Service- Valve adjustments

[Shiny]

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to share a post received by the technical Manager at Cedar Isle Auto. My E85 Z4M recently went for an Inspection 2 service and I queried why valve adjustments were not done, amongst other things.

...We have investigated the service requirements for your car. In South Africa we used to check valve clearances. Due to the fact that they almost never needed adjustment, this item was removed by BMW S.A from the service sheet in early 2005.
With regards to the mobility cartridge, This must be a country specific item. It has never been on our service sheet to replace cartridge. Up to 2005 we used to have to check if the cartridge had been used and report back to the customer if it needed replacement.
With regards to the brake fluid. We change it when 2 years has passed since last flushing.The brake fluid was replaced on your vehicle in 2011 , so it will be replaced at the next service as the 2 years would have lapsed.

In 2006 BMW went away from the service sheet (like the America one you have) and went onto key reader printouts....

I was wondering if anyone has had these adjusted and if it is indeed of any importance to get this done.

 

[calypso]

Yep that's true, they will only adjust them if there is a problem (lots of noise). I'm looking at getting the kit to do it myself, just quick alot of cash to spend for a once or twice off thing

 

[444YYY]

Can anybody comment on the E36 3.0 adjustments?

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[Crash_Nemesis]

I got my valves adjusted at Sav Speed... needless to say, 4 days later my M3 dropped a valve, thus ending up in a 50k repair bill and a new cylinder head and piston.

here is the thread -- http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=35534


She has since been fixed and running 100%.

Be careful who you send your car to. I thought Sav would be the best for the job, he clearly wasn't...

 

[444YYY]

What I have seen:
When walking through a workshop (club motors Pretoria) there was an elderly mechanic, doing the valve clearance adjustment on an e30 325i. It had very low mileage and was kept mint. This was 3 years ago. So I reckon the dealerships with older mechanics, will do it, on request.
Though, the mechanic said that only if its noisy, do they perform the job......

 

[calypso]

Can anybody comment on the E36 3.0 adjustments?

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I dont think the 3.0 should be any different.

 

[Shiny]

thats a shame what happened to Jezebel. Wonder how far off the shims were to cause that. Did you end up checking any of them before you took the engine apart? even though im sure the engine dying may have affected those values.

And thanks Calypso, Glad to know im not the only one in the boat. Just sucks that they just eliminated essential service items because it wasnt a common enough problem.

Guess now the question moves to whether it would still be worth adjustng the valves. I have read on other forums that it is easy to hear when the valves are off.

 

[Crash_Nemesis]

The Valve in question and the shim that sat atop it, were destroyed when it dropped a valve, so there is no telling how far out it was...

 

[calypso]

JHB people just just bunch together and buy a kit.

Then then let me borrow it once your done.