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DIY: CCV, DISA, ICV, Oil Separator. STEP BY STEP - PICTURES

319K views 223 replies 123 participants last post by  Arcsaber 
#1 · (Edited)
This is a DIY an other member (Elbert) put together and I assisted with by email last year. Seeing how there are many issues with the OS due to the cold weather I thought I would post the DIY here for everyone to use. He is on bimmerfest.com and I am here on e46fanatics.com so we're trying to help everyone out.

Hope this help some people save money in these tough times.




DIY removal of the:
***8226; Oil Separator Valve (also known as: Pressure Regulating Valve, or Crankcase Ventilation Valve ***8211;CCV, PVC valve)
***8226; Idle Control Valve (ICV)
***8226; Intake Manifold Resonance Valve (also known as DISA Valve)

This is a journal of the work I did on my car-a 2001 BMW 325i E46 sedan, auto transmission. To the best of my recollection, the following tools, parts, and procedures are what I used in working on my car. Your particular car model might differ.

Tools
***8226; T-40 & T-25 Torx
***8226; 6mm, 10mm, & 13mm sockets
***8226; Ratchet ***8211;1/4***8221;
***8226; Extension bars, various lengths ***8211; 1/4***8221;
***8226; Universal joint ***8211; 1/4***8221;
***8226; Throttle body cleaner
***8226; Mirror
***8226; Long screw driver
***8226; Magnetic pick up tool (you***8217;re a bound to drop something)
***8226; Small blade knife
***8226; Optional (nice to have but not absolutely necessary)
o 6 mm reversible ratchet wrench ***8211; For less than $10.00, this will pay for itself to facilitate removal of the hard to access lower air intake boot clamps
o Assembly lube
o Electrical connector cleaner and dielectric lubricant
o Hose cutter, i.e. PVC pipe cutter

Shopping List
***8226; 11617501566 Oil Separator 1 47.95
***8226; 11611432559 Oil Separator Hose to Valve Cover 1 22.97
***8226; 11157532629 Oil Separator Oil Dip Stick hose 1 8.48
***8226; 11617504535 Oil Separator Connecting Hose 1 32.90
***8226; 11617504536 Return Pipe from Connecting Hose 1 31.49
***8226; 13541435627 Air Intake Boot; Lower 1 12.43
***8226; 11431740045 O-Ring Oil Dip Stick Tube to Oil Pan 1 0.70
***8226; 11611716174 Throttle Housing Gasket 1 4.92



***8226; If your funds are low, and considering how unreasonably expensive these hoses are, try removing the Return Pipe from Connecting Hose without breaking it. If you are successful and decide to reuse, flush clean inside of hose with throttle body cleaner and blow air through the hose to make sure it is clear of any blockage




Helpful suggestions

***8226; It is best to order all 4 plastic related oil separator hoses. These plastic hoses get brittle with age. The older the car, the greater the likelihood the connector/hose will break during removal. These connectors are easy to connect but could also be a challenge to disconnect due to seizing and the restricted working area. Another benefit of having the parts is you can practice how they connect/disconnect to each other. In addition, to facilitate removal, it is sometimes better to cut the hose or the connector
***8226; Either drive the front wheels on a ramp or raise the front wheels. This working position is easier because the access to the work area is more convenient than stooping low. In addition, you may need to access the car from underneath, although I did not have to this. I just like the car being higher; it is easier on my back
***8226; Unlike the upper air intake boot, the lower air intake boot will likely need replacement. The small elbow tube of the lower air intake boot is susceptible to splitting.
***8226; Although the wiring harness connectors are keyed to prevent cross connection, it is good practice to place a label on the connector and the unit that it attaches to. Also, count the number of wiring harnesses you are disconnecting. It is easy to miss a connector during installation.
***8226; The wiring harness connectors have a metal locking wire clip that is pushed down and pulled to disconnect. To re-install, hold connector without touching metal clip and insert connector until you hear it click.
***8226; It also a good practice to label all screws and bolts, replace to its location, or tape it to the removed part. The more diligent you are in doing this, the smoother your installation process will be.
***8226; Take several digital pictures as you go along during removal to serve as reference during installation just in case you forget how things go.
***8226; Lubricate the ports of the new hoses with assembly lube to ease assembly
***8226; Clean all electrical connectors with electrical cleaner and use dielectric lubricant.
***8226; Check the condition of surrounding vacuum lines and hoses while you are there





It is best to REMOVE the following parts in the order given. Underneath each heading are the fasteners and instructions for removal of the part.


1. Micro-filter housing assembly. Photo 1
a. Micro filter cover - 3 half-turn clips
b. Micro filter
c. Cable harness cover - lift clips to open
d. Micro filter housing base - 4 T-25 torx screws, location is underneath the micro filter and towards the firewall


2. Fuel rail cover. Photo 1
a. 2 plastic caps
b. 2 10mm bolts underneath plastic caps



3. Front air duct. Photo 1
a. 3 plastic expanding fasteners. Raise middle pin and pull out expanding fastener


4. Mass Air Flow sensor (MAF) Photo 1
a. Disconnect wiring harness to MAF sensor
b. Loosen hose clamp between MAF and upper air intake boot
c. Leave MAF connected to the air filter box


5. Air filter box assembly. Photo 1
a. Detach wiring harness behind air filter box
b. Remove 2 10mm bolts on air box base
c. Remove both air filter box and MAF as a unit


6. Air intake boot -upper. Photo 1
a. Loosen hose clamp
b. Disconnect vent hose coming off the top of the upper air intake boot or leave it connected and just lay the upper air intake boot on top of the intake manifold


7. Middle boot connector
a. Loosen hose clamp


8. Oil dipstick guide tube
a. Detach or slice off hose from the dipstick to the oil separator
b. Unhook wiring and vacuum lines from oil dipstick guide tube
c. Remove 13mm bolt holding oil dip stick bracket
d. Clean surrounding area and base prior to pulling dipstick assembly off. Replace o-ring at its base. No oil catch pan required as long as the oil pan is not overfilled
e. Insert a plug on the hole to prevent anything from falling in
f. Clean passage way of guide tube going to the oil separator with a thin piece of metal such as a clothes hanger wire and spray clean with throttle body cleaner



9. Heat shield. Photo 1
a. 2 quarter-turn twist fasteners
b. Move hose and weather strip out of the way, and lift heat shield



10. Lower air intake boot. Photo 2 & 4a
a. Before removing this boot, with the aid of a small mirror, notice this part has large rubber tab at its base. This tab aligns between 2 raised guidelines located on the outside bottom of the throttle body port. Align the tab when installing the new boot
b. 2 hose clamps ***8211; 1 clamp for the throttle body port and the other for the Idle Control Valve port


11. Intake Manifold Resonance Valve, also known as DISA Valve. Photo 3
a. Disconnect wire harness
b. 2 T-40 Torx screws
c. Spray clean the inside flaps


12. Wire harness box, Photo 3 & 5
a. 3 10mm nuts. One of the nuts is located at bottom right of the throttle body, next to one of the throttle body bolts. You will need a mirror as an aid to view location
b. Remove additional electrical connectors, not all, so you can move the wiring housing aside


13. Fuel Tank Venting/Breather Valve and mount bracket. Photo 5
a. Disconnect wire harness
b. Slide out fuel tank venting valve from mounting bracket. There is no need to remove connecting hose


14. Fuel Tank Venting/Breather Valve mount bracket. Photo 5
a. Remove 2 T-25 mount bracket screws


15. Idle Control Valve ICV. Photo 5
a. Disconnect wire harness
b. 2 T-40 screws
c. The other port end of the ICV is held via friction to a rubber grommet - pull out ICV to remove. Clean rubber grommet and lightly coat with assembly lube. Spray valve ports clean with throttle body cleaner


16. Throttle Body. Photo 4a
a. Disconnect wire harness
b. 4 10mm bolts ***8211; outside corners
c. Clean ports and butterfly plate with throttle body cleaner


17. Return Hose - Photo 6 & 7
a. The connector that is close to the firewall is difficult to remove due to very restrictive space. Insert a screwdriver between the fuel rail and locking ring to pinch ring and coming from the opposite position press the other side of locking ring with your finger and pull out hose. Another option is to cut locking ring off with a blade. Without the locking ring, pull connector out.
b. Remove other end of connector that is attached to the connecting hose


18. Oil Separator Hose to Valve Cover. Photo 7
a. Notice 90 deg elbow of this hose goes to the valve cover and the other end goes to oil separator
b. Squeeze locking ring and pull out. If the lower connector is difficult to remove, cut hose and leave connector attached to the oil separator


19. Oil Separator Connecting Hose. Photo 6 & 7
a. Unlike the other hose connectors, the connector going to oil separator does not use a locking ring. Curl the flex hose to get clearance if necessary and turn connector about 50 degrees or slightly over ¼ turn counter-clockwise until it stops. Then pull out hose to disconnect


20. Oil separator. Photo 8
a. 2 T-25 screws
b. Important: One of the ports has a rubber plug. Remove rubber plug and transfer rubber plug to the new oil separator. If your car has a hose attached, ignore.




Installation tips

1. It is best to re-install the parts in reverse order given
2. Fasten the oil separator first to the engine, then insert the connecting hose through the intake passage way. Important: Tug the hose to make sure you have it on securely. Also get a visual confirmation you have it attached properly; use a mirror if you have to
3. Position air intake hose clamp nuts for easier access for future projects
4. Pre-install oil separator oil dipstick hose to dipstick guide tube before assembly
5. Insert the oil dipstick o-ring onto the base of the guide tube before installation. Before fully inserting the guide tube to the engine port, tuck in the o-ring into the chamber and fully seat the guide tube



This job has a high level of difficulty. Some have rated it as a 7-8 based on oil change as level 1 and engine rebuild as level 10. Do allocate at least 5 - 7 hours of work depending on your level of proficiency. Hopefully the instruction above brings the level of difficulty down by one and shave off an hour or two off the project.
 

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#98 ·
I did this job this weekend. It's not that bad with these instructions, but still 7 hrs (first time). Make sure you attach the dipstick hose to the ccv, but leave bottom end to attach to dipstick prior to seating the dipstick (think that's missing from the instructions, but I could be wrong).

A set of long-handled right-angle needle nose pliers are invaluable to reaching hose clips; one of the most useful tools in my arsenal.
It's not on the parts list, replacing the DISA valve o-ring is a good idea. AS568-140 size, in viton, available from mcmaster.com for $6 for 10. Mcmaster part number 9464K151 (Grainger I'm sure has these as well, as well as other vendors). Nominal size is 2 1/4 x 2 7/16 x 3/32
 
#99 ·
Thanks for the DIY pics and videos of this install. I must say I have worked on and around cars for a good number of years now and can honestly say what a total piece of garbage this oil separator system on these cars are. Everyone of these that need to be replaced should be done so by the "engineer" that designed it. What a nightmare! Any system design other than the one in use could be better. If you have midget fingers and hands it's quite simple, but I guess I did save about $500 plus doing this myself and along with a new DISA valve.....anyways, thanks for the info here in this forum! PS...changing out struts and rear shocks is easier.
 
#100 ·
Question: Based on the bav auto DIY, they do not replace the dipstick tube/dipstick, is there a reason to replace that as well, or can I leave it be?
 
#101 ·
You'll need to replace the rubber washer at the base of the dipstick tube, however, there's no reason to replace the dipstick or tube. When you have the dipstick tube out, be sure and use brake cleaner down the drain portion that the rubber hose attaches too, to clear that out. There's a thought that that is one area that gets plugged/clogged over time, inhibiting the CCV from working properly.
 
#102 ·
:BUMP: you mean #12 in this pic?


I could def remove that, especially if you just undo those two bolts and then pull up on it. But they didn't remove it at all in the 3 part bav auto DIY's...
 
#103 · (Edited)
For my own reference here, this is what I'll need to do this job completely:

Tish CCV Kit: http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=MorePartInfo&PartID=789937&siteid=214672&catalogid=4462

Dipstick O-ring, Part #11 43 1 740 045

and a new Throttle body gasket: 13 54 7 504 729

And what about the ICV gasket? I'd love to pull it out and clean it while I am in there as I don't think it's ever been touched, EVER. Does it just pull out once you give it a wiggle? Part number- 11611437453


Total shipped to me from Tisch = $188.08
 
#104 ·
Yes, part #12. Given that you're taking a bunch of parts out when you do the CCV, pulling the dipstick tube is as easy as you described, and why wouldn't you so you could clean it, as I described? Replace the CCV and leave a possibly plugged up dipstick tube so oil can't drain back into the sump?

I replaced the Idle regulating valve gasket when I did mine, too. And cleaned the ICV out good with carb/choke cleane, so it moved very freely.
 
#105 ·
You're the man, I am totally going to do this. I got skeptical reading the moroso breather can thread where the OP says pulling it out made it very difficult to get back in with everything connected.. But he was probably implying about the moroso setup. Not to mention why the f would you wait till it's all reconnected to put the dipstick tube back in? Silly forums... :)
 
#106 ·
The dipstick o-ring can bind somewhat, lubrication is important, I use silicon grease, you can use clean engine oil if you don't have it, after reading about a lot of people having problems this is how I did it, I lubed it up and positioned the o-ring half way up the dipstick area that goes into the oil pan, inserted dipstick until o-ring contacted oil pan opening and used a screwdriver to gently tuck the o-ring into the pan all the way around, once it was in, I slid the tube all the way in until fully seated, piece of cake, I could see how it could cut the o-ring if I had just forced it. I did mine during my oil pan gasket change, I knew when I did the CCV that I would do the oil pan within two weeks so I left it alone at that time. The old o-ring was very hard, it couldn't have made much of a seal.
 
#108 ·
well, I did this job this past weekend, and it was a pain in the a s s. My most difficult area was not the oil dipstick o-ring (which I hope I am not jinxing myself by saying that) - I first tried to place the o-ring back into the tube where the dipstick tube connects to the pan, but that wasn't working as the new o-ring was a tad larger than the original just because it was new.. then i tried putting the o-ring on the dipstick tube itself, but that didn't work, just slipped to the top and wouldn't go in.. so i tried again by putting the o-ring into the oil pan area and then lubed everything up good with new oil and slowly rocked the dipstick tube back and forth and then it slid down and in and to the bottom and was secure. The only thing that I'm slightly worried about is that I shoved the o-ring down the tube and it did not seat. But after I slid it in there, i tugged on it, and it was very secure.. so I'm pretty positive i got it right.

Now, for the rest.. disassembly wasn't that bad, I ended up just breaking the hoses apart, holy Sh8T! that stuff was brittle! Old separator cracked in half, and the tube going to the dipstick was so gunked up at the oil separator connection, i am surprised any vapors/pressure was even going through there!! Top hose connecting to the valve cover that was cracked around the accordion section, broke clean off when I removed the valve cover connection and I didn't even pull that hard, just snapped! nuts... There was also a third nut holding the F'n electric box that the video from Bav auto does not mention that proved to be a major pain in the azz for me because I couldn't figure out why the thing wouldn't move out of the way after I removed the bolt and nut..

Very difficult to put that separator back in there in the proper position due to the foam coating now, very very difficult to get the first hose on that has the 90 degree turn connector. I ended up removing the bracket for the fuel tank breather valve which allowed me to snake, that hose in and up where i could attempt to get it on. But I eventually did, hardest one for me by far was after i had that hose on, and the one going to the dipstick tube on, and had to connect the last hose coming from the valve cover.. that was a BIT*H to get on there just due to the angle and really no way to apply good pressure, even though both connectors were fully lubed up. I'd try for 5 minutes, hands would be killing, move away from car, swear my azz off, then go back and try again, repeat cycle. Did that about 6-7 times before I finally got it. I suggest not screwing the oil separator in until all hose connections are made.. gives you a tiny bit of wiggle room you need to do the job.

Oh, and that flat socket extension tool that the guy in the bav auto video uses to remove the screw holding the brake hose bracket? totally unnecessary, I think that is why he did not remove the DISA valve because it made it look like you needed that tool, so then people think you need it and buy it and you don't even need it at all when removing the DISA valve.

Car's been driving around all weekend and everything seems fine. I think the hoses were so clogged it was forcing oil out of the back lower side of the valve cover, which really pissed me off since I just replaced it maybe a month or two ago... we'll see if that small oil spot stops seeping now or I'll scream.

Hands are killing me, especially finger tips, scratched all up, but the job is done!

Replaced the rubber snorkel on the idle control valve too, but honestly, it was still very pliable and probably did not need to be replaced. I bought the part though, so f-it, it went in, that was hard to remove too, had to use pliers to pull it out.

OK, done venting. Hopefully there is some more beneficial information in this post for someone else who will attempt this in the future.
 
#109 ·
Here's some pics of the carnage! Check out the clogging action inside the lower hose that goes to the dipstick, yikes!

all old pieces that I got out:


almost 100% clogged line that goes to the dipstick:


bottom of oil separator:


Inside the Valve Cover connecting hose:
 
#110 ·
i just did this job over the weekend as well. at 65k miles on my 05, the actual oil separator looked fine, the only hose that absolutely needed repairing was the oil dipstick drain plug, it had a massive hole in it below the separator. waiting on my expansion tank to arrive to put eveything back together.
 
#111 ·
Did this DIY last week. Totally agree this is a PITA!! But absolutly needed to be done. I was throwing seven codes and when I finally cleared them it had jumped to ten codes. (I drove for a day before I cleared them. May have had something to do with the extra codes.). It has been a week now and no problems.

Some random thoughts on this process:

I am not a wrench turner or a gear head, etc. but I am a bit of a cheapskate (aren't we all if we're on these forums.) This was by far the most complicated thing I've done on a car. Took me about 12hours over several days and numerous beers to get this done.

Read the postings!! There is a lot of info here and I'm grateful for everyone's input.

I didn't use the cold weather CCV. I'm in central TX so I didn't have to fuss with thicker items.

Clean the DISA, ICV, and Throttle body (TB). They are off so you might as well. Mine were pretty dirty. I used CRC'S TB cleaner.

My car has a throttle cable but I didn't have to disconnect the cable. Take out the heat shield next to the brake area this will give you room. Just be sure to reroute the cable properly in its groove/cam/slot on the throttle body.

Be patient with the ICV. Just keep moving it around and pulling and it will come out. Just keep moving and pushing to get back in.

Take pictures along the way and mark your electrical connections and bolts. This helped me when I was putting the ICV/TB/wiring harness back together.

Clean the electrical connections with an electrical cleaner. I used CRC's spray.

Just break the old hoses off.

I connected the hose (the one running from between the intake manifold ports to the CCV) to the CCV first, then ran it up between the manifold ports. I couldn't get enough pressure/leverage to connect them otherwise. There was just enough room to work this hose up. Do not secure the CCV when doing this! There is no room!

I replaced the small vacuum hose running from the CCV to the top of the manifold. Autozone matched it for me. I took the protective wire mesh off the old hose and put it on the new one. It's acts kind of like a Chinese finger trap to take off and on so be patient. Not sure if it's needed but I put it back on anyway.

I just cut the drain hose off the dipstick. I didn't pull the dipstick out.

I hope this helps.
 
#112 ·
Spent 5 hours and 15 minutes replacing my CCV this afternoon. I woulod like to know how they assembled this crap at the factory. What a horrible job. I never did get the separator to dipstick guide tube hose to fully seat and click into place. I'm pretty sure it's not going anywhere due to the friction from the O ring, though. I would seriously consider paying someone to do this if it ever required replacing again. I don't think I would want to do it again. I am not new to turning wrenches. I've replaced camshafts, swapped heads, installed headers on a Corvette on ramps in the driveway, all kinds of things. None of them were as frustrating to me as this stupid CCV replacement. It pisses me off because on paper it shouldn't be that hard. When you actually get into it and start realizing that you have zero room to make your hose connections the frustrations mount rather quickly.
 
#113 ·
Well I thought of that, much like yourself when I was doing the same job. I've DIY's basically everything on my E46, but haven't gone so far as to swap a head or replace a camshaft, although those jobs might be more time consuming, but more straight forward than this job. But you have to think to yourself, if it was that hard for you, how could you ever trust another mechanic to do the same job, with the same level of detail/accuracy that you put into it? scary stuff..
 
#115 ·
...and then you started to leak some oil... :eeps:
 
#117 ·
I am half way done. I totally agreed with you ! The upper hose is a PITA. Especially I bought an Non-OEM one( they don't fit right) I managed to put this new hose back in after many tries. I thought I am all good. Then I could not connect the hose to the valve cover(the connection between the hose and the separator). The stupid new non OEM hose is not flexible although it looks flexible. I have to pause and order a new OEM hose.

I will post a video of these hose later. My advice to everyone that going to do this job, make sure you have another car to use, Be prepare the car will be out of mission for sometime. Patience is the key. No rush.
And more importantly, NO NON OEM PART!!!
 
#118 ·
almost done with this FUN project...I noticed my DISA valve seems like the paint (sensor part) is peeling/flaking off. Anyone else notice this? Not sure if I should try to clean it or just leave it alone.
 
#119 ·
nvm it cleaned off, decided to take the chance. car sounds great again nice and quiet!
 
#120 ·
done but still throwing codes

Hi,

Just did this job over the weekend. Major PITA as everyone says.

Question: How quickly should the codes clear after the job is done? Was getting P0171 & P0174 and still am.

Also, here are some additional tips to make the job easier:

1. Big sticking point is of course the first "flexible" hose from the top front of the OS to the manifold spreader. I found the best way to install was to snake it in from the top, then push the top down so the main part of the hose is parallel to the ground. This puts the connector at the right angle to slide on to the OS. Push it on the OS, then rotate it up 90 degrees to lock it into place. None of the main DIY writeups I've seen mention this approach.

2. Other big sticking point is the dipstick tube. It needed a long, bent screwdriver and a light tap from a mallet to get it going. After that, it seated fine. Scratched my head for a long time at that one, since it slid out so easily.

Hope the new OS isn't defective, since I'm still getting codes. That would really suck.

Note: Did this job because car was throwing P0171 & P0174. My usual shop did a slack tube test with value 8 (" H2O I presume?) and they say the max allowed is 6", which points to the CCV. However, they wanted $700 for this, so I decided to DIY. Would I do it again? Maybe. It would be way easier the second time.
 
#121 · (Edited)
Hey everyone, thanks for the DIY. It took me a long time as everyone said. A couple of things that I found that made it easier:

1. Definitely cut the tube protruding from the oil dipstick tube. Also, it wasn't clear to me, but the bolt holding the dipstick tube on is about halfway up the dipstick tube.
2. I would swap two steps - remove the DISA valve first and then the lower boot.
3. I found it impossible to connect the new oil separator connecting hose to the new valve as installed. I ended up threading the hose through the manifold, unscrewing the new valve, connecting the two, then re-attaching the valve.

I think this might solve my 'eating oil' problem:
 
#125 ·
Thought I would ad one point/tip maybe if it helps anyone. On the brutal hose what helped me was: Do a test fit off the car, basically to find coupling "open" position (where it can be connecting without twist locking). I marked this spot with nail polish on both ends, so I knew where I had to bend to, while turning CCV inward with right hand, and pushing in hose with left hand and twisting hose towards you, goal is to line up painted marks, when they line up(good amount of dual twisting with both hands), push together, and reverse pressure so it twists to lock position, then celebrate!!

Lastly, I didnt have any symptoms leading up to failure. Just all the sudden TONS of white smoke billowing out, I thought engine was blown for sure by the amount of smoke, it was like nothing I had ever seen come out of a tail pipe. I thought I might get lucky and just replaced blown hose, but that only worked for 1 minute until it smoked again. I then changed all hoses and CCV. I, like others had mentioned struggled with the insulation so I ditched it.
Took a little bit of hard driving to burn off excess.

Old valve taken apart showed diaphram had torn about half way around its outer edge.
 
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