[BYOB]

Hey guys,

Planning to buy a 535 Xi. Saw a few cars and both 2014 but there's a difference for the engine, trying to get some info on them.

One has one line and the other has 2 lines right in front of the oil filter.

Whats up with this?
Which is better?
Why is it different?

Thanks guys!



VS

[Qsilver7]

Please provide the last 7 digits of each vehicles VIN. It makes it much easier to answer questions like this.

Obviously one is optioned differently than the other...if you get or post the last 7 digits of the VIN...then it is easy to look the vehicle up in a VIN decoder to see how the car is optioned.

Things can change during the production run based on build date info...even though they can be in the same model year. For example, the 2000 528i/iT debuted in June/1999 with a 4 spd automatic transmission...then starting with the Sept/1999 build date...BMW changed the transmission to 5 spd auto.

Help us help you better...if you provide really good info/details/etc...you get better answers, suggestions, recommendations.

[ezaircon4jc]

I believe one has an oil cooler (usually an M-Sport option) and the other (1st pic) does not.

My 2014 in an M-Sport and my wife's 2012 is a base model. My car has pic #2 and my wife's pic #1.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I believe one has an oil cooler (usually an M-Sport option) and the other (1st pic) does not.

My 2014 in an M-Sport and my wife's 2012 is a base model. My car has pic #2 and my wife's pic #1.

I think the oil cooler came with the "hot climate" option too. My Canadian car has "hot climate" (I know, funny) and I have a full air/air oil cooler circuit. However it looks like pic #1 under the hood. Maybe pre-LCI and LCI do this differently?

Is car #2 manual transmission by any chance? The inclusion or exclusion of an AT cooler changes plumbing too.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Surly73

I think the oil cooler came with the "hot climate" option too. My Canadian car has "hot climate" (I know, funny) and I have a full air/air oil cooler circuit. However it looks like pic #1 under the hood. Maybe pre-LCI and LCI do this differently?

Is car #2 manual transmission by any chance? The inclusion or exclusion of an AT cooler changes plumbing too.

Both our 535's have the S823A "hot climate" version.

[BYOB]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I believe one has an oil cooler (usually an M-Sport option) and the other (1st pic) does not.

My 2014 in an M-Sport and my wife's 2012 is a base model. My car has pic #2 and my wife's pic #1.

Thanks for your response!

Confusing part is both have M Pkg. can you please look at these ads for me?

Pic 1 - https://www.autotrader.ca/a/BMW/5+Series/Oakville/Ontario/5_42229745_/

Pic 2 - https://www.autotrader.ca/go/5-42175951

[reihensechser]

it's SA823 and SA840

[Surly73]

Found:

pre-LCI parts diagram for S823A Hot Climate oil filter housing:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

For LCI (looks the same):

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

Searching for Option S840A (high speed synchronization) starts to show all kinds of additional oil cooler parts.

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...il_cooler_pipe

So I'll wager a guess that #2 has S840A.

On this page about oil filter housings, you'll see that a different housing is used for EITHER S823A *OR* S840A, but the extra lines go with S840A.

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

I can't remember where I thought I established that S823A comes with an air/air oil cooler, but I'm expecting that I'm mistaken and S840A is needed for that. S823A does come with more oil cooling than having neither option. I'm off to do some more research. I even read a thread from someone in the southern US who didn't have either option and retrofitted the S823A auxiliary radiator etc...etc... which contributed to my beliefs. Guessing I was wrong.

To the OP: Get the VINs, or at least the last 7, and get options sheets using any number of online BMW VIN decoders. That will settle it.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Surly73

Found:

pre-LCI parts diagram for S823A Hot Climate oil filter housing:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

For LCI (looks the same):

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

Searching for Option S840A (high speed synchronization) starts to show all kinds of additional oil cooler parts.

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...il_cooler_pipe

So I'll wager a guess that #2 has S840A.

On this page about oil filter housings, you'll see that a different housing is used for EITHER S823A *OR* S840A, but the extra lines go with S840A.

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F1...tem_oil_filter

I can't remember where I thought I established that S823A comes with an air/air oil cooler, but I'm expecting that I'm mistaken and S840A is needed for that. S823A does come with more oil cooling than having neither option. I'm off to do some more research. I even read a thread from someone in the southern US who didn't have either option and retrofitted the S823A auxiliary radiator etc...etc... which contributed to my beliefs. Guessing I was wrong.

To the OP: Get the VINs, or at least the last 7, and get options sheets using any number of online BMW VIN decoders. That will settle it.

Sooo.... Our 2014 (M-Sport) has both S823A AND A840A. Our 2012 (base) just has S823A. I haven't followed the lines to see where they go.

[NinetyEight740]

Different style oil coolers. Top one is a heat exchanger and bottom one goes to a remote cooler in wheel well. No difference in reliability.

[Surly73]

OK - I found the reason why I felt that the "hot climate version" had the air/oil heat exchanger. Images from a factory manual below. Maybe this doesn't apply to N55s in an F10, or the design was superceded. I'll continue looking.