[Gizm0]

I hang out with a bunch of car guys around here, we meet on a regular basis to hang out, cruise etc... Most drive US or imports because of the area where I live - aka deep woods... I'm the only one who drives a European car.

It seems like every week, one of them ends up with a big/costly problem on his car like transmission taking a crap, broken crankshaft bearing, blown piston rings, timing chain snapping resulting in bent valves/scored pistons etc...

Last week end I did a pull next to my friend with his FBO+tuned 2014 Genesis 2.0T. We went from 40mph to about 100mph and his car started misfiring badly and sound like a diesel truck.

He just found out today the ringland on cylinder number 4 blew up so he'll have to rebuild the motor. His car has 9000 miles! He already had to rebuild the lower end in December because of a bad rod bearing...

I am posting this to say I love how BMW over-engineers these motors. It is very rare to hear something internal breaking in our cars, even on highly modified engines with upgraded turbos. Yes we do have our fair share of issues with our engines, but it's mostly outside elements that fail like the water pump/HPFP/turbos/injectors...

[smithf80]

The engines really are rock solid, is just all the stuff attached to them...

[bender rodriguez]

BMW motors are not over engineered.. Everything else is tho

[Douche]

That's what the Honda guy posted on the Honda forum after a ride in his friend's recently FBOned 335... I see it as pointless.

[135Pats]

Anything based off of the M54 architecture is going to be good stuff. Motors aren't the issue with BMWs, outside of bearing clearance/oiling issues on the S motors.

With some very notable exceptions (2J, 26DETT, 38DETT, 4G63) the JDM motors are glass.

[bender rodriguez]

Speaking of over engineering.. Fiber optics in the e90s.. What were they thinking??

[Miller335]

Lots of rod knock/bearing issues of late though.

[135Pats]

Originally Posted by Miller335

Lots of rod knock/bearing issues of late though.

Motors are getting older, and overwhelmingly the motors that do have issues they're the logical result of a peripheral failure (stuck injectors, tired spark components, poor usage of methanol, etc). People need to stay on top of upkeep big time, 10K oil changes are doing you no favors.

Still exceedingly rare to have these motors just drop or buckle a rod, even under hard use. It's an unusually robust factory motor.

How many motors have you seen with bearing issues? That's not something I have much concern over.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by 135Pats

Motors are getting older, and overwhelmingly the motors that do have issues they're the logical result of a peripheral failure (stuck injectors, tired spark components, poor usage of methanol, etc). People need to stay on top of upkeep big time, 10K oil changes are doing you no favors.

Still exceedingly rare to have these motors just drop or buckle a rod, even under hard use. It's an unusually robust factory motor.

How many motors have you seen with bearing issues? That's not something I have much concern over.

Yeah following the specs for oil, BMW engineering and just science in general on the 10k oil changes are just wrong

[ThatRWD]

Originally Posted by Miller335

Lots of rod knock/bearing issues of late though.

Like Pats said I think it's mostly an awareness/preventative maintenance issue. I don't know about everyone but me and that one other guy both got plenty of warning before hand. There have been a quite a few others who didn't notice the rough idle issue/cold start issue and got their rod bearings killed but that's why I frequent N54 forums.

[135Pats]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

Yeah following the specs for oil, BMW engineering and just science in general on the 10k oil changes are just wrong

If you'd like to run 10K OCIs on a boosted, high compression, aggressive Bore x Stroke factory motor, be my guest.

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by 135Pats

Motors are getting older, and overwhelmingly the motors that do have issues they're the logical result of a peripheral failure (stuck injectors, tired spark components, poor usage of methanol, etc). People need to stay on top of upkeep big time, 10K oil changes are doing you no favors.

Still exceedingly rare to have these motors just drop or buckle a rod, even under hard use. It's an unusually robust factory motor.

How many motors have you seen with bearing issues? That's not something I have much concern over.

Well said brother!

[ThatRWD]

Well since were already talking about it. Why do leaky injectors kill the motor? I mean doesn't fuel go in there when the car is running anyway? Also why do the spark plugs get fouled by it?

[135Pats]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

Well since were already talking about it. Why do leaky injectors kill the motor? I mean doesn't fuel go in there when the car is running anyway? Also why do the spark plugs get fouled by it?

Because they leak fuel when the motor isn't under appropriate load.

Unless there is also oxygen and spark, fuel is just a liquid like any other. You wouldn't want to pour a bottle of water down a cylinder - it's the same concept.

Sufficient liquid + upwards piston stroke - sufficient spark and oxygen = bad.

The plugs get fouled because all of the fuel washes out spark.

[OP3NAIR]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

Well since were already talking about it. Why do leaky injectors kill the motor? I mean doesn't fuel go in there when the car is running anyway? Also why do the spark plugs get fouled by it?

The excess fuel dilutes the oil and the oil doesn't film/lubricate as well. Less lubrication = more wear, more wear = more problems.

[ThatRWD]

Mine has been acting up the past 800 miles, still running fine, plug 2 smelt horrible and was pretty much all black. Idle is jumpy. I don't hear any loud knocking sounds.

I'm changing the injectors today but has damage already been done?

[paco89]

"It seems like every week, one of them ends up with a big/costly problem on his car like transmission taking a crap, broken crankshaft bearing, blown piston rings, timing chain snapping resulting in bent valves/scored pistons etc..." Jeez what cars do your friends drive? cobalts? srt4s? ion redlines?

[Supra2k6]

lol ^^

I agree with OP Most bmw engines are solid is just the stuff around them. plastic intake manifolds, plastic valvecover like really bmw?

The way the plumbing for the coolant, intake, charge side is just retarded Dont even get me started in the electrical.

[1chanc3]

its not the engine thats the problem. its everything else around it that sucks. HPFP, water pump. even the ac vent adjuster is freaking crap. I literally just tapped one and it fell off!! My gf barely touched the passenger one is that too fell off.
It's like they purposely made everything with sub-par components just so we bring out cars back into the dealerships...

[ThatRWD]

Originally Posted by 1chanc3

its not the engine thats the problem. its everything else around it that sucks. HPFP, water pump. even the ac vent adjuster is freaking crap. I literally just tapped one and it fell off!! My gf barely touched the passenger one is that too fell off.
It's like they purposely made everything with sub-par components just so we bring out cars back into the dealerships...

Don't forget to get it coded afterwords

[135Pats]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

Mine has been acting up the past 800 miles, still running fine, plug 2 smelt horrible and was pretty much all black. Idle is jumpy. I don't hear any loud knocking sounds.

I'm changing the injectors today but has damage already been done?

For my 6000th post...."no".

Boosted motors can do a decent job hiding a damaged ringland, but serious bottom end issues are obvious in nearly all situations (cold start, warm start, idle, light load, WOT).

Get new injectors but you should be fine. If you are really paranoid, could do a leakdown test.

[Gizm0]

Originally Posted by paco89

"It seems like every week, one of them ends up with a big/costly problem on his car like transmission taking a crap, broken crankshaft bearing, blown piston rings, timing chain snapping resulting in bent valves/scored pistons etc..." Jeez what cars do your friends drive? cobalts? srt4s? ion redlines?

EVOs, Mustangs (lots of em), STIs, Camaro SS, Srt4s, Cobalt SS, Genesis, Turbo civics...