# carbon on intake, egr, and head



## GreekboyD (Jan 25, 2012)

BMWTurboDzl said:


> As long as it's running fine I would continue to drive the car. The dealer in reality probably doesn't want to loose a loaner for a month.


Probably true but it's a loaner and if it's not being used by the poster in this topic it'll be used by someone else.


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

GreekboyD said:


> Probably true but it's a loaner and if it's not being used by the poster in this topic it'll be used by someone else.


Exactly but by a lot more people than just the OP over the same time frame.


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## magbarn (Jan 28, 2003)

moejav said:


> Get an EGR Delete, that is the cause of the carbon build-up, it will nullify your warranty though


This sounds like much more cost effective than paying close to $3000-$4000 for a warranty coverage that won't even cover this car's major malady...

I also just got confirmation from a reputable source (rep here that sells extended warranties) that the so-called 'Platinum-coverage' doesn't cover carbon build-up on diesels either! 

So we're basically really screwed here as while the gassers have an affordable alternative, our cars need new intake manifolds when they get clogged up...

In other words, to heck with the warranty and take out/disable DPF/EGR/SCR and now we can have a car thats almost as reliable as the 335i?!


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

magbarn said:


> This sounds like much more cost effective than paying close to $3000-$4000 for a warranty coverage that won't even cover this car's major malady...
> 
> I also just got confirmation from a reputable source (rep here that sells extended warranties) that the so-called 'Platinum-coverage' doesn't cover carbon build-up on diesels either!
> 
> ...


Your forgetting that it will be covered when you have another problem with it such as failed injectors, EGR, DDE issue. Besides SCR issues are likely just as well.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

totitan said:


> Man I would do that in a heartbeat but the only egr block off vendors Ive been able to find are in the UK, Germany, or Poland and the system on their cars is apparently different than ours. It seems like an innovative computer guy should be able to remap our cars so that the egr valve just stays closed. That way there would be no way to fail the visual part of a smog test. As long as the car was not throwing codes and the rest of the system was intact, we should be able to pass smog, and eliminate the carbon buildup problem.
> 
> Now if I could only find that elusive programmer......


I blocked the EGR using a thin sheet metal (22ga) block plate, no kit necessary. Its been discussed a little bit more completely over on e90post



moejav said:


> Get an EGR Delete, that is the cause of the carbon build-up, it will nullify your warranty though


it wont nullify your warranty. Mostly because you can just take it off before going to the dealer. The whole voided warranty thing is waaayyyy overblown.


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## robster10 (Oct 8, 2012)

*Egr........*

Hi Hoooper. Any electronics or ECU work that goes along with blank off plate?


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## magbarn (Jan 28, 2003)

Hoooper said:


> I blocked the EGR using a thin sheet metal (22ga) block plate, no kit necessary. Its been discussed a little bit more completely over on e90post
> 
> it wont nullify your warranty. Mostly because you can just take it off before going to the dealer. The whole voided warranty thing is waaayyyy overblown.


Hooper, since you also live in the same Republik of Kalifornia as I do, what do you do when it's time for our 2 year RIPOFF inspection? Wouldn't the tech see you've modded the engine?


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

robster10 said:


> Hi Hoooper. Any electronics or ECU work that goes along with blank off plate?


The blank off plate is a very crude way to stop EGR flow. It will set a code everytime you start the car, so what I do is keep my burger CANtool plugged in all the time laid down to the side of the seat and after starting the car, when the light comes on I just hold the reset button down for a second. It sounds like a pain but realistically it takes almost no effort and since you can do it on the fly it doesn't take any extra time. Alternatively you could get your DDE reflashed to permanently disable the EGR but that won't pass smog.



magbarn said:


> Hooper, since you also live in the same Republik of Kalifornia as I do, what do you do when it's time for our 2 year RIPOFF inspection? Wouldn't the tech see you've modded the engine?


I haven't had it on long enough for that, but when it is due I will just pull the plate out a couple weeks ahead of the test and reset the code. Once the plate is out and code reset it will work normally with no codes. I'll do it a couple weeks early so that all of the obd readiness tests are complete before the test


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## DaveN007 (Oct 4, 2013)

Mine is a 4/11 build and with 25k miles on the odometer is going in for routine service.

I will be insisting that my SA make notes regarding the possibility that my engine might need a clean-out procedure in the next year or so.

I'll be at 40k miles before the factory warranty expires...then I am on CPO.

I have pre-pay service plan that is supposed to cover ALL maintenance for same period.

This is clearly a maintenance item IMO.


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## DozerDan (Dec 18, 2013)

Hoooper said:


> I blocked the EGR using a thin sheet metal (22ga) block plate, no kit necessary.


I have not seen the egr set up on the bmw just yet, but I do know that on a 6.0 Ford a freeze out plug fits perfectly inside the egr set up. Because as we all know 'removing' the egr would be frowned upon by the epa....:angel:


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

DozerDan said:


> I have not seen the egr set up on the bmw just yet, but I do know that on a 6.0 Ford a freeze out plug fits perfectly inside the egr set up. Because as we all know 'removing' the egr would be frowned upon by the epa....:angel:


Could possibly work. I cant remember anymore what the size was, it was posted on e90post at one time what size hole saw I used :dunno:


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## ingenieur (Dec 26, 2006)

magbarn said:


> This sounds like much more cost effective than paying close to $3000-$4000 for a warranty coverage that won't even cover this car's major malady...
> 
> I also just got confirmation from a reputable source (rep here that sells extended warranties) that the so-called 'Platinum-coverage' doesn't cover carbon build-up on diesels either!
> 
> ...


Well - I caution any owner here that before you do this I would check if you are required to pass an OBD emission check, because NMHC, EGR, and SCR catalyst readiness are required in many states.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

ingenieur said:


> Well - I caution any owner here that before you do this I would check if you are required to pass an OBD emission check, because NMHC, EGR, and SCR catalyst readiness are required in many states.


This is why simple fixes like EGR blocks are the best solution in my opinion, at least until the flash tunes catch up with obd readiness. It is possible to still achieve obd readiness with a delete but the tune has to pick up that slack. The simple EGR block is simple enough that you just pull it out, reset the ecu, then drive for a while before getting the smog done, all readiness tests will be ok unless your car has something else causing readiness failure


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## magbarn (Jan 28, 2003)

ingenieur said:


> Well - I caution any owner here that before you do this I would check if you are required to pass an OBD emission check, because NMHC, EGR, and SCR catalyst readiness are required in many states.


We'll isn't that some serious BS.... The very things that will prolong the life of this motor are the very things that make it fail the smog check. I'm with hooper on this one, block the egr and fix it prior to inspection and then redo it afterwards. I wouldn't mind keeping it 'legal', if this stupid state with its regs wouldn't mind picking up the tab for an intake cleaning every 50,000 miles.


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

magbarn said:


> We'll isn't that some serious BS.... The very things that will prolong the life of this motor are the very things that make it fail the smog check. I'm with hooper on this one, block the egr and fix it prior to inspection and then redo it afterwards. I wouldn't mind keeping it 'legal', if this stupid state with its regs wouldn't mind picking up the tab for an intake cleaning every 50,000 miles.


Before you say things like "this stupid state" you should do a little research. In CA the diesel smog test checks just three things: 1. visual inspection under the hood; 2. OBD check for codes; visual tailpipe inspection for smoke. Thats it....no dyno testing under load and no probe in the tailpipe. You can do whatever you want to the car as long as it looks stock, doesnt throw codes, and doesn't make smoke when you rev the engine in a unloaded condition. Its a very easy smog test to pass so dont worry, be happy.


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

I have 19k on my July 2011 build. At this point my tentative plan is to trade it in July 2015. 
Possibly for a wagon to haul the kinders.


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## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

The real problem is that BMW made a conscious choice to roll out this engine set-up half-baked and haven't really figured it out. Say what you will about regulations but the blame for this issue is squarely on BMW's shoulders. 

If you can't design and build an engine that a consumer can be reasonably confident will last at least 100k without a hugely costly overhaul then you have no business putting it on the market.


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## tonyspumoni (May 23, 2010)

How have the krauts fared with this setup? I am ignorant of their emissions requirements but am pretty sure that their emissions systems are not engineered all that differently than ours. Are they experiencing the same EGR/SCR fails as we see reported here? I ask because for every one reported problem here there are ten more problems that folsk do not report. If these are design flaws rather than issues of stochastic noise in complex systems it should effect their systems as well. 




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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

totitan said:


> Its a very easy smog test to pass so dont worry, be happy.


The obd check includes monitor readiness, so if you have a tune with egr or dpf delete using the current offerings you would fail. Until the tunes fix the readiness issues we can't really have them reasonably here in ca, unless you live in one of the few counties with no biannual smog check


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## magbarn (Jan 28, 2003)

totitan said:


> Before you say things like "this stupid state" you should do a little research. In CA the diesel smog test checks just three things: 1. visual inspection under the hood; 2. OBD check for codes; visual tailpipe inspection for smoke. Thats it....no dyno testing under load and no probe in the tailpipe. You can do whatever you want to the car as long as it looks stock, doesnt throw codes, and doesn't make smoke when you rev the engine in a unloaded condition. Its a very easy smog test to pass so dont worry, be happy.


Got any ideas on how to 'hack' the ECU so it won't tell the smog checker that I've disabled the DPF/SCR/EGR? What also ticked me off is that our diesels - which are already much more regulated than gassers - needed their first 'smog check' in 2 years of ownership, whilst the gassers get a free 1st pass. I'm pissed that in other states, those lucky 335d owners can disable all of the above without a care in the world thereby reducing intake buildup as their states don't smog diesels at all.


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