Curious why you didn't replace the VCG bolts. Everything I've seen and read says that they are aluminum and are torque to yield aka stretch bolts and need to be replaced.
I am only half-way through the video, and I paused it just to tell you that I am blown away with the job you did on this DYI. I look forward to more of your videos.
Great video. I have used many if not all his videos on the e90 N52 (fantastic little engine btw) Just used his water pump/thermostat video for our 2011 e90 328i and the job was finished in about 5 hours. Note: it is amazing how he can work on essentially dirty cars on the side of the road without tables or carts to place plastic covers/parts on. It's a testament to his skill level and comfort working on and around these cars. Very impressive!
Bro you saved me hundreds of dollhairs by showing me this. This is the best one. I'm trying to sell mine and they are dropping me from 4k to 1k just because of that. I can invest this time and money to keep my 4k. Million thanks for this
Great video. Thanks for posting this. I followed along as I replaced mine. The one thing I'll add is be sure to tilt the valve cover and apply the exhaust side first. It'll make it easier to get past those columns inside the valve cover.
I like how you mentioned that the valve tronic motor needs no reprogramming. That was really nice of you thank you. You are my hero.😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for the instructions - they were really helpful for doing a E89 - Z4. The Z4 was a lot easier since the valve cover was easier to access, but the explanation of the connectors and hidden valve cover bolts made it a smooth process.
You da man. Had the job done in 4:30 hours. Simple. Thank you Dealership wanted 2400 to do this job. I did all plugs and coils also. Cabin filter, air filter and wipers for $624. I will recommend you to everyone i know.
Great job man. Loved had you had the natural sunlight so I can actually "SEE" unlike a lot of these other videos. About to go swap my valve cover here in a sec. Thanks a lot.
Wow!! Excellent to see you fixing your own things instead of letting mechanics run over you just because you're a female. Guys have no idea what ladies have to go through at a car shop!!🙌🙌🙌GO GETTEM GIRL!!🙌🙌🙌
amazing video! I'm not a "do it yourselfer", I have a great mechanic and its good to see basically what he does when needed. and no way should this be a job done at the dealer....total and exorbitant rip off pricing! thanks for the presentation !!!
I am going to try this, this is my first time attempting to replace the valve cover gasket on my BMW. I am a bit nervous but am optimistic, I always was fasinated with the engineering on the BMW's. Any tips for a first time DIY or last min advice?
Bravo Sir! Excellent information 👍. I just did your method, once I completed this operation I had multiple misfires. I did replace spark plugs with Bosch OEM. Well I started tracing back and remembered that the spark plug sleeves I tapped back in with a flathead screw driver. The sleeve went far down the well. Do you think that I need to raise them up. IDK if that would matter. Any advice from a Master would be very greatful. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback, hard to say check every connection, spark plug tubes shouldn’t be far down it might prevent ignition coil fully engage with the spark plug
Hi Tim, Great video, the step by step was very concise. I did this repair without any problems, everything went smoothly on my 2011 328i 3.0L wagon 60K miles...until I started it ( as a note, the car ran fine before, just stank-up the passenger compartment from the leaking Valve cover gasket. It ran good after finishing, and has been progressively harder and harder to start until now it won't start. A scan shows misfires on 1, 2,3,4 &5 cylinders and P052B Cold Start A Camshaft Position Timing Over-Retarded Bank 1 code. As i said, i didn't find this difficult, or your video hard to follow. I didn't rush and now i won't run at all. Weird, that it got harder and harder to start, then nothing. I've been over and over the video and gone over and over the car. If you've run into anything similar I'd appreciate any guidance. I'm going to remove /clean the VANOS solenoids but it doesn't explain the misfires. Thanks in advance for any help. Cheers, Scott
Ok, first of all it might be a coincidence and not related to your valve cover gasket replacement, faulty vanos solenoids can and will cause misfires and it is possible that it will prevent the car from starting, other issue that seems like you might have would be broken vanos bolts for that you’ll need to remove valve cover again and inspect vanos units. Also a possibility eccentric shaft sensor failed and that prevents car from starting. All of that is if your car still cranks but doesn’t start, if it doesn’t crank and you have power than look into starter
Thanks man for showing us step by step, in removing and replacing everything. I have 1 question buddy, what were the torque specs for the actual valve cover screws themselves??? Thanks in advance
Very good video I need help I did exactly everything you said and put everything back in but my car wouldn’t start it would only crank any common mistakes or anything I need to check ?
This video is great and the step by step process is very helpful. I’m just having trouble removing the vcg the trouble some part is the rear left. Any advice?
Very slight difference but here is a video for n51 2007-2013 BMW 328i E90 SULEV Valve cover gasket replacement ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-feggIduUm-o.html
27:32 chasing the small parts is nothing against a valve cover where the previous owner cheaped out and put valve cover sealant from a tube all over the place. So when you take off the cover (if you don't break it in two pieces while trying to apply force gently but firmly at the same time) you can spend the rest of the day removing all that crap :) ...don't ask me how I know.
Great tutorial Tim, you make it look too easy. But recently had my valve cover gasket replaced and now I'm experiencing engine sputters. 15 seconds after starting up or when I'm stopped at a red light my rpm would drop in spikes then come back. (It's an 2008 e90).
Thank you, scan for codes, can be a number of issue, vanos solenoids, eccentric shaft sensor, valve cover gasket not seating well and leaking air and oil or something else
Using a 30 mm socket to push the seal around on the front of the valve cover gasket that round seal is nice but everyone else and all the other videos mention putting a film of oil around the inside and outside of the gasket and then pushing it in place in the valve cover before putting it out cover back on
please google up removing and reinstalling valvetronic motor, if this is NOT done right your gonna have problems, there is a specific method for this and there are also things in ista and inpa to do a relear, PLEASE DO NOT just remove the valvtronice as shown here, you may get lucky mostly you'll loose., everything else is generally ok, good vid, I would also remove the windshield cowel, that would give more room, but its a PITA to do
Not true, you can find all kinds of rumors online, thousands valve cover gaskets replaced exactly this way, never ever had problem with Valvetronic, and I’m not exaggerating about thousands
@@Zeiten I'm really not here to argue, but there is always a RIGHT way to do things and a wrong way, IF there is a right way and it it is not costing you money or massive amounts of time why would you not do it. It's absolutely not a rumor at all, Please see below from the BMW manual.. There is also a link at the bottom from a guy who did it wrong and it caused him grief on a BMW forum I am a member of. To semi-correct myself, it is not guaranteed to cause a problem you may or may not get lucky. Personally I would always do something the right way. Of course there are short cuts and that's fine, but your talking about a 5 minute way of doing something you are not willing to do or at least advise your viewers that there is a correct way. There is ALSO a relearn process, which is automatic, if that fails you need ISTA4 to do it, that's MORE likely if you don't do it properly. I'm happy you managed to pull this off on a 1000 cars, maybe 1001 may not be so lucky.... Anyway, I'll leave it to your viewers to decide if they want to look into this further and come to there own conclusion, Google is your friend. If a 1000 people tell you not to do something, it's probably good advise. BTW, I'm not a noob, I've been wrenching for nearly 40 years, and on European cars Porsche and BMW. I'm not ashamed to say I've often learned the hard way doing something incorrectly usually cost's you money.. Anyway... -------------------------------- www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e88-128i-cab_201204/repair-manuals/11-engine/11-37-variable-valve-gear/1VnXxK6FxK Important! The servomotor must be returned to its service position before the screws are removed. Risk of damage to intermediate shaft. Using a hexagon socket wrench (2) and reversible ratchet, turn the screw (1) to the right as indicated by the arrow. This releases the tension on the intermediate shaft. Note: Do not turn the screw beyond the pressure point. ---------------------------------------------------------- www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1017945
Hi, love your videos, I have just one question, I removed the VC from the engine and a piece of the spark plugs gasket was missing, is it recommended to drop the oil pan to find it or is it just fine? Is it common to find these gasket broken?
Hi Tim, so is it better/ cheaper to replace the gasket only (and seals) then to buy a new Valve Cover? My mechanic only mentioned buying a new Valve Cover. Thanks.
At least in California i almost have never seen cracked or warped valve cover on n51/52 engine so replacing valve cover gasket along with valvetronic motor seal and eccentric shaft sensor seal is enough
I noticed you didn't put the Eccentric Shaft Actuator in service mode prior to removing it...is it not necessary? I feel like you know what you're doing but every other video I've seen says to take a 4mm hex and turn it clockwise to put it in service mode before removing it
HEY SAM ur videos r great I hope u can help 2008 BMW 328i sedan..I am getting codes 29E0 and 29E1..i erased them but they keep coming back every month or so..did 2 smoke tests and only leaks found were at fuel injector seals..replaced seals..still shows codes once in awhile and runs rough (idles moves around) only at COLD START.) .some say PCV valve may be bad..ANY ADVICE APPRECIATED..MY fuel pressure is 55 ..others say its suppose to be 70...please respond..great videos!
@Zeiten LLC having a hard time taking the crankcase vent valve hose off can you take it off after loosening the valve cover, take all of the screws off the valve cover, and lifting it up a little, and then pull the crankcase vent valve off?
I have a 2008 Sedan E90 335XI Turbo engine. Would it be the same procedure for my BMW? There is smoke coming from the passenger side of the engine (like you mentioned) and it starts smoking as soon as the car is running only a minute or two. I'd say it is just as you described with the smoke location on the exhaust manifold. Also, how long does this take approximately to replace the valve cover gasket? Thanks and great info. Phil NJ Shore Area
I realize this video was done 10 months to a year ago? Can you tell me my friends BMW 528i 5 Series 3 l at seems like the fuel rail and connectors for the injectors are almost over the right side of the valve cover? Should I go ahead and remove the bolts and raise the fuel rail and jectors up and away from the engine while I remove and replace valve cover and and rebuilt the fuel rail in after the valve covers replaced I think it's like 4/5 bolts holding the whole fuel rail down along with the injectors which will lift right out of the ports?
Use this tool back here to push this tab and then come forward to push this tab to release that crankcase hose? Mine's not like that at all I can't get it to move period. One of the tabs is right up against the body of the valve cover.
@@Zeiten it keeps turning back on me. It looks like I have a different hose than that. Mine is a really stiff plastic. I've tried pushing on the tabs with the very same tool that you're using and I just can't get it loose. I don't have pliers that I can fit in there either to squeeze the other tabs... My pinch strength is very weak.
Hey bro so I’ve done everything you said to do in this video and now it’s time to take off the cover, is it safe to move the A/C line down though, it’s kinda stiff and I don’t wanna break it?
They really need to make some mechanics gloves that go up to the elbows because every time you end up working on an engine you get inside the house you have oral and stuff all over the bottom of your arms all the way up to the pasta elbows which requires a fingernail brush hot soapy water and soap just to get it scrubbed off, so just in case y'all don't know it try to find some of those plastic gloves that they use in hair salons that go all the way up to the elbows and then put your mechanics gloves on top of those believe me you'll thank me for it because you'll keep your arms forearms elbows from me being coated with old engine oil and garbage off the top of the engine
@@Zeiten thank you i just post a question in one of your videos "DIY how to replace spark plugs" you gave me the link for the gasket and saved me some cash where can you recommend getting the ignition coils set(6) ? Thanks
Hello Thx for great vedio Is there any difference between n52 engine 525 & 530 manifold ? There is a difference in part no. But is there an actual difference between them ? Thx
HEY EVERYONE*** Check the Eccentric Shaft Actuator Seal first!!!.....if that is the cause of your leak (often is i understand) it will save you a ton of time and misery !
No, they cover the car not owners, even if car is salvaged but meet the requirements dealer still has to fix it for free and you can be 5th owner it doesn’t matter at all
One of the BEST car DIY’s I’ve ever seen!! He explains how to deal with all the little problems that amateurs struggle with, like how to release connectors without breaking them, common mistakes, etc. Too many videos just let you watch with no or limited description. Fantastic advice!! And English isn’t even his first language!!! (Kind of embarrassing for the rest of us)
@@Zeiten hey man, thanks for the great video, any idea what might cause a crank but no start after the vcg change? Everything is connected and nothing is broken, it went very smoothly. The car ran fine before the job and now it won’t even start
Just followed this DIY step by step while i did my VCG, every issue I came up to was explained perfectly how to get around it in this video. So far drove 2 days over 200 miles and no leaks yet. I appreciate you very much for taking the time to make this video! Subscribing and will be using your other videos when needed!
I watched all the E90 valve cover gasket videos before starting this job. I have to agree with so many others who say this is the best video on replacing the N52 valve cover gasket. Whoever holds the camera also did a fantastic job getting clear close shots. I finished replacing my valve cover gasket on my 2008 SULEV N51 two days ago. All the tips and recommendations proved necessary and invaluable. Moving the AC line in the back near the firewall as well as unbolting the coolant expansion tank helped a lot. Removing the valve cover was easy afterwards. In fact, I did it twice after the new gasket fell out the first time. That was mainly because I had no RTV silicone at home initially -- something I had to run out and get to do it properly the second time. This video provided helpful tips that you don't find in other videos. The gentleman making the video obviously has a lot of experience and it showed. Since I was a first timer doing this job, I took a couple of extra steps. I removed the bottom splash shield before I began -- I knew I'd lose a bolt or something by dropping them, which indeed happened a couple of times. Otherwise, it'd hard to drive the car onto a ramp to remove the splash shield after starting disassembling the engine components. I also used a coin-sized mirror on a stick to inspect the new gasket on the installed valve cover before putting all the bolts back in. The mirror can be used easily between the firewall and engine as well as inside the spark plug wells. This channel's video on replacing the starter motor on the E90 was also great. I used it 6 months ago on the same car.
Thanks for posting this great DIY video. I successfully replaced the valve cover on my 2011 BMW 328i convertible. The local dealership wanted more than $2,000 including $500 for the BMW valve cover. The job took me about 5 hours of careful effort. Doing it again would likely take 3.5 hours. I did experience the initial smoking after completing the job but it disappeared after 15 minutes as you described. Separately, my car ran poorly and out of balance and I had to pull the engine cover off and found that the electrical connector on the cylinder 6 coil pack wasn't completely locked. The car is running great. Thanks again for providing me this great video.
Outstanding instructions!! I was a Diesel Mechanic in the Marine Corps, and I can tell you have an in depth understanding of the material you're teaching. Excellent communication!🙌
2011 328I sedan. I want to thank you for this video. Because of it we changed the valve cover and gasket to a new improved valve cover that is more resistant to cracking (read about this issue on BMW forum). This car only has 60,000 miles and the gasket had been changed twice. It developed a new leak so we started watching videos on how to do this our self. The worst problem we ran into was actually pulling the cover after everything was unbolted. It was a job to get the cover off! Same thing for putting the new one on. The rear area where the cover goes into, next to the firewall was very tricky maneuvering and it took us a while to get it in place. Finally got it. Found the rear bolts very hard to get into place, actually had to start on the passenger side rear corner bolt, then the other two rear bolts. Got them all started and then took our time to torque into place. After the job was done, I cleaned and inspected the original valve cover and found it to be just fine, no cracks. While looking it over I actually think the oil link was coming from the valvetronic unit where it bolts into the cover, which leaked oil out and spread everywhere. Don't think the leak was actually the valve cover gasket itself. At the end of the day, job done and a three hour drive later, no leaks!
Happy to help, well first mistake is to read forums in search of quality information😂 haven’t seen one cracked valve cover on n51/52 in my decade of practice fixing only bmws🤷♂️
Just did valve cover on my 2009 328xi. I chose to do whole valve cover that came with gaskets and seals.Your video rocks! Disconnect and remove everything as described. I held back wires n stuff with bungee cords. only thing i would mention is that if you leave battery disconnected for 2 days you may get a bunch of fault codes. 4x4, brake etc. Turn steering wheel to lock and they go away. I thought I left something disconnected and went back in. Not needed.
Definitely deserve a million likes! Jus like many people on here, I’m Sooooo glad I found this video. I just finished watching it and will rewatch again as I need to do this job on 128i! I’ve actually already done this job before on my old e92 328i a few years back. This is the BEST video by far! I remember struggling sooooo hard with that hose in the back of the valve cover. Your technique with a pick looks super easy! Huge thanks brother! Well done 👊🏻
Great step by step video. My job had some challenges, particularly getting the PCV connection loose, and of course, getting the VC in / out. Took a while but saved $$$. Thanks for taking the time to produce the video, and thumbs up to the camera operator.
I've got this job coming up over holidays on my 06 325xi. I've watched 10 videos of this project; by far yours is the most detailed, most thorough, most well done on this repair. Thank you for all the effort you put into making it.
Thank you, but you have a different valve cover and gasket is made of metal, actually it is simpler on your car, don’t buy wrong parts, also valvetronic motor seal is different
Thanks for the tips regarding the valvetronic motor... that part scared me during this job because there was sooooo much info i read about having to turn the Allen key on the back during reinstallation. Good to know that u don’t need to program anything. I’ll cycle the key after I’m done just in case because I’m super paranoid lol
Yup just did this on a 2011 and i had to first loosen the allen socket by turning it counter clockwise and then remove the rest of the bolts to get the motor out , its kinda nerve wrecking since there so many rumors about reinitialization and etc.... so it complicates the job more then anything .
Shaan Siddiqui yep exactly! And honestly I got so scared because even though I loosened it with the Allen it still popped out and I thought I messed up for sure. Reinstalled and she’s been running good for 4 months.
