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This article gives detailed instructions on replacing the turbo charge pipe in an E90 3 Series vehicle. Even though we used a 2011 335i to perform this repair, this article can be applied to any BMW vehicle with the N55 turbocharged engine with minor modifications to the repair steps.
The charge pipe on N55 turbocharged engines is prone to failure and will cause an engine malfunction warning on the iDrive screen.
The "charge pipe" on N55 6-cylinder turbocharged engines is....well....not technically a charge pipe but rather part of the charge air induction system that routes airflow from the intercooler to the throttle body. It is located on the left side of the engine and easily accessible without removing a lot of parts to access it.
The N55 turbo engine's charge pipe is prone to failure for the following reason: it is made of thick but brittle black plastic that can crack when the engine "twists" during aggressive driving or when the car receives a hard jolt to the engine compartment...like when hitting a deep pothole. The N55 engine's charge pipe will literally snap off its mounting bracket causing it to pull loose from the throttle body and causing an engine malfunction on the iDrive screen. The car will also run extremely poorly (if it runs at all) as unmetered air is being sucked into the intake manifold.
The good news is replacing the charge pipe on your BMW is actually quite simple and can be done by the home mechanic with average abilities. The downside to the repair is the cost - charge pipes are expensive running around $350 to $400 dollars - a ridiculous amount of money for a cheap piece of black plastic.
View the detailed parts diagram for this repair.
Includes detailed part diagrams, part numbers and links to purchase all of the required components needed to complete this repair.
Before starting this repair, you must have the following required parts.
Fits all vehicles with N55 turbocharged engine
This is the intake charge pipe that connects the throttle body to the lower charge pipe. If the vehicle has loss power it is likely that the end of this pipe has broken and slipped of the throttle body.
Section 1 - Removal and installation of the N55 engine charge pipe
As previously discussed, the removal and installation of a broken charge pipe on BMW N55 engines is relatively simple. The charge pipe is easily accessible from the left side of the engine. Please note one important step during installation - YOU MUST lubricate the throttle body and charge pipe o-ring with dish detergent (like Dawn) in order to complete the reassembly. The charge pipe will not properly attach to the throttle body without lubrication.
- Locate the BMW N55 engine's charge pipe on the left side of the engine.
- Note that our charge pipe broke completely off of the mounting bracket. It also snapped off of the throttle body as shown below. You can see where the plastic actually broke off allowing the locking clip to fall off into the engine.
- Since our charge pipe broke off of the throttle body and mounting bracket, all we have to do is remove the pipe clamp that attaches it to the lower charge induction track. We used a 7mm socket to remove ours, but a stubby flat head screwdriver will work as well. Obviously what you will need to disconnect depends on how damaged your pipe is.
- Carefully lift the charge pipe until you can access the pressure sensor. Unplug the pressure sensor and remove the damaged pipe from the vehicle.
- If your new charge pipe did not come with a pressure sensor, remove the sensor from the broken pipe and install it into the new one.
- It is very important that the new charge pipe is connected to the throttle body BEFORE attaching it to the lower charge pipe and mounting bracket. Carefully lubricate the charge pipes o-ring and the outside of the throttle body with liquid dish detergent. DO NOT USE petroleum based lubricants - they will destroy the o-ring and you will be stuck purchasing a new charge pipe.
- Make sure the metal locking clip is in the closed position on the new charge pipe. Grasp the charge pipe and push it onto the throttle body until it locks into place.
- Plug the pressure sensor connection back in.
- Attach the charge pipe to the lower charge induction pipe and tighten the pipe clamp securely. Finally, reattach the charge pipe to the mounting bracket
BMW N55 Engine Charge Pipe Replacement Finished
