[acediac]

Hi All,

I just replaced the Oil Filter housing, water pump and cylinder head coolant line on my B48 and thought I would share my experience in case it helps anyone.

My car: 2016 F30 330i LCI with B48 engine, 100k km (60k miles)

The catalyst for this was a failure of the cylinder head - expansion tank coolant line which left me driving without coolant for about 15 minutes as I tried to reach home asap. Although I had plenty of warning lights including the red "stop now!" come on a few times, the engine seems to have survived any major damage (although next time I would probably just pull over and call the tow truck). The temperature gauge on the instrument cluster seems to be just the oil temp not the coolant, and it did not seem to rise appreciably the whole time (was around 110C or 3/8 of the way from the left which is normal). After this ordeal I read up all the threads on what else can fail as I did not want this to happen again.

I ended up replacing:

• Cylinder head - expansion tank coolant connector pipe (aka 17129845173, 17128740118, 17125A05950) It has had many revisions and there may be a newer revision now as realoem shows "not found" for any of these numbers 17125A05950*
  (If you are just doing this pipe, it is possible to just remove the front bracket holding the throttle body and snake the pipe under the intake muffler, 30 minute job depending how quickly you can unhook and reconnect the engine side connector.)
• Oil Filter Housing 11428596283
• Oil Filter Housing to engine block gasket (this should be included with the housing above if you buy a new one) 11428591460
• Coolant water pump with component carrier 11517644809
  (To save money, you can just replace the coolant water pump (11518638026) and redo the seals on the component carrier)
• Gasket for heat exchanger - oil filter housing 11428591462
• Connector branch from engine block to coolant pipe (recommended to change this plastic part) 11118511205
• 3x 1.5L Coolant (This car came with blue but I used the newer green version)

While I was in there, I also replaced:

• Seal to intake ports for intake system (need 4) 11618637800
• Throttle body Gasket (need 2) 13547563377
• O-ring for heat management module 11538658573
• Gasket for heat management module 11538658574
• Intake muffler to turbo seal 13717601067
• turbo to Charge air pipe seal 13718642240
• alternator Belt drive 11288646475

After some deliberation, I decided to use aftermarket parts for the following:
Aluminium oil filter housing
There are many available but they all use the same pictures, which leads me to believe there is just one factory making these in China. I bought from here but just search for the part number in Amazon: (https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BZS2LZMQ)
This was 75% the price of a new genuine plastic one, and includes the heat diffuser module and gaskets and screws!
[Edit: for some reason, the link is now going to a plastic version of the part from the seller. You can find other sellers of the aluminium version by searching for 11428596283 on Amazon]


Aluminium connector branch
(https://www.amazon.com.au/1111851120.../dp/B0CH3L52JC) - These do not come with a gasket and the mounting surface does not contain a groove for a gasket. I used a bead of the same silicone that was recommended for the water pump (Loctite 5970 gasket sealant 83190404517).

Obviously it is not time tested but I was quite pleased overall with the quality of the aluminium parts. Dimensions seem to be spot on. Just to be safe, I de-burred the inside of the connecting branch and some parts of the oil filter housing (some minor small chads in the inside junctions of some of the holes) with a Dremel and hand file, and washed the parts and dried them in an oven. I intend to do another oil change after 3k kms in case there are any metal particles circulating.

Silicone connector coolant pipe (https://www.amazon.com.au/1712874011.../dp/B0C6J3V43R)
I was very impressed with the silicone connector pipe replacement. I believe that the failures with the OEM pipes are due to constant movement between the engine and the bolted down expansion tank acting on the rigid pipe with plastic connectors. Not only is the silicone aftermarket more flexible, it comes with brass connectors! I'm confident this won't fail any time soon.

Here are the basic steps that I followed. You should refer to newtis for full instructions (need to sign in to view), I will not provide links for legal reasons.

• Disconnect battery earth (Tie a rope to the trunk latch hook to prevent it from closing)
• Remove engine bay underbody cover
• Drain low temperature coolant circuit (connector near radiator on the right side of car / left if you are facing the car)
• Drain the high temperature coolant circuit (connector on front left side of car / right if you are facing the car)
• Remove rear weatherstrip + upper strut brace + rear engine acoustic foam
• Loosen oil filter and drain engine oil
• Remove electronics box / DME (not strictly necessary but will make things a lot easier, take lots of photos before removal)
• Remove intake filter housing + clean air pipe to throttle body
• remove valve + hoses on top of air intake plenum and unbolt the plenum. Work the plenum loose, flip over the plenum to disconnect two pipes underneath.
• Remove connecting branch
• unbolt heat exchanger for automatic transmission
• remove oil filter housing
• Preload the belt tensioner with a wrench and secure with a pin (Be careful of this step, the manual warns this could be dangerous. There is a special pin 83300496268 used for locking the tensioner in place but I used a drill bit. However I was extremely aware that it could snap at any moment and fly off and pierce my eye. I returned the tensioner to the default position as soon as I unbolted the alternator. To be safe, it is best to purchase the special rod for this purpose.)
• unhook the belt and remove the bolts for the alternator and remove the alternator.
• unbolt and remove a/c compressor (see notes)
• Remove component carrier
• Remove heat management module (if doing the seals)

When reassembling, take note of tightening torque and sequence from newtis.

Procedure for bleeding coolant circuits (after vacuum filling):
Note you are meant to fill the coolant with the heater turned to maximum (I presume it opens extra passageways for the coolant). I'm not sure it is a good idea to turn the ignition on to set the heater when the coolant circuit is dry, so best to set the heater before disconnecting the battery at the very start of the job.

Low temp circuit:

• Connect battery charger
• Fill low temp reservoir to max and close cap
• Turn on ignition
• Switch on low beam (all the way clock wise) and turn on hazard lights
• Check driving experience is not ECO-Pro
• Set heating to maximum and blower to minimum (1 bar)
• Press accelerator pedal for 10 seconds (don't start engine). You will hear the pump start up.
• Leave pumps running (engine off) for 15 minutes.
• Turn off and fill low temp reservoir to max.

High temp circuit:

1. Fill high temp reservoir to max and close cap
2. Turn on ignition
3. Switch on low beam (all the way clock wise) and turn on hazard lights
4. Check driving experience is not ECO-Pro
5. Set heating to maximum and blower to minimum (1 bar)
6. Press accelerator pedal for 10 seconds (don't start engine). You will hear the pump start up.
7. Start engine. It will have increased 1200rpm idle if the procedure is started correctly.
8. Wait 1 minute then:
9. Rev engine to 3000rpm and hold for 10 seconds. Release and idle for 10 seconds
10. Repeat the above for 5 cycles.
11. Leave the car for 11 minutes to finish the bleed procedure
12. Fill high temp reservoir to max once engine is cool

Notes
As with any major disassembly, take lots of photos at every stage. Label connectors. I like to sticky tape screws in the same slots as the piece it comes off in so I don't forget, or re-screw it in the hole after the piece comes off.

For the aftermarket pieces, I used 10Nm for all bolts with aluminium - aluminium surfaces and 8Nm for plastic to aluminium.

I bought the (genuine) component carrier with the water pump ($$$) but the carrier is a solid aluminium piece that should be fine to reuse. The only problem is, there are no gaskets for sale, the manual says to use Loctite 5970 83190404517. The new part comes from the factory with the silicone already applied at the carrier (I could actually tell it was formed from a bead of silicone, don't know why they don't just make a gasket) and the water pump already assembled (and presumably sealed, I didn't take it apart) against the carrier.
You can just replace the water pump without removing the carrier and it will save having to remove the alternator and a/c compressor, but the seal behind the carrier is also known to fail at some time.

Take care with the squeeze pipe fittings for the fuel breather lines. If you snap a connector, each of those plastic rigid pipes can cost as much USD$50+ to replace. Ask me how I know.
Most electrical connectors have a tab that must click out before it can be depressed. Most coolant hose connectors have a circlip wire that must be pulled out to the notch before unplugging. Be careful as the circlips can come completely off and fly away under tension.

It is possible to get the 4th bottom bolt of the oil filter housing from above. However, I found it easier to undo the heat exchanger for automatic transmission to shift it aside for access (no need to unplug the fluid hoses). One of those fixing bolts is just below the bottom bolt of the oil filter housing, the other two are a tight reach from underneath the car. 1/4" drive E10 and E8 torx sockets with swivel joints and extenders will really help. The smaller the better.

With the intake plenum off, this might be a good time to clean those intake valve stems too.

Despite what newtis says, it is not necessary to drain the a/c gas to remove the a/c compressor from the water pump component carrier, just set the compressor slightly aside after unbolting from the carrier. The compressor was a tight fit on the component carrier and I needed to carefully pry it loose after unbolting.

I used a vacuum kit (pictured below) to pump out the air from the low temp circuit and high temp circuit. You need to make sure there are two different sealing caps that fit the two reservoir openings. I made sure each circuit held vacuum for at least 5 minutes before filling (about -50 cmHg with my pump). I needed about three 1.5L bottles of coolant concentrate (diluted 50% with demineralised water) total to refill both circuits. Keep checking and topping up the coolant over the next few days of driving until it stops dropping.

When refilling the oil I poured some oil into the oil filter housing to help the initial flow. Needed about 5.5L total.

It is a good idea to take lots of photos and / or label the DME / electronics box connectors. Take note that some locations on the electronics box are unconnected.

I got plenty of warning lights and a DME failure when I started the car up after the job, but it turned out the DME plugs weren't plugged in properly. When reassembling, you need to start from the connector at the back of the engine bay and work towards the front, because the latch needs to start off almost horizontal before you push the whole plug down, otherwise it won't plug in all the way. Just because the latch locks back into vertical position is NOT a guarantee that it is properly seated. I had to reset all faults with ISTA+ after fixing the connection.

The upper strut brace uses aluminium bolts which are supposed to be tightened to 48Nm and stretched a further 90 degrees. Might want to replace 4x 07147270121 if you take it apart a few times.

All in all I took my sweet time over a few days, but it was not too difficult if you are moderately experienced at diy. Hope this helps!

[alexonahurry]

That's a pretty comprehensive manual, really helpful. I like the aluminum OFH - I got an updated one from BMW that's is still made from plastic but I got mine done about 15K miles ago.

[xyz8xyz]

Thanks for sharing, very useful information

[bryanlopez]

I believe my oil filter housing failed on me last night. Thanks for the thorough write up!
Do you mind correcting the link for the aluminum housing that you used? You used the link for the coolant pipe.

[acediac]

Originally Posted by bryanlopez

I believe my oil filter housing failed on me last night. Thanks for the thorough write up!
Do you mind correcting the link for the aluminum housing that you used? You used the link for the coolant pipe.

Sorry my bad, the link has been corrected in the post (but the seller doesn't seem to have it in stock any more, just search for 11428596283 for alternative sellers).

[angelforce]

I wish I was your neighborhood to watch you doing this show!

I clicked on all the links but it seems the suppliers got out of stock fast. All of them are unavailable for me.

I will plan to do this upgrades soon.

Would be great if BMW had done that by design. (But it would mean less service for their workshops later after warranty hehe)

Thank you so much for this comprehensive manual.

I wish you had filmed that to sell as a course haha since I am not super savvy on this kind of work…

[Moupe]

How is that silicone coolant pipe working out for you? Any signs of bulging or leaking?

Still unsure whether or not I buy the replacement BMW part or go with something aftermarket like what you purchased. I wish it was available in black instead of orange.

[cfm56d7b]

Super useful. Ought to be pinned. Thank you!

[acediac]

Originally Posted by Moupe

How is that silicone coolant pipe working out for you? Any signs of bulging or leaking?

Still unsure whether or not I buy the replacement BMW part or go with something aftermarket like what you purchased. I wish it was available in black instead of orange.

My coolant levels from both circuits have not dropped at all (after stabilizing over the initial few days) and the oil level has been spot on since I did this in November 2023. No leaks that I can see from anywhere and I've done 5000km / 3000mi since.

The oem connector pipe always fails at the plastic connector neck to the rigid pipe (mine did, and all the people posting on youtube show the same problem). One end is fixed to the engine which will move backwards and forwards but the other end is to the coolant tank which is fixed to the chassis, so there is continuous stress on that pipe. With brass connectors and a silicone pipe that is more flexible but stronger on the aftermarket replacement that I used, I think it is going to outlast the car. I highly recommend it if you are replacing that pipe. The colour is going to detract from the oem look but I think it's stylish, personally.

[acediac]

Originally Posted by angelforce

I wish I was your neighborhood to watch you doing this show!

I clicked on all the links but it seems the suppliers got out of stock fast. All of them are unavailable for me.

I will plan to do this upgrades soon.

Would be great if BMW had done that by design. (But it would mean less service for their workshops later after warranty hehe)

Thank you so much for this comprehensive manual.

I wish you had filmed that to sell as a course haha since I am not super savvy on this kind of work…

Just search Amazon for the part numbers and you will see alternate sellers. You can usually tell when some sellers are selling the same product since they use the same pictures.

Yeah, it would help if you have done things like replacing valve cover gaskets before. It's not for absolute beginners but not super difficult either, especially since I didn't have to disconnect the a/c gas as that would have been a pain. I had never done the vacuum coolant filling before but it didn't turn out too difficult once I got the tool with the right connectors (need coolant tank caps that fit perfectly and don't leak and that came in the kit that I bought.)

[f30jomi]

way more useful than any other resource i’ve come across. picked up my first new(ish) bmw and have to do this job myself. thank you for such a comprehensive guide! any update on how the aftermarket components and hoses held up?

[yehoshua]

Hey anyway to get in contact with you running into the issues u talked about about the dme failing and trying to trouble shoot it here the codes i got and a deive train malfunction this was after doing the water pump and housing thanks ?