DIY: S65 Throttle Actuator

[LastMCar]

100k. No codes. Actuator electronics show minimal heat staining.
Lubricated all throttle bodies, the cause of some squeak and resistance.

[Honda]

Originally Posted by drummer20

Well I changed the bearings in one of my throttle actuators. It wasn't too hard.

I used this to pull them out it's a 10mm with 3lb slide hammer style https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got the bearings from here:
https://www.123bearing.com/bearing-HK1012-2RS-INA.php Actually these are the -FPM option bearings, so they are a perfect replacement.

Then i just used a standard vise for the outer bearing and a c-clamp to put the inner bearing back in.
It's been running fine for about a week, couple hundred miles.


I found this document that talks about bearings in throttle actuators
http://www.schaeffler.com/remotemedi...pi15_de_us.pdf

It actually specifically says don't get any silicone on your throttle actuator bearings. Assemble in a silicone free environment. The bearings come pre-lubricated with some grease I noticed. I now think it is very unwise to spray the 3M silicone spray on the throttle linkages. The silicone is not helping the bearings, we can be sure of that. Sure we are cleaning some dust off but it's not worth it....a misting spray would probably be just as good.

To recap, my odometer gears cracked just 2 days after i soaked my throttle linkages with that 3M dry silicone spray for the second time this year. There is really no way to completely remove silicone either. Note that the odometer gear had been running fine for over 2000 miles before that.

Also there a bit of verbage in there about how important the bearing are to accurate throttle actuation.

Another member reported a cracked gear 500 miles later. I bet that's quality problem from Odometergears !

[BayAreaM3]

Does the battery need to be disconnected when replacing the throttle actuators?

[Flea7]

no

[MFKN3]

I'm doing this atm. Very shitty job having the intercooled manifold full of coolant etc.

I had my wife fire up ignition and both sides flutter open and closed ok, but when she applied the throttle only the left bank opens and closes. Is this normal or should they both open?

[drummer20]

I think they both should open

[W///]

I'm in the middle of doing this for the second time and I'm kind of scratching my head. This time, Bank 2 went bad, so I replaced it. First start up, CEL is still on. But I forgot to plug one of the wires.

Did that and still have CEL. Battery seems like it's on its way out because now I'm getting other errors too. Battery is not really holding its charge, so hopefully that solves the problem.

[Ron T in KY]

Originally Posted by drummer20

Well I changed the bearings in one of my throttle actuators. It wasn't too hard.

I used this to pull them out it's a 10mm with 3lb slide hammer style https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got the bearings from here:
https://www.123bearing.com/bearing-HK1012-2RS-INA.php Actually these are the -FPM option bearings, so they are a perfect replacement.

Then i just used a standard vise for the outer bearing and a c-clamp to put the inner bearing back in.
It's been running fine for about a week, couple hundred miles.


I found this document that talks about bearings in throttle actuators
http://www.schaeffler.com/remotemedi...pi15_de_us.pdf

It actually specifically says don't get any silicone on your throttle actuator bearings. Assemble in a silicone free environment. The bearings come pre-lubricated with some grease I noticed. I now think it is very unwise to spray the 3M silicone spray on the throttle linkages. The silicone is not helping the bearings, we can be sure of that. Sure we are cleaning some dust off but it's not worth it....a misting spray would probably be just as good.

To recap, my odometer gears cracked just 2 days after i soaked my throttle linkages with that 3M dry silicone spray for the second time this year. There is really no way to completely remove silicone either. Note that the odometer gear had been running fine for over 2000 miles before that.

Also there a bit of verbage in there about how important the bearing are to accurate throttle actuation.

There are a number of types of silicone, they don't specifically mention 3M or dry silicone spray. The entire link on throttle bearings you attached is about throttle "Body" bearings, and they are concerned with air leaks past the bearings. I could see some people thinking they should seal the bearings with silicone RTV to help prevent the air leak. That would cause failure. There is also a silicone mold release, looks like grease but it will gum up and turn to rubber, bad for bearings. Using 3M dry silicone on a roller bear could wash the factory installed grease away, but our linkage is plain bearings and not greased. Grease would attract dirt and cause more issues.

Your cracked gear is a product of the shaft being too large for the center hole. It is a stress crack. I don't have Odometer gears, but I can see that he had them glass filled which alloys the base plastic to be harder, but more brittle. Yes this guy had an injection molding design company in a past life. The problem with molding plastic is you melt the polymer at high temperature then force it into a mold, injection. Then you cool the mold and part to solidify it so it can be removed without deformation. Like every material plastic expands with heat and shrinks with cold. Designing for the proper shrink is a complicated process and even your best engineering will be affected by the conditions when you run parts. Humidity of the day, was the raw plastic material "dried" prior to running. Yes plastic is hydro-scopic, it absorbs water. Also was virgin material used, (never injected before) or did they use regrind? There is always throw away material when you mold, the sprul where the plastic is injected into the mold and the passages to get to multi cavities. You can regrind this and reuse it, but each heat cycle it will lose some of it properties. Elasticity is a major one.

Odometer gears changed ho the recommend mounting these to the shaft from drilling and pinning to epoxying them, likely a good call. I might heat the shaft some to get the knurling teeth to bed into the inner hole.

I bought I6 gears, and I have had my issues. The brass teeth are not cleanly machined and caused a notchy feel in operation. On the 4th time I had my actuators out I dressed the teeth to get a bit cleaner mesh. I had remove the actuators for the 4th time since I6 sent me new all plastic gears they now have to address the notchy condition. Nicely made till you put them in. This was just the full gear, not the quadrant gear on the shaft. But I found that it would bind and lock the actuator, no matter where I set the gear in rotation on the steel pinion, it would bind at some point. DOH! The center hole was not in the center!!! So the gear was rotating on an eccentric axis and teeth binding. the best position it would lock at WOT! Like that would be acceptable...

I'm still getting "limp mode" and now I have a Catalyst failure, likely junk fuel and a aging O2 sensor, and an injection control valve error.

Catalyst Bank 2 Code: 00273D

02 sensor aging, Bank 2: Period Code: 002725

Throttle valve actuator control monitor Code: 002B16
check at lower top Code:

002B57 Injection control valve Code: 0027B0

[waldron80]

Hey All,

When my bank 2 TA went out I got all kinds of codes. That was a couple years ago.

I'm now getting code CDBF but that is all. I still go in to limp mode. So no other codes.

-Limp mode
-CDBF: throttle-valve actuator can message bank 1

Any thoughts? THanks

[Koo]

I replaced bank 2 7k miles ago and replaced gears in bank 1 from odometergears at the same time.

I've had no issues whatsoever with the odometer gears yet.

[mharris2007]

Originally Posted by Koo

I replaced bank 2 7k miles ago and replaced gears in bank 1 from odometergears at the same time.

I've had no issues whatsoever with the odometer gears yet.

Same for me too. Same amount of miles too since replacing.

[Koo]

Originally Posted by mharris2007

Same for me too. Same amount of miles too since replacing.

I'm guessing people who had problems with the gears may have installed them incorrectly. I remember that one of the gears had a hole that went on a metal shaft on the actuator. This hole was way too tight and I drilled it a little larger until it was a perfect fit.

If I had not drilled the hole larger, there would have been ALOT of friction between the shaft and the gear.

[mharris2007]

Originally Posted by Koo

I'm guessing people who had problems with the gears may have installed them incorrectly. I remember that one of the gears had a hole that went on a metal shaft on the actuator. This hole was way too tight and I drilled it a little larger until it was a perfect fit.

If I had not drilled the hole larger, there would have been ALOT of friction between the shaft and the gear.

Interesting. Mine was a perfect fit out of the box. The odometer gears guys are amazing to work with too. Best customer service. Then and bpm are awesome.

[ailikesiliu]

Did BMW drop the price on the TA? Tischer sells it for $544 now.

[W///]

Originally Posted by ailikesiliu

Did BMW drop the price on the TA? Tischer sells it for $544 now.

I think they have. I bought mine for $640 shipped from FCP Euro, and it comes with a lifetime warranty (as long as car doesn't change ownership)

[ailikesiliu]

Originally Posted by W///

I think they have. I bought mine for $640 shipped from FCP Euro, and it comes with a lifetime warranty (as long as car doesn't change ownership)

That's awesome, I just ordered two from tischer. It is crazy how the price difference is, here in canada, one TA retails for $1800CAD+tax.

[Titan_br]

I am getting the following problem.

My car is getting codes:

CDBD - Idle Actuator, CAN Message, Bank 1
CDBF - CDBD Throttle-Valve actuator CAN message bank 1
CDC0 - CDBD Throttle-valve actuator CAN message, bank 2.

The strange is how it happen.

After the car is stopped from one day to another, it get the error when I try to turn it on. Then what I do, I take the cable off the battery, wait a few minutes, plug again, erase the error using OBD Launch, then the car turns on without any problem. Runs well.
I can turn it on and off several times during the day. But when I left the car on garage and next day, the first try, it get all erros back.

Any thoughts??

[ailikesiliu]

Originally Posted by Titan_br

I am getting the following problem.

My car is getting codes:

CDBD - Idle Actuator, CAN Message, Bank 1
CDBF - CDBD Throttle-Valve actuator CAN message bank 1
CDC0 - CDBD Throttle-valve actuator CAN message, bank 2.

The strange is how it happen.

After the car is stopped from one day to another, it get the error when I try to turn it on. Then what I do, I take the cable off the battery, wait a few minutes, plug again, erase the error using OBD Launch, then the car turns on without any problem. Runs well.
I can turn it on and off several times during the day. But when I left the car on garage and next day, the first try, it get all erros back.

Any thoughts??

Thought is both your TA has gone bad, replace them. My car will clear the fault right after a restart, and runs totally fine when it is warmed up. But I can feel it is getting closer to a full-time limp mode, so ordered two TAs and ready to get them swapped this weekend.

[Titan_br]

Originally Posted by ailikesiliu

Thought is both your TA has gone bad, replace them. My car will clear the fault right after a restart, and runs totally fine when it is warmed up. But I can feel it is getting closer to a full-time limp mode, so ordered two TAs and ready to get them swapped this weekend.

It is not cheap you know. Maybe a bad sensor?

only PN 13627838085? It is 925 @ Ecstuning.

[ailikesiliu]

Originally Posted by Titan_br

It is not cheap you know. Maybe a bad sensor?

only PN 13627838085? It is 925 @ Ecstuning.

Go to getbmwparts.com, it is $544 each.

[drummer20]

Originally Posted by Titan_br

It is not cheap you know. Maybe a bad sensor?

only PN 13627838085? It is 925 @ Ecstuning.

a little cheaper at FCP euro
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...m3-13627838085

He's right your actuators need repair or replacement. The simplest and most reliable way is to replacement. A few people have successfully repaired them themselves but many have done the repairs and still had problems. There is mechanical gears to replace and FETS on a circuit board. Some circuit boards require more than just the FETs. There are a lot of ways you can mess up the rebuild doing it yourself. Also I think that if you have seen the codes more than once, your circuit board will need more than just a simple FET replacement. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, have a decent garage of tools, soldering equipment and a real desire to experiment until you find the proper solution, you should just buy replacement TAs or also there is a professional rebuild service at:
http://www.rebuild.org.uk/. That will save you some money but you might not get as much life out of a rebuilt TA compared to a new one.

[Titan_br]

Originally Posted by drummer20

a little cheaper at FCP euro
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...m3-13627838085

He's right your actuators need repair or replacement. The simplest and most reliable way is to replacement. A few people have successfully repaired them themselves but many have done the repairs and still had problems. There is mechanical gears to replace and FETS on a circuit board. Some circuit boards require more than just the FETs. There are a lot of ways you can mess up the rebuild doing it yourself. Also I think that if you have seen the codes more than once, your circuit board will need more than just a simple FET replacement. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, have a decent garage of tools, soldering equipment and a real desire to experiment until you find the proper solution, you should just buy replacement TAs or also there is a professional rebuild service at:
http://www.rebuild.org.uk/. That will save you some money but you might not get as much life out of a rebuilt TA compared to a new one.

Don't get me wrong. But they are running and working pretty well.
Why they come back to life when I took the cable of the battery off? This is the most non sense. The car starts normally! Even with the errors on it. I erase using Launch Xdiag tool normally.
But when I don't take the cable of battery off, I may erase, but the car do not turn on! Are you following me ? I must share it because it is unbelievable!


Looking to hear you guys.