OIL?! IN THE COMPUTER?! $500 BMW E46 330I Project Will It Run Part 3

[@LeverPhile]

Ive had the following put oil into e46 wiring harness/dme: -Ex. Vanos solenoid -In. Cam position sensor -Crank position sensor They all leaked through the sensors & solenoid directly into the electrical connectors. None were external oil leaks dripping onto the connectors.

[@DayOffDIY]

Crazy how they do that huh…

[@AzzaAU]

Loving the series man, the chill and methodical style you have is just so fun to watch.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the kind words! super happy you guys are enjoying the content

[@Auie_Chris]

Wow, who knew oil could travel that far along a wire harness. Nice catch!

[@DayOffDIY]

crazy huh! ive seen much worse cases on Mini Cooper and other BMWs

[@flipfinish]

Digging the content. Its hard enough fixing BMWs (I work at a BMW shop) but to do it and film it is way harder. Great work!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks flip! Yeah during my shop days I always wanted to film, never did besides the occasional IG story, glad you enjoy it partner

[@eQuASiANXane]

Good on you mate happy to see another update. Production also even got better so well done for taking the time.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton! I really appreciate the feedback

[@Sensie]

Very important thing to do, clean the return way on the dipstick from where the hose connects to ccv. Mine was clogged

[@DayOffDIY]

No doubt! Definitely an easily overlooked part of the job. Thankfully mine was clean but I can imagine it backing up

[@cheeseburgerbeefcake]

I didn't expect the oil to wick all the way along the path, that is one hell of an action!

[@DayOffDIY]

right?! its wild what it can do, especially with the V/C leak pressurizing the coil pushing the oil even further

[@227RM]

One of my doctor friends Steve bought a black BMW 330i think it was a 2005 and the whole computer ECM was flooded out at one time with water I had to change all the electrical harnesses boxes ponytails boy was that fun!!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thats a hefty repair, congrats for tackling it!

[@surreyhustle517]

On my old e46 had the same issue but the oil was being pushed up from one the vanos solenoids (exhaust side). Easy to check, just pull the wire connector and see if its oil soaked. Its amazing how the oil can be pushed up the wiring through the insulation and not show a drop externally.

[@DayOffDIY]

Its crazy isnt it?! i got some more connectors to go through but shes running great so far. Should have another update out this week

[@vitalybrateev5548]

Ty for bringing e46's back to life

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the support! No problem, theyre such great cars and I love em for a daily driver/ grocery getter

[@timpressley463]

Thanks!

[@DayOffDIY]

Tim you’re awesome! Never received a thank you like that! Really appreciate ya

[@dzemilgudzevic9434]

Good job, keep up the hard work and a huge shout out from Srbija love the series man

[@DayOffDIY]

Thank you Dzemil! Means a lot, especially from across the world!

[@iain4853]

I’ve heard of Coolant travelling a short distance up a wiring loom. But oil going that far is crazy. Good work dude. Lovin the channel👍🏼

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton for the support! Yeah ive seen both a few times, with the amount that BMWs like to leak it’s more common than you’d think. Used to do lots of mini Cooper harnesses, it was under a dealer recall for some time too. Thanks for stopping by!

[@chub_boi7391]

Loved the head cam pov, and your content is really informative but not boring. Keep it up!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks, will do! Appreciate it

[@willytavares2893]

I had this issue (oil in the DME) and the source was from the camshaft intake and exhaust sensors. Give them a try! Just unplug them and see if they are wet.

[@willytavares2893]

And btw The coil plugs run into the last plugs of the DME. Which didn't had any oil !

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Willy! i did have some oil on the last connector but not so much pooled up in the DME. Ill take a look though! I appreciate the comments and suggestions :)

[@TJS2212]

Lovin the videos and your style is so chill. Keep up the good work bro. Learn something new every time I watch your vids 👍🏻

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Thomas! Really appreciate the comment, just got a new one out! Thanks for stopping by

[@wladimirputin4125]

Ur videos are great🎉 greetings from austria 🇦🇹

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks ! Awesome to hear my content is enjoyed over there

[@bogusienombre355]

This is a great series! Not sire the head cam works for me. short choppy amount of time at what your looking at. It takes me a couple more seconds to orientate to what your working on. I do like your chill personality . This is stressful to learn the e46 but you keep it chill. Great work at problem solving. You run through the stream of thought process. That is awesome way to do that! Excited to sub up and show up!

[@DayOffDIY]

Love this comment, especially about the camera angle. It was a challenge with poor lighting but I think I prefer stationary too. Maybe stationary and only POV if necessary. Thank you for your comment and feedback, it means a lot

[@rickvanauken6364]

Great detective work!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks pops! Luckily I’ve had some good teachers.

[@CorbinWilliams]

Really enjoy your channel bro. I do all the service on my buddies 2011 528i F10 with the N52 motor, his car has a solid 220k miles and still runs strong!! I’m a beginner but I’ve changed all his ignition coils, spark plugs, check valves, oil changes, mass air sensor, engine and cabin filters, leaking valvetronic motor gasket, trunk lid springs and etc. These cars are really fun to work on and I enjoy learning more from your channel! Keep up the great work😎👍🏽

[@DayOffDIY]

Right on! Love the F10 with the N52, perfect engine for that body style, way better than the N20 or N55. Good work on keeping that thing up! The N52 is pretty easy to work on, especially in that body. good stuff dude! thanks for stopping by

[@carloslapintade5009]

It's a great job you did on this 330i. I also have a 330i with the same engine failure. Seeing you find the causes of your failure gives me a way to find my potential engine failure ! thank you from France !

[@DayOffDIY]

France! Awesome, love that my video is seen in Europe . Cheers Carlos

[@ScooterTraveler]

Another great video. POV camera angle is great. Congrats on blazing past 2000 subs. Wish you had more days off. Look forward to the next one.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton. All thanks to my awesome viewers. Got some more time on my hands real soon, so stay tuned 👍🏻 cheers

[@xnsretroplan]

Happy to see the progress. Good job man.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton. Appreciate the comment!

[@bbls1490]

got make the comment now whos here from the beginning of the channel. my brother lets get it. love the content.

[@DayOffDIY]

You’re the real one! The support means a lot. Thanks for sticking around 👊🏻

[@anthonyk]

This project is going great so far

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Anthony!

[@SteveMaister007]

I watched all 3 parts so far, really enjoyable. I am starting my m54 turbo project with body renovation, so getting pumped with yours ! :D

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Dragon! Makes my day to hear that. You gotta send me some pictures with that turbo mounted up, gotta be a super fun project!

[@acef_performance8416]

Good video bro, after working in a shop for so many years I've seen it all, oil in the DME I believe it, doesn't surprise me, oil vapor leak out of the VC gasket will travel down the harness, basically your ecu was your CCV.

[@DayOffDIY]

Hahah you’re exactly right. Harness for a CCV is the perfect description, literally, a giant gap on cyl 3 and it’s sealed to the ignition coil. Cheers

[@bocekokone]

Exciting series and more exciting car! Wish you best of luck in the future, because i love how chill all your videos are!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton! Im real happy youre enjoying the content! ill keep em coming

[@flacko_ccc]

👌🏾 sweet video. The car & shop is coming along

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks flacko! Wait til I get some new lights in here!

[@unclebenscaradventures]

I have the same, or better said a bigger problem on my 520d f11, the rail pressure sensor leaks diesel into the wiring harness and it travels to the computer, I got a Check engine light because the ambient pressure sensor in the DME didn't work, after I opened up the cavity I found the DME swimming in diesel, I drained everything, cleaned everything with brake cleaner and then opened the DME to clean it too. I still haven't changed the sensor but I will in the near future. I cleaned the Air intake plenum and disconnected few connectors and found diesel or oil in the wires so I don't know what to do 🤷‍♂️😂 and honestly I won't touch anything till something happens 🙄 anyways, cars running great an no Check engine warning since few months.

[@DayOffDIY]

brutal! still running good since this comment?!

[@tehedx]

Love the video and your work, I'm excited to see what's next! You actually reminded me that I have an aluminium DISA kit lying in a drawer. Since the unit was so broken and needed a replacement anyway, I kinda forgot about installing it. Will do it after temperatures go up again a bit. You see, these kind of videos are motivating to do some work myself :)

[@DayOffDIY]

Awesome to hear Edgar! Thanks for the comment and all the support. It’s been a blast so far but comments and viewers like you make it all worth it. It’ll be a great peace of mind once you get that thing upgraded, believe it or not I’ve never done a repair kit before, only factory replacements, so we will both be new to it. Cheers dude!

[@ApexKilla49_]

I love your channel and how calm you are working on these cars. I have 2 330cis that I would like to do these jobs to but it's starting to get cold out here in jersey. Hate not having a garage 😂. Keep up the great work!

[@DayOffDIY]

Not having a garage is a pain on most jobs lol. Super appreciate the support and comment Francisco! its people like you that keep me making content. Thanks dude

[@ApexKilla49_]

@@DayOffDIY I'm going to have to freeze my butt off one of these weekends. My car definitely needs a coolant system refresh.

[@DayOffDIY]

no doubt lol, good luck partner!

[@alcasey3551]

Make absolutely sure to have all the grounds on the valve cover installed properly or you'll ruin your computers. Many people forget ground and get to replace the computer.

[@DayOffDIY]

Most definitely! I had a coworker leave a valve cover ground loose and fried a DME on a N63, that wasn’t fun lol

[@luckgrip252]

Dem, you're super similar to the Beamer Barn youtube channel on which there are also BMW repairs and stuff. I love to watch these types of videos, they're informative in a practical sense - you show stuff, we learn some things along the way. I myself would love to have a 330i bmw, currently driving Audi A4 B7 Avant 2.0TDI (PD engine)

[@DayOffDIY]

Oh cool! Ive never seen it before, just trying to do something fun with the knowledge I got from working at a BMW shop for years. Thanks for the comment. If you can find one you should pick one up! theyre great cars, by far my favorite reliable chassis and engine from BMW. Audi A4s are great lookin cars!

[@Bchara-Knio]

Nice job,keep up the hard work👍

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks, will do! appreciate the comment

[@CG-tm5kg]

I have really enjoyed your E46 content. I am working on my own and you are giving me a lot of insight.

[@DayOffDIY]

Music to my ears! thanks a ton for the comment

[@Vanader]

we got a xenon issue! thats not good! good vid

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks brother! My real number one ☝️

[@MrGstar1982]

This is a great one!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Andreas! More to come

[@ismailphilander6034]

Great video's,im learning alot,love ur tools and equipment u hve ready also.

[@DayOffDIY]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the support

[@gustavopeiterbatschauer5835]

ccv kit and head cover gasket should come with every salvage state e46.

[@DayOffDIY]

Hahaha seriously! This one is cleaning up real nice. Should have another video out on it this week. Thanks for the comment

[@xomember]

I think your channel is onto something. Really like the new angle of filming, just try to adjust the exposure right or get a better camera, when you use the flashlight we can barely see what youre highlighting. Love your work!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the tips! Great advice. Yeah i neeed to find a way to make visibility with a flashlight better, ill keep it in mind for future videos! appreciate the comment and thanks for stopping by

[@227RM]

Oh my God that looks like fun I fixed so many BMW E46 is with computer problems or parasitic draws our how to marry components all the electrical diagnosis if you need any help I have so many books or anything you need all the schematics blueprints like all the major stuff I got you let me know!!!

[@DayOffDIY]

Youre awesome! Thanks Rosalina. If I ever need some more info I will remember this. So far so good! And kudos to you for diagnosing all that. Some parasitic draws can be a real pain in the a$$.

[@vitocatricala5265]

Well you have a lot of patience working with BMW cars.

[@DayOffDIY]

It comes with time no doubt. Thanks for the comment!

[@Trackercx]

I also had oil in my m54 dme, but it came from exhaust camshaft and crankshaft sensor. They were original parts from 2003, when taking them out i noticed hairline cracks on the sensor side which sit inside the engine. The connectors were also filled with oil. I mean the fact that oil pressure could have pushed the oil all the way to the dme makes more sense, as there was oil pressure involved through the sensor cracks. Cleaning the oil fixed my intermittent rpm stumble, stalling, drove like that for a while till i replaced the sensors. You might want to check them. Crankshaft sensor is a bitch to get to, not fun at all.

[@DayOffDIY]

Interesting! ive seen it from Oil Pressure Switches but never cam or crank. I know the cam sensor is exposed to the crankcase and oil, so thats a possibility. Great job at diagnosing your issue, theyre not always easy. Also thanks for stopping by! love seeing stories and personal experiences with similar issues in the comments

[@trevorelgram2108]

Hi love your videos my BMW 120i convertable .I spilt a 2 litre coke in the boot I had to disconnect the battery to clean out the spillage. On connecting the battery I now have a airbag warning seat belt light and roof signal singing all the time any advise Trev in sunny cape Town south africa

[@DayOffDIY]

Hey Trevor, its possible codes need to be properly cleared with a capable scan tool. BMW dealers use ISTA which could do it, so I would seek out a capable scan tool or someone that has one. Maybe that helps!

[@rendanialex2994]

Good content 👌

[@DayOffDIY]

Glad you think so! Thanks for the comment

[@fde4683]

Love the car and passion but Man U gotta invest time into getting a laptop and getting inpa,ista ncs expert , pa soft all those programs will help you so much it will be a breathe . Clusters is a common problem as well I recently changed one for a customer . Never had oil all the way at the dme , but I’ve heard rumours that oil can travel up the harness from sensors lol😂check crank sensor if it’s sending oil into ecu that’s the harness that goes all the way to the dme connector and it’s shielded

[@DayOffDIY]

youre right, i used ISTA for 6 years at my old shop, love that program, so versatile, never looked into getting it for home but since im workin on these two for the time being it would be worth it. I think my gaming laptop can handle it. I need to look at crank sensor next, but we will find it! for now, its still running strong

[@CohnWolfeFitness]

Watching this I noticed how bad your windshield cowl was too. It was such a great refresh of the car to put a new one on there. They’re about $100 dollars for a new OEM one but well worth it. I did my rear window seal/gaskets too but my ZHP is a coupe and they get really cracked and nasty.

[@DayOffDIY]

Good idea dude! They make a big difference and clean it up a lot. I used to do a lot of em for customers but never for myself lol Appreciate the comment! Thanks for stopping by dude

[@CohnWolfeFitness]

@@DayOffDIY For sure! I’m enjoying learning more about my engine haha. The M54. Do you have an instagram?

[@DayOffDIY]

@@CohnWolfeFitness just a personal, haven’t made one for this yet, but feel free to follow @alec_van_auken Might have to hit you up for some gym advice one day! Lol

[@CohnWolfeFitness]

@@DayOffDIY haha anytime man. I’ll follow your personal account.

[@brianlo582]

Great job man i think the angle putting your camera on a tripod was better than mounting it on head though.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the feedback Lo! I agree, i wasnt too happy with the head cam footage although i may use the chest mount in the future for necessary shots. I really enjoy the still camera angle of a tripod or stationary mount, looks a lot cleaner. Thanks for stopping by!

[@buildingsalvage]

Comments for the algo, love the vids!

[@DayOffDIY]

MVP! You fish? That’s a bad ass boat in your picture

[@TunaReleased]

Love the content! Just one point for improvement. When editing, please balance the sound. From you talking to the ugga duggas is earpain 😅 other than that, great content!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks a ton for the input, I’m always curious if that’s an issue! Sorta depends on where the content is being watched, I’ll pay close attention today while editing. Cheers Pavel!

[@AllanAdamson]

awesome

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Allan!

[@andingxiang2477]

i have one 2002 330i , it always give P0365 camshaft sensor -exhaust circuit wrong. I changed 2 cam sensor and also 1 crank shaft sensor. still have the code. So, i start to check the wiring and found the DME connector 2 and 3 has some oil inside, just like yours. I cleaned DME and the connectors very carefully and make it dry. Reinstall back , but the P0365 still exist. Really annoyed. Can you give some suggestion. I will check the Oil pressure sensor and also the coils tomorrow and clean them. But that is only for prevent oil going to DME, shall not cause P0365. I do find some oil in the connnector of Exhaust cam sensor plug, but I have already cleaned it in deep also. I changed the valve cover gasket already ( the old one do leak near the CAM shaft sensor area).

[@DayOffDIY]

thats a head scratcher... luckily my oil penetration didnt cause any CEL for me. The oil pressure sensors on the back of the oil filter housings are known to fail and push oil into the harness, I would check there too and see if theres any oil present... hopefully someone in the comments can add some insight as well. let us know what you find!

[@andingxiang2477]

update, I checked my oil pressure sensor and coils, they are all dry and okay. But I am still have that P0365 with Check engine soon. Light on 🙁

[@rrikuu]

keep it up

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks Riku!

[@nichoadrian1847]

do you need to disconnect battery first when try to unplugging dme? i want to clean its connector, my radiator fan activation said when scanned

[@DayOffDIY]

id say its much safer to DC battery first!

[@jjcohrs3046]

Need some advice, u look like the right guy to ask. I have a W111, c180 mercedes 2001 model. The car batt goes flat in 2 to 3 days if not using the car. I did do the checks at the fuse boxes and all with a ohm meter can't find the fault. What suggestions do u have or think it might be ?

[@DayOffDIY]

Sounds like you have a battery draw. you can find diagnosing procedures online but what I like to do is install an amp clamp behind the ground cable mounting on the battery. I lock the car and let it go to sleep and then monitor how many amps the battery is pulling while off, then I go through the glove box and start pulling fuses to components until i find the fuse causing the most draw. Hope that helps!

[@rrrrandall]

Have you experienced more oil getting into the DME? Or did you track down the original root cause of it?

[@EstorilGarage]

I had a similar issue with my E46 - does your radio ever randomly disable itself? I had a short on my Clock Spring for radio controls + a short on the LCM. The clock spring uses KBUS. Usually you can find the KBUS grounds above the fuse box & unplug them one by one until the cluster returns to normal. Then from a KBUS pin out you can figure out whose shorting.

[@DayOffDIY]

Wow! Great info Mike, haven’t had enough time inside to check radio but I did notice when the cluster acted up it was right when I turned on the headlight switch, possibly related to an issue with the xenon headlights…

[@nagitsadou2457]

nice

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks!

[@timpressley463]

I have a 04 645ci, can you tell me where the ambient air control sensor is? I got a code for it

[@DayOffDIY]

It’s usually in the front area of the drivers side fender well, near the bottom of the bumper, although some models tuck them under the front bumper

[@DayOffDIY]

I think it might be front bumper, not positive. if you give me your vin I can get you some repair instructions 👍🏻

[@michalliska7629]

Aww yee, my favorite 330i :)

[@DayOffDIY]

Michal! good to see your name! Hope all is well partner, got some more content comin this week for ya

[@michalliska7629]

@@DayOffDIY hell yeah! Getting a lot of days off I see haha :)

[@DayOffDIY]

@@michalliska7629 yessir, just got into the off-season for me in the fire service, so I’m doubling down on KZbin

[@michalliska7629]

@@DayOffDIY Oh wow, that's a really interesting job! Hope all is well and we get to enjoy the lovely content of yours:)

[@DayOffDIY]

@@michalliska7629 thanks Michal, you’re the best!

[@GustavoLopez-dv1gk]

Do a cluster gauges reset

[@DayOffDIY]

I definitely will, disconnecting it remedied it for now but theres a reason still out there, i think its tied to the Xenon headlight...

[@christopherj9137]

how does oil even get inside there????!!!!

[@DayOffDIY]

I believe it follows the electrical current when it contacts wires and pins

[@tehedx]

The previous mechanic couldn't get the plug in, so he lubricated it a bit.

[@RyanRoadReaper]

If that's gonna be your daily driver, you should probably address the oil pump nut backing itself off the pump at high RPMs. The motor will be destroyed if it happens.

[@DayOffDIY]

That’s a good idea, I figure we will have the oil pan off it eventually so one day I’ll do it

[@Filipgorny17]

Thought this was only an issue when you raise the rev limiter?

[@RyanRoadReaper]

@@Filipgorny17 nope, even on stock tunes it happens. It's just a design flaw of the oil pump.

[@robertpeters1497]

Why was it leaking oil??

[@DayOffDIY]

Electrical current was pulling it from the oil saturated connector and it was following the wire from the connector to the computer

[@hman98557]

Had no issues with the traditional style of filming.

[@DayOffDIY]

I prefer it myself, so were back to the original :)

[@altonlyter2024]

Tachometer not speedometer.

[@adamnaylor2556]

**URGENT MAINTENANCE REPLACEMENT SUGGESTION FOR YOUR OVERFLOW COOLANT TANK BEFORE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE/ EXPLOSION!!!- A COMMON UNEXPECTED SEVERE ISSUE ON THE E46 BETWEEN 75,000-150,000 MILES**** I have a 2001 330xi and my tank exploded on me while driving on the highway leaving me stranded and having to get a tow. It caused major carnage in my engine bay, damaging fan and shroud, radiator, serpentine belt, water pump and pully, power steering pully, and fried driverside HID headlight. I myself have serviced and maintained every vehicle I've owned and address any issues as soon as detected. There was no warning sign of this about to happen, no leaks/ coolant loss, and no overheating issues. It ran perfectly, and entire car was in above average condition. This failure definitely caught me by surprise, and upon research found that this issue is A COMMON TICKING TIME BOMB 💣 . Forums and I agree that new e46 owners replace the tank immediately whether car has low or high miles because this will give you the peace of mind and exact knowledge of how long the resivore tank has been in use on your car. **THIS IS GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN AT SOMEPOINT, IT IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. OEM AND AFTERMARKET PLASTIC OVERFLOW TANKS ALL CARRY THIS FLAW! RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT EVERY 50,000 MILES IS SUGGESTED AS REMEDY. Sorry about long comment but thought I'd give you a heads up since I unfortunately found out the hard way.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for your story Adam! Yeah thats some catastrophic cooling system failure! Cant believe it took out the headlight too. what a bummer. I used to replace lots of those tanks, definitely a weak point in the cooling system no doubt. Thanks for the comment!

[@adamnaylor2556]

@@DayOffDIY Love the series man, you've been covering content very relevant to me! I own two BMW 3 series, the e46 330xi, and an e90 328i xdrive w/ N51 engine. I also enjoyed your most recent video with the e92! If BMWs will be the majority you will be working on, have you looked into any type of ownership licenses for coding programs/ apps? I honestly highly recommend the app from bimmergeeks Protool. I purchased the master license and I can do the majority of what ISTA and INPA does and it's very well organized and provides descriptions of what each coding/ service/ diagnostic option does before confirming selection. For a DIYer like myself, its a very powerful tool that belongs in my toolbox, and on my phone/ tablet. Keep up the amazing work and I'm sure you'll climb pretty high here on KZbin! * e46 headlight was damaged because coolant shorted out the ballast that powers the xenon HID bulb.

[@armenianman5826]

instead taking out one by one intake valve or throttle body I have spare intake manifold with all spare valves, resonance valve, intake and throttle body. I replace once a year everything at one time. Fresh and clean everything together all those parts at same time.

[@DayOffDIY]

wow thats a good idea for steady maintanence! if you have a spare intake manifold of course!

[@armenianman5826]

@@DayOffDIY make your life easy.

[@armenianman5826]

No more breather valve, delete the breather valve, just one straight long robber hose instead. Make your life easy.

[@DayOffDIY]

havent seen that done before!