What is this engine part? (Getting to know my M54 engine bay)

Note: The 2002 525i Realoem diagram for the F connector hoses is wrong:
Engine => Vacuum control => Vacuum control - engine

The large hose coming out of the F connector connects to the metal pipe of the sucking jet pump:


Here is a closeup of that sucking jet pump (with the large hose disconnected):


Notice right behind it is a port with a vacuum endcap that can degrade causing vacuum leaks:


Here is a picture of that vacuum port with the endcap removed.


My theory is that this vacuum port 'was' used to connect to the CCV vacuum port when the CCV had a vacuum port that wasn't likewise plugged; but that's just a guess.

Originally Posted by bluebee

vanos solinoid.

From this thread today:
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > EVAP Purge Valve Flow

Originally Posted by hasamu84

My service egine light came on my 2000 528i and the code show P0441 EVAP Incorrect Purge Flow. I need to know where the Purge Valve is located on my 528i, under the hood it has a diagram but I don't quite know what it look like.

Here is the pic of the by 16valex:

Originally Posted by 16valex

Under the intake manifold and close to the front

Here is a description by JimLev:

Originally Posted by JimLev

Part #1 on the diagram. The DME controls it. One hose goes to the charcoal cannister that is connected to the fuel tank.
The other hose connects to the intake manifold

The charcoal absorbs fuel vapors (in the old days the tank was vented to atmosphere). The purge valve allows the vapors to be sucked out of the charcoal and into the engine.

Adding JimLev's information to the diagram in this post #17 of:
- Might we be able to list, with pics (realoem diagrams ok) of ALL E39 vacuum lines?

• - Fuel Preparation System => Fuel injection system => FUEL TANK BREATHER VALVE
• - 01 FUEL TANK BREATHER VALVE Qty=1 PN=13901433603 $82.88

Note: I'm having trouble finding an E39 charcoal canister photo, in situ.

Do you have one handy?

Thanks to added value by Bomb5 today in this thread:
- M54 vacuum tubing ... what diameter ... what brand ... what material ... what length?

... we, for the first time (that I know of), have an in-situ picture of the three M54 engine vacuum endcaps that are listed in the parts list but (frustratingly) are not shown in the diagrams!

Originally Posted by bluebee

Based on what we found in post #20 here, out of the two, three, or four endcaps reputed to be in the E39, here's the best I can do so far without additional help:

• This diagram loosely intimates there is one capped vacuum port:
  • Engine => Vacuum control => AIR PUMP F VACUUM CONTROL
  • #9, Size or part number not shown (probably 7 mm as shown in #17 below)
    • This is probably the same as #17 in the "Intake Manifold System" diagram.
• This diagram outright says there are three capped vacuum ports:
  • Engine => Intake manifold => Intake manifold system
  • #15, Cap, D=3,5MM, Qty=2, 11611437560, $3.39 (between 1/8" & 9/64" ID)
    • One of these is probably for the CCV valve vacuum port on the M54
    • The other 'may' be if the M54 does not have an air pump, then it would cap off that vacuum port in the back of the engine where #7 hose would go in the "Air pump F Vacuum Control" diagram.
  • #17, Cap, D=7,0MM, Qty=1, 11611727176, $3.39 (between 17/64" & 19/32")
    • This clearly is the rear vacuum port behind the sucking jet pump on my M54

Originally Posted by Bomb5

I believe that I found the 3 end caps ... See the attachment.

EDIT: Steve530 added additional pictures showing the SAP electrical valve taking one of the hoses that appear to be capped above:

I came here looking for a picture of the brake master cylinder under the driver side cabin air filter housing for this thread today:
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > Help with brakes and brake fluid.

Originally Posted by Froemis7

can you show me a picture of where the brake fluid reservoir is? I cant seem to find it.

Since it wasn't pictured above ... I now add it from this thread so others can find this more easily in the future:
- One user's example of a complete brake job with all torque figures, specs, measurements, fluids, decisions, tools, tricks, mistakes, suppliers, costs, etc., that it entails (1)

For the cross-linked record, pictures of all the parts in the engine bay would help people like this 98 528i poster today:
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > Idle Control Valve (ICV) location??

Originally Posted by 74Hustler

I have searched till my eyes cant read any more and I have come up emtpy as far finding anny DIY for this. Where is the ICV located and hard is it to clean it or change it?

Originally Posted by Steve530

If I read the realoem diagrams correctly, the 528i manufactured up to 9/98 had the ICV toward the front of the manifold attached to a hose from the intake boot just ahead of the secondary throttle body. After 9/98, the ICV is toward the back of the intake manifold.

For the record, while researching how the secondary air system (SAS) works in this thread:
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > 2001 530i question...

... I ran across this nice cn90 picture of the reclusive air valve in the back of the 528i engine over here:
- E39 (1997 - 2003) > 3d Secondary Air Pump failure in 4 years!

Originally Posted by cn90

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=402816

#5 is the Electric Air Valve, located UNDER the Intake Manifold:

To help identify some of the more hidden components of the M54 engine, Steve530, over here today, found an excellent picture of the back of the M54 engine:
- For all to benefit, WHERE are the ends of these hoses in our beloved E39s anyway?

Originally Posted by Steve530

I was browsing and found a nice photo of the back of a M54 intake manifold with hoses attached. I edited and annotated the photo to show the location of the attachment of the fuel tank breather (purge) valve and the suction jet pump.

Here's a wider view of that picture, with the M54 CCV (showing the elusive CCV vacuum endcap), shrunken to 640x480 from the original.

Here is more detailed information just now from Steve530 on various hard-to-see engine parts on the back of the M54 intake manifold:

Originally Posted by Steve530

I didn't notice the CCV end cap until I zoomed in on the photo. I've added labels for that cap, the SAP one-way valve, and the SJP for clarity.

Note also that this photo shows the older style tube that connects the CCV to the dipstick tube. The newer style has a 45 degree bend instead of the 90 degree bend in this photo.

Today I cleaned out the dipstick guide tube which was wholly clogged with crud.

Since I had it open, here are more pictures of things inside the M54 engine bay that might not have been discussed prior in this pictorial identification thread.

I'm not sure what the purpose of this blue twist plug is?


This is the CCV lower drain hose which connects to the oil dipstick guide tube:


Here is the idle control valve (ICV):


Here is one of the suction jet pumps (the only one in the engine bay):


Here is the vacuum port endcap where you send smoke machine signals through:


Here's the rigid spacer between the MAF rubber boot and the ICV rubber boot:


I 'think' this is the starter motor:


And, I 'think' this is the wiper motor:

The blue twist plug is a cover plug that is removed to insert the flywheel lock to lock the engine at TDC when setting the VANOS timing.

Originally Posted by timarnold

The blue twist plug is a cover plug that is removed to insert the flywheel lock to lock the engine at TDC when setting the VANOS timing.

Thanks. It's clearly a twist plug that's a bit hard to get to ... so it must not often be accessed.

As for the prior pictures above, I think I previously mislabeled the picture reproduced below:


Looking it up, I find the large opening is actually the "throttle body" (TB, PN 13547502444) ...


While the smaller opening is the wholly separate T-shaped idle control valve (ICV, PN 13411744713) ...


What confuses me is that these must both be closely associated, yet, in the realoem diagrams, they're not even close in system classification.

• E39 525i => Fuel Preparation System => Fuel injection system => Throttle Housing
• E39 525i => Engine => Intake manifold => Intake manifold system

Q: Why do they put these two obviously (very) closely related components in (wholly) separate classifications systems?

Note: I unknowingly manually moved the throttle body plate to clean it (with the engine off) - but - apparently I should NOT have done so based on this thread.

Originally Posted by POof540i

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT! Manually move the throttle plate with your hands. Because it is a drive-by-wire, any movement you induce can permanently damage the throttle body. Ask me how I know.

Note: Picture reproduced from this thread: E39 (1997 - 2003) > E39 how to clean throttle body

This is not really a picture inside the engine bay, but ...

Circled is the CKP (crankshaft position sensor) ... not to be confused with the CPS (camshaft position sensor) ... from JimLev's post in this thread just now:
-> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Crankshaft position sensor location

Originally Posted by JimLev

Your crank sensor is in the pass side of the tranny bellhousing. It's the little thing sticking up in the lower left corner of this pic. I don't have a pic from the outside.

JimLev kindly autopsied a power steering hose at the midline clamp to show the restrictor inside:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > ps hose

"What is this clamp in the middle of my power steering pump hose?"

Originally Posted by JimLev

It's a clamp over the restrictor

Originally Posted by gibo58

What purpose does that restrictor serve?

Originally Posted by JimLev

Just a guess, as the pump increases in RPM there is more PS fluid pumped to the steering box which makes steering easier. Once you get to some higher RPM the restrictor starts to limit the flow which limits the amount of assist from the pump. Anybody got a better answer?

Originally Posted by Reefin' Dude

here is a picture of where the Fuel Tank Breather Valve is located on the M62TU (part number 13901433603)

Do we have a picture of this fuel tank breather valve (shown below on the M62TU) on the M54?
-> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Check engine soon -code p0443

Originally Posted by timarnold

The blue twist plug is a cover plug that is removed to insert the flywheel lock to lock the engine at TDC when setting the VANOS timing.

For the record, someone else asked the same question today:
-> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Help identify blue plug-like cap off Engine or Tranny?

Originally Posted by samdayo

Something broke off or fell off my 2001 525i Wagon under the engine/transmission area. I found it on the floor under my car and it looks very brittle. It's blue and looks like a plug of some sort. I'm attaching an image.

Can anyone identify this for me and tell me where this broke off from? Is it important and will it be fine without it?

The following I6 & V8 E39 engine photos are of exceptionally clean engine bays:
- > E39 (1997 - 2003) > How clean is it under the hood?

I repost here to help newbies identify engine-bay components more easily.

Post #78 of this thread came in handy today to help this newbie today identify the purge valve:

Originally Posted by e46bmwlife

Under the intake manifold in the front towards the drivers side and directly behind the power-steering pump reservoir ... there is a part that has one electrical plug (facing towards the drivers side) and two hose attachments. One of the hoses goes towards the drivers side and attaches near the drivers side fender.

It's the other hose attachment points towards the passenger side - I need to know where this hose attaches to on the other end.

Any help would be appreciated! This is on a 2000 323i.

Knock sensor from this thread:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > kNOCK SENSOR 1

Originally Posted by 16valex

Here. The hex bolt is one of the two legs.

There is a good discussion today of the two engine lift points for the M54 engine.
Unfortunately, I don't think we have a picture yet, in this thread anyway, of the rear lift point:
> E46 (1999 - 2006) > Engine Removal Lift Points

Originally Posted by dgomez89

I am currently in the process of taking the engine out of my 2001 325ci. The only thing I am stuck on is the lift points where to take it from?

Originally Posted by smolck

...there is a hook right above your tstat next to the intake VANOS solenoid and another one in the back of the engine. Just run a straight edge from the front mounting point to the firewall and look down behind there, it is in line with the front hook point.

See also:
- Lifting engine without special bracket and trasmission angle?

What we need is a photo of the rear hook:

Technically this picture doesn't belong in this thread because it's a part of the M54 engine you can't see - but here's what a hydrolocked M54 looks like (5 bent rods!) from this thread:

And, here are some more pictures of the bottom end of the M54 engine from that thread:

I'm confused about the location of the crankshaft position sensor ckp in the V8 versus the I6 but I'll report what I see in the threads.

In post 88 above, we have a photo of the V8 CKP location.

In this thread below, we have a photo of the I6 CKP location (M52B25):
- > E39 (1997 - 2003) > Missing CRANK position sensor!?

A clarification of the CKP location for the M54 engine was made here today:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > Missing CRANK position sensor!?

See also:
- Technique Tuning Stage "PEI330Ci" 330i Turbo Street Car
- Bimmerboost M54 photos

It doesn't look like the CPS (camshaft position sensor) is covered yet.


Here is a thread with some very nice M54 pictures:
> E39 (1997 - 2003) > CAmshaft Position Sensor DIY

And, this CPS R&R shows some nice pictures of the cam position sensor in situ:
- > E39 (1997 - 2003) > BMW 528i 1998 Replace camshaft position sensor - DIY

More intake CPS pictures here:

And here:


And here:

Location of the Dual-Temperature Switch, DTS, from this set of threads:
- How to replace the M54 dual temperature sensor (DTS, aka double temperature switch) in the M54 (1) (2) (3) (4) & how to make your own short DTS removal tool out of a 22mm or 7/8" box wrench (1)