SMG Pump Motor - cheap fix

[m3_sancho]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to share some information if someone is interested.
I've started researching about the SMG Pump Motor since my M3 started to drop me out of gear on hot weather and give me the cog light on a regular basis. I knew my pump motor is on the way out since everything else was working fine. Sometimes I'm cheap and like to experiment so I got curious about the motor itself. I couldn't find a lot of information what exactly fails in these motors, but couple of information bits pointed to the commutator. I was pretty sure I had the same problem. For me the smg pump motor always looked very similar to the ABS/DSC motor, so I went to a junk yard and pulled a ABS/DSC motor from an E46 Convertible. Off to the car and out with the pump motor. After opening the situation was clear. A lot of debris and the commutator was living on its last bits. Worn to the plastic core.



I took the ABS motor apart and it was very similar in the construction. The commutator was in very good shape and had the same size. Off with the broken and swapped with the good one.


The original brushes had plenty of life. Gave the them a good clean and assembled the whole unit back together. I've also used the bearing from the ABS motor since the original one was bad already. SMG motor and ABS motor bearings are identical.


Put it back on the car and everything runs fine! This project was more on the experimental side since I never did that and a lot of guessing was involved. However it seems the fix was successful and cheap.

[Shonky]

Your images don't show.

[Cronenberged]

I'm glad the experiment worked, but given your deeper understanding and the potential insights from other SMG enthusiasts, is there a solution similar to what Besain has accomplished with our Vanos, hubs, and chain guides? It would be intriguing to explore the possibility of introducing technological advancements to enhance the OEM++ SMG pump. I wouldn't hesitate to invest in such an endeavor if it means the community could benefit from a unit that, while already demanding attention, could have its lifespan extended two or even threefold. m3_sancho

[m3_sancho]

Shonky Its' weird. I see all images. How do I upload them properly so everybody can see them?

Cronenberged That's a good question. The only thing which can be improved is the commutator material. Since it's copper I assume there could be used better/ long-lasting alloy. Not sure if the ABS/DSC commutator is made from better alloy because it looks almost new with very little wear. But at the same time I'm not sure of the load on the ABS/DSC motor compared to the SMG motor. Maybe it's running much less and that's the reason for little wear. I can only assume.

[eacmen]

I wonder if we could find a brushless motor with the same specs?

[ugaexploder]

Shonky Its' weird. I see all images. How do I upload them properly so everybody can see them?

Cronenberged That's a good question. The only thing which can be improved is the commutator material. Since it's copper I assume there could be used better/ long-lasting alloy. Not sure if the ABS/DSC commutator is made from better alloy because it looks almost new with very little wear. But at the same time I'm not sure of the load on the ABS/DSC motor compared to the SMG motor. Maybe it's running much less and that's the reason for little wear. I can only assume.

Copper-Tungsten would be an interesting option for the commutator material. Cu-W is commonly used as contact material for high voltage equipment like breakers.

[karter16]

I'm glad the experiment worked, but given your deeper understanding and the potential insights from other SMG enthusiasts, is there a solution similar to what Besain has accomplished with our Vanos, hubs, and chain guides? It would be intriguing to explore the possibility of introducing technological advancements to enhance the OEM++ SMG pump. I wouldn't hesitate to invest in such an endeavor if it means the community could benefit from a unit that, while already demanding attention, could have its lifespan extended two or even threefold. m3_sancho

Is the Burkhart Engineering option for this out of favour? Or do you mean a cheaper option? https://burkhart-engineering.com/en/...-inkl-csl-bmw/

[eacmen]

Even the Burkhart and MLR electric motors suffer the same fate eventually. Hell even when the OEM motor gets to the point where the motor starts to cause issues the rest of the pump usually needs seals and sensors replaced.