BMW N54 vs N55: Which One is Better?

[@jake_spence]

Nice to see some of my shots in here, good overview of the N5X platform!

[@Dustrunnersauto]

Jake Spence didn’t expect to see you here! I’m not a big BMW enthusiast but I absolutely love you videos. Hope you don’t mind that I used clips from your videos. Keep up the awesome work man! 👊🏻

[@jake_spence]

It showed up in my recommended, KZbin knows I love N5X videos lol. Including the clips is fine because you credited me. Thanks for the support!

[@chickfamily659]

Not a good overview at all. Trash ass misinformation.

[@mohammedabdo6983]

@@chickfamily659 i agree its the worst i have ever seen

[@IanFurminger]

@@Dustrunnersauto Do you know if parts from the N54 to N55 are interchangeable like cause the N54 has forged pistons and rods like for example can I put N54 pistons and rods in an N55 or will the parts not fit so you can get the N54 ability to hold more power but the better reliability of the N55 even if it isn’t much better in terms of reliability so you can get the best of full worlds kind of like when building a 1.5 jz if you know what I mean

[@huanweili7699]

I have own my n54 for 7 years and do my own DIY on all services and I don't see anything unreliable about the engine other than the parts around it. Engine it self is super reliable 👌 🙌 👏.

[@balnearefabio2410]

💯

[@B_M_DUBBA_U_]

Yessir

[@bella_testastretta]

lol things that every N54 owner that DIY's on their car says

[@connorgreene3097]

What have you had go?

[@Rottenkirsche13]

What year is it

[@ibrahimhadid9257]

I have watched so many videos of people trying to explain the difference between them, you are the only one that explained it the correct professional way without wasting my time. Keep up the good work!

[@MCNeurotiK]

What turbo car with 300 HP stock is considered "reliable"? Are we comparing to 150 HP Toyotas and Hondas that push no power but run forever? It's a completely different thing...

[@thezarn9903]

Sounds like you’ve never owned a bmw

[@simonshek8701]

4g63t reliable easy at 220katw

[@vividox4706]

The engine is reliable , however the components around it aren’t , like he said the water pump

[@soupzilla6778]

2jz’s are pretty reliable.. lol

[@simonshek8701]

@@soupzilla6778 lol dosnt need turbo make 300hp.... think smaller... but yeah. evo is 100k in oz

[@TheRostedChickenz]

Thanks! You made my decision harder!

[@murk1352]

N54...👍🏁

[@erbv2652]

judging by his username i think that’s a little biased

[@murk1352]

@@erbv2652 It's the truth though....👍😜😂🏁

[@andrewg.1127]

N54 is better if you know how to sling a wrench everything around the engine breaks except the engine,, n55 has a much more reliable platform wich is much better for a novice DIY enthusiast and a little bit easier to work on.

[@SlayersFan1988]

@@andrewg.1127 Im thinking in get one of these 335i, i dont know much about repairs but i watch videos and try to do it myself. I dont have much money so barely can afford the parts hahaha you recomend the 54 or 55 in my case? Thanx.

[@Sheeeepz]

I’ve owned my 2010 5 series with the N54 for about 8 months, I’ve loved it, plenty of power and still plenty of just daily driving capabilities. But recently I’ve been coming across the reliable issues, as of waterpump failing, which is did, and now Vanos solenoids failing, I’ve loved it a lot, and would recommend anyone to get one themselves, but be ready if those commons issues haven’t been replaced or upgraded to spend a good handful of money! Just my personal experience, money wise of these fixes is stupid expensive but overall I’ve loved the engine, and the car!

[@errahdak1099]

How you let a waterpump fail you can fix that shit yourself

[@KillBasix]

With any bmw, be ready to replace your pumps and coolant lines along with the injectors sooner than later.

[@jamaica_lemons9359]

N54 + big sinlge = perfection

[@Dustrunnersauto]

Everybody loves big turbos!

[@2052lt]

Thats why for me the N54 is better than the N55. Since no one has done 700+ on N55, and plenty on N54 !!

[@Horus4387]

@@2052lt record for n55 is 770 whp

[@mohammedabdo6983]

@@Horus4387 n54 just shy of 1000 hp looool

[@Spider89764]

N55+big single = perfection

[@GeneralAlgren]

I drove a N54 335i to 187k miles and it was fantastic. I felt like I had just as much power then as I did when I got it. Yes the turbos will likely have issues, but if we're only comparing the ENGINE and not all the stuff around it.... N54 all day. you can build it better than you can ever build a N55 due to the stronger internals and the amount of mod support it has. I do agree that if you are not really going to do a lot of mods than the N55 will cause you less headache as far as dealing with all the other random stuff, but there is so much community support for the N54 that as long as you fix the turbos, the rest of the random problems are easy to deal with. At this point the issues are well documented and there are reliable fixes for everything. Gen 3 fuel pump? Done. Index 12 injectors? never worrying about those again etc etc.

[@jonb2437]

The only thing that is forged is the crank shaft. Your rods and pistons are more likely to give out before the crankshaft which is why they put cast in n55

[@stevensink5544]

I think both engines are awesome! I’m so tired of hearing how unreliable bmw engines and cars are! That’s total BS! I had a n54 powered 535xi that saw triple digit speeds every single day and from 53,000 miles all the way to 205,000 needed nothing but one O2 sensor! At 53,000 it had a HPFP changed back when bmw was still figuring them out and nothing but an O2 sensor after! I would say that’s amazingly reliable!! I currently have a 13 535i n55 with 104,000 and have had no issues with it! I’ve had 4 Bmws over the years with 200,000 plus miles and a few high mileage ones with no issues in between! I won’t buy any other brand period! Rock solid cars!!

[@SR71life]

@ bullshit.

[@BMWROYAL]

BMW m/// I love bmw but you guys are simply being so bias, yes u can have a bmw and have no issues but sometimes you do. Compared to the ace he manufacture, bmw is simply less reliable. You never here people saying this stuff about Toyota. My bmw already need the oil pan gasket replaced it only has 50k miles. And the head gasket replaced.

[@stevensink5544]

Not royal skyline with all do respect if your car needed a head gasket at 50,000 miles most likely for a period of time the wrong octane fuel was used or the engine may have been overheated! If the wrong fuel was used it probably detonated and blew the gasket out! I did not blow out from an engineering fault!

[@maj9676]

I've got a e92 335i N54 which I've put 35K miles on and it's now at 125K, I run a JB4, induction, uprated intercooler, catless downpipes, 550i clutch running 17psi and the only fault I've had is Vanos solenoid's needed replacing, I service every 7k and the car is well maintained, so a 13 year old 125K engine running well over double the boost and the only thing Ive done in terms of repair is replace the Vanos solenoids, maybe I've got a good one or maybe it isn't as unreliable as people say, I'm no Brand snob the MR2 Turbo I had failed all the time with nothing more than an induction kit on it, Ive had Fords VW's, Vauxhall's, Renaults, Puegeots, Seats, Caterham, Toyotas, none have been as solid as my current n54.

[@stevensink5544]

maj9676 you are correct these BMW’s are good cars. There enthusiasts cars so when there is something wrong they talk about it! When a Toyota car fails ore any other brand they simply repair there broken transportation no one hears about it! BMW sells millions of cars you only see a few post with problems! Enjoy your high power N54

[@billymania11]

The N55 was made up to and including the year 2018 (in the M2). I have one and that particular N55 is sweet!

[@Moe_z]

I guess I got lucky. I have a 2011 335i with 164,000 miles The only thing I replaced was the expansion tank in the time I owned it.

[@misterx3492]

I see a lot of N55 engined bmw's for sale nowadays with rod bearing defects.. you never had issues with that? Greetings from the netherlands

[@Moe_z]

@@misterx3492 I upgraded the turbo and it has 174k on it now. Maybe I got lucky.

[@misterx3492]

@@Moe_z maybe you let it warm up nicely? Anyways i hope it will last long for you!

[@Moe_z]

@@misterx3492 Thank you bro I do. I like to take care of it

[@sachak]

I'm going to just be real here. I own a Z4 35i N54 and I am extremely OCD with my maintenance. I have owned the car since 2017 and have replaced turbos 3 times already. First time was due to waste gate rattle! Bought a new set of turbos from BMW and had them fitted, they lasted a whopping 2 weeks and started howling! BMW then replaced those under warranty and 4 months later The rear turbo started howling! I bought my self a spare set and had a hybrid kit built into it and got them balanced properly and fitted them myself this time making sure everything was done correctly and so far so good. I have replaced vacuum solenoids several times admittedly I bought a set off eBay through a friend and they just didn't last then I got another set from a friend and another set from a scrap yard, I think I have been through 7 solenoids in total. I have had vanos solenoid issues many times. I have had a leaky oil filter housing gasket issue but this is due to mechanics over tightening the oil filter cap which cranks on the housing and destroys the gasket. I have had the valve cover gasket replaced and its now leaking again! Radiator replacement done last year top radiator hose replaced oil cooler replaced oil cooler lines sprung a leak so I replaced currently my hpfp is giving issues so I need to replace, this has already been replaced in the past at I think 60k km water pump has been replaced injectors replaced to index 12's That's what I can think of now, there is a plethora of other maintenance I have done that I won't go into. Honestly what I can say is that this is one of the most unreliable cars I have ever owned. I have never even heard of replacing some of the things on other cars that I have had to replaced on this car especially at the low mileage I bought this car on. You need deep pockets to drive an N54 and if you think you don't then you are delusional or you are the type of person that drives a car into the ground not caring what may be wrong with it. However, having said all of this. This is truly one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever owned and it has taught me so much about cars in general, I am now at a stage where I carry out all maintenance myself, I replaced turbos myself which I never ever thought I would be able to do. You need to be on top of your game with regards to general maintenance to drive one of these cars!

[@timlad123456]

If your boosted bmw shows no 30ff codes or boost leak than waste gate rattle is just an auditory problem. So many times i have heard that waste gate rattle means your turbos are bad and it is not true, if your not loosing boost than it is just an annoying sound.

[@sachak]

@@timlad123456 Annoying auditory problem is putting it lightly to be perfectly honest! When waste gate rattle gets bad its seriously loud and the sound is like nails on a chalk board! starting a car in a public parking lot or an underground parking is actually just next level embarrassing and makes the car feel like scrap! Also the waste gate rattle will eventually get bad enough to cause a 30ff code but bear in mind that the waste gate rattle also causes unstable boost levels! the car is unable to hold a consistent stable boost and if you look at the graph on logs it looks terrible.

[@kalel626]

Wow, I'll buy it off you.

[@fredwilliams7893]

Wow man I'm impressed. You were straight up honest about it and didn't b.s. nothing. I was in the market for one of these but now I'm scared to death of the issues you presented. Although I dont doubt at all its probably an amazing car to drive I will look else were for my next sporty car.. thanks for the heads up though.

[@joebutlersnr7017]

I fully agree with you mate , I've had my n54 335i for 13 years and its definitely the most unreliable car I've ever owned , but the thing is I absolutely love the bloody thing and so does my 20 yr old daughter who will do anything to make me keep it , the power ( tuned ) and handling are outstanding , its a love hate relationship and love is winning hands down.

[@deaconstevej1]

It depends on what the individual person wants! Most youngsters want to go fast as possible! They probably wood choose the N54. I've never driven a tuned one yet! I own a 2011 E93 Msport with an N55. It's very nice, and has plenty of power without any turbo lag! I'm not Interested in 600 or 700 wheel. With an cold air intake and a bigger intercooler, with a better charge pipe, and MHD tune, I could easily be over 400 with tearing up the car! That would be enough for me! The N55 hands down sounds better than a N54. Most people would agree on that! N55 is a sound beast!

[@DomesticLlamas23]

I'm young and I got an n55. I would love to make 600 wheel. That being said I don't have enough money to pay for making 600 wheel. Also I needed the "reliability" of the n55 and I think I will be very happy with 400 hp anyways

[@deaconstevej1]

@@DomesticLlamas23 I'm in total agreement with you brother! Sounds like you're making sense of the whole picture! Cost too much to play without thinking it through!😎

[@DoctorIncant]

DomesticLlamas has your n55 been fairly good in terms of reliability? You pushing a lot of power? I’m debating which one to get and that might be the determining factor.

[@deaconstevej1]

@@DoctorIncant I'm not tuned yet! I've had it for 3 years! Got it at 53k. Has 63k now, so I don't drive it alot. My car has given me no mechanical problems other than a tire air sensor! Runs great! I put some 19inche 437 M performance wheels staggered, black grills, and rear spoiler on it. In the future a tune and brake conversion will be on slate, to wake up the car properly and stop it properly! Lol

[@willjay9808]

scrubs. n54.

[@jeffreyhinman1397]

Biggest differences in the n54 and one of the main reasons for replacing it with the n55 is production costs. Having two turbos which means two of many other supporting parts for the turbos and forged internals that includes pistons which he states is cast. Pumps and injectors have been resolved in the n54 and valve covers have always been an issue. The bugs have been worked out of both

[@virenpatel9973]

Yeah those injectors issues have been worked out with $1300 min.

[@jeffreyhinman1397]

@@virenpatel9973 not right now you’ll pay 4000 bucks for new injectors due to supply and demand. Really sucks

[@bmwnut535]

My e92 n54 has done 255000 km. Nearly everything is original. Except for the injectors and turbos that were replace because of a recall, but that was 200 000km ago. Other than that the only things that have gone wrong are because of general wear and tear. Some of the cooling pipes are old and brittle, so I've replaced those and the abs pump because the electric motor brushes have worn out. But other than that and general maintenance it's perfect. Love that car. Btw the vanos won't blow up if you change the oil after every 8000km! Also i have an e34 535i manual with over 500 000km under its belt and it still puts a smile on my face even after 12 years of ownership.

[@cgberz]

I'd LOVE to see you compare the BMW US S52, M54, and the N52. All NA, and generally well received. Each a gem in their own ways. S52 being iron-blocked, M54 being aluminum, and the N52 being a magnesium block with bedplate for rigidity. S52 (3.2) has 240-ish hp, M54 (3.0) has 168-228 hp and the N52 (3.0) comes from 215-255 hp.

[@fel1xxfel1xx60]

Simple, they push less power, which becomes more reliable on the parts.

[@e34_us]

I thought s52 was europe only

[@Fatal_Inertia]

@@e34_us S52 came in the E36 M3 for America only. S50 was in the Euro E36 M3

[@danc2159]

N54 is the best engine bmw EVER made. I have over 200,000km on my 07 335i and the engine is always reliable. I only had issues running stage 2 Dinan Tune. Turbos, injectors, wastegate, hpfp all replaced under warranty. My 335 is 12 years old and still drives better than anything at the stealership

[@T.U.G.T.V.]

I got 280,000km on mine never let me down

[@Tonybmw1988]

If you’re not in to getting your hands dirty don’t buy a car of this caliber.

[@wiseass86straight6]

Not a bad video, but I think you missed one of the biggest differences between the two. The N55 has valve-tronic which means variable valve lift on the intake side. this also means almost none of the carbon build-up problems that the n54 and other direct injection engines suffer from.

[@keithw4920]

How does the variable valve lift stop carbon build up on the intake valves? The oil vapors/droplets still will pass by the intake valves right?

[@wiseass86straight6]

@@keithw4920 the variable valve lift keeps the port velocity past the valves much higher because it only opens the valves around 0.3mm at idle. This means the oil vapor doesn't have a chance to stick to the valve.

[@glenmcmurtrie5568]

My 335i has 250,000 klm and still never uses oil running mhd 2+ on stock motor everything is strong the only problem I have is the car needs a lsd diff as it can kick the car to the right under load I do all my own work to the car and it is very simple to work on my view after 4 years %90 out of a 100 for reliability

[@aaronpederson7910]

If you're not afraid to get your hands dirty the N54 is awesome. I have a 2010 and thankfully I haven't had to do the hpfp or water pump in the 50k miles I've owned it. It has 140,000 miles right now. Been a good car plenty of surprises

[@NUNYABIZNNAAAZZZ]

my choice, N54

[@limonono3496]

may i know why you choose n54 over n55? i am asking because i will buy bmw535i n54. i need knowledge from you.

[@calmchowda5552]

Bmw inline 6 are reliable whoever says otherwise simply is getting their information from other people who do not know what they are talking about

[@Dustrunnersauto]

Which is exactly why 99% of N54/N55 Facebook groups are filled with people talking about how unreliable their cars are.

[@kalel626]

@@Dustrunnersauto actually, your assumption is entirely wrong. Most of the idiots on the pages and forums are first time car owners let alone BMW owners, they are broke and stupid. Something simple gives and they blow a gasket. I own 6 n54 cars right now and 2 n55 cars. Both are great for what they are. N55 will never compare unless stock to stock. But the b58 will bury them both. I hated how you glanced over forged internals as if that's no big deal lol. Do you even build bro? Your video just repeated the mass of idiots on the forums and their bullshit issues. Had far more issues with my rb and 2jz platforms and cost twice as much to fix. Biggest issue with the n54 platform is they are now cheap enough where idiots who build hondas and shitboxes can now afford the initial car, at 100k+ miles and don't realize the current owner is ditching it because he knows it needs maintenance that he avoided doing entirely. As far as 400hp+ motors, it's been one of the most reliable platforms I've ever worked on, next to the LS and LT.

[@BMWROYAL]

Dan King hmm then why do other Facebook group with other car doesn’t have the same amount of complaints

[@abddelmohabir924]

You guys sound like butt-hurt BMW guys...the fact is with even normal maintenance these BMW engines are unreliable and are always prone to some engine accessory failure, electronics failure or mechanical failure no matter how much you follow your service manual and no matter how much you guys try to push the idea that you need to give these engine special attention and extreme care blah blah that won’t change the fact that these are some unreliable engines because quite frankly there’s so much other engines from other manufacturers with incremental performance stats that doesn’t have even 1/3 of the problems and require less than half of the “special care and maintenance” that these BMW engines/cars have and “need” for what is an acceptable period of ownership (3-5 Years)...so before you comment and act like BMW’s are the most reliable in its class I suggest you get a reality check and learn to accept the facts 👍🏼

[@kalel626]

@@abddelmohabir924 awe, now who sounds butthurt. I never said there were any "special" maintenance requirements for these cars, and you just aptly repeated what I said every moron thinks. They don't require anything beyond what is considered normal maintenance. The failure items are wearable parts and are designed to wear as they do in every single motor and vehicle made. Its owners who make them unreliable, the motors themselves will and do outlast most other platforms. My infinity has 45k on it and already been through fueling issues, ignition issues, timing issues. My s2000 spends more time on a rack than on a street. Only motor I don't bitch about are LS/LT motors and bmw motors. But I actually buy and build cars not just read reviews and bitch because I know nothing about cars lol.

[@anibalvargas9874]

I had an 09 135i with of course the N54 and now I got an 11 135i N55. Power wise hands down the N54 felt more powerful and responsive than the N55. However I been having more fun and pushing the N55 more aggressively then I ever did with the N54 and I got to tell you is way more reliable haven’t eat ignition coil’s or any crazy check engine light yet 🤞🏼

[@DigitalDissident]

I have N55 135i with MHD stage 1+. Reliable 350hp. Can't imagine how a stock N54 would feel faster or better than my N55. Even if it did, the N55 sound (if you have performance exhaust) makes up for it. Also, I looked at my intake valves at 90,000kms & they are clean. Tha't without ever having a catch can. If it was a N54 I'd probably have to walnut blast them right now.

[@wteslik]

A couple of thoughts here - 1) I believe that if you look at publications etc that actually put stock n54 and n55 cars on the dyno, you would find that the stock n54 is actually more powerful. BMW just rated them the same. 2) If you want to know which is better for performance, BMW essentially made it clear itself. When it discontinued the N54 and went N55 for emissions reasons, they kept the N54 in their highest performance versions: most importantly the 335is but also the Z4 sdrive 35is. Think about it for a second...why would BMW leave the N54 in its higher performance versions after otherwise discontinuing it if it was not inherently more powerful?

[@virenpatel9973]

Because the n54 breaks constantly and with poor owner maintenance, ridiculous price for parts, the kinks weren’t worked out by the time used car buyers came across the low mileage n54s, and n55s were already on the market.

[@virenpatel9973]

Higher performance models had the n54 because sure it did have the better performance. But how do you enjoy that higher performance when your turd is on jackstands all day? Owned an n54 before and a 2.7tt b5 s4. Probably the two most unreliable German cars ever made. I’ll be looking at b58s now.

[@beng3345]

I mean, it's not a Honda engine for reliability, but saying the N54 still has HPFP and injector problems is just wrong. All those issues are non-existent and have new part numbers that literally don't fail. I haven't had a HPFP in 12 years after having 3 in 1 year on my 2010 N54. All under warranty. My injectors were replaced under warranty and have never failed with the index 12 part. My only failure was the washer fluid pump and the normal valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket oil leaks. Gaskets fail on every car.

[@jitterball]

I've had both. N54 has a much better throttle response, it also has a nice and loud air induction sound.

[@ThePandasian34]

I have a N54 535i and it has been reliable to me at 500 hp with supporting mods, e85 and methanol, its currently out of commission due to getting MMP 1k turbos, a stage 2 low pressure fuel pump with fuel return, inline fuel pump, Vargas single shotgun high pressure fuel pump and port fuel injection, XHP stage 3 trans flash and built differential. I’m looking for 660 wheel hp comfortably

[@thinkingagain5966]

How'd that turn out?

[@alexanderki5508]

Ok we get it unreliable but why is hardly anybody talking about maintenance and the fact that if you keep it well maintained you will have no issues

[@AquaStevae]

N54 hands down. n54 Gang for life! Better build ability, more reliable and stronger.

[@Nynphierno]

So basically N54 for more power and N55 if you want less issues ? Im really considering one of these as my next car. Either way it will be a big jump from a M54B22.

[@juanpablo6787]

Honestly what you really want is a car with the 2ZR-FE engine. Stock is basically 1,000hp, spins tires at 85mph, bolt ons ad crazyyyyy power

[@cloutlxrdgaming44]

Your gonna miss how responsive the m54 is, I switched from a 01 330ci to a 14 435i and the 435i pedal response is so slow compared to the 330

[@timlad123456]

forged internals is a big deal compared to cast, n54 powered cars are a bit faster

[@jacobaustin8538]

I bought a 2011 335i a couple of years back. After 2 weeks of owning it the plastic charge pipe snapped off at the intake and 2 injectors started leaking. Wonderful introduction to the world of turbocharged BMWs...

[@Kelanplayer]

Yeah I had that problem too. Easy fix just replace plastic pipes with a aluminium pipe then you don’t have that problem again

[@rosswonderley4794]

It's almost a rite of passage for owning an N55 to have to upgrade the charge pipe. Mine went within a week of purchasing it. 2 months so far and no other issues yet.

[@mhrvgarage]

How many miles on it

[@willurban16]

thank you for the video, I’ve been trying to learn more about both of these motors as I’ve been looking for a 535i or 135i for quite some time now not knowing really anything about the N54..so thank you for clearing a lot of things up

[@twinscrolled]

All N55's have sinter forged rods (exact same as in the S55 actually) and several later model N55's (M2, 740i, M135i, M235i, X4, etc) come with a forged crank as well. Not that it matters really but this "forged internals" misinformation is parroted in almost every video and discussion about this topic. I have 108k on my N55 and it has held up engine wise just fine to the 20psi daily it has seen since MHD was released and none of the problems I have had have ever been an engine problem, just your normal BMW BS (coolant hoses failing, water pump, busted oil cooler line, FRM module, etc), lol.

[@Spudcracker]

So do the later 2016 M135i LCI's have a forged crank as well?

[@twinscrolled]

@@Spudcracker Yes, all M135i's have the forged crank.

[@Spudcracker]

@@twinscrolled Brilliant thanks for replying

[@kay19833]

how much hp are you pushing?

[@Spudcracker]

@@kay19833 Hi, is your question aimed at myself or Scott? Either way my M135i Lci is standard I think. I'm hoping to start my Bhp journey in February I'm aiming for 450Bhp at the wheels which, would be enough for oooh 4 days maybe lol. I've heard it just gets addictive lol I'm hoping 450Bhp is obtainable without having to crack the engine

[@rynoryan859]

I can safely say I’ve put over $10k of mods on my 07 N54 and I’m making close to if not 600whp and reliability goes out the window once you surpass the 500whp mark, my upgraded twins blow hoses off and strip threads off heavy duty C clamps. Haven’t broken a worm gear yet but the “reliability” goes out the window when every psi you increase something else isn’t strong enough to support and needs to be upgraded. I love my N54 but DWG xdrive N55s are really nice

[@thinkingagain5966]

What exactly does over $10k worth of mods consist?

[@joshkaye5569]

N54 gang 👌🏽

[@Ashley_van_Schooneveld]

Money pit gang

[@bella_testastretta]

cant afford N55 gang

[@SlayTheSins]

Tuners like the N54 more then the N55, thats all I know xD

[@maxnix346]

Not anymore. They are about 50/50.

[@omarspost]

E90 discontinued in 2013, but people forget the N54 is also in the Z4 E89 up to 2016. Later built N54 engines 2013-2016 had their common issued addressed. So if you need a replacement block, get one out of late Z4

[@davidsalsedo6176]

Very good video thanks for getting straight to the point and explaining the differences

[@davidc9355]

Not sure yet. 1st BMW and quickly learned I needed to replace the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket.

[@Trenchluv]

N54 all day. I have one...I'm biased I've had mine for 2 years at 550whp and it's been 100% flawless. But that's just one man's story.

[@anthonywright5275]

Lol I'm trynna get mine up there but I'm fighting misfires me nor bmw techs can figure out. Have any advice!?

[@Trenchluv]

@@anthonywright5275 1- check and verify you have correct plugs for your given application and that they're gapped properly 2- purchase a new set of coils (latest version ) and replace all 6 3- monitor your fuel flow on the low pressure and high pressure side 4- lastly depending on your boost level you may have flywheel induced misfire this usually occurs always in cyl 6 and at high rpms. 5- there are other items to start checking off like injectors but those get kinda expensive and you must do all 6 *not must but highly recommend * if you have flow issues worh 1 or more

[@anthonywright5275]

@@Trenchluv hey I appreciate the response. They said plugs and coils were fine, I swapped em around and misfires consistent at #2 but I may try all new ones. I have the AT transmission so I believe I have a flexplate, Idk if that one can cause issues but I'm at normal levels of boost. It's sad to say, I know how much those injectors cost. As a last ditch effort they said it was the injectors... almost 2 grand later, turns out it fuckin wasn't 😒. They said it can't be fuel pump because it turns right over. But now you mention it, they weren't even considering the lpfp because of the known failures on the high. So I might just throw another one in for giggles as well and see what happens. But shit anything you can think of or know someone who has an idea I'll definitely try it. 😭

[@paulburgess6561]

@@anthonywright5275 I had a similar story with my WRX. Went through the same basic checks and couldn't figure out what the misfire was from. Ended up being a sticking exhaust valve. Hopefully you're able to figure out the issue. The constant CE light gets annoying. Haha

[@anthonywright5275]

@@paulburgess6561 duuuuude I think you might have something. My misfires begin when the car begins to hit operating temp, that's when the other exhaust flap is supposed to open. I'm gonna have to check that out. Thank you!

[@IanFurminger]

I don’t know if anyone’s gonna see this but does anyone know if parts from the N54 to N55 are interchangeable like cause the N54 has forged pistons and rods can I put N54 pistons and rods in an N55 or will the parts not fit so you can get the N54 ability to hold more power but the better reliability of the N55 even if it isn’t much better in terms of reliability so you can get the best of full worlds kind of like when building a 1.5 jz if you know what I mean

[@matreyia]

I work on both engine and I can say n55 is harder to work on. Just to do basic things like plug or coils you have to remove the passenger strut brace if you don't want to jump off a cliff. And if you walnut blast, you have to remove the ecu and pray that it don't give errors upon reinstall.

[@twinscrolled]

oh removing two bolts is such a PIA and removing the intake manifold with the ECU is a stupid simple as it gets.

[@matreyia]

@@twinscrolled - I am glad you like the idea of replacing the strut brace bolts each time you do anything involving removing the engine cover, intake snout, plugs, coils etc... and you are lucky that you never have to scratch your head due to stupid fault codes that arise after you reinstall the ECU.

[@twinscrolled]

@@matreyia The only time it has to be removed is to get to the rear two plugs. The intake can be removed without removing the strut bar. And if you disconnect the battery prior to removal, there are no fault codes when reinstalling the DME. fault codes only arise when you don't do things the right way when dealing with the DME.

[@matreyia]

@@twinscrolled - EXACTLY. you want to replace plugs or coils? New strut bar bolt. You want to replace gaskets for valve cover? new bolt... no thanks. It is as if they got a little more retarded in designing the n55.

[@thinkingagain5966]

@@matreyia unlike the n54 it's not necessary to walnut blast an n55 unless it has really high mileage r something

[@davidx6291]

i have an e61 530d m57 (218hp base) but i do a stage 1 on the gearbox and the motor and now it makes 300hp 700+ nm it has 500.000 km and i have 0 issues,works perfectly fain and i have it for a year. I think the m57 it s the secound best motor on reliability and consumption after the B58 like 7l/100km croussing and 12l/100km if u drive so sportis

[@kurtisnelson2937]

335is (2011 - 2013) kept the N54 as well.

[@jamieweatherford4283]

Not true I have a 2012 with a n55

[@Gamerlordpro]

N55 came in 2010

[@thinkingagain5966]

@@jamieweatherford4283 the "is" came w n54

[@micdev42]

Great video, well explained. I know this comment is a bit late but... I'm in the UK FYI. N54 uses unreliable piezo injectors. They are £450 each from BMW; there are no 3rd party new injectors available. N55 uses 'standard' solenoid type injectors and they are about £120 each. That fact alone is why I would not buy an N54 engined car.

[@amadeiusc657]

Would’ve been cool if you actually listed your research on “reliability” instead of just saying they are “bad”. For a reviews that’s high subjective without listening where you got your data from, which in turn takes away your credibility and makes you sound like the people you were referencing in this video. Thanks.

[@JohnyDiV]

Actually, he is not far from the truth, I own an E92 with an N52 in which some say it's more reliable if not the same. It is reliable if you change the known issues before they fail. For mine I had to invest some big bucks to bring it back to it's glory, since the previous owner didn't even bother to change the shocks that came from the factory 11years ago...

[@amadeiusc657]

This video was about the N54 VS N55 not the N52 bro.

[@JohnyDiV]

@@amadeiusc657 I am very well aware of that, look up the reliability difference between N52 and N54, that's why I compared it.

[@JohnyDiV]

@@amadeiusc657 An I would Highly recommend following BMW Doctor channel, that guy knows a ton about this engines

[@amadeiusc657]

Ionut well you’re still comparing an NA engine vs a turbo engine. I’ll check out the channel 👍🏽

[@mcintosh.motors]

I like many other people in the comments got a newer N55 because of its better reliability to a certain hp. And that’s when the N54 shines; if you’re up to it, they can be a lot more fun and will ultimately be cheaper if you want big power. I’m eventually hoping to have 600whp but that’s the absolute max I’d be able to do without building the bottom end. Both are great engines, if you have the money and are debating whether to get one, you can’t go wrong and you probably won’t regret it ;)

[@DoctorIncant]

Yo would you guys recommend x drive??? Debating whether to get a 335 or 335xi, I wonder if the awd makes a big difference during launches at all, and overall stability

[@lolwhatt820]

DoctorIncant AWD makes a huge difference in launched for sure. Other than that it’s only really good for bad weather lmao. You’ll lose more power through the drive train than RWD and it adds more weight to the car but to each his own. It’s about what you prefer

[@chrisbremner6813]

You can get a app call xdelete that you can go in and out of AWD

[@Neadieh]

N54 with dct and sport exhaust from bmw chipped to around 450-500hp is so so so good

[@mohammedabdo6983]

I own n work on n54 i treid n55 my freinds tried it and it blows up passd 650 N54 can safely run u 850 if engine is healthy with correct mods of course .

[@sekouchill]

I never heard somebody call a n55 unreliable lol… I did Uber in my x5 n55 for 20k miles in a few months not 1 issue.. oh and some extra power above stock ☺️

[@E-Sangiovanni]

Great video. Both engines are awesome BUT the N54 will go to the Hall of Fame. 😊 the N55 will be the. Ah! They also did this afterwards. 😝

[@davespin9034]

I just traded in my 2009 335i coupe with the N54 for a 2015 435i coupe. I wish I had kept it just one more day to see the odometer cross over 200,000 miles. I know I SUCK! I felt bad. The only work done to my car in all those miles was the walnut shell bead blasting of the intake & exhaust at around 125,000 miles, and an alternator at about 170,000. So reliability was good for me. I loved my 335i E92, and love the looks and drivability of the 435. I hope my 445 lasts that long… knock on wood.

[@Yachtzeee]

Bmw has a problem keeping oil inside the engine. Valve cover, oil pan, oil filter housing. Lather rinse repair

[@joshkey8930]

Yachtzeee customers also have an issue where apparently they can’t check their own oil, even when it’s literally at the touch of a button in these cars.

[@AquaStevae]

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Dimitron20]

You should do this same video but add the S55 as well

[@drewmorg.]

So if we are in the used market comparing 135i (15k pristine example) or a 235i (23k pristine example) what would you choose? Not looking to mod beyond a tune. Reliability and durability are paramount to me.

[@milzy83]

My n54 had injector blockage and high pressure fuel pump failure. Car was was only 3 years old.. Pretty crab tbh! 135i performance exhaust! Sounded incredible though.

[@LiveLifeLasting]

Mine had HPFP after 4 years on warranty, now 10 years old and no other issue after this, rock solid if you treat and maintain it well

[@bodhim4353]

I’m pretty sure next car is going to be either a 135 or a supercharged FRS, and the reliability factor is what I think might sway it toward the Toyota

[@6.3amgt70]

Daniel M I recommend driving a properly tuned 135 if possible, it would erase any desire for that snail of an FRS.

[@danielgillrup9363]

adding forced induction to a NA motor totally nullifies reliability regardless of the make or model..

[@michaeldgs]

Nice vid👍 doesnt the N55 in the M135i/M235i/M2 have forged crank aswell?

[@jonb2437]

Only in the M2. All internals are forged

[@michaeldgs]

Jon B hmm, think many past forums confirmed that the m135i/m235i have forged cranks and rods, but then the m2 then also have forged pistons...

[@emery2310]

Jon B N55 has cast crank but forged rods

[@itsreverse4237]

@@michaeldgs yes the M235i engines have forged cranks. Numerous forum posts and the Product Strategy Manager at BMW confirmed this.

[@kawaiipotato8733]

N54 for life

[@MrAlpinab7]

An MHD or Racechip tune to around 380 hp will follow shortly (car is currently 85k miles, or 135k km.

[@Mango_Productions]

You forgot one of the most popular late model N54s...the 2011-2013 335is which are highly sought after now and hard to find since production run was limited to about 7200 models.

[@scrubbyfingerz3355]

3000 models!

[@1991june]

2010 m sport models look the best in my opinion

[@xnye9350]

so your saying if you rebuild the head maybe do rod bearing and throw a blow guard in and i have a reliable 500 maybe 600hp n54?

[@mikeritchie2524]

Clearly you spend no time doing in depth research. N54s are routinely pushed to 850whp before the cylinder walls start to oval while the n55 struggles to 600whp. Reliability is negligible because both suffer from similar faults. However, N54 has more issues because it was first, which are easily resolved.

[@Dustrunnersauto]

Mike Ritchie you’re welcome to make a video yourself, mr expert 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mikeritchie2524]

@@Dustrunnersauto Join the N5X Enthusiast page on Facebook and let's have a discussion.

[@SR71life]

@@Dustrunnersauto its actually more about facts.

[@CapalotRDZ]

As a N54 owner myself I think It only becomes unreliable when you want to go for big mods. Such as huge single turbos on some stock internals etc... maintenance over mods is key

[@CapalotRDZ]

One thing I can complain about is the oem plastic parts those get annoying but nothing you can’t replace. I had to change my charge pipe and radiator due to heat but all good now

[@kknox5793]

if anything the car becomes more reliable with a single, gonna need to upgrade the faulty points anyway such as fueling, ignition, and air intake

[@kinetickhaos6144]

I got a n54 love the car I've changed the positive battery terminal and the battery aswell as the high pressure fuel pump and that car runs like a dream 🤭

[@keldonjones7767]

my fuel pump decided to go out as well ;(

[@kinetickhaos6144]

@@keldonjones7767 should be covered under bmw recalls for free

[@armystud6929]

@@kinetickhaos6144 wrong

[@kinetickhaos6144]

@@armystud6929 shame

[@NormandyFoye]

Make sure you know which n55 model you're talkin about. A good example is the m235i, which is not a true M car. disconnect the sound system from that and you will see exactly what I'm talking about because the exhaust is deceptional. BMW has piped-in exhaust sound through the speakers lol.

[@benjamintalmadge7158]

How are the diesel engines for the 335d I recently sold my N54 and am interested in the 335d but have little knowledge on that motor any advise? I’m not looking for big crazy power.

[@beamerandthebeast3979]

After i fixed all the unreliable isues, the n54 is a very very reliable bmw. Just dont cheep out on key parts... I brought a metal waterpump, silicone vacuum lines, metal coolant flange, oem valve cover, upgraded turbos... Only thing broken on it right now is my wheel bearing on the front which will be replaced soonn... New york roads r tuff..

[@geogabi77]

You forgot to mention that the n55 is an open deck which is more efficient than the n54 which has a closed deck, another important upgrade on the late production of n55 was made to the hpfp to improve reliability!

[@twelveoclock4877]

Great video!

[@legolas6818]

n54 have two turbos and n55 have one (together twin power) turbo?

[@f32_boost52]

Doesn't the N55 have rod bearing failures?

[@chrisbremner6813]

Most newer generations have that problem like the V8 in the m3 and v10 in the m5

[@Zed_Solo_RS]

My son has an N54 and I have an N55 and we have fun trolling each other over it.

[@FQ1998]

Hey sir, I am doing bootmod stage 2 expecting 360 whp on my 435i, should i worry that the engine or adjacent pieces of the motor will tear/wear ?

[@MustafaDarwiche]

I currently have the same car and bm3 just make sure all ur maintenance is done, make sure you have a aftermarket charge pipe and spark plugs are a plus

[@1knightstand81]

All Euro cars get the " unreliable " branding stamped on them. People like saying RBs are great.... But they have a laundry list of issues too. Let's be honest.

[@Chpspsa]

This cars is amazingly reliable in comparison with what it gives to you, I had Honda typeR fk2 and had a lot of problems electrical and oil leaking (and it was stock)then I bought a bmw 335i e92 2012 and never since have any problems (and it is 480 hp) the people don't understand that all turbo cars have almost the same problems, this guy maybe don't like BMW's because when say " it has poor reliability " he laughed with satisfaction

[@toddepley6624]

If you want to push a lot of power with mods, then the N54 is considerably better. However, for stock and even moderate HP and mods then then N55 is better, particularly the later EWG variants. Essentially this guy's info was spot on. They are both great engines... they are BMW so I doubt anyone knowledgeable buying one thinks they are going to get away with not having to replace some sort of pump or gasket.

[@fel1xxfel1xx60]

N55 sucks, even with tunes, they have more problems than n54’s.

[@reiqreip]

Just came from the argument between vq35de and vq35hr, now is n54 and n55, really it all depends on what you are driving. Car manufacturers only improve their works right?

[@ALiDTB999]

Had my E60 535i Lci for about a month now and this things a beast !! #n54

[@davidc9355]

I've heard the intake should be upgraded and the Vanos Solenoids as well. Purchased new coils and sleep belt with tensioner pulley

[@Bobby007D]

I'm running my E-93 2007 Dinan 335i , with the earlier N-54 . Purrfect.

[@bella_testastretta]

stock engine? how many miles?

[@Bobby007D]

@@bella_testastretta Stock , stage 3 Dinan upgrade , with 70K miles.

[@willpark7483]

There was loads of mainstream turbo BMW engine pre 2006...... 18d 20d 25d 30d 35d etc

[@thedani0937]

Question could I possibly buy an N54 and swap all of the N55 to it? Asking because I have a N55 535i which is blown. Could I just swap all electric and turbo to the N54 or would it be a hassle?

[@kalebuhl8260]

N55 has an entirely different fuel system from the N54 which is another reason for performance gain differences

[@ChadFreeman757]

I just started my n54 after 5 years. I’ve owned 5 Camrys that needed more maintenance.

[@FourSeasonsHD]

It may be possible to clean the injectors with a few liters of bioethanol in the tank. It is also possible to try E85 in the fuel even when the car is not tuned for it. For example 50-50 mixture of gas and bioethanol .

[@Kolenment]

N55 is a better buy because you don't have to buy LCI conversion parts (tail lights, personal choice). It's a newer model so potentially warranty has not run out and less miles.

[@AriVovp]

How long should timing chain on n55 engine last?

[@fabianspruit7941]

If its a timing chain it should last really long. Thats why car companies use them instead of timing belts. But if you want to be safe and have a high mileage car get it checked anyway(not at a dealership, but at a reliable registered german car mechanic)

[@shadquirk607]

I'm looking at a 135i and as far as I can find the 2011 update got the N55 with the DCT,. the same box as the M2 etc. whereas the N54 has a slushbox auto. If, like me, you're not interested in a manual then the DCT is the obvious choice. Would of been nice to make that distinction guys, it's not just differences in engines but the gearboxes are a leagues apart. Even between models there are differences in the gearboxes available and with significantly different 0-100 times they should of got a mention.

[@holdenwatkins652]

Never owned a n55 but had a n54 135i for 4 years in college and loved it. However, was also jealous of the DCT that only came with the n55 even though I had a manual. Just something about quick shifting

[@schof1014]

N54 all day long!!!!!! Stock bottom end 32 PSI, PI, 6266 or 64 and fueling. Built bottom end and closed deck plus everything above and you can aquire 900+ HP but you then need DSS Axels, Billet drive shaft and Ford 8.8 LSD. ......end rant

[@bounzig]

I'm in the market for a 335i RWD manual and I want to tune it to 600hp. I don't want a single turbo setup. What mods and parts do I need for this? I'm doing all the work myself. What motor controller should I get, can the jb4 handle that much boost?

[@calebnault1818]

I own a 335 If you want to make 600whp from stock you’re about $10k away or more, TD04 Turbos and a Port injection fuel system that alone can be $5k for those 2 components and then you have to change most of the parts in between the turbos and the motor so it adds up quick, mind you that’s cheaper than most motors to get to 600whp

[@bounzig]

@@calebnault1818 Thank you! Yeah I'm not new to building turbo engines, it can get expensive, fast! But it could be worth it since it only requires bolt-on parts..no need to take the engine apart.. And it's street legal as well.. I love bimmers but I'm tired of turbo converting and not having a street legal car. The 335 seems to be a perfect choice now that it's come down in price a bit.

[@soldierviejo8224]

I have never heard of an N55 with Wastegate rattle, there may be a handful out there but I just never heard of it.

[@jeffb.4773]

Disagree on your statements of N54 reliability. I daily drive a tuned 2010 335i with 98K miles and have had few issues (last was charge pipe failure, I've been running JB4 maps so understandable). I define failure as my daily commute is interrupted and car needs to go into a dealer for service. I suggest being more quantitate in your comments: 1) What is your measure of reliability and over what period of time and incidence (service calls, main component failures etc.). Have you owned a BMW with either N54 or N55? Numerous opinions regard the N54 as the most "tune-able" engine since the 2Jz - how do you reconcile this? Waste gate rattle can be fixed in JB4 map if one utilizes. No argument on the water pump failure - standard to occur by 100K miles.

[@anthonyk]

i think the M50 is a better engine for boost

[@restats8533]

N54 the best engine forever

[@formalfears4892]

very informative and to the point gained a sub in between multiple a 135i and 425i rn they both have the n55 correct

[@curtiscruise2865]

bottom line N54 for racetrack- N55 for daily driver- Both are great engines but you can push more HP from the N54 period. N55 you can realiably get 400whp out of which makes a great street car but its not a racecar. The N55 535I is best for a family, 3 series with N54 = go go against anybody