[BaconDouble]

Does anyone have experience with using a genuine BMW PCV repair kit versus the aftermarket ones?

BMW part # is 11121025447
About $230 compared to $20 or so aftermarket

I am having tough time removing my stock PCV cap, I've watched numerous videos, tried using the plastic trim tools, and after watching Kern's video, ordered a metal screwdriver-type trim trim tool to give that a shot.

My concern is cracking the stock cap and not having a replacement, as it issue seems to be all aftermarket caps do not fit correctly - they all look the same - and almost everyone says that they've needed to reuse the stock cap because the aftermarket one is loose even with using black RTV gasket maker.

Theoretically the BMW cap should fit perfectly, but I haven't heard of anyone using one for their PVC repair as a DIY. And it seems BMW does not sell the cap separately - so you have to pay for the entire kit, or get an alternative like the Ross Racing billet or Vargas billet caps (both also seem to have fitment or other issues).

[paul e]

I thought BMW had extended the warranty for this particular repair.

[BaconDouble]

Originally Posted by paul e

I thought BMW had extended the warranty for this particular repair.

They did and I got the letter, but I do not want to go to the dealer for this issue, unless it's a major type of failure (limp mode, check engine lights, need to be towed, etc. which I don't have yet)

I'd rather try a DIY for convenience, my own sense of satisfaction, and also because I'm tuned and don't want them messing up anything including locking my DME.

[toxik]

i bought the kit from ross racing with a metal cap and set screw, which allows you to easily remove and reinstall the cap in the future without needing to break the plastic one again. i threw it in my trunk incase my PCV diaphragm blows while im on the road, but I do plan on replacing it at some point as preventative maintenance anyways. I have no interest in going the OEM route because the plastic cap isn't serviceable. I also don't care about breaking my OEM plastic cap once the time comes, since I'll just replace it with the metal one from Ross. I have not seen any negative reviews about the Ross one not fitting well.

[XxThe_RemedyXx]

Originally Posted by toxik

i bought the kit from ross racing with a metal cap and set screw, which allows you to easily remove and reinstall the cap in the future without needing to break the plastic one again. i threw it in my trunk incase my PCV diaphragm blows while im on the road, but I do plan on replacing it at some point as preventative maintenance anyways. I have no interest in going the OEM route because the plastic cap isn't serviceable. I also don't care about breaking my OEM plastic cap once the time comes, since I'll just replace it with the metal one from Ross. I have not seen any negative reviews about the Ross one not fitting well.

I just replaced mine with the oem cap and diaphragm. No issues popping the old one off and replacing it.

[toxik]

Originally Posted by XxThe_RemedyXx

I just replaced mine with the oem cap and diaphragm. No issues popping the old one off and replacing it.

well we can assume since BMW's PCV kit includes a new cap, they don't view the factory one as serviceable but rather replaceable. whether it'll break or not probably depends on how weak/brittle the plastic has become. i agree that getting Ross is overkill in a way, but doing a small upgrade to metal while doing maintenance isn't a bad thing either.

[BaconDouble]

Just an update, I went ahead and used the BimmerNetwork repair kit, however reused the original OEM PCV cap as I finally was able to remove it and felt this was best.

My car has only 49k miles but the diaphragm had 3 slots in it, plus several more cracks on the other side, it seemed very brittle and I’m rather shocked at the poor condition it is in.

My car has idled a lot in its 49k. I have a toddler and we spend a a lot of car idle time sleeping with the A/C or heat on (not disturbing when coming home for a bit). I've had the white smoke and rough idle only once, a few weeks ago after about 30 minutes of idling in my driveway and decided it this DIY was needed ASAP to prevent any further issues. I'm also running BM3 tune Stage 2.

Some other notes for those that are attempting this DIY:
1. Get a trim tool remover to make it easier to pry the cap off. Here is a link to a set I got from Amazon (I used the large size tool):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1SS3QLW...roduct_details

2. I used a little Permatex black Gasket maker on the inside of the cap, not sure if it’s needed but I guess it doesn’t hurt. I saw a few people doing this on their YouTube repair videos.

3. The PCV cap attaches with a 4-5 small prongs on the valve cover. One of mine was mangled up from me using a screwdriver originally to try and pry it off. The plastic looks robust but just be careful.

4. The aftermarket cap is definitely larger than OEM in circumference. I don’t know how they can screw it up so much (tons of report the aftermarket caps are loose). With both in my hand, the visual difference was about 2mm or so, I’m sure this translates to the actual sealing surface being 2mm as well inside the cap.

Hopefully I'm good for another 50k with this repair
But I'll be disappointed if I need to do it again sooner.