[tobeee]

In Sweden and Norway a BMW is shipped with the option 842 COLD CLIMATE VERSION. What this often means is that the engine is equipped with an insulade crankcase ventilation. In cold wheather this is supposed to avoid freezing and ice stuck in the pipe which would cause potential damage to the engine.

In the F-Series, BMW has put an electric heated crankcase ventilation pipe that goes from the valve cover down to a airpipe just in front of the inlet to the turbo.

The BMW workshops I have talked to believe that in cold circumstances water mixed with oil freezes and is sucked into the turbo causing it to fail. Its been a lot of incidents recent winter with failing turbos due to this issue. BMW does NOT have a solution despite several changes in design in recent years.

From what i understand this is a common issue verified both of different BMW dealers and forums in Sweden. My car for instance got its 2nd turbo replaced yesterday in a total of 63000 km milage. Only about 40000 miles... Another guy i talked to at the workshop yesterday had his turbo replaced for the third time. 80000km milage...

Have anyone seen this in other countrys to?

See the attached image for the electric heated pipe and my damaged turbo.

[Llinded]

Hello! I have had similar issues in Finland, and changed my turbo last winter due to ice damaging the blades and bearings. My turbo was much worse than yours on the picture.

I do not have the cold climate version as my car is imported from Germany (very popular to do that here). The turbo problem is well known here as well.

Did you have issues even with the cold climate option?

The B47 version specifically has this problem, and it is less common on the N47 version.
The B47 intake is different from the N47, as there are many holes and acoustic chambers to mute the engine sound. Many suspects that this causes the ice to build up in these holes and under acceleration go in the turbo. Short distance driving makes this problem worse.

Now I researched this issue quite a bit and wondered why the N47 do not have this issue. The intake was really the only major difference I could find.
I then discovered that even though the turbo is different on the N47, the intake diameter on the turbo is the same. So I ordered an N47 intake tube from Ebay, and it fits perfectly on the B47. This gets rid of all the acoustic chambers and holes in the intake, which should help with the ice issue.

What is strange is that I did not notice any change in engine sound, so I really don't understand why BMW redesigned the intake tube. They only made it worse.

I also intalled a catch can to reduced the oil/water going in to the intake, but in my experience this was just a waste of money, as the oil/water from the crankcase ventilation started to build up in the AN hose before the catch can, and that could possibly block the ventilation, and that's not a good thing. Also the can was full of water after 1 week, as the condensation is really heavy in -20C weather.

Now I just run the N47 intake with a new turbo, and hope for the best next winter.

[Hornex_x2000]

Hello Llinded, did your solution help with your car? I have F36 with B47 engine. The turbo broke during last years april and now started the same noise to appear. I'm trying to find a solution to prevent it from happening again. I'm really interested if your solution helped because if it didn't help then I might have to sell the car. I can't afford to fix all the time.

P.s if it helped,I would really appreciate if you tell me which part or send me the parts picture.
Thanks in advance

[tobeee]

I have less problem after i did this modification. Much less water and oil building up. But turbo whistle is starting to come back again. For the time this is just a cosmetic issue though...

In the picture you can see what causing the whistling sound.

Its a easy job replacing the turbo and really like this car... I will order a spare turbo and make a maintancene routine replacing turbine wheel every year switching between this two turbos...