Crankcase Breather Hose Removal?

[Bimmer-Bob]

Anyone know how to remove the crankcase breather hose from the back of the valve cover? Supposedly, you're just supposed to squeeze the plastic tabs together and pull it off, but I can't figure it out.

It doesn't help that I can barely get my hand all the way back there, and definitely can't see what I'm doing - I feel like this is way harder than it needs to be. Really frustrating to have done everything up to this point, and then have to call it a day because of something so trivial.

[Suhb]

You do just squeeze it. But the repeated heat cycles hardens the plastic and makes it brittle. I used a screwdriver and my one free hand to persuade it a little. Be very careful, when I removed mine around 70k miles, the hose broke (inside the foam protected area) while trying to wiggle it out.

[Bimmer-Bob]

Originally Posted by Suhb

You do just squeeze it. But the repeated heat cycles hardens the plastic and makes it brittle. I used a screwdriver and my one free hand to persuade it a little. Be very careful, when I removed mine around 70k miles, the hose broke (inside the foam protected area) while trying to wiggle it out.

Thanks man, I got it. The issue was the lower push tab was flush up against the valve cover and impossible to get a finger on. I wedged a screwdriver in between as a lever while I pushed the other one down from above.