Awesome video. Just want to point out I was doing the passenger side on a 2004 545i, and it is literally impossible to get that valve cover off as easy as in this video. The valvetronic sensor at the back of the head sits very high up, plus the rear lower corner gets wedged into the a/c lines, no matter what position I moved them to. I ended up recovering the refrigerant so I could disconnect the line closer to the front of the cover. That helped and also allowed access to the motor mount nut. That was a fun experience in itself as I thought lifting the motor would be enough, and it was to get the bottom rear corner of the valve cover free. But now I had to suspend the cover up with a bunjee cord to prevent it from going down with the rest of the motor as I lowered it, or that corner would get wedged again. Big surprise, the mount stud will not line back up on your way down. Needed to unbolt the mount completely, remove it, and lower that side of the engine beyond its original mount point. Only then was there enough clearance to remove the cover, but only after I removed all 4 spark plug tubes, which were still attached to the valve cover, using the available open space from raising the front of the cover. I tried undoing the hvac duct at the rear before all this, and I could get it loose, but it would not clear the rear of the motor. It moved a bit upwards, but also forward which made the problem worse. Only difference I see is that the N62 I'm working on has an aluminum intake compared to the one in this video. Plus being 20 years old, just removing the injectors from the aluminum was a nightmare without breaking them. I almost gave up to leave them inside, but I really wanted to clean the injectors on this job so removing them, if even risking breaking them, was necessary. But it did require to remove the fuel rail and wiring first, and then worked on each injector individually with tons of WD40, starting from front to back, with a lot of twisting and wiggling back and forth, and finally using a prybar on each one's electrical connector while supporting the other side with my hand to pop them out of the aluminum housing. Thanks to the corroded aluminum, all 8 lower injector orings need replacing. Looking forward to doing the driver side tomorrow along with the alternator bracket gasket. Gotta love German engineering.
I made a concerted effort to get that air-conditioning line down as far as possible so the bottom back corner of the valve cover could clear it (get over it the line). It required a lot of force on that flexible air-conditioning line close to where the back bottom corner is. It is not enough to just push the line down in the center close to the re-fill valve for the AC. Once the bottom back corner of the valve cover clears that line (and is over it), you then have to find the correct angle of the entire valve cover to clear the valvetronic sensor that sits toward the back on the top, hidden on the other side of the cover. Summary: 1. push AC line down as far as possible right near the back corner 2. get the back corner of the valve cover over the AC line 3. Lift and twist the valve cover to clear the valvetronic tube-stem 4. Shimmy it out of there while twisting back and forth. It is definitely possible, but a real pain.
@@adampalmer7043 Honestly i had a lot of pressure on it trying to get it to go lower. Again the model I worked on had the aluminum intake, and the covers were original, not the updated ones. And to be honest, once you learn how to maneuver with removing the mounts, its actually not so bad. Next time I can do it in half the time with less forcing things.
@Inseinos - it's unreal how most videos make it look soooo simple - (and kudos to Bimmerman for the additional explanations and clarifications - not to forget the meticulous parts listing with numbers). Any whoo, pretty much hit the same passenger corner clearance issue with my 2010 650i. Moved AC lines up and down but the clearance is not there. Before going any further - cuz you appear to be "the man about cars" to recover the Freon (don't have the equipment) i just finished replacing wife's E350's motor mounts which was no joy without dropping the subframe don't wish to go there! It appears i could could ease the valve cover off by slipping it forward after clearing the eccentric sensor - however, the spark tubes remain attached to the cover and wont move forward! Q- Do you know a good way to release the tube from the out side - will i damage them if i push them down/in from the bottom seal lip with screwdriver to release them from the cover as i lift?
@@rulebraking I definitely removed all the spark plug tubes before getting.the cover fully off. It felt scary but it was original covers on a 2004, so 20 years. They all came off with a crack but no damage to.the cover. The tube seals were as hard as plastic
Oh you asked from the outside. No. Each one was removed from the inside before the cover cleared the sensor. Just wiggle back and forth. Worst case you crack the cover and need a new one. But i managed all 8 cylinders with 20 year old covers without cover damage
Hey, great video and perfect content for my repairs. Thanks At 19:53 there are 2 aluminum tubes running parallel. I suspect I'm going to have issues with those. Perhaps after I remove the Alternator there will be a clean line to the clamp screw so that they can be loosened and moved slightly. They are crowding the corner of my timing chain cover at the corner fastener.
Im a new subscriber. Just wanted to thank you for this awesome video. Quick and to the point. Currently doing this to my 550i. You made it a whole lot less stressful.
At 20:07, in regards to the left side timing cover, the rest of the E8 torx bolts are NOT easy to slip around with an extension or a socket. The one in the top right corner is blocked by the hard oil lines that go down to the oil thermostat. You need an E8 wrench, which of course I don't have, and it is now killing my weekend. No idea how he used a socket to get to that top right timing cover bolt on the left side (driver's side USA).
I used a 6mm ratcheting spanner to get the that bolt blocked by the hard lines. I then discovered that you cannot remove the bolt because it's a longer one and hits the hard line before it's fully out. So I removed the bracket that holds the hard line onto the cylinder corner by the timing cover, there is a little T25 screw that needs to be removed then it will come away and allow you to bend the hard lines so you get access to the two corner E-torx bolts.
@@HeroRepairsthis is where I’m stuck. I can’t see to find whatever is attaching those two hard lines. Where was the thing you loosen to wiggle the hard lines free
Thank you guys, if it weren’t for your comments I’d be stuck in the same place. I removed that T25 torx, released the bracket and played with the tubes to get the remaining bolts out. Did you put the T25 back in the bracket again? I was thinking to leave it as is since it seems impossible to put back again…
Thanks for the video done well. I'm actually a mechanic of over 25 years. Work on all different types of vehicles. Have my own small personal shop. I'm very cautious about everything I do. Haven't done one of these just yet so I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. Mainly I don't understand why my labor guide is calling for almost $500 labor for both valve covers. It looks like a simple cut n dry job.
bought a 545i from auction. $800 but def has some maintenance issues. alternator, vc gaskets, coolant hose, needs a deep clean etc. runs but smokes so bad its not worth driving cause oil on headers. hopefully this video gives me insight to what time im going to need to do this. always loved this chassis look. so clean
I'm not a mechanic so I'll pay for this service, but it's very informative to know what needs to be replaced before hand, in case you want to get your own parts for the job.
Managed to do the driver side today. it actually became impossible without removing the hvac duct behind the motor. I almost was going to remove the upper intake but dropping the left side low with the engine mount removed, i could just barely get the duct out. The heater hose running along the back can easily get split doing this. Sprayed some lithium grease to help. Also this side behaved a bit different than the passenger side. Didn't matter high or low, and actually low was worst, but removing the hvac duct was key. With engine raised at its max on that side, and hvac duct removed, it was possible to get the valve cover out. Still needed to remove spark plug tubes through the front opening before I could even try. I guess for some of you the tubes will stay in the head if you're lucky. The cover just barely passed the valvetronic sensor. Be really careful, usr line of sight under the cover to see what part of the valve cover is trying to get by the sensor connector. New tubes seat well into the head, but what a pain seating the cover after. Febi Bilstein, all that was available for me locally. I used a soft rubber mallet to pound the middle of the valve cover just enough to get the nuts to be able to catch the thread. After that, threading carefully, torqued down and sealed. New alternator, did alternator bracket gasket. Cleaned all 8 fuel injectors with carb cleaner using an aftermarket pigtail, battery, and air. Replaced both PCV valves on top of covers. Will be interesting to see tomorrow when everything else is assembled if the misfire is gone, or if at the very least, improved. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL OF NEW GASKET SLIPPING LOOSE DURING REINSTALL! I didn't have much trouble on the right side, but this side it kept coming loose. Near torquing it down fully, I had to keep examing with a mirror to make sure the gasket didn't flip sideways. Most engines if it happens not a big deal to fix. This beast, you better be sure.
I also have a 545i I had to do all this maintenance to it, I got it from my aunt who said it had a blown head gasket so I took the heads off and no blown gasket. it was the valve stem seals, another common problem on these cars. after putting it all back together it was idling all over the place between 600-1000 would shoot up and down, was a mess so I had to take the valve covers off again to replace the eccentric shaft sensors (which are the tall ones in the back that poke through the valve cover) and then the passenger valve cover leaked so I had to get a new one. however the new one doesn't have a pcv valve built in to it so if you look in the beginning of the video his doesn't either and the pcv is in line with the hose so im just now figuring out that hose even exists as the stock 545 doesn't have that but rock auto makes a hose for it if you ever replace the valve cover that hose will be required. not sure that you needed to know any of this. But I have a fair share of playing with a 545 so if you have any questions id be glad to help.
@@subarumatt6652 yeah I read the valve covers are all updated now. I don't think you can get the original.even. I broke the breather hose assembly and wanted to order a new one but thats updated too. Wont fit on.these covers. I already resealed everything so i repaired the breather hose with rubber fuel hose inside and silicone. Smoke tested and all sealed up. Fired her up and runs smooth. No more misfire. Now the stupid.thing wont relearn the valvetronic thanks to dme no communication with alternator. So stupid how they engineer these things.
Hey, thanks for all the information you've put in there, It was really useful. I have a 740Li 2008, and it does a strange thing when the car is cold in the morning it starts normally and the RPM gradually goes to its optimal position, however, if while standing I try to accelerate a little, at around 700- 1000 RPM, the engine vibrates really hard, it gives you the impression that a war is going on inside, I wait for 3-4 min and when the car is heated a little, I turn it off and on again, this time the RPM goes almost at 500 lower than the optimal range, and without doing anything from my side, the vibration of the engine is there, somehow it gives you the impression that is going to turn off, but just 3-4 seconds later the RPM by itself goes up to 1000 and back in its optimal range, and after this self-stabilizing it can be driven normally and the RPM can go up to 5000 - 6000 without any vibration... In the diagnosis computer, it shows a selenoid, issue, however, I've changed and the situation remains the same.... If any Idea what might be the real problem, I would really appreciate any thoughts on this matter. Thanks...
Mine is doing that - I think it’s from multiple vacuum leaks. I know the alternator gasket and valve covers gaskets leak oil so I’m sure that’s my issue.
Thank you for the video! I’m in the process of this job. Started with the drivers side, and it’s tight for space. I had to remove the fuel rail and injectors and the coolant valve to be able to wiggle out the valve cover. 👍 Much help from your video.
To prolong the all the rubber and plastic especially on top of the engine you should remove the top and side cover (ignition cover) of the engine, the cover it promotes more heats. Heat kills. I’ve been doing since late 90s on the m62tu. Engine cools better, hardly electronics issues and leaks.
You know that’s funny, is that’s something I didn’t a long time ago. I just used common sense and figured all that plastic crap covering the engine is probably bad for it. I’m glad I guessed right ❤
I've done a couple of these engines now, replaced my own engine completely but on the 1st one i found it a pain. Slightly different job to do over my way as I'm RHD models here, so the wiring goes over to the left rather than right and the servo pipe from the vacuum pump goes over the right cam cover rather than the left. One warning I can give folks though is to be really gentle with the electrical plugs on valve lift shaft sensors at the back of the cam covers, these sensors stick through the cam covers with a seal/gasket in the cover round them, access to the connections is a bit tight. These sensors are what makes the job a bit of a pain to get the covers out and reinstalled. Also i found mine broken at the connections, these sensors were about £700 ($870) approx for a pair so not cheap ! Take your time when refitting and making sure the gasket stays in the cover whilst fitting. It's also worth doing the breather diaphragms at the same time whilst access is good.
13:17 is their a part number for that ground? I broke or lost mine while doing the knock sensor and i think it’s causing a misfire in cylinder 4. Can I use any ground cable to do the job?
I'm wondering why you didn't use a tester to drive the Valvetronic motors into the service position before removing them? And the motors should actually be readapted after installation.
Quick question. My 645ci has a leak and I think it’s the valve cover. I don’t drive it often and it sits in the garage in the winter time. Do I really need to change the valve cover seal? Or can it just leak abit while I drive it in the summer time?
Hello, great content thanks. I have a 2007 with 550i with 44k miles. Is there any preventative maintenance I can do to fend off these issues? It seems many of them are related to high mileage on cars
not sure where you made it being this comments about a month old but I replaced head gaskets on both banks of my 545i and it was a bit of a bear once you get the valve cover off its not that bad but on the 545 you can't get to the exhaust manifold bolts so when you pull the head you have to pull the exhaust with it so getting it out was not so fun. but it could be different on your car.
The last E-Torx on the driver side upper timing cover is a pain to deal with, the one right behind the hard oil cooler lines. loved the video, great job. hated the rtv color lol this is a BMW man, use black or grey hahahaha
Yes, I'm dealing with that issue now. I decided to give up for the night and research, research, research. I'm concerned that I can't loosen the hard lines and I'm going to run against it pulling it off. The clamps for the oil lines (as you know) are almost impossibel to get to the screws. May have to simply bend. Any ideas? Thanks
@@subarumatt6652 those just popped back in for me after I change both O-rings on the Vanos Solenoids. On the larger O-ring I installed it into the timing cover first then inserted the solenoid. I think I did gently tap one in. I lubricate my O-rings with DOW 111 or similar.
Kudos my good man - most worthy video. Pretty much hit the same passenger corner clearance issue with my 2010 650i that @inseinos below. Moved AC lines up and down but the clearance is not there. It appears i could ease the valve cover off by slipping it forward after clearing the eccentric sensor - however, the spark tubes remain attached to the cover and wont let it move forward! Q- Do you know a good way to release the tube from the out side - will i damage them if i push them down/in from the bottom seal lip with screwdriver to release them from the cover as i lift, or is there another way? But question remains- will i be able to put it back on with the tubes installed! Many thanks. BTW, why does your page not show the tipping icon? (refreshed page twice and now appears)
Yeah I'd recommend using a flathead and prying gently as you mentioned. You don't want to crack your valve cover, but those spark plug tubes have to come off one way or the other. Hopefully they weren't glued in by the last person! Best of luck
Man I hope those sparks plugs tubes don’t leak… I had my valve cover gaskets replaced at a “reputable” euro shop and they didn’t recommend and now the whole job has to be redone and is out of warranty. Spark plug tubes are leaking terrible.
Wondering if anyone can give me some advice. I just did the valve cover gaskets but now I am getting a bunch of codes referencing the cam shaft position sensors and one MAF code. I can't seem to find anything frayed or unplugged. I am getting good voltage to the battery, and the car runs good. No misfires or rough idling. But the car yesterday did have trouble turning over on the first try, but did on the second try. Anyone have ideas? Bad ground? Alternator?
I have the same issue, i read that you need to re learn the valvetronic motors position, can be done on ista, Tool 32 with ram backup job, did you solve this?
WIth Vacuum pump get new o rings then would require to use ATV - i found it easy to move the motor manual to its at 12-6 then easy to realine back in or the kit there also hack to change the screws to little bigger so the leak dosnet happen again .
Hello ! Awesome video, I have an 05’ 545i same motor setup. One problem I’m currently running into after replacing my driver side only with the gasket & sparkplugs and tubes is the car is running really rough. The T-Motor that sits ontop of the cover is clicking as well with no oil residue on the ground or around the area. Is this a common issue that you may have ran into, in the past or would it be beneficial to change both sides at the same time? Best regards & thanks in advance !
Take a look around the mating surface for the gasket, it's likely one bit of it got folded and didn't seal properly, creating a vacuum leak and a rough idle. The t-motor would through a fault if it was faulty. Thanks for watching and good luck!
Quick update to my fix, I got everything on today, however on the passenger side I’m getting a slow drip with lots of smoke from the oil dripping on the top of the headers (possibly) Car is still running really rough and throwing up the check engine light. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
The spark plug tubes make the valve cover stick down, but if you keep wiggling it, the whole thing will come free. Doesn't matter if the tubes stay with the engine or the valve cover. Hope that helps!
I got the valve cover on but there’s still a 1/2 inch gap on the bottom there’s nothing in the way and the tubes are in it just keep leaving a gap even with bolts tight
Use a little oil or grease to lubricate the new tubes! It's a really tight seal, so the first time installing can be a pain. Lube 'em up, and the valve cover should "seat" more easily! Good luck!
To do both sides, this is easily a 8-10 hour job, longer if it's your first time. Car runs great now, can't tell too big of a difference but I haven't really mashed the throttle yet either. Thanks for watching and commenting!
just thought to ask is N62 engine in E53 x5 2006 4.4i very unreliable. is it a money pit. have a car in market with 189k Kms odo and was thinking about it.
Personally, if you don't need the extra power, I would stick to a 6-cylinder model. These V8's are powerful and smooth, but expensive to maintain from a labor perspective. Changing gaskets and parts can be tedious. Especially in the X5 with AWD, which has limited space. Hope that helps!
@@TheBimmerBarnthank you for sharing your knowledge. can I also ask would you consider E70 N52B30 2007 model year inline 6 more cheaper to maintain than the E53 X5 4.4i 2006 model.
@@cisa1622 hmm probably the 6 cylinder again. The m62 v8 in the E53 has lots of gaskets that are a pain to change. Like alternator gasket or the coolant gasket under the flywheel. 6 cylinders will usually be cheaper/easier to maintain.
@@TheBimmerBarnthank you for this . I was thinking E53 X5 4.4i v8 was cheaper to maintain than the E70 X5 3.0i ( just the water pump and thermostat including labour the mechanic quoted -1750 AUD -Australian). Now i understand the E70 or E53 the inline six petrol is cheaper plus reliable and the car to look for in used market.
Thank you for the super glue trick, better than zip tie...im in process of replacing the alternator bracket gasket on 09 550i, this vid helped me a lot, Thanks again👍👍👍👍
The bottom nuts on the valve cover have those rubber gasket things and I can’t push it down and twist at the same time for the life of me and I’m losing my mind. And that valve tronic gasket I can’t get the other piece inside if that rubber ring. I’m going crazy 😂
I’ll take the N62’s valve stem seals over the M62’s awful plastic timing chain guides any day 👍 If you do 5k oil change intervals from the start, you don’t have to worry about valve stem seals until 150k+ miles, if at all. I’m @ 97k miles in my 550i and have no blue smoke whatsoever. At this mileage in my L322 Range Rover with the M62TUB44, I needed a whole new engine.
@@Tipo-F120b Dont get your panties in a bunch. I’m basing my opinion on the fact that you said your car has 130k miles. at that mileage you’re unlikely to even see any stretch in your timing chain. I have owned 5 N62 powered cars and have been working with this platform for 15 years. Yes, the timing chain guides are plastic on the N62 but the fail rate is a fraction of the M62s. Valve stem seal failure is a symptom of extended oil change intervals, this is common knowledge. Old oil eats through the rubber at a much faster rate. Cars that have frequent oil changes (starting when the car is new) are much less likely to have an issue with VSS failure. One of mine had 170k on the original VSS and had no smoke. Also no timing issues.
You're probably right! If you have the tool and the time, you can disengage it like this. Not everyone does, I should have used my hand to cushion the motor better as it was coming out. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Awesome video. Just want to point out I was doing the passenger side on a 2004 545i, and it is literally impossible to get that valve cover off as easy as in this video. The valvetronic sensor at the back of the head sits very high up, plus the rear lower corner gets wedged into the a/c lines, no matter what position I moved them to. I ended up recovering the refrigerant so I could disconnect the line closer to the front of the cover. That helped and also allowed access to the motor mount nut. That was a fun experience in itself as I thought lifting the motor would be enough, and it was to get the bottom rear corner of the valve cover free. But now I had to suspend the cover up with a bunjee cord to prevent it from going down with the rest of the motor as I lowered it, or that corner would get wedged again. Big surprise, the mount stud will not line back up on your way down. Needed to unbolt the mount completely, remove it, and lower that side of the engine beyond its original mount point. Only then was there enough clearance to remove the cover, but only after I removed all 4 spark plug tubes, which were still attached to the valve cover, using the available open space from raising the front of the cover. I tried undoing the hvac duct at the rear before all this, and I could get it loose, but it would not clear the rear of the motor. It moved a bit upwards, but also forward which made the problem worse. Only difference I see is that the N62 I'm working on has an aluminum intake compared to the one in this video. Plus being 20 years old, just removing the injectors from the aluminum was a nightmare without breaking them. I almost gave up to leave them inside, but I really wanted to clean the injectors on this job so removing them, if even risking breaking them, was necessary. But it did require to remove the fuel rail and wiring first, and then worked on each injector individually with tons of WD40, starting from front to back, with a lot of twisting and wiggling back and forth, and finally using a prybar on each one's electrical connector while supporting the other side with my hand to pop them out of the aluminum housing. Thanks to the corroded aluminum, all 8 lower injector orings need replacing. Looking forward to doing the driver side tomorrow along with the alternator bracket gasket. Gotta love German engineering.
I made a concerted effort to get that air-conditioning line down as far as possible so the bottom back corner of the valve cover could clear it (get over it the line). It required a lot of force on that flexible air-conditioning line close to where the back bottom corner is. It is not enough to just push the line down in the center close to the re-fill valve for the AC. Once the bottom back corner of the valve cover clears that line (and is over it), you then have to find the correct angle of the entire valve cover to clear the valvetronic sensor that sits toward the back on the top, hidden on the other side of the cover. Summary: 1. push AC line down as far as possible right near the back corner 2. get the back corner of the valve cover over the AC line 3. Lift and twist the valve cover to clear the valvetronic tube-stem 4. Shimmy it out of there while twisting back and forth. It is definitely possible, but a real pain.
@@adampalmer7043 Honestly i had a lot of pressure on it trying to get it to go lower. Again the model I worked on had the aluminum intake, and the covers were original, not the updated ones. And to be honest, once you learn how to maneuver with removing the mounts, its actually not so bad. Next time I can do it in half the time with less forcing things.
@Inseinos - it's unreal how most videos make it look soooo simple - (and kudos to Bimmerman for the additional explanations and clarifications - not to forget the meticulous parts listing with numbers). Any whoo, pretty much hit the same passenger corner clearance issue with my 2010 650i. Moved AC lines up and down but the clearance is not there. Before going any further - cuz you appear to be "the man about cars" to recover the Freon (don't have the equipment) i just finished replacing wife's E350's motor mounts which was no joy without dropping the subframe don't wish to go there! It appears i could could ease the valve cover off by slipping it forward after clearing the eccentric sensor - however, the spark tubes remain attached to the cover and wont move forward!
Q- Do you know a good way to release the tube from the out side - will i damage them if i push them down/in from the bottom seal lip with screwdriver to release them from the cover as i lift?
@@rulebraking I definitely removed all the spark plug tubes before getting.the cover fully off. It felt scary but it was original covers on a 2004, so 20 years. They all came off with a crack but no damage to.the cover. The tube seals were as hard as plastic
Oh you asked from the outside. No. Each one was removed from the inside before the cover cleared the sensor. Just wiggle back and forth. Worst case you crack the cover and need a new one. But i managed all 8 cylinders with 20 year old covers without cover damage
Well done. As much as I don’t want to do mine your video inspired me to suck it up and do it.
Think of it this way, a penny saved is a penny earned, so this job could earn you over $1000 in labor! Good luck friend, and thanks for watching
Hey, great video and perfect content for my repairs. Thanks
At 19:53 there are 2 aluminum tubes running parallel. I suspect I'm going to have issues with those. Perhaps after I remove the Alternator there will be a clean line to the clamp screw so that they can be loosened and moved slightly. They are crowding the corner of my timing chain cover at the corner fastener.
How you end up getting to that corner bolt out? I have same two hard lines in the way
Love the N62TU platform! Great job. Cant wait for more 👍🏼😁
Thanks a lot Bimmer Barn!!! You have helped me do a ton of work myself on my E60 550i.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching :)
Epic content, mate! Part number specifications are a big bonus. Thank you!
Im a new subscriber. Just wanted to thank you for this awesome video. Quick and to the point. Currently doing this to my 550i. You made it a whole lot less stressful.
Thank you for the nice comment ❤️
At 20:07, in regards to the left side timing cover, the rest of the E8 torx bolts are NOT easy to slip around with an extension or a socket. The one in the top right corner is blocked by the hard oil lines that go down to the oil thermostat. You need an E8 wrench, which of course I don't have, and it is now killing my weekend. No idea how he used a socket to get to that top right timing cover bolt on the left side (driver's side USA).
I used a 6mm ratcheting spanner to get the that bolt blocked by the hard lines. I then discovered that you cannot remove the bolt because it's a longer one and hits the hard line before it's fully out. So I removed the bracket that holds the hard line onto the cylinder corner by the timing cover, there is a little T25 screw that needs to be removed then it will come away and allow you to bend the hard lines so you get access to the two corner E-torx bolts.
@@HeroRepairs yes, this is exactly what ended up doing, putting that T25 bracket screw back was also a pain but all is done now
@@HeroRepairsthis is where I’m stuck. I can’t see to find whatever is attaching those two hard lines. Where was the thing you loosen to wiggle the hard lines free
Thank you guys, if it weren’t for your comments I’d be stuck in the same place. I removed that T25 torx, released the bracket and played with the tubes to get the remaining bolts out. Did you put the T25 back in the bracket again? I was thinking to leave it as is since it seems impossible to put back again…
yes, I put the T25 back but I recall that was a one hour effort with a lot of failure. I am getting PTSD just thinking about it.
Thanks for the video done well. I'm actually a mechanic of over 25 years. Work on all different types of vehicles. Have my own small personal shop. I'm very cautious about everything I do. Haven't done one of these just yet so I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. Mainly I don't understand why my labor guide is calling for almost $500 labor for both valve covers. It looks like a simple cut n dry job.
lol
wait till you have to do it...
Bro I’ll frfr fly you out to replace my vcg and tcg for $500
Just about time to do mine, can't wait for the alternator bracket gasket replacement video.
bought a 545i from auction. $800 but def has some maintenance issues. alternator, vc gaskets, coolant hose, needs a deep clean etc. runs but smokes so bad its not worth driving cause oil on headers. hopefully this video gives me insight to what time im going to need to do this. always loved this chassis look. so clean
I'm not a mechanic so I'll pay for this service, but it's very informative to know what needs to be replaced before hand, in case you want to get your own parts for the job.
Thanks so much for this info. I didn't see a gasket inside the valve cover for the spark plug tubes. Is there a gasket there?
Managed to do the driver side today. it actually became impossible without removing the hvac duct behind the motor. I almost was going to remove the upper intake but dropping the left side low with the engine mount removed, i could just barely get the duct out. The heater hose running along the back can easily get split doing this. Sprayed some lithium grease to help. Also this side behaved a bit different than the passenger side. Didn't matter high or low, and actually low was worst, but removing the hvac duct was key. With engine raised at its max on that side, and hvac duct removed, it was possible to get the valve cover out. Still needed to remove spark plug tubes through the front opening before I could even try. I guess for some of you the tubes will stay in the head if you're lucky. The cover just barely passed the valvetronic sensor. Be really careful, usr line of sight under the cover to see what part of the valve cover is trying to get by the sensor connector. New tubes seat well into the head, but what a pain seating the cover after. Febi Bilstein, all that was available for me locally. I used a soft rubber mallet to pound the middle of the valve cover just enough to get the nuts to be able to catch the thread. After that, threading carefully, torqued down and sealed. New alternator, did alternator bracket gasket. Cleaned all 8 fuel injectors with carb cleaner using an aftermarket pigtail, battery, and air. Replaced both PCV valves on top of covers. Will be interesting to see tomorrow when everything else is assembled if the misfire is gone, or if at the very least, improved. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL OF NEW GASKET SLIPPING LOOSE DURING REINSTALL! I didn't have much trouble on the right side, but this side it kept coming loose. Near torquing it down fully, I had to keep examing with a mirror to make sure the gasket didn't flip sideways. Most engines if it happens not a big deal to fix. This beast, you better be sure.
I also have a 545i I had to do all this maintenance to it, I got it from my aunt who said it had a blown head gasket so I took the heads off and no blown gasket. it was the valve stem seals, another common problem on these cars. after putting it all back together it was idling all over the place between 600-1000 would shoot up and down, was a mess so I had to take the valve covers off again to replace the eccentric shaft sensors (which are the tall ones in the back that poke through the valve cover) and then the passenger valve cover leaked so I had to get a new one. however the new one doesn't have a pcv valve built in to it so if you look in the beginning of the video his doesn't either and the pcv is in line with the hose so im just now figuring out that hose even exists as the stock 545 doesn't have that but rock auto makes a hose for it if you ever replace the valve cover that hose will be required. not sure that you needed to know any of this. But I have a fair share of playing with a 545 so if you have any questions id be glad to help.
@@subarumatt6652 yeah I read the valve covers are all updated now. I don't think you can get the original.even. I broke the breather hose assembly and wanted to order a new one but thats updated too. Wont fit on.these covers. I already resealed everything so i repaired the breather hose with rubber fuel hose inside and silicone. Smoke tested and all sealed up. Fired her up and runs smooth. No more misfire. Now the stupid.thing wont relearn the valvetronic thanks to dme no communication with alternator. So stupid how they engineer these things.
Great vid. Well done. Lots of good angles and to the point.
Thanks!
Hope this video helped! I really appreciate your support
Very nice maintenance DIY Chris! Have a great weekend, Dutch regards, Nico.
Hey, thanks for all the information you've put in there, It was really useful.
I have a 740Li 2008, and it does a strange thing when the car is cold in the morning it starts normally and the RPM gradually goes to its optimal position, however, if while standing I try to accelerate a little, at around 700- 1000 RPM, the engine vibrates really hard, it gives you the impression that a war is going on inside, I wait for 3-4 min and when the car is heated a little, I turn it off and on again, this time the RPM goes almost at 500 lower than the optimal range, and without doing anything from my side, the vibration of the engine is there, somehow it gives you the impression that is going to turn off, but just 3-4 seconds later the RPM by itself goes up to 1000 and back in its optimal range, and after this self-stabilizing it can be driven normally and the RPM can go up to 5000 - 6000 without any vibration...
In the diagnosis computer, it shows a selenoid, issue, however, I've changed and the situation remains the same....
If any Idea what might be the real problem, I would really appreciate any thoughts on this matter.
Thanks...
Mine is doing that - I think it’s from multiple vacuum leaks.
I know the alternator gasket and valve covers gaskets leak oil so I’m sure that’s my issue.
Thank you for this video, just picked up an E60 545i to replace my aging E90. Got a whole new engine to stop leaks on haha.
great video, just did valve cover gaskets on my n62. All came out great!
How long did it take you!
Thank you for the video! I’m in the process of this job. Started with the drivers side, and it’s tight for space. I had to remove the fuel rail and injectors and the coolant valve to be able to wiggle out the valve cover. 👍 Much help from your video.
Thanks Jok, glad the video helped! Good luck with your N62, awesome motor.
Excellent video! Thanks for taking the time.
To prolong the all the rubber and plastic especially on top of the engine you should remove the top and side cover (ignition cover) of the engine, the cover it promotes more heats. Heat kills. I’ve been doing since late 90s on the m62tu. Engine cools better, hardly electronics issues and leaks.
You know that’s funny, is that’s something I didn’t a long time ago. I just used common sense and figured all that plastic crap covering the engine is probably bad for it. I’m glad I guessed right ❤
what about having the cover on during the winter?
Should be ok most bmw engines produce lots of heat under the bonnet. Heat kills!
I've done a couple of these engines now, replaced my own engine completely but on the 1st one i found it a pain.
Slightly different job to do over my way as I'm RHD models here, so the wiring goes over to the left rather than right and the servo pipe from the vacuum pump goes over the right cam cover rather than the left.
One warning I can give folks though is to be really gentle with the electrical plugs on valve lift shaft sensors at the back of the cam covers, these sensors stick through the cam covers with a seal/gasket in the cover round them, access to the connections is a bit tight.
These sensors are what makes the job a bit of a pain to get the covers out and reinstalled.
Also i found mine broken at the connections, these sensors were about £700 ($870) approx for a pair so not cheap !
Take your time when refitting and making sure the gasket stays in the cover whilst fitting.
It's also worth doing the breather diaphragms at the same time whilst access is good.
13:17 is their a part number for that ground? I broke or lost mine while doing the knock sensor and i think it’s causing a misfire in cylinder 4. Can I use any ground cable to do the job?
Did this job on my 545i now car doesn’t start after changing VCG AND Eccentric sensor it trys to but keeps
Cranking?
Do your valve stems seals while you are in there, the valve covers are such a big job its worth it
I'm wondering why you didn't use a tester to drive the Valvetronic motors into the service position before removing them? And the motors should actually be readapted after installation.
They recalibrate automatically on startup, only need to do that when doing a full replacement
Quick question. My 645ci has a leak and I think it’s the valve cover. I don’t drive it often and it sits in the garage in the winter time. Do I really need to change the valve cover seal? Or can it just leak abit while I drive it in the summer time?
Very good job. I love BMW cars.
What’s the fuel line called at 17 min mark
Hello, great content thanks. I have a 2007 with 550i with 44k miles. Is there any preventative maintenance I can do to fend off these issues? It seems many of them are related to high mileage on cars
Great vid! Do I need to drai the coolant and power steering res to move them?
Great content simple and to the point love it!!! great job
Really like the video I have a blown head gasket Bank 1 cylinder 3 on my 2008 BMW N62 are there any video on removing head gasket
not sure where you made it being this comments about a month old but I replaced head gaskets on both banks of my 545i and it was a bit of a bear once you get the valve cover off its not that bad but on the 545 you can't get to the exhaust manifold bolts so when you pull the head you have to pull the exhaust with it so getting it out was not so fun. but it could be different on your car.
So how much would you charge to do this for someone
The last E-Torx on the driver side upper timing cover is a pain to deal with, the one right behind the hard oil cooler lines.
loved the video, great job.
hated the rtv color lol this is a BMW man, use black or grey hahahaha
Yes, I'm dealing with that issue now. I decided to give up for the night and research, research, research. I'm concerned that I can't loosen the hard lines and I'm going to run against it pulling it off. The clamps for the oil lines (as you know) are almost impossibel to get to the screws. May have to simply bend.
Any ideas? Thanks
@@grayjc how did you get around this? I did loosen the clamps for those lines and now waiting on an E8 wrench.
@@ricardod70 what did you do to get the vanos solenoids back in im having a lot of trouble with that
@@subarumatt6652 those just popped back in for me after I change both O-rings on the Vanos Solenoids. On the larger O-ring I installed it into the timing cover first then inserted the solenoid. I think I did gently tap one in. I lubricate my O-rings with DOW 111 or similar.
@@ricardod70 alright thanks that put me at a roadblock yesterday ill have to try something today.
Fire video bro thank you. My 545 needs these done bad!!!
I have the same car think it needs a new crankshaft position sensor can any tell me if it needs a relearn procedure after I replace it?
So i dis valve cover gasket on x5 4.4 and now have p0390 runs rough what can it be
Is this the same process as a 645ci
Thinking about doing this my self have all tools, shops is charging me $3500 is that fair?
Great video man...good details and awesome torque specs.
What do you use as a service manual?
Kudos my good man - most worthy video. Pretty much hit the same passenger corner clearance issue with my 2010 650i that @inseinos below. Moved AC lines up and down but the clearance is not there. It appears i could ease the valve cover off by slipping it forward after clearing the eccentric sensor - however, the spark tubes remain attached to the cover and wont let it move forward!
Q- Do you know a good way to release the tube from the out side - will i damage them if i push them down/in from the bottom seal lip with screwdriver to release them from the cover as i lift, or is there another way? But question remains- will i be able to put it back on with the tubes installed! Many thanks. BTW, why does your page not show the tipping icon? (refreshed page twice and now appears)
Yeah I'd recommend using a flathead and prying gently as you mentioned. You don't want to crack your valve cover, but those spark plug tubes have to come off one way or the other. Hopefully they weren't glued in by the last person! Best of luck
@@TheBimmerBarn Looks like I'm not left with much of choice 😂 With only 60k the v cover is original which puzzles me!
Man I hope those sparks plugs tubes don’t leak… I had my valve cover gaskets replaced at a “reputable” euro shop and they didn’t recommend and now the whole job has to be redone and is out of warranty. Spark plug tubes are leaking terrible.
did it cause cylinder misfires?
@@shawn6970 Yes they did
Good day guys. im having some difficulty with the bottom right timing chain cover screw. the ac line seems to be in the way. Any suggestions?
Wondering if anyone can give me some advice. I just did the valve cover gaskets but now I am getting a bunch of codes referencing the cam shaft position sensors and one MAF code. I can't seem to find anything frayed or unplugged. I am getting good voltage to the battery, and the car runs good. No misfires or rough idling. But the car yesterday did have trouble turning over on the first try, but did on the second try. Anyone have ideas? Bad ground? Alternator?
Possible you pinched a harness wire under the valve cover? Happened to me before! Good luck 🤞
I have the same issue, i read that you need to re learn the valvetronic motors position, can be done on ista, Tool 32 with ram backup job, did you solve this?
How long or how many hours did it take you when you finally finished. I have to do a gasket replacement on my n63 550i . Great video really helpful
I think anywhere between 10-16 hours. Long job
Great video, super helpful! I was able to rent the tools online through Tony’s tool rental they saved me a ton of money and were very convenient
Thanks from brazil 😊
hi when I remove the cover ,the spark plug pipes come with the rocker cover,so it not enough to move out, what I need to do?
WIth Vacuum pump get new o rings then would require to use ATV - i found it easy to move the motor manual to its at 12-6 then easy to realine back in or the kit there also hack to change the screws to little bigger so the leak dosnet happen again .
What’s up man, what part of Florida do you live in?
After replacement timing and valve cover gasket i have 2b63 faulty code from exhaust camshaft sensor, anyone had the same problem?
Yep, I’m working on the same issue right now
@@WildBill541 in my case, the valve cover was just badly installed, it is very hard to enter
@@mazubang6656 Yea mine was leaking really bad. I’m taking it back off right now. Going to check time and adjust if needed 🤞
You saved my 545 i
Hello ! Awesome video, I have an 05’ 545i same motor setup. One problem I’m currently running into after replacing my driver side only with the gasket & sparkplugs and tubes is the car is running really rough.
The T-Motor that sits ontop of the cover is clicking as well with no oil residue on the ground or around the area.
Is this a common issue that you may have ran into, in the past or would it be beneficial to change both sides at the same time?
Best regards & thanks in advance !
Take a look around the mating surface for the gasket, it's likely one bit of it got folded and didn't seal properly, creating a vacuum leak and a rough idle. The t-motor would through a fault if it was faulty. Thanks for watching and good luck!
Quick update to my fix, I got everything on today, however on the passenger side I’m getting a slow drip with lots of smoke from the oil dripping on the top of the headers (possibly)
Car is still running really rough and throwing up the check engine light.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Is this the upper or lower timing cover gaskets
These are the upper gaskets, lower timing cover is a huge pain to service
hi I am doing one, but these four spark plugs pipes stuck on the rocker cover side , do I need to remove these ,before Remove the cover?
The spark plug tubes make the valve cover stick down, but if you keep wiggling it, the whole thing will come free. Doesn't matter if the tubes stay with the engine or the valve cover. Hope that helps!
@@TheBimmerBarn it's hitting the air conditioning pipe, not enough space?
@@alanw5812 need to wiggle that (lightly) out of the way. Remove the 10mm bolts holding it down, shown in the video I think
I got the valve cover on but there’s still a 1/2 inch gap on the bottom there’s nothing in the way and the tubes are in it just keep leaving a gap even with bolts tight
Use a little oil or grease to lubricate the new tubes! It's a really tight seal, so the first time installing can be a pain. Lube 'em up, and the valve cover should "seat" more easily! Good luck!
does it run better with the new plugs? How long would this take if you didnt film it?
To do both sides, this is easily a 8-10 hour job, longer if it's your first time. Car runs great now, can't tell too big of a difference but I haven't really mashed the throttle yet either. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Very nice cool helps lots.
just thought to ask is N62 engine in E53 x5 2006 4.4i very unreliable. is it a money pit. have a car in market with 189k Kms odo and was thinking about it.
Personally, if you don't need the extra power, I would stick to a 6-cylinder model. These V8's are powerful and smooth, but expensive to maintain from a labor perspective. Changing gaskets and parts can be tedious. Especially in the X5 with AWD, which has limited space. Hope that helps!
@@TheBimmerBarnthank you for sharing your knowledge. can I also ask would you consider E70 N52B30 2007 model year inline 6 more cheaper to maintain than the E53 X5 4.4i 2006 model.
@@cisa1622 hmm probably the 6 cylinder again. The m62 v8 in the E53 has lots of gaskets that are a pain to change. Like alternator gasket or the coolant gasket under the flywheel. 6 cylinders will usually be cheaper/easier to maintain.
@@TheBimmerBarnthank you for this . I was thinking E53 X5 4.4i v8 was cheaper to maintain than the E70 X5 3.0i ( just the water pump and thermostat including labour the mechanic quoted -1750 AUD -Australian). Now i understand the E70 or E53 the inline six petrol is cheaper plus reliable and the car to look for in used market.
Thank you for the super glue trick, better than zip tie...im in process of replacing the alternator bracket gasket on 09 550i, this vid helped me a lot, Thanks again👍👍👍👍
Thanks for the great content.
New subscriber looking for air filter instructions for 2018 x5 bnw
Great job.
The bottom nuts on the valve cover have those rubber gasket things and I can’t push it down and twist at the same time for the life of me and I’m losing my mind. And that valve tronic gasket I can’t get the other piece inside if that rubber ring. I’m going crazy 😂
Dosent look too bad. I still think the m62 is easyer tonwork on. No valve seal issues on those
I’ll take the N62’s valve stem seals over the M62’s awful plastic timing chain guides any day 👍 If you do 5k oil change intervals from the start, you don’t have to worry about valve stem seals until 150k+ miles, if at all. I’m @ 97k miles in my 550i and have no blue smoke whatsoever. At this mileage in my L322 Range Rover with the M62TUB44, I needed a whole new engine.
@@Tipo-F120b Dont get your panties in a bunch.
I’m basing my opinion on the fact that you said your car has 130k miles. at that mileage you’re unlikely to even see any stretch in your timing chain.
I have owned 5 N62 powered cars and have been working with this platform for 15 years.
Yes, the timing chain guides are plastic on the N62 but the fail rate is a fraction of the M62s.
Valve stem seal failure is a symptom of extended oil change intervals, this is common knowledge. Old oil eats through the rubber at a much faster rate. Cars that have frequent oil changes (starting when the car is new) are much less likely to have an issue with VSS failure. One of mine had 170k on the original VSS and had no smoke. Also no timing issues.
this is not so easy. Im fighting the bottom screw in the back of the tensioner
Still waiting for sale price
Drip 💯
good thing i shouldn't get an e60 m5. 550i is already enough
Fr bro
❤❤
started off wrong u suppose to start by releasing the tension of the valve lift using ista+ so it wont kickback and mess up the worm gear
You're probably right! If you have the tool and the time, you can disengage it like this. Not everyone does, I should have used my hand to cushion the motor better as it was coming out. Thanks for watching and sharing!
All bolts lose and still can’t get it out. You don’t show enough cuz
no wonder the work book says 7 hrs for both sides..
man i would pay u to do the job on my 645
This drivers side valve cover is pissing me the fuck off
Me Too!
Yep same
@@dukedub i dropped the subframe a couple inches, it helped
Correction, MY BMW 550i 🤣🤣🤣🤣
OMFG why don't BMW learn that that AC line is not in a good location, lol, it is in the same location on the N54 with the same issue. lol
Resume why you didn't change the spark plug tubes because they're $50 each I bit the bullet and bought all eight don't do a half asz job
you rock young man
So how much would you charge to do this for my car