THE PROBLEM
This BMW equipped with the N63 engine had an oil consumption issue where 1qt had to be added every 4 days and was blowing smoke from the tailpipe with a blue tint when accelerating post-warmup. This is caused by the aged rubber on the valve stem seals that hardens and cracks which will lose its ability to seal the valve guide. Bad valve stem seals will cause excessive oil consumption and can be identified by recording the level of oil loss.
This is unfortunately a common problem that has carried over from the N62 to the N63 BMW engine. The models affected are vehicles from 2003-2008 with N62 V8 engines such as the E60 545i, E63 645i, E65 745i, E53 X5 and vehicles from 2009-2013 equipped with N63 engines such as F10 550i, F12 650i, F01 750i, and E70 X5.
HOW WE FIXED IT
We fixed it the only way you can fix this problem when it arises: by replacing the valve stems with new ones. First and foremost, the engine and transmission gets completely extracted from the car. One of several reasons why this is such a costly and laborious service. Detecting this issue early on will prevent a more costly repair as excess oil passing through the exhaust will damage the catalytic converter overtime.
Our BMW repair shop is equipped with specialized tools and experience to provide this service along with services on other European models. We are the dealer alternative for maintaining your BMW and we provide convenient transportation to commuters from Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
THE PROCESS IN PICTURES
Here in this photo, you can contrast the large diameter of the worn out seal to the pristine one to its right. The large diameter of the worn out one is what allows the oil to leak through. When the engine first starts up, residual oil on top of the cylinder head gets sucked down through the bad seal and into the combustion chamber and then burns in the exhaust. A large cloud of blue-white smoke will be seen exiting the tailpipe just after start-up and will disappear as the car picks up speed.
This engine had just 48,000 miles and you can see the amount of carbon deposits on the intake valves that will lead to engine misfires and poor drivability. We've performed the walnut blasting service, where we blast pressurized walnut shells into the intake chambers to break off the carbon buildup. This will restore lost engine performance and fuel economy to the engine.
WATCH US WORK
To get an even more intimate front row seat, watch the video below of us performing this service recently on a BMW N63 engine to see the process play out, start-to-finish. For further questions, please contact MINHS Automotive in Brooklyn.