[crimedog]

I just want to thank you, gsbmw. I had a service engine light on my car, after taking to an excellent bmw shop for a quick code read I found this thread and it (hose #4) was exactly what was wrong with it.

Thank you so much for taking such excellent pictures and making it easy!!! $20 and it's good as new!

 

[gsbmw]

Great!!! :woot: You're very welcome crimedog. I'm happy to see this thread helping folks.

 

[BMWtuned]

Great info. I just got done doing a OIL pan gasket and it was running funny rite afterwords just like your described. Sure enough mine was hoses #4 also. Great JOB GSBMW!!!

 

[flashmeow]

tagged

 

[tractioncircle]

I need to go check #4 on my car today. I've been struggling with Lean codes for 3 months now. Already did the DISA,ICV and intake boot check/clean.

I hope this is it!

 

[tractioncircle]

@gsbmw.
You my friend, are a champion!! I owez you a beer!:thumbsup:

#4 is split on my car too! Will swap it out this weekend and see how it goes!

 

[tractioncircle]

Reporting back.

Replaced #4 and magic!!! STFT is back in the +/- 2% range. Car is idling much better and low end reponse has improved.
I cleared the codes and they havent come back yet.

Thanks Again buddy!!

 

[gsbmw]

Hey, my pleasure, tractioncircle!!

Great to get your feedback too... it brought back all the excitement (and relief) I had that day last summer when I found it and took those pics!

 

[TheViking777]

Thank you for this post, the pictures were definately needed.

For others that don't see the same break point as the picture above, make sure you slide your hand completely along the hose for parts that are not visually inspectable, especially in the opposite direction of the dip stick hosing. My breakpoint was higher than the break dipicted above and was hidden from view.

Thanks again, was going crazy on this one. Failed smog terribly, this should fix it.

 

[Maxi King]

What does hose #6 connect to? I recently changed my entire oil separator system and the nipple on the separator valve in which hose #6 connects to had a plug over it. I still have a vacuum leak somewhere and I have a feeling that may be it.

 

[zYx]

On M54 engines it is plugged. Unfortunately it is not your vacuum leak. On 323 and 328 it ran to FPR.

 

[Stickbuilder]

My 323 Touring started throwing the P1188, P1189 and the P0170 codes a couple of days ago. I found the lower hose between the CCV and the dipstick tube broken just behind the elbow. Ordered one from Pelican parts, and replaced the broken hose. Cold idle is great, and I expect a lack of oil spots on the driveway now. Thanks for the write up.

 

[OrientBlau]

I found the lower hose between the CCV and the dipstick tube broken just behind the elbow. Ordered one from Pelican parts, and replaced the broken hose. Cold idle is great, and I expect a lack of oil spots on the driveway now. Thanks for the write up.

You should have replaced the entire CCV and the 4 hoses, along with cleaning out the guide tube. I know it sucks to go back in there, but if you didnt do these things, it would be prudent to do so.

 

[gsbmw]

...replaced the broken hose. Cold idle is great, and I expect a lack of oil spots on the driveway now. Thanks for the write up.

Glad the thread helped you out, Stickbuilder! :thumbsup:

You should have replaced the entire CCV and the 4 hoses, along with cleaning out the guide tube. I know it sucks to go back in there, but if you didnt do these things, it would be prudent to do so.

OrientBlau, in some repairs where you spend many hours or days taking your engine apart to reach a faulty part, I would agree with you that it would save you from having to double your effort later on by replacing nearby parts now that are likely to need replacement in the near future. But...

...This is a completely different story. In stark contrast to your proposal of taking many hours or a whole weekend to replace the CCV+4hoses (which entails taking a great deal of one's engine apart, not to mention reassembling it correctly), it takes less than 30 min to replace this one faulty hose (including the 5 min to remove and replace the air filter box and 10 mins to sit back and relish the idea of how much repair time and effort you avoided by this simple repair vs the PITA chore of a replacing a CCV+hoses, especially when those parts not even at fault). I mean, what's easier than replacing a hose that you can see and reach, and that just snaps into place on one end and is friction fit on the other? That is the beauty of this repair IMHO –– it is a very easy repair of a major problem.

So actually, if Stickbuilder decided now to go as far as to replace his "good" CCV, he wouldn't be "going back in there", because he was never "in there" to begin with. Going that far (for the CVV) is many many times harder and longer than what he has done by replacing this faulty hose). If the CCV does ever go bad, then he/we can approach that long and daunting PITA repair at that future time. The CCV and other hoses may never even go bad on our cars while we own them, so why waste one's time? I replaced my hose, as outlined on this thread, over a year ago, and have had no CCV/oil separator-related problems or codes since. Life is too short -- For me, I would much rather spend all that "good-CCV"-replacement time enjoying my girlfriend, friends and family.

 

[z_man93]

+1 for the Oil Separator Hose Fix!!!!

I've been chasing these codes for a while. I inspected the hose a while ago but did not see any deterioration. The "starting fluid test" didn't suggest a vacuum leak either. Even after removing and inspecting the old hose I still could not see an obvious sign of failure, but the code is gone. For $10 and 20 minutes worth of work, this is a cheap and easy option for debugging P1189 and P1188.

 

[carl0s]

Aw man I f'in love you!!

I've been spending ages trying to figure out what's going on with my ridiculously high short-term fuel trims (27% at idle), and "system too lean" codes.
I've found lots of problems and fixed them (intake boots, other small hoses here and there). It's not helped by the fact that my car has a badly-installed LPG (autogas) conversion fitted.

Anyway, I have just ordered a MAF (cheap $50 eBay one), and throttle body gasket, then I saw your post. Sure enough I have a break in that hose too! My break is right at the top of it.

Thanks a million!

 

[carl0s]

I replaced that hose today. It looked like this:

It has brought my short term fuel trims down from +25 - 28 at idle, to +11 - 14 at idle. That should at least mean I no longer get "system too lean" DTCs, but, I guess I still have another vac leak somewhere.

After switch off and back on at one point, the STFT1 was sticking at around 3.9%, but then after a bit of a drive and pulling to the side of the road, it hovered back up to 11%, then 14,15%. Always only at idle, but then I guess when the engine is doing some work that the total intake of air is massive compared to a small leak like this.. so of course as a percentage it is then barely noticeable, so only idle is affected much.

I still hear intake hiss from the top of the intake manifold around about where the CCV is located (just forward of the DISA valve). It's been suggested that this could be normal for this engine. It sounds iffy to me.... !

 

[gsbmw]

Thanks for the kudos, z_man93 and Carl.

Carl, good to hear your STFTs have come down. You mentioned that STFT1 went back up somewhat. If only the STFT Bank 1 (and not Bank 2 also) reading is high, it sounds to me like the problem is after the point where the intake splits into cylinder bank 1 and bank 2. Perhaps one of the O2 sensors is giving erroneous data? ...or there is indeed a leak somewhere after the intake splits, perhaps as a result of the poor LPG conversion? You probably have thought of these, but I mention them just in case.

Then again, if you are no longer getting codes, and your idle is tolerable, you may be okay as is.

 

[josephi]

I tried to replace this hose today without removing the throttle, etc. and found it extremely difficult to get my hand in a position where I could compress the clip that holds the hose onto the CVV to remove it. I detached the power steering tank in order to move the ps hose out of the way and give me more room to access the bottom of the CVV, but it is so far under the intake manifold and there is so little room to manuever in order to put my hand in the correct position to pinch and release the clamp that I just gave up for now. I think I am going to have to remove the throttle in order to do this job. Is there an easier way to get the hose off the CVV?

 

[RockerGuy]

I tried to replace this hose today without removing the throttle, etc. and found it extremely difficult to get my hand in a position where I could compress the clip that holds the hose onto the CVV to remove it. I detached the power steering tank in order to move the ps hose out of the way and give me more room to access the bottom of the CVV, but it is so far under the intake manifold and there is so little room to manuever in order to put my hand in the correct position to pinch and release the clamp that I just gave up for now. I think I am going to have to remove the throttle in order to do this job. Is there an easier way to get the hose off the CVV?

Why not remove the throttle? It would save you tons of pain