KNOWN FAULTS · BMW
BMW Serie 5 (E60/E61) 520i / 525i / 530i common problems.
2003–2010 · Petrol
Sources are not verified in real time and no entry confirms that your car is affected.
4 known faults with sources
Applies if: Only with the M54 engine (up to 2005); not the later N52.
Plastic cooling-system parts (M52TU / M54)Cooling
- Engine / equipment
- M52TU and M54 six-cylinder petrol (320i–330i E46, 520i–530i E39, 520i–530i E60 up to 2005, X3 2.5i/3.0i, X5 3.0i, six-cylinder Z3 and Z4)
- Period mentioned
- 1998–2006
- Symptoms
- Coolant loss without an obvious puddle, sweet smell, low-level warning, steam in the engine bay, heater stops warming and the temperature needle rises. Expansion tank failure is usually sudden; the water pump can fail with no visible leak.
- Possible cause described
- Many cooling parts are plastic and become brittle with heat and age: expansion tank, radiator neck, thermostat housing and the water pump impeller, which can crack or come off its shaft and stop pumping. The electric auxiliary pump is also a frequent failure.
- Check for the garage
- With the engine cold, check the level and look for cracks or dried coolant on the tank, radiator neck and thermostat housing. At a garage: pressure-test the system and inspect the pump. If the temperature rises, stop somewhere safe: a single overheat can warp the aluminium head. Never open the system hot.
- Cost cited in the source
- No verifiable estimate in the sources; ask for a quote. The sources recommend replacing tank, pump (preferably with a metal impeller), thermostat and hoses together on high-mileage engines.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Sources from the original database
BMWTuning: E46 cooling problemsEuro Premium Parts: M54 engine guideAutodoc: E39 cooling faultsTurner Motorsport: X5 E53 (M54) cooling partsBrake & Front End: plastic pump impeller in BMW engines
View full entryApplies if: Only with the M54 engine (up to 2005); not the later N52.
Crankcase ventilation (CCV) valve on the M52TU / M54Intake / engine management
- Engine / equipment
- M52TU and M54 six-cylinder petrol (320i–330i E46, 520i–530i E39, 520i–530i E60 up to 2005, X3 2.5i/3.0i, X5 3.0i, six-cylinder Z3 and Z4)
- Period mentioned
- 1998–2006
- Symptoms
- High oil consumption, bluish smoke, rough idle, whistling from a vacuum leak, engine light with lean-mixture codes and very strong suction when trying to remove the oil filler cap at idle.
- Possible cause described
- The system has a regulating valve and four plastic and rubber hoses under the intake manifold. The valve membrane tears and the hoses crack; on short trips in cold weather, condensation mixes with the oil, blocks the return through the dipstick tube and can freeze. Several forum owners cut oil consumption sharply by renewing the system, though others also blame piston ring wear.
- Check for the garage
- At a garage: smoke-test the intake to find leaks (CCV hoses, intake boots, DISA valve seal, valve cover gasket) and check whether the dipstick tube return is blocked. A cold-climate version of the system exists for cold regions.
- Cost cited in the source
- No verifiable estimate in the sources; ask for a quote. It is labour-intensive because the intake has to be removed.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Sources from the original database
Xoutpost (X5 E53 forum): M54 / M52TU CCV problemsZ4-forum: M54B25 oil consumption and a split diaphragmZHP Mafia (forum): oil consumption and CCVFCP Euro: CCV replacement on a 330xi M54Go-Parts: P0174 on an X5 M54Go-Parts: P0506 on an X3 M54
View full entryApplies if: Only with the M54 engine (up to 2005); not the later N52.
Double VANOS seals (M52TU / M54)Valve timing
- Engine / equipment
- M52TU and M54 six-cylinder petrol with double VANOS (320i–330i E46, 520i–530i E39, 520i–530i E60 up to 2005, X3 2.5i/3.0i, X5 3.0i, six-cylinder Z3 and Z4)
- Period mentioned
- 1998–2006
- Symptoms
- Loss of torque and pull below about 3,000 rpm, louder or unsteady idle, the engine bogs when the air conditioning is switched on and sometimes VANOS fault codes. On 1998–2000 M52TU engines, jolts or stalling on cold starts.
- Possible cause described
- VANOS varies intake and exhaust timing with two hydraulic pistons. The O-rings on those pistons lose elasticity and flatten, oil leaks past them and the system cannot reach the requested position. According to the repair-kit maker, remanufactured units use the same original seals.
- Check for the garage
- Read the engine codes and, at a garage, compare actual and requested camshaft positions in live data. Rule out vacuum leaks and the CCV first, as they cause similar symptoms. On M52TU engines with cold jolts, the kit maker describes a test with the intake VANOS solenoid unplugged.
- Cost cited in the source
- Seal kit: about $60 in parts according to its maker (US price), plus gasket and washers; labour extra.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Sources from the original database
Beisan Systems: symptoms and affected enginesBeisan Systems: VANOS FAQZ4-forum: VANOS repair with Beisan sealsEuro Premium Parts: M54 engine guide
View full entryApplies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.
ZF 6HP mechatronic sleeve leak and harsh shiftsAutomatic gearbox
- Engine / equipment
- ZF 6-speed automatic 6HP19/21/26/28 (E53, E60/E61, E63/E64, E65/E66, E85, E90–E93)
- Period mentioned
- Approx. 2001–2013
- Symptoms
- Oil drips or dampness by the electrical connector on the side of the pan, a bump on the downshift just before stopping, harsh or flared shifts (especially 3rd-4th and 4th-5th under throttle) and a limp mode that clears after restarting.
- Possible cause described
- The sealing sleeve between the mechatronic unit and the wiring harness has O-rings that harden and let oil out. A BMW bulletin says to replace it only for a real leak, not mere dampness, and warns that fitting it wrongly damages the connector pins and forces a mechatronic replacement. With low fluid the gearbox loses pressure. Harsh shifts can also come from worn solenoids or valve body, not only the sleeve.
- Check for the garage
- At a garage: read the gearbox codes, check the fluid level with the official procedure (correct temperature and engine running) and look for a real leak at the sleeve and pan gasket. After a fluid or parts change, the garage should reset adaptations. If limp mode persists, check solenoids and valve body before replacing the gearbox.
- Cost cited in the source
- Sleeve and pan gasket: minor repair. If fluid is lost and the gearbox is damaged, in a US forum case BMW offered a remanufactured gearbox for about $2,800 without fitting.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.
Sources from the original database
BMW: bulletin SIB 24 08 06, ZF 6HP mechatronics sleeve5Series.net (forum): symptoms of the sleeve failure5Series.net (forum): ZF 6HP19 limp mode5Series.net (forum): 6HP19 service and shifting faultsAu7o: P0730 and known ZF 6HP faults in BMWs
View full entry