Note this is on an R55 (2013 Model w/62K+/- miles). There's a little more traffic on the R56 forum so I'm posting here too.

I'm planning on changing the timing chain tensioner. In preparation for the install I started to remove a few things yesterday evening and have a few questions for anybody that knows their way around the N18 engine.

Does the hose come apart at the top red oval in the pic below? If so what do I need to do to (gently) nudge it apart? There's a goofy spring clamp there at the upper red oval that I've completely removed. I can't really see how it was doing anything but I took it off anyway. There's also some white stuff where those two hoses meet so I'm thinking that might be some type of sealant etc.??? Based on the RealOEM clip below it appears to come apart.

I've loosened the clamp in the location of the lower red oval in the pic below but can't get the hoses apart? Again, any suggestions. If it would come apart here then I wouldn't have to bother with the upper connection in the upper red oval.


Appears there is a shoulder on the upper hose that keeps me from sticking a screwdriver etc. in there to work it loose. I've loosened the clamp.

Also reference item 8 on the RealOEM clip. My hose #8 doesn't have the smaller diameter stub-out on it. Does anybody know why?

 

there should be a C clip holding the charge pipe at that first connection to the plastic section.

I usually remove the air box and reach to the elbow at the throttle body from the back. then use a long flat head screw driver to gently pry on the tube.

 

So I finally got all the hoses and air box removed allowing me to access the timing chain tensioner. With everything out of the way it took all of five minutes to swap out the tensioner.

I did what MiniToBe did and pried the hose off gently at the throttle body.

FYI, the old tensioner fell apart into three pieces (spring, plunger and threaded body) as I removed it. With the new tensioner in place all is (relatively) quiet now. I'll definitely keep an eye, and ear, on the timing chain in the future but this has solved my problem for now.

Thanks for the help.

 

Awesome. I'm glad it didn't fight you

Yeah that tensioner was the very first version they came up with.

I think the main thing about these cars is the oil change interval. make sure it's at most 4k and check it every now and then.