Replaced my E63's Cam sensors and solenoids and found something else broke :( ~ DIY ~

[@santagautam115]

Your videos are helping people like me a ton. Thank you so much!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Happy to help!

[@EnjoytheMoments]

That's exactly what I did on my previous 2012 W218 CLS63. Except on magnets I just replaced o rings (they were not leaking inside) And same thing with engine mounts, 2.5 hour job if you have a lift ($450 for both oem mounts). There are more durable aftermarket options for engine mounts on M157 platform because OEM last about 30-40k. I probably should film and post my DIY videos too but I'm just lazy to do it and shy on camera 😆 lol. Great job buddy! You're sharing very useful information with people! 😊

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Nice! Ya, I honestly hate being on camera. I did the motor mounts last weekend, not to bad other than a few things .. getting the axle shafts back in and unplugging/plugging the O2 sensors was a nightmare, those things alone doubled the time lol

[@EnjoytheMoments]

@@ExoticCarDIY Glad you did the engine mounts already, will wait for the video 🙂. In my case it was RWD and wasn't that bad time/job wise. Now it's 2016 CLS63 AWD and your DIY video will be very useful for my future replacement 😀 👍 My opinion about you being on camera is very positive. I really like watching you, so keep it up the good work. Editing is also awesome 👍 We should meet up one day when I'm in Tampa area😊 would love to talk about cars and maybe you can help me with headlights coding😇

[@scottd5401]

Will code headlights for beer! Lol

[@305AutomotiveEnthusiast]

Don’t be shy for the camera. Love when real people make diy videos. Feels more authentic and gives me confidence to do it on my own.

[@EnjoytheMoments]

@@scottd5401 🤣👍

[@PristineMindset]

Thanks for sharing this is very good information.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Ya man, hope it helps

[@kamenslaveev1821]

Great educational video as always! Looking forward the new video of replacing the engine motor mount. Hope all is well.

[@Ghamdanozzz]

As usual amazing video from amazing guy 🤩👍🏻

[@mikimiki195]

Great video I did my cam sensors but I never knew about vacuum pump 👍🏻 I will have to check it 👍🏻

[@Aaphree]

Thankful for this video. Replaced all the camshaft position sensors and 3/4 solenoids. 3/4 sensors were leaking oil and all of the solenoids had signs of oil. The one I couldn't replace I cleaned out the plug and installed a sacrificial harness from FCP Euro, so hopefully that prevents further oil travel in the engine harness. Fingers crossed I changed everything before too much oil got into the engine harness. The ECU plug was bone dry so I guess that's some good news. Also almost got my wrench stuck on those tricky bolts, but then remembered your video!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Great catch, I've also ordered a sacrificial harness for that solenoid that's not easily replaced. As long as you stop the flow, I think you're ecu will be fine

[@Aaphree]

@@ExoticCarDIY I hope you're right! Love the car too much to have to get rid of it so soon haha. Next up is fixing the headliner. I definitely have the same issue you had with yours creaking on bumps. Your videos have been super helpful! My car came on H&R lowering springs and lowering links for the rear. Have you noticed any creaking sounds when turning the wheel up front? Seems almost like the springs themselves are creaking. Also, does yours raise up in the rear when you put it in park? Mine seems to raise all the way up, but then lowers itself when I lock it, and it seems like when I'm driving it's at the lowered height it's supposed to be at

[@jvakos]

another great helpful video thanks again. unbelievable (and inexcusable) that MB hasn't issued a TSB or something about the camshaft sensor leaks considering how catastrophic it could be to your ECU and wiring harness AND that the repair is SO inexpensive to change all 4 of them!!!! My e63 has 47k miles and 3 of my 4 camshaft sensors were leaking and I had just a pin drop of oil in my ECU... hoping I caught it in time as I've not experienced any performance issues but every couple weeks i now pull the ECU just to check. thx again

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Especially since it's such a easy and cheap thing to fix. Why not take care of it so people don't destroy your entire engine harness and ECU?

[@viperbite18]

Your videos on the w212 e63 have been a great help. I just bought one and found oil in 5 or 6 of the connectors. Cleaned them all out and ordered parts. No oil in the ecu side of the harness though. lucky me. Thanks for making these man

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Glad to help

[@danwagner4168]

Appreciate all the videos and info. They are all really helpful. Recently picked up a 2015 e63s. Checked cam sensors and magnets this morning and thankfully everything was dry.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Congrats on your purchase! How many miles out of curiosity?

[@danwagner4168]

@@ExoticCarDIY Thanks! 60,000 I’m friends with the previous owner so I know the history of it. Couldn’t pass up the opportunity when he wanted to sell it. I’m going to change the diff fluid and check the control arm bushing next. After that I really want to activate the ILS.

[@Bryceman74]

Great video, thank you!!!

[@TolandTheShattered]

Here's a Benz tech trick, with enough finesse you can actually get the driver side intake cam magnet out without removing the oil filter housing/cooler. You use a open ended 8mm wrench on the bottom most bolt, when it is entirely loose you grab a pair of needle nose pliers and walk the bolt out to the right, then remove all the other bolts (easy), then grab a pry bar and VERY GENTLY pry between the cooler/housing and cylinder head, if done right this will give you just enough room to remove the magent towards the upper right and will not cause any damage to the head or cooler/housing. You only need maybe another mm or two to get it out so don't go gorilla on it, be sure to use finesse and go slow.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Good tip

[@moriconnecticut5739]

i will try your suggestion as magnet is stuck and wouldn't come out

[@sohailquaider1728]

Thanks to your video, I just replaced the old sensors on my newly purchased E63s. Indeed, one of the old sensors had oil inside! 😊

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Great catch! Happy driving now

[@ALKUKES]

As always great video

[@jeremylam6917]

Great video! Thank goodness I checked my 2015 because one of the sensors had a bunch of oil in it. In process now of changing all of them and hope it hasn’t crept anywhere important

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Great catch! Just imagine how many people don't check these. I think you're fine by the way, as long as you weren't having issues before, I don't think the oil has crapped anywhere it shouldn't have yet

[@josephguastella8037]

Thank you , 2014 550e cab

[@user-ne1wr4xj6z]

Got the turbo coolant lines back on, took me best part of the day...they failed in two spots, with one failure leaving a chunk of pipe and orings embedded in the front of the block. Spent a couple of hours getting that piece out. Handy tip: practice installing/reinstalling your OLD lines on the drivers side to get the sequence down. The lines WILL get messed up and you dont want to practice on your new lines. Once i practiced multiple times I figured the exact maneuver to get both lines in fairly easily but it was back breaking. Got lucky on the the bolt holding them into the turbo too. Lastly, Im pretty positive you could get the oil filter housing off without completely removing the turbo coolant lines...if you were to disconnect at the front of the block, unbolt the support bracket under the housing, undo the bracket under the pulley AND remove the bolt holding them into the turbo, i think you could get enough wiggle to get the one oil filter housing bolt thats under the lines. The only issue of course is the coolant lines are so weak, they will likely crack when you wiggle them...

[@winstonw5273]

Haha. Very useful contents. I'm gonna check mine asap. The last part of motor mounts is a little abrupt lmao.. But want to see ur next video.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Theatrics LOL.

[@davidlewis157]

Awesome video as usual thank you, I’ve been wanting to check mine for a while now and didn’t really know where to start so after watching your video this morning I had a go and unfortunately I found 2 cam position sensors with oil 😩 I checked the ECU and it was bone dry. I’m hoping now that I’ve cleaned it up and ordered the new parts that I’ve caught it early before any major damage has been caused. Thank you again

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Good catch! Yeah it seems like a lot of Mercedes have this issue, it's not very well known however but it definitely can cause some destruction if not addressed

[@davidlewis157]

Just had my parts delivered this morning from Mercedes so was watching the video again before fitting them but can I just ask how many magnets did you change in total out of the 4 ? When I originally watched it I thought it was just 2 but after watching it again I’m now assuming it’s 3 x you actually changed as one of them was really easy and you just didn’t film it ?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@davidlewis157 none of my magnets were leaking. For the sake of the video, I changed the two hardest (but possible) ones. Yes one on the passenger side is super easy, but the fourth one is the one underneath the oil filter housing. to remove that you have to remove the whole thermostat housing, and the whole oil filter housing... It's not impossible, but it's a several hour job and I've read that the thermostat housing usually breaks which is a $500 part. Not worth it just for preventative. So I found FCP Euro sells isolator harnesses which would be a good way to mitigate the risk on those magnet solenoids that are hard to do.

[@davidlewis157]

Brilliant thank you for the in-depth reply and I’ll keep a lookout for the harnesses 👍

[@jamienz89]

Just replaced the two magnets on the passenger side only, not hard at all thanks to your video, though correctly positioning the bolt at 7:00 was a good challenge! my local indie replaced the oil filter housing recently so popped another two new magnets in for me with the housing out. I also added 4x pig tails to the magnet connectors, so hopefully that's job done.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

You are future proof-ed now! Cheers to many more fun miles!

[@pweimer47]

You can’t win for losing! 😢 At least we get more videos. Have a great day.

[@0-60STYLE]

Wow bro Surgeon

[@Strash.P]

I had the same issue with mine. The magnets are leaking as well. Mine had reached barely the ECU, not internally tho. One of the O2 sensors was affected as well. I used a lot of connector cleaning spray and swapped all 4 sensors and all 4 magnets. The 4 O2 sensors as well. I had the connectors facing the ground and sprayed them with connector cleaner for 3-4 days constantly. 10k miles later everything is dry as it should be. I will swap the harness eventually when we pull the motor out one day, but so far so good.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Good catch, as long as you get it early before anything shorts out, you're good to go. I'm just checking mine yearly now

[@Strash.P]

Exactly. The cheat way to remove the intake cam magnet on the driver's side is to unbolt the top of the oil lines, and use some sand bit to take off at least 1mm of the bottom part of the pipe material. It slides in and out like butter after. The skinny wrench sets help a lot with those bolts as well.

[@S.Madman]

Those cam solenoids bolts are single use. The have a seal on the end that stops oil from passing thru. I tried cleaning the seal out, put blue loctite, but no go. So the bolts have to be replaced, unless you can find a way to clean them.

[@Dylan1471]

I'm with curious as to why you didn't just back out the oil filter cap and remove it with the filter and place a rag over the filter opening so a bolt wouldn't fall in and replace after the repair? Seems that it would make the change out easier.

[@seanjuodis6605]

Another great video! Can you recommend the best place to buy Vediamo system like the one you use to code the benz? And what is a good price for the setup? Thank You!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

I highly recommend Benzninja. His systems are top-notch, dealer grade, plus, if you want, he'll do almost anything for you. Just tell him that exotic card DIY referred you.

[@seanjuodis6605]

@@ExoticCarDIY Thank You!

[@M3driver]

I would love to see a video where you replace the whole lot with an M5, something worth of sitting next to a F430!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Haha

[@BossmanSteve1]

Great Video. I have oil in the solenoid that connects to the turbo. Can you point me to how to remove place the vacuum pump?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Haven't looked into that yet. It on the back on the driver's side cylinder head. I would try to get in there with a mirror and figure out how it's held on. I'm assuming just a few bolts and it pops off but like I said I've never done it

[@Berti_00]

Is there performance issues if these were to be bad??

[@jeffersonwatters]

Be sure you're checking those Cam sensors every year. I replaced mine November of last year, and sure enough, all 4 were leaking again this year. For those center Cam magnets, I ended up buying the sacrificial harnesses. After 1 year, you'll need a new one, but they are cheap and won't require you to remove all that crap to replace the magnets.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

There's a thread on MB world, basically if your cam sectors have leaked before, there is a little bit of oil in the harness. Once the sensor gets replaced, the flow stops, but it is possible for some of that residual oil in the harness to moisten the sensor again.. So absolutely it's possible they could be leaking in, but it's also possible that it's just residual oil that slowly seeps back in there

[@jeffersonwatters]

@@ExoticCarDIY I thought that too, but I found a lot of oil in the ignition coil connections that couldn't be residual. For good measure I checked all the connections 2 weeks after installing the original replacements and everything was almost dry. I've elected to make it part of my annual maintenance routine so I wont need to clean the harness again. It makes me wonder if some of the E63/E550s that are flagged for engine failure, are simply no more than a dirty harness.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@jeffersonwatters likely. I'll definitely be changing mine yearly if not more often

[@Vispezzz]

So I’m looking to get a used 2014-2016 e63s around 40- 60k miles is there anything else I should be concerned about/ check besides the cam sensors and vacuum pump?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

I think that's where you going to find a good value in the E63. There are a lot of components because the car has a lot of features. Besides what I've listed, I would just make sure it doesn't have any errors like warning lights check engine lights etc. I personally would not buy a tuned car, other people seek those out so that's kind of all up to your personal preference. I pretty much guarantee that that control arm bushing is or will failed, but luckily that's a pretty easy fix. I would check the timing chain simply by looking through the oil filler cap, there are two different versions, early 12 and 13s have the older timing chain with 8 links across, compared to the new timing chains that have only five links across. The old ones are prone to stretching, while the new ones don't seem to have that problem. I would be very hesitant to buy one with the old timing chain since this is one of those high dollar repairs The only other typical failure is just the 12 through 14 sometimes would have a timing chain rattle at startup. It's a cheap but annoying fix.

[@amersingh2557]

Great Video, did you notice anything different driving by replacing the sensors and solonoid valves besides the oil in harness? Im tempted to do the same.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

No noticable change. There's no degradation of performance in the early stages of the oil penetration. After they become saturated and it makes it to the ECU you'll have issues. I caught mine early

[@AnontheGOAT]

Boy am I glad I checked my sensors. 3 out of the 4 cam position sensors are wet. Both passenger side solenoids are too. Thankfully the drivers side ones aren’t.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Good, glad you caught it early! And also very glad it's just the passenger side and not that one behind the oil filter housing lines LOL

[@AnontheGOAT]

@@ExoticCarDIY so you said you’re just gonna keep cleaning that one behind the filter or are you gonna replace it? Is the timing chain in the front of the vehicle?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@AnontheGOAT on mine only one solenoid on the pass side appeared to have even a trace of oil. So I was just doing mine preventatively. That one behind the oil lines requires the coolant thermostat housing and entire oil filter housing to be removed. One other common failures is the startup timing chain rattle. It's another cheap fix, but on the driver side it does require removing that thermostat and oil filter housing. If mine ever needs done, that's what I did

[@paul_k_7351]

I don’t know how a channel like B is for build can have 1.5m subscribers whilst Kenny has 3k and has way more useful videos!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Frustrating... These are way more work so far than they're worth haha. I hate clickbait. But it kind of looks like I will have to start doing it otherwise people simply don't click on it.

[@paul_k_7351]

@@ExoticCarDIY Not sure if that will get you the right sort of subscribers? I was also thinking about you doing a collaboration with some other youtubers to cross fertilise your subscribers. You also need that one viral video that will get your channel out there, like I dunno, an oil change on a Koennigsegg or Chiron or something. Other thought I had was a quick series of tips for people to refer to that might not be massive car people, like top 10 cool shortcuts you need to know about your E-Class and then show like how holding the "car" button instantly goes into the external camera mode etc.

[@winstonw5273]

ignition coil and spark plugs Can be another video.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

One of those will be coming

[@timchambers8230]

When you replaced the Cam sensors and Magnet solenoids did you have to plug in a scanner and request the vehicle do a Re-teach or wouldn’t it have thrown codes for wrong position/ out of sync?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

No re-teach. Just change and go

[@Helloworld123hd]

Could you point out what are some other common potential failures to watch out for on E63s m157 platform? Given -Cam sensors and cam sensor magnet/solenoids -engine mount -lower control arm -oil consumption …. … would you have any tips and advices or suggestions?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Overall, they are very stout. Nothing crazy like having to replace rod bearings like on most BMWs LOL Early m157s could have issues with the timing chain stretching this seemed to be fixed in 2014 and on Basically all m157s up till 2016 can have the startup rattle, caused by poorly designed tensioners. The vacuum pump can leak oil into the wastegate solenoid, Engine mount seem to last between 40 and 50K Virtually every Mercedes cam sensors can leak into the harness There are few reports of people losing compression and cylinder 5 due to scoring. Although many people believe that this is just carbon build up causing a loss of compression that seems to affect that cylinder more than others. Brakes and rotors seem to wear fast compared to other cars Due to the factories inability to align these things, many have issues with wearing out the inside of the front tires premature Mercedes with the pano roof is very prone to rattle, due to the screws loosening themselves

[@Helloworld123hd]

@@ExoticCarDIY thank you so much man. Cheers to you👍🏻

[@MrDumper123]

Bugger. 2 of 4 have oil on the plugs. Like alot. Not at the ecu yet. Only got the car 2weeks ago. It does fire up the eml light if we go warp speed ten on sport plus. Not in any other mode. The code shows misfire cylinder #5. Could this just be a plug. 52000 miles. Full service history.

[@jingluo7836]

Hey man. I got new rims for my E63s after listening to your advise regarding vibration at high way speeds. The TPMS for all 4 of my wheels, can I transfer them over to the new rims? Is there something to watch out for? Thanks in advance

[@ExoticCarDIY]

What rims did you get? Yes, in almost all cases you can transfer the TPMS over to the new rims with no issue

[@jingluo7836]

@@ExoticCarDIY Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. I got the exact same rims exact same sizes. I'm worried about the TPMS being damaged in the process. your reply made my day!

[@admirlajka9740]

Just out of curiosity have you ever heard like a 1-3 second ticking noise from the m157. I’ve noticed it more when you start the car after being warm or going up and down my drive way… any thoughts?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

12-14ish m157 have tensioner issues. It's minor, factory calls it a annoyance, not a failure. About a $100 each for new tensioners

[@M3driver]

I think they call it the tick of death.

[@tariqrashid1000]

Great content, how many pressure sensors did you change?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

I changed four cam position sensors, and three of the solenoids. With the solenoid that is stuck behind the oil cooler, I just bought one of those sacrificial harnesses

[@tariqrashid1000]

​@ExoticCarDIY I have an error code P209900 The mixture is too rich downstream of the catalytic converter bank 2, no exhaust Leak, I have changed the air intake sensors, would you have any suggestions?

[@edwardko-mortgage1237]

After you changed up the sensors, did you find out how to stop the oil leak to prevent this from happening again? Thanks for this informative Vlog.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

So the sensors are not supposed to delete, but obviously some do. In theory, you just periodically check them to make sure they're not leaking. The only additional option is SCP Euro sells a harness that isolates the sensor so any oil leakage will not travel to the ECU. If the magnet that is impossible to get to ever start sneaking on, I'll likely just use the harness to mitigate it

[@edwardko-mortgage1237]

@@ExoticCarDIY Ok so you saying there is no way to stop the leak from happening and where is the oil leaking from?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@edwardko-mortgage1237 it leaks from defective cam sensors. Not all leak

[@joesmith2569]

How do you know how far the oil wicked up towards the ECU, once you discover your cam position sensors are oily?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

You'll never know have far it's traveled unless it's made it to the ECU. Once replaced, the flow will stop

[@MrRyman222]

Changed my leaking cam sensors, thankfully no oil at ecu,, but I have oil in the middle solenoid , do I replace it?? Many thanks

[@ExoticCarDIY]

When you say middle solenoid, you're talking about the one with the vacuum lines to it? If so, yes you should replace it but you need to address the source as well which is the vacuum pump. Apparently a lot of people have been able to get away with just replacing a small rubber diaphragm at the beginning of the vacuum line at the vacuum pump. You can do a search on NB world for the procedure

[@MrRyman222]

@@ExoticCarDIY yes that’s correct vacuum solenoid yes I’ve been doing research and found the rubber piece surely Mercedes could’ve done better

[@nlroel]

Did you replaced the magnet also due to the possible oil gasket leakage? Or do you have some intermittent hick-ups by driving?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Preventative for possible oil leak.

[@305AutomotiveEnthusiast]

I noticed your intercooler reservoir fluid is pink. Mine is blue. Is that a problem? Ty

[@ExoticCarDIY]

I had to phone a friend lol. Mercedes used blue until 14, 15+ got pink

[@305AutomotiveEnthusiast]

Thank you so much for that! Was having a mini panic attack lol. Going to do some research but is the pink better for cooling? Wonder why they switched

[@callum5896]

How did you actually release the cam solenoid/Magnet connector with the white tab? Doesn't seem as simple as the grey connector on the sensor.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Use a pic to pull the white tab back, it'll click about 2 mm rearward. Once this is done, it allows you to lift the tiny black tab underneath it to clear the connector. You may still need to use a pic to lift that little tab, I think you're supposed to be able to squeeze the rear and it will lift up to release but it never seems to work like that LOL

[@callum5896]

@@ExoticCarDIY great thanks for the reply! Thats tomorrows job then, what a way to start my 2023 off haha. Fingers crossed those connectors are fine....

[@AnontheGOAT]

Did the motor mount break just right then and there or was it already broke and you just now found out?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

They were broken already. Pretty much par for the course considering the dealer I bought it from.

[@AnontheGOAT]

@@ExoticCarDIY I see. I appreciate the DIY video. I've checked some of my sensors and they are dry. Before I take her out on the road, I'm going to check all the ones I can to make sure none are leaking.

[@Dave0660]

Great video!! As well as your others. Really helped me out. Got a question, would oily cam shaft sensors cause code p0391 and p0392 to pop up? These are both camshaft position sensor faults. Or is this possibly a bad harness. I checked the sensors and 3 out of the 4 had a lot of oil on the connectors. I check ecu and its bone dry. Cleaned connnectors and erased codes but the poppped back up on next start up. I havent changed the sensors yet just ordered them this morning. Hoping its just the sensor but wanted to know if anyone got codes for just bad sensors. Thanks

[@ExoticCarDIY]

What year is your car?

[@Dave0660]

@@ExoticCarDIY 2013 Ml63

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@Dave0660 ya, not certain. Done if the early m157s with the old design tensioners and chains with through codes if they are stretched, but I would say it's a rare unless you're well into the 100,000 mile range

[@Dave0660]

Okay thanks, I guess I'll see what happens once I change the sensors. 🤞

[@Amg_Trini]

Can you share the link for the sensors that you replace

[@ExoticCarDIY]

www.mbpartsource.com/oem-parts/mercedes-benz-engine-camshaft-position-sensor-2769051000 And I bought the magnet/solenoids from the link in my description

[@Amg_Trini]

@@ExoticCarDIY that’s the price each correct?

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@Amg_Trini yes

[@Amg_Trini]

@@ExoticCarDIY thanks for this video. I cleaned the connectors off. I also pulled the sensors out and cleaned those up a bit too. Now I know that I can do the job myself. I might try to do the magnets too.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@Amg_Trini be careful with those bolts... Already had one guy msg me that he snapped one

[@Berti_00]

I am assuming this would be the same thing for a cls63s

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Yes, actually the sensors are problematic on almost all Mercedes made in in the 2000s-~2018 or so...

[@Berti_00]

@Exotic Car DIY not sure if mine are bad or replaced but after watching you video I am gonna have to dish out about 350 lol for all 4 of each from fcp

[@ExoticCarDIY]

@@Berti_00 to answer your other questions, I don't think there's necessarily any direct performance issues, what it will do is just start getting errors and eventually your ECU will short out... Tiny bit of oil won't do anything, but if left unaddressed for significant amount of time will definitely cause major issues

[@Berti_00]

@@ExoticCarDIY mine is a 2016 cls63s should I still be looking into them

[@user-ne1wr4xj6z]

I just picked up a 2016 e63 wagon and decided to do a full service and the cam solenoids and sensors. Spent ALL DAY just getting to the right (drivers side) solenoids. Absolute nightmare. If you do it, video it. The problem is, the oil filter housing needs to come off. To get the oil filter housing off, both charge pipes needs to come off. Then the thermostat needs to come off, then the turbo coolant lines need to come off. Then you can finally get to the lower bolts on the oil filter housing. I spent maybe an hour trying to wriggle the drives side coolant lines out of the turbo. I have no clue how Im going to get them and the bolt back in, there is about 1" clearance. Another weak point on these cars is the turbo coolant lines. I just touched one and it started leaking. Google around and you will find others complaining about the line build quality. They WILL fail. Note, the coolant lines are in short supply and you can only order through a dealer, especially the pump to passenger turbo (yes, that has to come off to get the drivers side ones off). Im replacing all three of mine, they are known failure points. Im also doing the tensioners and idle pulleys while I have this apart. I consider myself a pretty good (amateur) mechanic....this job was about one of the worst i've done and Im only 25% the way throught!

[@ExoticCarDIY]

I was just about to tackle that, and my friend from the dealer said don't do it LOL. I mean if it needs to be done, definitely do it, but mine wasn't leaking yet, so I just bought an isolator harness for that one solenoid. Now I have removed charge pipes, they're a huge pain, basically everything in that squished areas of pain, I found if you remove the fans, it gives you a lot more room to work. Just protect your radiator that you don't bump it with a tool. I likely will be preemptively replacing my turbo coolant lines, I know they're fragile and will eventually leak. Either way good job so far, hopefully you can finish it without any drama

[@user-ne1wr4xj6z]

@@ExoticCarDIY Im going to install the isolator harnesses too! I thought hard about taking the rad fan out, but I dont have access to WIS and it was not obvious at all how the rad fan came out. Id love to take it out for reinstallation of everything else....any tips?

[@CL500MBZ]

Why not just remove the oil filter cap to make more space? Therre are extension wires to isolate the harness and prevent the oil creeep issue

[@ExoticCarDIY]

If you're talking about the fourth magnet, removing the oil filter cap doesn't help. It's actually behind the housing. Some people have had success removing both oil lines and then prying. But it wasn't worth the risk for me, I did just install an sacrificial harness for that particular solenoid.

[@temphtempg8819]

Oh f--- my life! I just checked my cam sensors and found oil leaking from three of them and the oil is right through the harness and onto the pins in the ECU. Pulled the ECU and it doesn't look like the oil is inside the ECU yet, just touching the pins, but also not going to try and open it as the glue seal once it's broken you never seem to be able to quite seal it completely again. Jeez I didn't need this now.

[@ExoticCarDIY]

Just clean it up, replace the sensors. Stopping the flow will be the most important part. However, since there is still oil in the wires, you'll still see some oil reappear. I would just clean it monthly until it goes away

[@temphtempg8819]

Tks @@ExoticCarDIY, I went and got a biiig can of electrical contact cleaner spray and did just that. Man you should have see the golden liquid that poured out of the harness after a good spraying. Kept spraying until only clear liquid was coming out. Replaced the sensors as well, now I'll just keep checking every fortnight to see how it goes. Extremely grateful to your channel for pointing it out! 🥇