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      04-17-2015, 04:33 PM   #1
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Well I said I wanted to figure out how to access the plugs and create a DIY since most of our vehicles are getting up there in age. I created a PDF file so that it can be viewed for forever and printed with ease. Below is a pasted quick list of parts that is also within the PDF along with pictures and step by step instructions. I'm pasting this shor text here for internet search hits if needed.

((( THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED BY ///MPOSTER FOR THE BMW F25 X3 ( 2011+) / ENGINE (N55). AS WITH ALL DIYs , DO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

PARTS:
BOSCH SPARK PLUG ZR5TPP33
(Edit 4/19/2015 : my boxes have 12120037582 ZR5TPP33-S)
BMW #12131437986 ( BMW $25/ TISCHER $18/ TURNER $12)
NGK 5992 alternate spark plug (BMS $12)
T25, T27 TORX SOCKETS
FLAT AND PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVERS
10MM, 16MM SOCKETS
3EXTENSION, 6EXTENSION,SPARK PLUG TOOL ($19 @BMS)
SOCKET WRENCH AND TORQUE WRENCH

))))


Enjoy ....



Thanks,
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File Type: pdf BMW X3 F25 spark plug DIY.pdf (2.26 MB, 8585 views)
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      04-17-2015, 06:19 PM   #2
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I noticed that on mobile (iPhone) that the PDF is not showing up. Here is the text and pictures.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED BY ///MPOSTER FOR THE BMW F25 X3 ( 2011+) / ENGINE (N55). AS WITH ALL DIYs , DO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

PARTS:
BOSCH SPARK PLUG ZR5TPP33 BMW #12131437986 ( BMW $25/ TISCHER $18/ TURNER $12)
NGK 5992 alternate spark plug (BMS $12)
T25, T27 TORX SOCKETS
FLAT AND PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVERS
10MM, 16MM SOCKETS
3”EXTENSION, 6”EXTENSION,SPARK PLUG TOOL ($19 @BMS)
SOCKET WRENCH AND TORQUE WRENCH
1) Open hood by using the hood latch inside by the lower left drivers footwell
2) At the hood, use the safety release latch located just above the grills. The hood will open now.
3) Remove the engine cover by lifting up at the oil filler location. This will release the rubber grommets from the spherical standoffs, then pull towards you to release the rear of it from the rear rectangular grommets. You have now gained access to spark plugs 1,2,3.










4) You need access to the rear 3 spark plug locations, so you will have to remove some cowlings and panels. It is easier to remove it all at once than when you are in the middle of removing the plugs. Use a T27 to remove the black screws on the panel above the intake arm and filter. This will also allow you to see the sensor on the intake as well.

5) Next remove the left, center, and right rubber hood seal, as well as the left and right ECU panel and brake reservoir cover panel. For the reservoir panel, pinch the tab and then lift and pull.







6) The wipers need to be next. Pull on the round circular covers to expose the nut holding them on. Use a 16mm socket to loosen the nut. I suggest at this point marking the wiper’s location with tape. (You don’t want them to hit the windshield pillar after install). I moved them to the upright position, then bent them at their spring point, and finally pulled hard to get them removed.

7) Remove the cowling by removing the last two secured points. Where the fender meets the window at the pillar, there are two Phillips head plastic screws that need to be removed. Mine stripped so I used pliers to rotate ( as they are threaded). Pull up on the panel in various locations and you will hear pops as the tabs release.


8) Next you want to remove the intake arm in one piece, so there will be multiple items that need to be loosened or removed in the following numbered steps. Use a T25 to remove the silver screws on the sensor ( I think PCV) by the lower intake tract. Do not try to remove the sensor by the opposite side as it has 4 tabs that need to be simultaneously lifted. After removing the screws , use a small flat blade screw driver to remove the sensor wiring.( lift on center of tab)
9) Next move up the intake tract by the center-top-engine by the TMAP sensor. Press the tab on the sensor connector to release it. No need to unscrew this sensor, just leave it in the intake arm.
10) Using a 10 mm, remove the bolt in the center of the intake tract that secures it to the valve cover. Before removing the whole intake arm in one piece, make sure you popped off the sensor (PCV), make sure you popped off the breather hose ( right next to it) by squeezing tabs and pulling up. Loosen the clamps at the upper location and lowest location. Finally you are able to remove the arm in one piece. You have now gained access to spark plug 4.



11) Remove the oxygen sensor connectors from their clips and push aside( do not disconnect). Use a T25 to remove the oxygen sensor bracket from the valve cover. ( leave attached to harness swivel) You have now gained access to spark plug 5.









12) You need to remove the power harness tract by removing 2 of 3 screws. Use a T25 to remove the closest one to you and the furthest one . The one in the center can stay secured. The top of the wiring tract comes off. Now lift the wiring over and out of the way of the spark plug 6. You have now gained access to spark plug 6.








13) Remove the coil by lifting up on the circular holed tab until it locks in its 90º position. This allows you to remove the coil’s connector. Then pull up with your finger parallel to the coil (as possible). Some people break the tab by pulling at an angle so be careful and take your time.



14) Use your special thin walled spark plug socket with 6” extension ,then add 3” extension, then wrench to remove spark plug 6. Spark plugs 5,4,3,2,1 are a lot easier and may not need the extra extension.


15) Torque the spark plug to 23 Nm or 17 foot pounds.
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      04-18-2015, 10:31 AM   #3
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thank you for putting this together!! the PDF file printed perfect for me.
how many miles do you have on your X3? how did the spark plugs look?
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      04-19-2015, 12:49 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fjrmann
thank you for putting this together!! the PDF file printed perfect for me.
how many miles do you have on your X3? how did the spark plugs look?
I have 53,000 miles . I've been meaning to change them for a while. I was feeling hesitation and I was unsure of what it was. Then I heard buzzing . It was the boost solenoid going bad. Car was driving better after the solenoid replacement but I knew I needed to do preventative maintenance . Anyway, the plugs look good . Nothing abnormal. The gap was just a bit larger than the new. Also the white porcelain portion overtime turns orange . I only noticed a very small percentage of orange discoloration.
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      04-19-2015, 12:50 PM   #5
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Pics as requested.
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      04-19-2015, 01:07 PM   #6
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Thanks for this info!
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      04-20-2015, 11:02 AM   #7
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Egads... coming up in the next month or two, N52 engine. Changed the 2004 325i plugs. Only took 30 minutes. Hope the X3 is similar. Thanks for posting.

Next up...replacing rear shocks with bilsteins.
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      05-16-2015, 09:50 PM   #8
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Just finished changing spark plugs and coils on my X3 xDrive28i with 50,300 miles. There was misfire in one of the cylinders. The misfire was intermittent and occurred mostly during sudden acceleration(RPM > 3000) The d(st)ealer quoted $1150 for replacing all 6 coils and spark plugs. I paid $150 for the diagnosis and decided to do it myself.

This was my first DIY on my X3 and am really happy for having it done successfully.
I paid $180 for the coils(DELPHI OEM) from amazon and $120 for the plugs(BMW/NGK OE) from dealer. It took about an hour to finish the Job.
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      05-19-2015, 08:45 AM   #9
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      05-18-2016, 07:06 AM   #10
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Great DIY! There is a special place in hell for spark plug #6!!!
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      09-26-2016, 09:14 PM   #11
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Just want to re-iterate the accuracy of this DIY for the F25 chassis.

Just finished this on a 2014 F25 X3 35i. A few notes (and images) from my adventure; took approx 2 hours and I took a couple breaks here and there.

Based on the steps (outlined in the PDF)

I did not remove as much as the cowling and panels as described, and managed to squeeze my way in/out of plugs 5 and 6. I had both a 3" and 6" socket extension, as well as a right angle adapter which definitely aided in this. It was very tight; I would remove more cowling/paneling if you have large hands or are lacking in tools in any way.

I skipped the wiper removal (steps 6 and 7) based on this.

Additionally, the intake arm removal described in steps 8-10 is how I proceeded, though I removed the most rear piece as well (running parallel to the firewall into the airbox on the right). This is pictured, but not described, MAKE SURE YOU DO IT.


Step 12 discussed removal of the power harness and cabling; be careful here. You CAN (see my pictures), remove it as described AND pull the power cable out toward the front of the vehicle, and up away from plug 6 for access.





Step 13 discusses noting the orientation of the coils and their connectors, as they differ for each plug; this is important, HOWEVER on the F25 chassis you should have small guide tabs forged into the plug well. Here's a picture to illustrate:


Also, for anyone wondering, below are a few images of the OEM plugs right at 60K. Keep in mind this vehicle has seen approximately 80% highway mileage (KS to CO and back, repeatedly) since about 25k. The plugs show some minute signs of running hot (IMHO), but are overall very good from my eye. Anyway, judge for yourself:







If the pictures ever get broken, you can view the IMGUR album here:
View post on imgur.com


One last thing; I broke the vent hose (discussed as the sensor in step 8). The plastic in my case was VERY brittle and cracked VERY easily. If you are clumsy like me and break it, you can order a replacement for ~25$ USD. I ordered from ECSTuning, but the part number is: 11127584128

Good luck, and major thanks to ///Mposter for the hard work up front on this.
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      09-26-2016, 09:20 PM   #12
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Awesome follow up grpatter
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      05-23-2017, 08:51 PM   #13
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great write up, DIYs for the X3 are few and far inbetween
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      08-20-2017, 10:08 PM   #14
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Just tackled this on my 2011 yesterday and it went pretty good. Found that we didnt have to remove any of the cowl or wipers, and while it was tight it wasnt that bad getting in under it to change things. Only problem we encountered was 1:having to go buy the actual BMW plug socket, and 2:Napa originally sold us the wrong plugs. So we checked if they had the NGK 5992 and that was superceeded by the NGK59770 so those are the plugs in there now. And then 3: the little hose with sensor that goes into the intake pipe broke so we had to fix that. But once we had everything it actually went pretty smooth and wasnt too bad at all.
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      02-24-2018, 02:26 PM   #15
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The bosch plugs are platinum. I am considering using the iridiums from denso or other. Any experience with iridiums in N55?
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      03-25-2018, 03:59 PM   #16
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Ok so I replaced mine on this weekend for the first time. Thanks to the OP of this thread along with others. I have some notes.

You definitely do not have to remove the cowl and wipers. I removed the three torx on the left side of that back intake arm that holds the 'black foam' and then the two torx bolts on the right side of it behind the intake filter. I was then able to pull the black foam piece out of the left side and just fold it back out of the way on top of the intake manfold/valve cover to get to #5 and #6.

When putting the vent hose back on part number 11127584128 it broke in half in the blink of an eye. It was extremely brittle after 72k miles. I ordered a new one. They are $35+ new. I would suggest just buying a new one when doing this job if it has 50k on it as is soooo brittle after that time. I used a razor blade and cut the rest of the host off both ends to find a nice nipple to put a hose on. I used a hose from from my parts bin from a 28 year old Toyota Pickup 22RE to repair it until the new part comes in.



On a side note...while I was in NAPA buying a new spark plug gap tool to adjust my plugs the guys behind the counter said someone came in and special ordered a set of Ford Model T plugs and because they had to buy them in a set of 20 they had a few left over. Once I saw one I had to have it! Come with a cool vintage box and wrapped in a wax paper set of instructions:







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      03-27-2018, 11:19 AM   #17
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ThomasR that hose and metal clamps you used for the CCV hose looks like it will hold up longer than the oem replacement. Mine was broken too ��.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...se-11127584128

Piece of mind in case it breaks again.
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      06-25-2018, 10:03 AM   #18
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A few notes on Spark Plug/Valve Cover Job

Big thank you to MPoster on this DIY write up, super helpful! I just did this job + a new valve cover over the weekend, and here are a few notes that will be helpful to others:

- I hardly removed any of the windshield cowl area, certainly not the wipers. On the F25, I was able to access all spark plug locations (and remove the entire valve cover) by removing ONLY the first cowl panel held in by (2) Torx T27 screws

- I replaced the entire valve cover assembly rather than just gasket. Car has 90k on it, and it was advised to change entire cover + gasket.

- Helpful tools for this: 3" and 6" extensions, U-joint socket adapters (MUST HAVE) to do the valve cover rear bolts & helpful for the 6th spark plug. They allow you to use a socket at weird angles with low vertical clearance

Anybody can do this themselves, and save a ton of $ in the process. Great way to learn about how your car is put together!
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      10-11-2018, 08:38 AM   #19
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What is the correct gap for OEM spark plugs?
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      10-14-2018, 11:42 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ///Mposter View Post
I noticed that on mobile (iPhone) that the PDF is not showing up. Here is the text and pictures.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED BY ///MPOSTER FOR THE BMW F25 X3 ( 2011+) / ENGINE (N55). AS WITH ALL DIYs , DO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

PARTS:
BOSCH SPARK PLUG ZR5TPP33 BMW #12131437986 ( BMW $25/ TISCHER $18/ TURNER $12)
NGK 5992 alternate spark plug (BMS $12)
T25, T27 TORX SOCKETS
FLAT AND PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVERS
10MM, 16MM SOCKETS
3”EXTENSION, 6”EXTENSION,SPARK PLUG TOOL ($19 @BMS)
SOCKET WRENCH AND TORQUE WRENCH
1) Open hood by using the hood latch inside by the lower left drivers footwell
2) At the hood, use the safety release latch located just above the grills. The hood will open now.
3) Remove the engine cover by lifting up at the oil filler location. This will release the rubber grommets from the spherical standoffs, then pull towards you to release the rear of it from the rear rectangular grommets. You have now gained access to spark plugs 1,2,3.










4) You need access to the rear 3 spark plug locations, so you will have to remove some cowlings and panels. It is easier to remove it all at once than when you are in the middle of removing the plugs. Use a T27 to remove the black screws on the panel above the intake arm and filter. This will also allow you to see the sensor on the intake as well.

5) Next remove the left, center, and right rubber hood seal, as well as the left and right ECU panel and brake reservoir cover panel. For the reservoir panel, pinch the tab and then lift and pull.







6) The wipers need to be next. Pull on the round circular covers to expose the nut holding them on. Use a 16mm socket to loosen the nut. I suggest at this point marking the wiper’s location with tape. (You don’t want them to hit the windshield pillar after install). I moved them to the upright position, then bent them at their spring point, and finally pulled hard to get them removed.

7) Remove the cowling by removing the last two secured points. Where the fender meets the window at the pillar, there are two Phillips head plastic screws that need to be removed. Mine stripped so I used pliers to rotate ( as they are threaded). Pull up on the panel in various locations and you will hear pops as the tabs release.


8) Next you want to remove the intake arm in one piece, so there will be multiple items that need to be loosened or removed in the following numbered steps. Use a T25 to remove the silver screws on the sensor ( I think PCV) by the lower intake tract. Do not try to remove the sensor by the opposite side as it has 4 tabs that need to be simultaneously lifted. After removing the screws , use a small flat blade screw driver to remove the sensor wiring.( lift on center of tab)
9) Next move up the intake tract by the center-top-engine by the TMAP sensor. Press the tab on the sensor connector to release it. No need to unscrew this sensor, just leave it in the intake arm.
10) Using a 10 mm, remove the bolt in the center of the intake tract that secures it to the valve cover. Before removing the whole intake arm in one piece, make sure you popped off the sensor (PCV), make sure you popped off the breather hose ( right next to it) by squeezing tabs and pulling up. Loosen the clamps at the upper location and lowest location. Finally you are able to remove the arm in one piece. You have now gained access to spark plug 4.



11) Remove the oxygen sensor connectors from their clips and push aside( do not disconnect). Use a T25 to remove the oxygen sensor bracket from the valve cover. ( leave attached to harness swivel) You have now gained access to spark plug 5.









12) You need to remove the power harness tract by removing 2 of 3 screws. Use a T25 to remove the closest one to you and the furthest one . The one in the center can stay secured. The top of the wiring tract comes off. Now lift the wiring over and out of the way of the spark plug 6. You have now gained access to spark plug 6.








13) Remove the coil by lifting up on the circular holed tab until it locks in its 90º position. This allows you to remove the coil’s connector. Then pull up with your finger parallel to the coil (as possible). Some people break the tab by pulling at an angle so be careful and take your time.



14) Use your special thin walled spark plug socket with 6” extension ,then add 3” extension, then wrench to remove spark plug 6. Spark plugs 5,4,3,2,1 are a lot easier and may not need the extra extension.


15) Torque the spark plug to 23 Nm or 17 foot pounds.
Fail! Do you know what parts diagram or part # that would be?

I don't see it under here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=13_1408
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      10-14-2018, 01:45 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polo08816 View Post
Fail! Do you know what parts diagram or part # that would be?

I don't see it under here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=13_1408
Found it here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=11_4452
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      11-08-2018, 03:53 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FranzX3M View Post
The bosch plugs are platinum. I am considering using the iridiums from denso or other. Any experience with iridiums in N55?
Has anyone tried iridiums?
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