530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

[anthonyl]

Dear BMW SG Community

E39 2001/2 M54 530i ENGINE - BLOWN CYLINDER HEAD GASKET ...

* ANYONE RECOMMEND A GOOD REPAIR SHOP THAT WON'T BANKRUPT ME?

* WHAT IS LIKELIHOOD THAT CYLINDER HEAD ITSELF NEEDS REPLACEMENT? (God forbid)

* WORST - CAR IS A WEEK FROM ITS 5TH YEAR - NEED TO DEREG IT BY 15/3/06?!

ANYONE WANT TO BUY IT OVER? 78,000KM ONLY, BEAUTIFUL CONDITION.
'M' FRONT & BACK BOTTOM, DARK BLUE, SCHNITZER TAIL SPOILER ...

I am frustratingly finding it hard not to be affected by the forums and talk about PML servicing below expectations for the leading premium sports motoring company ...

I had a fluctuating radiator-temperature-gauge meter for months on end, with the 'bing' sound and red triangle warning lights coming on each time the needle hits red momentarily, especially when the car stops eg at traffic lights.

When you start moving again the needle promptly moves back to the middle. Cold checks of the radiator show insignificant loss of water.

PML has changed my thermostat housing, reservoir tank, replaced something about the water pump, even the radiator, a hose or two - cost me thousands in total and much down time in the workshop - reached a point I was tempted by friends to speculate the techies were just guessing ...

Latest round now the meter doesn't come back down from red. I promptly parked the car and got Eng Bee to bring it (on the flatbed platform) to bring it to Arang ... now they tell me cylinder head gasket blown, due to overheating, aluminum engine block cyl head can't take the heat ...

The E39 is a hardy car and if they had nailed the heating issue in the first place I believe I won't have this predicament!

HELP! THANKS.
regds
TONZ

 

[totoseow]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

use BVO n juzz4cars....look above for workshop details..

 

[piggyboyz]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

If they have confirm a blown gasket. then it might be it but i hope it will stay as tat cos the car has a aluminium engine block and usually when the gasket blows, the head of the engine will warp and the whole block might need to go.

What they will carry out is a torque nut test on the block and if the bolt cannot hold the torque, the whole block needs to be replaced.

2 ways of looking at it. If u can prove that u have sent it in thousands of time for the same complaint but they fail to rectify and in the end, resulted in a blown engine, then take up the case with them and ask for a new block since they failed to traced the problem, which resulted in the blown engine. Go to the management level if so required to prove their negligence since the engine block replacement is just short of 5 figures.

The other is to give up on them and look for some other competent workshop outside. In this instance, u can look for workshop like BVO or J4C. They will be more than competent to get the block change if need be.

Think about this yourself on whether u have a case here. If u have, take it with them.

 

[GTV6]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

I dont think the block needs to be replaced. Reminds me of the many Alfas I have had and all had alloy blocks since the 60s. The long head studs, all 12 of them (for the V6) are embodied in the alloy block. Never, lost a stud due to overheating except some nuts who overtorque the cylinder head after an overhaul.

Overheating will cause a blown head gasket at best....at worse, the head will warp. The wet liner design in most alloy blocks is very efficient in heat transfer and you may be able to salvage the head with a skim....Well hope it's the same for the straight 6. Though with a long block, the head is more susceptible to warping. Good luck!

 

[anthonyl]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

I found another guy on the internet - probably in the USA - who posted a similar problem with a similar E39 - his water temperature meter started dancing up and down, his service agent changed on thing after another of his cooling system, the problem did not go away - a few days later he found he had a cracked cylinder head ...
:furious:
BTW my car has since been deregisted, fixed and exported ... sad ...I called it a funeral.
:uhhh:

 

[CGT]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

Are you sure its a blown head gasket?

"a fluctuating radiator-temperature-gauge meter for months" is definitely NOT a blown headgasket.

If your car is stock, then its even more unlikely.

From what you have said, i would recommend you check the harness, particularly the grond cable that leads to the motor. Sounds like an electrical issue to me.

 

[ersalle71]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

Head block needs changing if the head block has warped and if the warping is bad means u can't skimmed off the base more or else the piston will be too close to the valves thus hitting it. The other problem that needs changing headblock is hairline crack in the cylinder head which is very difficult to detect, if any of these 2 occurs find another 2nd hand used engine or head block . As for my case i did top overhaul as my car also loosing water everyday, no outside leak wat so ever but engine oil milky ehehhe. Skimmed head block because of warping, reassembled head block with new head gasket but still leaking after that. Want cheap, do it in M'sia hehehe. But ur car emmm 3.0 M54 err not many around, good luck!

 

[ersalle71]

Re: 530i E39 M54 Cylinder Head Gasket Blown?

Remember if u need to top up ur radiator daily, confirm there is leak. See if the leak can be seen, that is dripping from hoses, water pumps etc. If no leak visible then check ur engine oil cap for traces of water vapour and engine oil condition. If engine oil creamy at engine oil cap and dip stick, confirm u got blown head. Do top overhaul 1st and check the head block condition.