NHTSA Complaint #10597257 — 2001 BMW X5

THIS VEHICLE HAS THE 4.4 LITER V8 ENGINE. DRIVING ON A COLD MORNING (ABOUT 15 F) THE CCV (CRANK CASE VENTILATION) SYSTEM APPEARS TO HAVE FROZEN IN A MANNER THAT LEAD TO THE INTAKE SUCKING ENGINE OIL DIRECTLY INTO THE INTAKE AND TRYING TO COMBUST IT. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO BILLOW SMOKE. I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE TRAFFIC AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN BEFORE THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. TOTAL REPAIRS (PARTS AND LABOR) COST ABOUT $1000. THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO HAPPEN FREQUENTLY TO X5 ENGINES AND THE LOCAL MECHANICS ALREADY SEEM TO KNOW THAT AN X5 BILLOWING SMOKE IS PROBABLY THE CCV FREEZE-UP PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC I CALLED FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ACCURATELY DIAGNOSED THIS OVER THE PHONE. THE OWNER GROUPS ARE FULL OF REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT CCV FREEZE-UP. BMW SEEMS TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AS THERE ARE REPORTS OF OWNERS WITH NEWER MODELS BEING GIVEN DISCOUNTED REPAIRS. FOR SOME 6-CYLINDER MODEL ENGINES AN INSULATED "COLD WEATHER" VERSION OF THE AFFECTED PARTS IS AVAILABLE AND IS SUGGESTED FOR THOSE THAT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FAILURE AND FOR SOME V8 ENGINES AN EVEN HARDER TO FIND "HOSE HEATER" KIT IS AVAILABLE, BUT NOT WELL KNOWN EVEN TO THE DEALERS (I FOUND THE PART NUMBERS ONLINE AFTER BEING TURNED AWAY BY TWO DEALERS WHO SAID SUCH PARTS DON'T EXIST). THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND BILLOWING SMOKE SEEMS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. DRAWING SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF ENGINE OIL INTO THE INTAKE AND COMBUSTION PATH SEEMS TO DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM OVERALL. *TR