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      12-12-2022, 10:28 AM   #1
firmmd
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Unhappy 2014 BMW X5 3.5i N55 F15 ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE TOO LOW

My engine oil temperature gauge barely goes up even after 1 hour of driving, roughly indicating slightly above 140 (which is the lowest setting on the gauge) degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes will go up to 200 degrees. There are no other lights on the dash.
If I dare turn on the heat in the car, the engine oil temperature drops to the lowest (140 degrees) within a minute and the engine's radiator cooling fan kicks in really high and loud- and there's no heat coming out of the vents. No other lights on dash.

Following advice on some threads, I replaced the engine's oil temperature sensor with a new OEM sensor, with no difference at all.

The car drives fine otherwise.
If I turn off the car after the drop in engine temp and immediately restart the car (at this point the engine is warm after 1 hour of driving even though the oil temp gauge is at the lowest), the CEL will illuminate with code U1408 which will go away the next day when I start the car up again after it has cooled off.
I NEED HELP SOLVING THIS- I am freezing in the car.

2014 X5 F15 V6 engine 3.5i x drive regular gasoline 78,xxx miles
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Last edited by firmmd; 12-12-2022 at 10:46 AM..
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      12-12-2022, 11:09 AM   #2
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Thermostat stuck open? The water pump in the N55 is arguably a service item that’s nearly guaranteed to fail at 50k+ miles. The thermostat is usually replaced along with it. I’d look into it.
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      12-12-2022, 11:44 AM   #3
tlow98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwx5er View Post
Thermostat stuck open? The water pump in the N55 is arguably a service item that’s nearly guaranteed to fail at 50k+ miles. The thermostat is usually replaced along with it. I’d look into it.
Agree
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      12-12-2022, 01:29 PM   #4
firmmd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwx5er View Post
Thermostat stuck open? The water pump in the N55 is arguably a service item that’s nearly guaranteed to fail at 50k+ miles. The thermostat is usually replaced along with it. I’d look into it.
which thermostat? the coolant thermostat or the transmission thermostat? The gauge in the photo is the oil temperature, not coolant temperature indicator. Coolant warms up normally and the water pump works well.
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      12-12-2022, 01:44 PM   #5
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Coolant thermostat. How do you know the coolant temperature is fine? You’ll need ISTA or some diagnostic tool for it. The E70s had the hidden menu in the cluster that could display coolant temperature. If you already haven’t, I’d start by measuring coolant temperature. The temperature should reach 105C IIRC before the water pump turns on and circulates the coolant.
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      12-12-2022, 01:47 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firmmd View Post
which thermostat? the coolant thermostat or the transmission thermostat? The gauge in the photo is the oil temperature, not coolant temperature indicator. Coolant warms up normally and the water pump works well.
Coolant thermostat, if its open and coolant runs the long cycle it cools engine way better so it makes sense for oil to stay cooler and in the lower temperatures it doesn't provide much heat for the same reason.
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      12-12-2022, 02:04 PM   #7
firmmd
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Coolant thermostat was replaced 1000 miles ago with an OEM from BMW.
Water pump is less than 2 months old also with 1,000 miles also OEM.
It can't be either of these two. This has got my certified BMW mechanic stumped, trying to avoid a visit to the stealership.
I found out today that there is a recall/extended warranty for the "pressure switch"- not sure if it's for oil pressure or gas. Do u think it could resolve my issue?
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      12-12-2022, 05:40 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firmmd View Post
Coolant thermostat was replaced 1000 miles ago with an OEM from BMW.
Water pump is less than 2 months old also with 1,000 miles also OEM.
It can't be either of these two. This has got my certified BMW mechanic stumped, trying to avoid a visit to the stealership.
I found out today that there is a recall/extended warranty for the "pressure switch"- not sure if it's for oil pressure or gas. Do u think it could resolve my issue?
There have been cases where they are DOA out of the box.

Gas pressure? I’m confused by that comment.
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      12-12-2022, 11:36 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firmmd View Post
Coolant thermostat was replaced 1000 miles ago with an OEM from BMW.
Water pump is less than 2 months old also with 1,000 miles also OEM.
It can't be either of these two. This has got my certified BMW mechanic stumped, trying to avoid a visit to the stealership.
I found out today that there is a recall/extended warranty for the "pressure switch"- not sure if it's for oil pressure or gas. Do u think it could resolve my issue?
Did they carry out proper coolant bleed after installing thermostat and water pump? OEM parts carry a 2 year warranty….as for the OBD code you’re getting, it’s very vague.

U Network Code
Problem is climate control system, lighting, airbags, etc.
1 MFG - Manufacturer Specific
4 BBV Sensor Circuit Low Voltage
0 Low Coolant Circuit
8 Transmission

What are you using to read the codes? You might try a BMW specific scanner to drill down a little deeper. It could be a simple as a sensor malfunctioning. I would definitely scan with Foxwell or get a copy of iSTA up and running

Last edited by brianhinton77; 12-13-2022 at 12:03 AM..
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      12-13-2022, 04:23 PM   #10
firmmd
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Stealership cost to replace thermostat

any idea how much the stealership charges to replace a thermostat for my car- BMW X5 F15 3.51
Called BMW and the the thermostat itself is $190 plus tax, wonder what labor cost is. My local mechanic wants $200 to do it, plus I supply parts...
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      12-13-2022, 04:50 PM   #11
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I’ve seen members report the waterpump job (including tstat) cost about $1200-$1500. The water pump is about $350 at FCP euro (OEM, not OE), and I’d say it’s about $600 at the dealer. At $200 for the tstat, the parts would be about $850 (including coolant etc) at the dealer, so I’d expect the dealer to charge about $500 in labor.

Regardless, $200 from your Indy is a great price. But, have you established the diagnosis first, before throwing parts at the problem? Given how recently the water pump & tstat were replaced, isn’t pursuing a warranty claim an option (as several others have already pointed out)?
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      12-13-2022, 09:56 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by firmmd View Post
any idea how much the stealership charges to replace a thermostat for my car- BMW X5 F15 3.51
Called BMW and the the thermostat itself is $190 plus tax, wonder what labor cost is. My local mechanic wants $200 to do it, plus I supply parts...
Which thermostat? The one you had replaced 1000 miles ago? The OEM parts carry a 2 year warranty. As the previous post asks…have you found the proper diagnosis?
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      12-14-2022, 09:54 AM   #13
firmmd
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I think your answers regarding the thermostat were right

These are the reading after 45 minutes of driving in NY weather (it's 30 degrees today), which make me think it is the coolant thermostat being stuck in the open position.
Recent replacement was purchased from eBay as a new OE thermostat no there's no warranty.
So are we in agreement it is the thermostat based on these readings?
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      12-14-2022, 10:06 AM   #14
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As others mentioned you need some kind of diagnostics, ISTA,Foxewell to connect and read errors out,run tests and see what is going on. Get thermostat from FCP Euro or GetBmwParts or dealership (anything reputable and not ebay).
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      12-14-2022, 11:45 AM   #15
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Yeah, if you want to own this car you need to do what Red_y_ says. Otherwise we really can’t help you nor can you help yourself.

I also learned the hard way about fake parts buying spark plugs through Amazon. Thank god my motor didn’t blow up.

Only buy reputable parts from independent online sellers. Never through eBay or Amazon. Time and time again it’s been proven there are a ton of fakes. And since the part cost is such a small Part of the total expense (labor, time, etc) it just doesn’t make sense to try and save $30 on the part.

Sorry to say, but you need to start over with this with reputable parts or risk doing far more expensive damage to the car. A used engine will cost you $10-15k installed. That’s where you’re headed. Time to turn around :-)

Consider this a cheap lesson and repair it soon! Either let your mechanic buy the parts (that way they warranty them) or buy them from a reputable place and do the work yourself.

Any other method could end in disaster. Driving in the winter with over-cooled oil will quickly dilute the oil in your crankcase with water that isn’t being burned off. Next the bearings in the motor will spin. That makes the engine a paper weight.

How long will this take? Who knows. How much are you willing to put at risk is the real question.
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      12-14-2022, 11:51 AM   #16
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Just take it somewhere reputable, pay the $1500 for new water pump and thermostat and start over.

Otherwise your $25k car will be worth about $5k offer from the shop that inspects your locked up motor.

Not trying to scare you. This is real talk.
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      12-15-2022, 10:19 AM   #17
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Replacing the thermostat this weekend

I just ordered a new thermostat from the BMW dealer - $199 plus tax. I will change the thermostat as soon as it arrives and will let everyone know if it solved my issue.
Thank you everyone.
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      12-27-2022, 10:04 AM   #18
firmmd
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Problem fixed

Turns out it was the thermostat even though it was replaced recently. Thermostat was stuck in an open position not allowing the engine to reach optimal operating temperature and caused the heat not to work. This time I took the DIY path and replaced it myself. Took about 3 hours, mostly prep time and creating access to the thermostat. There are excellent guide and DIY videos on YouTube to guide.
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      12-27-2022, 10:48 AM   #19
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Congratulations!
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      12-27-2022, 12:37 PM   #20
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Nice!
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