problems and a lot of their inventory was on back order.

The suspension handles very well, better as speeds increase, but it's very harsh now as the springs have settled. My other BMWs take the same road imperfections far better than the E90.

[213e90n51]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Well as I remember it, I had to source the struts from Turner, one of the shocks and the spring kit from Tire Rack, and one rear shock from Rock Auto. So it wasn't a kit from one source of supply. At the time Bilstein was having logistics issues or manufacturing problems and a lot of their inventory was on back order.

The suspension handles very well, better as speeds increase, but it's very harsh now as the springs have settled. My other BMWs take the same road imperfections far better than the E90.

Wow interesting. Do you ever think your setup is to low sometimes for daily driving? And is it better than your stock sport suspension?