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[JamesV6CDX]

I've created this thread to record and share the progress of my BMW 530 repair, mainly in pictures.

I must start by saying that I don't have any experience of working on BMW's whatsoever, I don't have so much as a Haynes book, and am working from instinct only - so sorry if anything I write is wrong - and don't rely on it being correct!

The car is my trusty W plate 2000 e39 BMW 530d with 175,000 on the clock. It's the 3 litre straight 6 commonrail diesel.

The turbo began whining a few weeks ago, it's got steadily worse, and the turbo is now throwing oil into the inlet at quite a rate, so it's had to be taken off the road for repair.

Yes most folk are saying just scrap it, but A) It's an absolutely solid car, I've spent a lot on getting suspension etc up to scratch, and I think it's worth saving. It makes more financial sense to spend, say £500 fixing it, as opposed to buying a replacement with a whole list of unknowns.

Additionally, I need a challenge, and to broaden my mechanical horizons away from Omegas, and learn new things. And I've nothing to lose by learning on this one!

The problem with the car, is the turbo. The project is to strip stuff down, replace the turbo with a new one, and also the exhaust manifold whilst it's stripped, and to carry out a swirl flap removal procedure. I also at the same time will investigate why it's losing coolant. (It never overheats).

So, armed with a toolbox I opened the bonnet, and was faced with something that looked like this. (Note, this is a stock photo, as I forgot to take a picture before removing the engine cover. Apart from the first one, all other pictures are mine, taken today:




Then, I removed the cosmetic engine cover, and it looked like this:





Next step was to remove the inlet manifold, which needs to come off for both the exhaust manifold change, and in order to change the swirl flaps. Note the kitchen roll in all of the inlet ports. You have to be very careful getting the manifold off, because there are several rubber washers mounted on the underside of it, with metal inserts, that can easily fall into the inlet ports. Note the kitchen roll in the inlets, as soon as I had access to them:







Next step was the removal of the pipe which goes from the air filter assembly to the turbo. The job of this pipe is to carry ambient air after it's been through the air filter, to the turbo, ready for cooling and compressing:





Next, off with the charge pipe, which carries compressed air from the turbo, into the intercooler:





Now, I remove the radiator cowling and viscious fan. I don't think this is scrictly necessary, but for five minutes work it seemed like a good idea to get much better access to stuff. I found that by removing the two turbo pipes first, I could let my viscious spanner rest against the metal casing of the vacuum pump, which then nicely locked the water pump and gave me two hands to grunt off the fan (The thread of which is reverse to most bolts):





This is the offside cabin filter, needed to remove the air filter assembly and rocker cover:





Now all of that rubbish is out of the way - we can start to at least see the turbo, and where it lives:





Next job is to remove the top cover for the air filter, as below. Just a few alan key type bolts, and it lifted off:





And with the cover removed, you now see the air filter:

[JamesV6CDX]

And, here is the view with the air filter removed. If you look carefully, there are three rubber bungs at the bottom, which begin to provide access to the three male spline bolts which hold the turbo to the manifold:





And here is the view, with the rubber bungs removed:





Close up:





There is then a metal heatsheild under the holes, which just clips in. When this heatsheild is removed, it looks like this:





Now, you COULD if you were just changing the turbo, drop the catalytic converter, a few pipes and clips, and you'd have access to remove the turbo from below.

In my case, however, I am also changing the exhaust manifold, because I am convinced it's cracked (common issue looking at forums).

What this means, is that I have to do further work to get to the manifold bolts, as follows.

Firstly unclip the electrical connectors to each of the 6 diesel injectors, and rest the loom out of the way, like so:





Then remove the diesel leak off pipes from each of the injectors, like so. You can just unclip it from each injector, and remove it as one, to make things easier and tidier. Also rest this, out of the way:





Now we have to remove the High Pressure fuel rail (known also as the "common rail" - where this type of diesel engine gets it's name)

Just undo the unions to each injector, and the one union on the high pressure fuel pump, which feeds the rail. There are then three 6mm Alan key bolts, and the rail lifts away as such:





Then, you have to remove all six diesel injectors, before you can remove the rocker cover.

To do this, there is an mm nut either side of the injector. Once you undo these, the injector will usually just wiggle out. Gently remove it, and you will be faced with this:





It's important to realise that the nozzles on these injectors are VERY fragile and the slightest knock will render it useless, same for dirt ingress. Therefore it's important to protect it, and put it somewhere safe, as soon as it's removed, before you move on to the others.

I placed mine in sandwich bags, like so:





I actually found that my rocker cover was leaking into the number 5 injector orifice, which was full of oil as a result, in the same way Omega ones fail.

I had a complication in as much as, injector 6 is stuck solid (all the others came out without much fuss). It's currently soaking in a bath of plus-gas, and I'll replenish this a few times before a further attempt to remove.

This took me the best part of the day - it would have usually only taken me a couple of hours, but I stopped at the point my back told me to.

I'm not complaining about this, I feel blessed that I can still tinker, even if it's much more slowly

More updates to follow next time I fancy working on it again. Thankfully there is no rush, having the Omega.

Going for a bath and a beer

[Bigron]

I'm glad that you are taking it gently, James, but don't wait for your back to tell you when to stop - it might be too late by then! PLEASE stop earlier than that and rest well before starting again. We don't want to lose you..... 

Ron.

[ronnyd]

Think you,ve done well to get so far.

[JamesV6CDX]

The car is a keeper. It's the longest I've had any car in my life, I can't bear to part with it.

So I might tackle the timing chain(s), given the mileage 

[X30XE]

You forgot to mention that the diesel injectors are coded to the ecu and it's critical they go back where they came from 

[X30XE]

The car is a keeper. It's the longest I've had any car in my life, I can't bear to part with it.

So I might tackle the timing chain(s), given the mileage

If they use plastic lined guides in this engine (as they do in the petrol of this vintage) then you might have to.  They're brittle as pensioners bones at 16yrs old 

[JamesV6CDX]

You forgot to mention that the diesel injectors are coded to the ecu and it's critical they go back where they came from 

See the numbers, on the bags

[X30XE]

You forgot to mention that the diesel injectors are coded to the ecu and it's critical they go back where they came from 

See the numbers, on the bags

I did. But someone who actually needs this useful guide because they don't already know might appreciate the heads up

[JamesV6CDX]

You forgot to mention that the diesel injectors are coded to the ecu and it's critical they go back where they came from 

See the numbers, on the bags

I did. But someone who actually needs this useful guide because they don't already know might appreciate the heads up

Fair enough, although the disclaimer at the top did say nothing I write can be relied on  This isn't so much of a guide, more of a blog at how I'm getting on

[JamesV6CDX]

And, re coding - my understanding was, the later (E60) BMW 530d with the same M57 engine (but slightly later engine management) had to have the injectors individually coded.... and there is a number on each injector, which defines the factory parameters, and is needed to program the ECU...

Whereas, on the older e39 like mine - the injectors are all DDE4, and all that's required if an injector is swapped is a "reset of adaptation values" in IPNA?

That's what most of the forums suggest anyhow 

[X30XE]

And, re coding - my understanding was, the later (E60) BMW 530d with the same M57 engine (but slightly later engine management) had to have the injectors individually coded.... and there is a number on each injector, which defines the factory parameters, and is needed to program the ECU...

Whereas, on the older e39 like mine - the injectors are all DDE4, and all that's required if an injector is swapped is a "reset of adaptation values" in IPNA?

That's what most of the forums suggest anyhow 

Do ya gots INPA?    No, well put it back where you found it then. Just like you were gonna anyway 

In all seriousness, I wasn't criticising.  Just adding what is obvious to us but may not be obvious to others. Sods law will dictate it will play up if mixed up and waste half a day over something that *shouldn't* matter.

[JamesV6CDX]

And, re coding - my understanding was, the later (E60) BMW 530d with the same M57 engine (but slightly later engine management) had to have the injectors individually coded.... and there is a number on each injector, which defines the factory parameters, and is needed to program the ECU...

Whereas, on the older e39 like mine - the injectors are all DDE4, and all that's required if an injector is swapped is a "reset of adaptation values" in IPNA?

That's what most of the forums suggest anyhow 

Do ya gots INPA?    No, well put it back where you found it then. Just like you were gonna anyway 

In all seriousness, I wasn't criticising.  Just adding what is obvious to us but may not be obvious to others. Sods law will dictate it will play up if mixed up and waste half a day over something that *shouldn't* matter.

I have access to INPA

I do totally agree with you, though. The reason I asked the question, is because no6 is stuck as a stuck thing, and should anything happen to it during removal, and I have to get a replacement, I want to know where I stand coding wise

[JamesV6CDX]

Number 6 injector is now out

Reason it was such a pain: water ingress. Had pretty much rusted itself to the chamber inside the head.

Does anyone know what the water jacket layout is like on this car?

I'm struggling to believe it's possible but there appears to be coolant seepage around the head to block join

[Doctor Gollum]

There's a pressurised heat exchanger across the bulkhead,  could it have seeped down to the head/block