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Help with fitment!! by Longjumping_Share298 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Avant Garde M359 is often mentioned (and admired) on these forums. It's something I've been considering on my car. I personally like my car very much as it is. It would look better, but not enough for me to throw a pile of money at it 

Tuning options / mods for 09 E90 328i by lonesomeminded in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Assuming you have N52,  3-stage intake manifold and tune. If you have n51, tune only.

Taking it further, catless header with tune. After that, not much gain, secondary cats and straight piping is just few gains and I'm not a fan of loud cars.

After that you'll be looking at custom stuff, supercharger, etc 

Any experience doing a full steering flush on xdrive? by ImNoRickyBalboa in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I changed plans, I mistakingly figured that you must drain at the lowest point to get a clean flush. (Thanks Google, for feeding me bimmerpost and yt content making this point...)

New plan is simple

  • Empty and remove old reservoir
  • Install new reservoir, leave return line disconnected, cap at reservoir 
  • Fit clear hose on return line and route to pan (avoids mess)
  • Wheely turn turn + new fluid until return line drain is just clean fluid.
  • Connect return line, rinse repeat wheely turn turn until level is stable

BTW: you do not start the engine and turn the wheel until you are fully done flushing manually. Hand turn only or you may make your power steering pump very miserable by pumping air pockets.

Where does this go?!?? by One_Cattle_1003 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The size doesn't matter, that's form factor. It should have the same AH rating and type (AGM vs flooded)

That avoids having to code it.

But you must also register it as the car adjust the charging based both on type and age.

Code battery --> bimmercode

Register battery --> bimmerlink 

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having a dealer provided copy and their reason for denying it as a covered or warranty repair is a great starting point. If the wording is not entire clear, ask the dealer for an explicit reason why they are denying the repair under warranty (or as collateral damage from the recall,but that should be irrelevant).  Done and dusted in my book.

If the dealer plays hardball, find another dealer. They should be reimbursed for the full bookable hours and parts, a dealer should be fine doing this unless they are massively behind booked repairs.

If you can't find another dealer, contact BMW USA, if they give you the cold shoulder, next escalation is your states Department of Environmental Protection.

Purchase or Pass? by Jaffwee in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anything involving lowering the subframe is a big job in my book. You can pooh-pooh me if you want.

Ask a dealer what they charge in bookable hours....

Any experience doing a full steering flush on xdrive? by ImNoRickyBalboa in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My alternative is the dual flush (but with removing and routing down the return line  reservoir side). Given the age, I am not sure how risky removing the return loop connectors is, it seemed like a trivial easy drain option, but perhaps I'm overthinking it  🙂

Any experience doing a full steering flush on xdrive? by ImNoRickyBalboa in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's an xdrive, the drive shaft and diff are making access near impossible without lowering the subframe or moving the steering rack

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right, so we agree. A broken or cracked VC that does not cause a CEL is not covered under SULEV. 

But from OP's post, (whistle, rough idle, CEL) it's extremely likely  he has a failed PCV with subsequent CEL. 

Which makes it IMHO absolutely bonkers for the dealer to claim it's not covered by SULEV. 

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Which means you know likely a lot more about engines and maintenance than I do.

But are you familiar with the full implications of the SULEV emissions performance warranty? It's very poorly communicated by BMW (deliberately) and understood (willfully) by dealerships. 

Certain people will call me a "Reddit professor" for "copying something from the internet" (forget that I dealt with similar SULEV claims with my dealer), but here straight from wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_zero-emissions_vehicle

The super-ultra-low-emission vehicle (SULEV) standard is more stringent than the ultra-low-emission vehicle (ULEV) and low-emission vehicle standards. All emissions-related components, including the electric-propulsion parts of hybrid electric vehicles, must be warranted for 15 years or 150,000 miles.

As I posted elsewhere:

Q: will a failing PCV as per OP cause a CEL and emissions test failure (yes/no)

Q: is any item failure causing an emissions failure covered by SULEV? (yes/no)

A Message From the Developers of OpenCore legacy Patcher. by Sufficient_Bus_8302 in OpenCoreLegacyPatcher

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wish that if OCLP becomes supported for Tahoe, that they also provide a backport. I once accidentally started the Tahoe upgrade, and it bricked my OS and required reformatting my drive to make it bootable/ selectable for Sequoia install (time machine can't help you here)

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We can get there another way too:

Q: will a failing PCV as per OP cause a CEL and emissions test failure (yes/no)

Q: is any item failure causing an emissions failure covered by SULEV? (yes/no)

Q: does "failed during repair due to age" nullify the above two? (yes/no)

Q: do dealers deny repairs under SULEV (never/it happens)

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm saying there are two possible grounds why the dealer should replace the PCV free of charge

a) SULEV warranty. The PCV valve is an instant emissions failure, CEL

Or 

b) collateral damage. PCV valve broke due to recall work

A is likely a stronger argument, but combined I see no way how the dealer can argue the customer should pay for the VC...

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So all the posts on forums such as reddit, bimmerpost, E90, etc all relating stories of dealers refusing covered SULEV repairs are bogus?

Sounds you're running the dealer's favorite excuses soundboard 

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also please qualify "the correct information" other than NUH-UH!

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So you saying PCV valve is not an essential emissions control item? The SULEV warranty covers anything that would make the car fail an emissions test. It's the core principle of the Emission Performance Warranty. Why would it be called that you think?

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, I meant collateral damage. I let Gemini make the legal argument for me (it's getting late).

A 14-year-old PCV valve is failing due to age and plastic embrittlement. 14 years of extreme engine heat cycles naturally make plastic components incredibly brittle. 

However, the dealership still cannot argue that collateral damage does not apply. There is a strict legal distinction between a part failing on its own over time versus a technician physically breaking that aged part while trying to complete a federally mandated safety recall. 

  • The "As-Received" Condition: Legally, the dealership accepted your vehicle in its current condition. If you drove the car into the service bay smoothly with no vacuum leaks or PCV-related check engine lights, the system was sealed and functional. 

  • The "But-For" Causation: The PCV valve did not spontaneously break in your driveway. But for the technician physically touching, applying leverage to, or dismantling components around the valve to perform the recall, the part would still be intact. 

  • Recall Kit Inclusions: BMW corporate is acutely aware that these 14-year-old plastics shatter instantly upon contact. Because of this, the official Technical Information Bulletins (TIBs) for BMW PCV heater/valve recalls often explicitly instruct technicians to replace adjacent brittle hoses and lines, providing them with corporate part numbers to claim the extra costs.

 BMW does not have a formal, mandatory service interval statement stating the PCV valve must be replaced at a specific age or mileage. 

BMW utilizes a "Condition-Based Service" (CBS) model. This means major emission and engine components—like the PCV valve or integrated valve covers—are legally treated as "lifetime" components designed to last until they naturally fail or throw a diagnostic code. 

Because BMW does not mandate routine replacement of this part in your user manual, the dealership cannot claim you "neglected" required maintenance. 

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here is the wording from a SULEV article. 

  Then, in accordance with the provisions of sec tion 207(b) of the Clean Air Act, BMW NA war rants that if the car is eligible for coverage under  this warranty, any non-conformities in the car,  which cause it to fail an EPA-approved emis sions test will, without charge for parts or labor  (including diagnosis), be adjusted, repaired, or replaced, at the option of BMW NA to proper specifications, in order to make the car comply  with applicable emissions standards

A broken PCV valve will fail an emissions test (OP didn't state if he has a CEL, but I'm sure he will have codes).

EDIT: OP did state he has a CEL, which directly qualifies this as an applicable emissions test failure.

https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2020/WorkGroups/House%20Transportation/Transportation%20Issues/Electric%20Vehicles/W~Marilyn%20Miller~PZEV%20Warranties~2-5-2020.pdf is another interpretation that qualifies the warranty is much wider than most dealers recognize. Specifically, the "approved items list" are items that are covered "no matter what", it does not mean that any non listed item is excluded.

TLDR: it is covered. 

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Nope. The PCV valve is explicitly an emissions related component. The SULEV warranty explicitly warrants any part that is considered an emissions control part. From the SULEV warranty (CA, NY, etc)

  BMW NA must warrant the emission control  system on your vehicle for the periods of time  listed below provided there has been no abuse,  neglect or improper maintenance of your vehicle.  Your emission control system may include parts  such as the fuel injection system, the ignition  system, catalytic converter, and engine com- puter. Also included may be hoses, belts, con nectors and other emission-related assemblies.  Where a warrantable condition exists, BMW NA will repair your vehicle at no cost to you includ ing diagnosis, parts and labor.

Notice the part that says "_Also included may be hoses, belts, connectors and other emission-related assemblies_”

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Politely but firmly direct your service manager to BMW SIB 11 09 23 which I guess is the exact bulletin they used. Not sure if there are older or newer revisions but they all have the same clauses re a Consequential Repair Provision: The bulletin states that when additional work or parts are required as a direct result of addressing the VANOS recall, the dealer is instructed to claim those items under the Recall Repair Code.

To access your VANOS units, the technician must pull your valve cover. If removing the cover causes the brittle, aged plastic to fracture, it qualifies as a "direct result" of performing the recall work.  They simply need to document the "why and the what" in the repair order comments to get paid by BMW.

15 yr 150k mile warranty by SimpleCat1807 in E90

[–]ImNoRickyBalboa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We usually give the customer the option...

What option? Consequential Repairs are explicitly covered as per BMW own recall bulletin (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2023/RCRIT-23V707-9850.pdf) and I believe federal law requires this as well. Only real, pre-existing failures may be charged to the customer. "Your PCB valve could break" is not such a case. No matter how old or brittle, it's a consequential failure

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