BavAuto Performance Ignition Coils on X5M DIY

[jandref321]

Gents,

I’ve been having a few misfires and spotting on one of my tailpipes and although I would normally attribute this to injectors, my SA recommended swapping coils before bringing her in since coils aren’t covered by CPO Warranty. I could have just swapped around the coils to verify that they were okay, but at almost 70k miles I saw this as preventative maintenance also. Looking at coils I found that Bosch branded OE are $21 ea, BMW Branded OE are $60 ea, and Bavarian Auto High Performance Coils were $45 ea. I went ahead and rolled the dice on the BavAuto High Performance Coils. When I got them and took a first look I noticed a “Made in China” sticker right on the side of the coil. I would have been happier if it said made in japan, but I reminded myself that most of Apple’s iPhone parts are made in China.



BAVARIAN AUTO HIGH PERFORMANCE IGNITION COILS ON X5M DIY


PARTS:

8 x Bavarian Auto High Performance Ignition Coils
2 x Dielectric Grease Packet (These came with the BavAuto Coil Set)

TOOLS:

1/4" Drive Ratchet
6mm socket
8mm socket
10mm deep socket
Some Q-tips
Silver Sharpie Marker
Rag

STEP 1: Disconnect Battery
a) Open rear Hatch and lower tailgate
b) Raise cargo floor
c) Use 8mm socket to remove 4 screws and phillip’s head screwdriver to remove 1 screw holding down battery cover

d) Use 10mm deep socket to unbolt negative battery terminal

e) Move negative terminal wiring away from the battery and insulate (I just used a rag)


STEP 2: Remove Engine Cover and Filtered Air Box
a) Unlock the hood by lifting lever in driver’s footwell
b) Lift hood using lever centered under kidney grills

c) Lift off plastic engine cover, pulling up on 4 x pressure/grommet fittings under the cover

d) Remove air silencer plastic insert, grabbing and pulling toward the rear of the vehicle

e) Loosen hose clamps connecting air silencer to air duct using 6mm socket, 1 x clamp per bank


f) Lift to disconnect 3 x pressure/grommet fittings under the air silencer, pull air silencer assembly out of the passenger air duct first, then driver side air duct to remove

g) place clean cloth inside air ducts to prevent debris from entering the turbochargers


STEP 3: Replace Ignition Coils
a) Loosen and remove 2 x 10mm bolts securing Intercooler Expansion Tank

b) Lift expansion tank up and out of the way, resting it on HVAC hoses. Watch for leaks from cap (normal)

c) Loosen and remove 10mm washer nuts from plastic vacuum tanks, one per bank


d) Remove hose clip above ignition coils

e) Move plastic vacuum tanks to expose coils


f) Disconnect wiring from ignition coils by lifting cap arm

g) Remove ignition coils by pulling up and out (Fit finger or screwdriver or ratchet extension into the hole in the cap arm and pull straight up)

h) Take this chance to look down at the spark plug and look for oil which indicates you need to replace the internal valve cover gaskets

i) Mark cylinder on coil and save just in case

j) Lube interior of new coil boot with dielectric grease using a Q-tip, just a small amount coating the inside of the boot (This prevents spark transmitting away from the plug by insulating the boot and lubricates to prevent seizing, DO NOT GET THIS ON THE METAL CONNECTORS)

k) Mark the coil with cylinder you are installing in

l) Install new coil into each cylinder, ensuring they are aligned with metal tabs on valve cover and fully seated
m) Reconnect ignition wires pressing them into the coil cap and locking the cap arm/lever


n) Reinstall the plastic vacuum tanks using 10mm socket ensuring there are no kinks in the lines
o) Reinstall the turbo coolant expansion tank using 10mm socket

STEP 4: Reinstall Filtered Air Box and Engine Cover
a) Slide protruding portions of Intake Silencer into Filtered Air Duct Rubber Boots, Driver’s Side First then Passenger side
b) Tighten hose clamp connecting Filtered Air Duct Rubber Boots to the Intake Silencer using 6mm socket, one each side
c) Slide Air Silencer Plastic Insert into place
d) Place engine cover in place and press down, ensuring that all four pressure fittings secure
e) Close Hood

STEP 5: Reconnect Battery and Clear Codes
a) Reconnect the negative terminal wiring to the negative terminal of the battery
b) Tighten wiring down using 10mm socket
c) Replace Plastic Battery Cover and secure using 4 8mm bolts and 1 philips head bolt
d) Close storage compartment lid
e) Close Trunk
f) Turn Truck on and look for CEL or other Faults
g) If you get a Steering Angle Sensor Fault and several other DSC Faults and simply turn the steering wheel full lock left then full lock right and back to the center. The Faults should clear. If you have any other faults or CEL then use Carly/Dashcommand or run to autozone to get it checked out and cleared. After clearing codes turn the car off and let it sit for 10 minutes with the key away from the car. Restart the vehicle and look to see if the codes stayed cleared.


NOTES: My truck is still misfiring on cold starts but that is likely fuel leaking from the injectors overnight. Once the truck warmed up enough to not throw codes I drove around the block and I want to say it picked up faster than normal. That could be new coils vs worn coils, or the fact that the last vehicle I drove was the wife’s 330e and I was comparing two completely different types of acceleration. I’ve got an appointment with BMW this coming week to have the passenger airbag replaced and oil pan gasket done so they will have to add fuel injectors to that list. Once I get her back I plan on installing one step colder NGK plugs and see how she drives then.

[heatmizr]

Hi, nice job. Is the battery disconnection important?
I just replaced my plugs recently (in my 2012 X5 50i), and had to remove the coils to get at the plugs. I did not disconnect battery, and had no lights or codes whatsoever. The only difference here is that I put the old coils back in, vs new ones in your case, which shouldn't matter.
I didn't see any M-specific components listed for removal that should have required it...
Would like to hear of anything I am not thinking of...

[m5james]

Originally Posted by jandref321

...My truck is still misfiring on cold starts but that is likely fuel leaking from the injectors overnight. Once the truck warmed up enough to not throw codes...

My misfiring started one night doing about 160MPH at 2am, sputtering, no power whatsoever. I was able to clear the codes via Carista and was fine the whole drive home. The next morning cold starts is how I knew it needed injectors since it wouldn't even idle and was plumming smoke, so I stopped it ASAP and didn't drive it until I replaced them. Don't wait any longer than needed as it'll only get worse. I can't be 100% certain, but I believe a failed injector is was flooded and ultimately hydrolocked the GF's N54 powered 535xiT which uses the same type of injectors we run.

Very cool looking red locks, I just got ones from FCP since they're lifetime warranty and S63TU guys say we should replace them every 50k.

[m5james]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

Hi, nice job. Is the battery disconnection important?
I just replaced my plugs recently (in my 2012 X5 50i), and had to remove the coils to get at the plugs. I did not disconnect battery, and had no lights or codes whatsoever. The only difference here is that I put the old coils back in, vs new ones in your case, which shouldn't matter.
I didn't see any M-specific components listed for removal that should have required it...
Would like to hear of anything I am not thinking of...

No, the battery doesn't need to be disconnected. The only bolts I disconnected were common to the vacuum canisters and the inter cooler reservoir.

[jandref321]

I actually misspoke about the misfires. I had to clear the codes a couple times but after sitting over night and several cold starts later no issues...she runs great! I guess the coils were bad. The injectors are still probably going to have to be replaced again at some point though. The truck is already on it's third set of injectors at 67k miles. So stupid that injectors are a normal wear item on this vehicle...maybe just the tuning?

As for the battery, I'm definitely disconnecting anytime I work in the engine bay unless it's super simple. When doing the charge pipe hoses I dropped one of the hose clamps into the V and it hit the live wire from the jump point where it is unshielded way down. It grounded on a bolt and sparks flew everywhere...almost had a heart attack worrying that I fried something. Everything was fine though lol...phew.

[m5james]

Sounds interesting I just try to avoid disconnecting the battery anymore than necessary after having an FRM3 module crash when doing my injectors ...I've since replaced it with the updated version but I'm still paranoid.

[jandref321]

Originally Posted by m5james

Sounds interesting I just try to avoid disconnecting the battery anymore than necessary after having an FRM3 module crash when doing my injectors ...I've since replaced it with the updated version but I'm still paranoid.

Great...now I’ll be worried about disconnecting the battery...I thought you guys were my friends lol.

I was actually wrong about being wrong. Clearing the codes a few times stopped the misfires for a couple days but then they came right back, misfiring on morning starts. I decided to take your advice, M5james, and replace the spark plugs with one step colder NGK Plugs. When I pulled out the old ones I found that one plug’s threads was coated in oil and another one smelled terribly of gasoline. The gasoline smell came from the misfiring cylinder so I know it’s the injector. The truck is at BMW now and just got oil pan gaskets replaced. They will hopefully replace the valve cover gasket and fuel injector tomorrow. Thank god for CPO warranty.

BTW...this was my first time having to gap spark plugs...what a pain in the bum

[m5james]

We are your friends, that's why I told you to be cautious doing it vs doing it willy nilly

Yeah, that sounds like an injector going out. I've got a $15 20' endoscope that can connect to my phone and I used it to scope my pistons when I was replacing the injectors and one clearly had puddling atop the piston while doing the injector swap myself (before BMW posted the recall). So long as you're getting a code and you're anything under Index 12, you should demand they replace them since it's already there...they're getting paid for it anyways and will already have things taken apart.

Injectors without the BMW tool was a pain the bum! There are ways to work around it but holy crap, you're pulling so hard that you feel like you could punch yourself in the face if you slipped off. Gapping the plugs should only be a one time thing and you should notice a difference while running a tune along with your engine being happier.

[gixxerboy63]

My truck seems happy at the moment with no misfires or codes since multiple tunes and a host of performance upgrades.... (Intakes, Stg 2 Turbos, Downpipes, Exhaust and adjusted tunes to match, etc...).

My X5M dynoed at roughly 596awhp last summer in Pocono with factory coils and factory plugs.(I believe a typical unmodified X5M usually dynos somewhere around 440awhp) My truck felt surprising stronger when I added the full Akrapovic exhaust a few months later... I suppose the full exhause could have been the last piece of the performance puzzle that ties everything together and makes it all work? (I had factory exhaust with Active Downpipes at the time of the dyno).

anyway.... I am setting up another dyno run for Active Autowerkes to adjust the tune for the new exhaust setup and they have already indicated that they would turn up the boost another notch, based on my dyno charts. Before I do this, I wanted to replace my plugs and coils. By the (1 step cooler for each 100 horsepower increase) guidelines, do you thing I will I be good with upgrading to 1-step cooler plugs or should I consider going two steps?

I also read about your GoFastBits diverter valves.... I'm wondering if I should upgrade these as well?

My truck does feel pretty awesome, but you guys are way more savvy concerning all the intricacies of performance upgrades that I haven't even thought about!

I appreciate your help!

[m5james]

For the record, I'm copying information I've found from those pushing more than us, such as the S63TU and N54 guys, so with that said...

NGK says one step for every 75hp and to err on the side of colder for safety reasons, so being at 150 over stock already, I'd suggest two steps colder and gaps around .20-.22 per results I've seen over on the S63TU and N54 boards when pushing the boost levels were running. I'm currently running NGK 97506's but I'm thinking about trying the 93206's that the N54 guys suggest for being over 700hp.

http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39190

Bolt ons are great and all, but tuning for each mod is the only way you're going to get ever HP for every mod done, so you're on the right path there.

I can't remember, but do you have JB4? Other than before and after dyno numbers to see if anything changes on your powerband, I'm guessing logging would be the only other way to see if the DV+'s are helpin.

[jandref321]

That link seems to say it all about the spark plugs.

Gixxer, if you’re not concerned about the cost then I’d go with the DV+ just for peace of mind...they are supposed to help hold higher boost applications where the stock valve may give in...sounds like you’re pushing the limit so wouldn’t be a terrible idea to get them. They aren’t terribly expensive and they are super easy to install...as long as you have the correct screws. Hopefully someone can log to verify if they do actually work as advertised.

[gixxerboy63]

Originally Posted by jandref321

That link seems to say it all about the spark plugs.

Gixxer, if you’re not concerned about the cost then I’d go with the DV+ just for peace of mind...they are supposed to help hold higher boost applications where the stock valve may give in...sounds like you’re pushing the limit so wouldn’t be a terrible idea to get them. They aren’t terribly expensive and they are super easy to install...as long as you have the correct screws. Hopefully someone can log to verify if they do actually work as advertised.

Originally Posted by m5james

For the record, I'm copying information I've found from those pushing more than us, such as the S63TU and N54 guys, so with that said...

NGK says one step for every 75hp and to err on the side of colder for safety reasons, so being at 150 over stock already, I'd suggest two steps colder and gaps around .20-.22 per results I've seen over on the S63TU and N54 boards when pushing the boost levels were running. I'm currently running NGK 97506's but I'm thinking about trying the 93206's that the N54 guys suggest for being over 700hp.

http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39190

Bolt ons are great and all, but tuning for each mod is the only way you're going to get ever HP for every mod done, so you're on the right path there.

I can't remember, but do you have JB4? Other than before and after dyno numbers to see if anything changes on your powerband, I'm guessing logging would be the only other way to see if the DV+'s are helpin.

Thanks guys!

It is settled then. I will go with the GFB diverter valve, 2 steps cooler with the plugs (NKG 93206 - Correct?) and updated coils.... then dyno again to see where I'm at.

James - for lack of support and non-availability, I wasn't able to get the JB4. However, Active Autowerkes seems to be doing a great job with it. Apparently, they were pretty excited about my dyno charts and are using my results to further their own program for the e70 X5M.

[RichardH]

OP
How's these working, thinking of getting a set.
Are they worth the extra dollars?

[jandref321]

Originally Posted by RichardH

OP
How's these working, thinking of getting a set.
Are they worth the extra dollars?

I actually have no opinion about them...they work! I cant say the butt dyno can verify their claims and I haven't visited a dyno otherwise. Sorry for the lack of confidence...like I said, they do work, and I don't have any regrets about the purchase, but I can't say there is any notable difference in performance.

[quick]

Excellent write up and I was able to replace the plugs easy 2 hours, no problem.

So, would BAV coils void the warranty (BMW/3rd party) in any way? I had a misfire in Cyl 1/3 and BMW diagnosed it to plugs but I decided to change them myself. Plugs definitely needed change but after replacing, the car once again went into limp mode making me think, I now need the coils, correct? It has 40K miles if that helps.

Scan tool recommendations?

[Ebtahi98]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Thanks guys!

It is settled then. I will go with the GFB diverter valve, 2 steps cooler with the plugs (NKG 93206 - Correct?) and updated coils.... then dyno again to see where I'm at.

James - for lack of support and non-availability, I wasn't able to get the JB4. However, Active Autowerkes seems to be doing a great job with it. Apparently, they were pretty excited about my dyno charts and are using my results to further their own program for the e70 X5M.

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

Thanks guys!

It is settled then. I will go with the GFB diverter valve, 2 steps cooler with the plugs (NKG 93206 - Correct?) and updated coils.... then dyno again to see where I'm at.

James - for lack of support and non-availability, I wasn't able to get the JB4. However, Active Autowerkes seems to be doing a great job with it. Apparently, they were pretty excited about my dyno charts and are using my results to further their own program for the e70 X5M.

I don't think that's the correct part number I'm going 2 steps using NGK 97506 at 20/22 gap - that's the correct part .