Seabass23
01-08-2009, 01:08 PM
Sorry for this long post, but I'm looking for some mechanical expertise.
I've recently had the oil separator freeze on my 2005 X5 4.4. The result was a hefty repair bill.
The cause was condensation build-up in the engine that froze and plugged either the separator or the drain lines. I've read many posts on this board and others about this problem and realize that it's not that rare in cold climates. I live in Canada and we've been experiencing a brutal cold snap of sub 0°F weather for about 8 weeks now.
Following the repair, my local dealer cautioned me about not letting the vehicle idle for long periods of time in cold weather and also to avoid short trips. Their logic is that condensation buildup in the engine/oil will occur unless I get it up to operating temperature for extended periods of time.
They also stated that my engine appears to have an abnormally high level of moisture. They performed a hot oil change in an effort to remove it, and after that, they still noticed steam rising out of the dipstick tube.
Their recommendation is that I drive the vehicle in manual mode and keep the revs high for 1000km (600mi). They want the engine to run as hot as possible. After 1000km they want to do another oil change.
My concern is this: I've always avoided idling in cold weather and on the day of the separator freeze-up, I had just returned from a 5 hour road trip. Is there any other potential cause for moisture build-up in the engine?
I'm also wondering about their logic in doing a "hot" oil change? With the engine warm, all moisture would be vapor. Wouldn't it be better to do this cold, in the hopes that the vapor would condense in the oil pan and drain out with the oil?
Any mechanical expertise on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
I've recently had the oil separator freeze on my 2005 X5 4.4. The result was a hefty repair bill.
The cause was condensation build-up in the engine that froze and plugged either the separator or the drain lines. I've read many posts on this board and others about this problem and realize that it's not that rare in cold climates. I live in Canada and we've been experiencing a brutal cold snap of sub 0°F weather for about 8 weeks now.
Following the repair, my local dealer cautioned me about not letting the vehicle idle for long periods of time in cold weather and also to avoid short trips. Their logic is that condensation buildup in the engine/oil will occur unless I get it up to operating temperature for extended periods of time.
They also stated that my engine appears to have an abnormally high level of moisture. They performed a hot oil change in an effort to remove it, and after that, they still noticed steam rising out of the dipstick tube.
Their recommendation is that I drive the vehicle in manual mode and keep the revs high for 1000km (600mi). They want the engine to run as hot as possible. After 1000km they want to do another oil change.
My concern is this: I've always avoided idling in cold weather and on the day of the separator freeze-up, I had just returned from a 5 hour road trip. Is there any other potential cause for moisture build-up in the engine?
I'm also wondering about their logic in doing a "hot" oil change? With the engine warm, all moisture would be vapor. Wouldn't it be better to do this cold, in the hopes that the vapor would condense in the oil pan and drain out with the oil?
Any mechanical expertise on this topic would be greatly appreciated!