Spun & Done - Tearing Down A BMW N55 With A Failed Rod Bearing

►BMW’s N55 took over from one of the most revered engines to come out of Bavaria. It simplified shortcomings and improved upon a winning formula to become a driving force in BMW's engine lineup. But what happens when one goes catastrophically wrong?
If you’ve found yourself on the wrong side of a spun bearing like plenty of BMW owners do, you’re likely out of an engine without really knowing exactly what went wrong. Wonder no longer as our BMW Catalog Manager breaks down an N55 engine that suffered from a spun rod bearing.
Tag along as Gareth strips down the engine core and takes a look at the components inside. See how a momentary lapse in oil supply can heat the engine’s components beyond their limit until they break, destroying nearly the entire engine along with it. Within the carnage, however, are some things to gain. Learn how the VANOS system and Valvetronic system rely on oil supply to perform and how their advancements made the N55 one of the most advanced engines on the market in its time. All of that and more, right here with FCP Euro.
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[@oldjarhead1125]

This is probably the best N55 tear down & identifying components so far. A very complex engine, to say the least. Thanks for doing this Garth. Love your DIY video's.

[@fcpeuro]

Glad you enjoyed it Richard, more like this to come from Gareth and the team!

[@allmycarsisbroke]

It's Gareth, not Garth.

[@oldjarhead1125]

@@allmycarsisbroke My bad.....I'm old 🙈🙉🙊

[@allmycarsisbroke]

@@oldjarhead1125 fair enough. Lol

[@lukez1729]

Lol.you must have never heard of a n63

[@iwontforgetmypsw]

Gareth, check the oil pump PLASTIC pick up tube, which is seen at 20:00 it will definetely be cracked which causes insufficient oil pressure for bearings. UPVOTE so Gareth could do a follow up inspecting oil pump plastic pick up tube. It is not very known or talked cause for N55 but thats the one for oil starvation. Brilliant engineering once again for N55.

[@GarethFoley]

That is a really good point and observation. I didn't check that particular part, already chucked it, but did speculate in another comment the possibility for the pickup to be a problem area. The valve covers can suffer from micro-cracking over time so there is no reason the plastic windage tray/pickup can't suffer the same problem. Any cracks in that pickup can certainly starve the oil pump or introduce air into the system.

[@iwontforgetmypsw]

@@GarethFoley Yes especially who owns N55 in cold climate conditions tend to come across this issue with pick up tube more frequently, these constant temperature changes in winter hot engine, then it freezes, then hot again, freezing etc. is not good for plastic and it is just a matter of time when it will crack. It is very strange that they came up with this plastic design and there is no updated part for it.

[@benjaminanthony4125]

I'm loving this video and the information I am getting from it. Seeing how everything goes together is going to make maintenance and repairs easier. More of the same for specific portions of the motor is being closely watched for.

[@nofilter2091]

Thank you FCP Euro for more great content! I never knew that there was a storage technique on a crank, very interesting.

[@greggersch]

Always cool to see all the parts in the engine and how they fit together.

[@fcpeuro]

Especially when you dont have to put them all back together right after 😁

[@mohammadhayatca3244]

Excellent teardown and commentary Gareth .

[@user-xg3me6qg2k]

Love to see an engine teardown video 😍 great work guys 🧡

[@fcpeuro]

More to come like this, stay tuned! Glad you liked it

[@kenlipper874]

Great video. This guy is super knowledgeable.

[@cuttthroatperformance2752]

It was fun watching this, thank you very much for the video!!

[@Zekrom868]

Great information and great video thanks for your hard work and great knowledge.

[@keltalon]

I’ve been watching this guy for a while I must say he knows what he’s talking about!

[@W.Khairi]

As clean and proffessional as usual, Well done Gareth

[@dionisifilpo7735]

Excellent Work.

[@northforktactical9979]

I love your videos. Can you please do a complete timing chain replacement on this motor while mounted in the car? I have the ISTA and there's some details that aren't super clear and a DIY video of this procedure would be really helpful to eliminate any questions or lack of information for the details.

[@jamesk3565]

Definitely enjoyed this

[@UltimateBimmerSVC]

We disassemble the oil pumps and have found scoring issues for the N55. Remove the rear cover of the oil pump and check the surface. We recommend oil pumps and rod bearings for the N55 long term owners.

[@alexr.9623]

I've got an N55 with 170k on the clock that needs a oil pan gasket and I am seriously considering rod bearings. I'd heard the oil pumps were bullet proof but seems like your experience is different?

[@naterockwell7735]

What year is your n55 engine

[@brarautorepairs]

​@@naterockwell7735 2014 232k all original internals, rod bearings. Oil pressure is higher than expected value oj live data. Engine is extremely clean, no rattle on the belt. Oil changes where always done on time at stealership.

[@Bikes_exv]

Nice video!! Thank you so much! I've repair the same engine on my F10. This video give me like "flashback" when I disassembly my engine!

[@fcpeuro]

You're welcome!

[@questfor10s]

Good video. I’d like to add something to Gareth’s nice commentary. You will see blue heat discoloring next to all the journals on all N54, N55 cranks. This is actually normal because they are inductively heat treated like that from the factory. The only way to check actual heat damage from no oil is to remove the rod bearings and look at the rod caps and crank journal underneath them.

[@fcpeuro]

Correct QuestFor10s ! The bluing on the crank is all normal heat treating , the heat we were trying to show in the video was the black discoloration vs the normal bluining/heat. can certainly be confusing!

[@reginald8405]

Great Video Garth!

[@ca7892]

Best mechanic ever

[@rwsavory]

Really interesting. Thanks!

[@ahw5hcgfyj]

Great video. Would love to see an N54 being built!

[@robertkasten9433]

What a terrific presentation! (And I loved your comment when lifting off the head!)

[@rodrigomeca]

Nice video guys!!

[@Top_g80comp]

Fantastic video,keep it up 🤘🏻💯

[@AnthonyStromDesign]

great explanation on the N55 engine. thank you! I have more confident to tackle my N55 on my 2013 x1 xdrive35i with this knowledge.

[@JustCallmeTobyy]

yea as a 335i owner i appreciate this breakdown on parts i didnt even know were in this motor.

[@robertperillo8738]

Im about to embark on this journey with my N55. I had a head bolt strip out of the block due to boost, threads and all, and it burns coolant/pressurizes and leaks past the expansion tank now as a result. So I’ll be taking mine down to a bare block and having it studded. It looks like head bolt clearance with the cams in the head is very tight, probably going to need to remove the cams in order to torque the nuts on the studs (since they’d be larger than the T60 bolts). That looks fun 😅

[@damienj5183]

The bolt on the crank isn't an issue. So its not sketchy, its fantastic!

[@Tim007rus]

This guy seems to be very knowledgeable! I like him 👍 Another cool idea for you to go over b58 and make a video comparing it to n55 in terms of weak points and what was actually improved. Thanks to all the team I only buy parts from you guys.

[@rodgazinya]

B58 is better in nearly every way. Especially the B58tu. N55 wasn't terrible but was no N54 or B58. S55 is a great engine though.

[@fcpeuro]

We would love to do a B58 teardown next!

[@high_drivexxx]

@@rodgazinya The N55 is far more reliable than the N54. Even with the slightly weaker internals. The B58 is all-around better more improved, however. Time will tell which fatal issues it can develop though.

[@rayland9305]

@@rodgazinya lol every big youtuber I follow blew their B58. Don't believe the hype

[@sonicnofadz]

@@high_drivexxx n55 is more reliable right up until it spins a bearing lol

[@douglasstewart2114]

Very Nice video , You are giving great information , Thank You

[@fcpeuro]

Thank you for watching, Douglas!

[@kristineblethyn1909]

Great video! Have you done a complete rebuild video ? Thanks

[@therealcarlchao]

Love these videos. If you could do an F30 N55 water pump + thermostat replacement video that wouldn't be so bad either!

[@Heavlysedated]

I just did mine it’s easy as long as u take everything out, charge pipe, accessorie fan, bottom thermostat hose to sub frame. More room u have to work the easier it is. All I have to say.

[@Heavlysedated]

Turbo side charge pipe btw not intake side!

[@turbo97semax]

Great video ... wish I had seen it when I was doing major maintenance on my son's N55 engine. I almost always buy my parts from FCP Euro unless FCP just does not have them. Bought full aluminum water pump, injectors, coil packs, spark plugs, oil filter housing gasket, HPFP, valve cover, motor mounts, belts, filters, trans filter/fluid ... everything but the aluminum oil pan. Wish there was a comprehensive 100K mile kit of what needs to be replaced.

[@lynx_eyed9623]

nice to see the intake at over 100k miles in that condition. My M135i with the N55 has almost 71k miles on it. thinking about blasting the intake valves

[@Kaporal41]

Great video 👍🏻 where I can find your instructional PDF ?

[@macannnas]

Hi there love your videos.. Quick question... So there's 3 cam position sensors then? 2 in the front nex to the vanos solenoids and the other on the vacume pump? Thanks again

[@dogchainsaw3923]

Rod bearings and Bmw. Iconic duo.

[@DigitalDissident]

Likely from not priming engine after repair, so preventable. Definitely important to know

[@GarethFoley]

Unfortunately true. Although, there are a few external factors that don't help these engines either: 1) Lower viscosity oil is being used to cheat emissions standards (thinner oil means less drag on the oil pump and therefor better efficiency) and extended oil change intervals where oil shear strength is reliant 100% on the quality of the additive package. To that end BMW factory oil was being supplied by Shell which is primarily GTL (gas to liquid ) base oil which is naturally thinner than refined crude, viscosity and shear resistance is 100% reliant on the additive package at that point. 2) Factor in the viscosity change from #1 and the introduction of auto start stop and you have a long term engine killing combination. I have auto start stop coded off permanently in any modern BMW I own (2017 F15 X5 xDrive35i and 2011 E92 M3).

[@MGB-di9gd]

@@GarethFoley what brand of oil and viscosity would you recommend using to prevent this extra wear on the engine

[@briandavila8611]

@@GarethFoley Do you believe running 5w40 LiquiMoly to be a good oil to run on these engines? I run around 7k mile intervals. No tracking. Any oil additives you personally believe in? Was there ever an update on the rod bearings? I read on forums that some 2013 models got a rod bearing update and when I looked up my engine on realoem I believe there was a different part number on the rod bearing compared to the older engines. Not sure if this is true but curious to see if you know anything about that. Thanks again for the great video! Would love to see more.

[@prayformojo1117]

@@briandavila8611 The answer to this complete depends on your climate. If you live in a place that see -20s or below I don't think 5W anything is the right oil in winter.

[@omegagavin]

Great video! Why would bmw not fix the leaking oil filter housing issue that’s plagued so many engines over so many years? It’s baffling.

[@kid2519]

Excellent teardown! How about S65 engine teardown next? Those always have rod bearing failures.

[@fcpeuro]

We are hoping to cook up a rod-bearing DIY on that engine soon!

[@rook2043]

Great video. It still bugs me that the engine has plastic on the inside. Just can't believe that's a good idea.

[@fcpeuro]

You and us both!

[@efthimios]

Aweosme you have a 2011 335 and I love my n55!!!

[@HaiderAli-ot2gg]

how much does it cost per year to maintain an n55?

[@efthimios]

@@HaiderAli-ot2gg brother it’s my first bmw and it’s the best car I ever owned - I bought it with 9k miles and has 70k miles and only replaced radiator , cal a cover Gasket and general maintenance- check my channel I have some videos. If you want a 335 get at least the n55 , I’m glad I got the last of the e90 as it drives amazing

[@craigrogerson4550]

Great vid I have a question about a n47d20c it's just been rebuilt after a timing chain snapped 1 month later its developed a rod nock the bearings were checked but not replaced is the bottom of the block like to be toast .will I need a short block or can I get away with resurfacing the crankshaft and new bearings obviously replace my connecting rods too

[@heinz490]

use to fill the oilpump gear with nulon l90 and the berings to with a litle oil the filter housing primed and didnt fit the spark plugs at the startup less stress to the bearings

[@Trump-The-GREATEST]

Thank you Gareth for finally doing a teardown on my N55 engine. Now i know more about it and how its mostly simple of a design yet powerful and very easy to work with. One of the main reasons why i chosed a BMW 535i M Sport with the n55 inline engine, very stable and well engineered when you tackle all its simple maintenance and prevention maintenances that needs to be done for an amazing exciting everyday ride! Mostly thanks to FCPeuro for existing and having almost all needed highest OE/OEM quality parts. More of a reason to own a German car when FCP has ur back!

[@fcpeuro]

We are happy to have your back LaloMan ! Glad you enjoyed this video and we appreciate your support as a customer.

[@marshallgoldberg8376]

Is there a fuse or relay you can pull instead of disconnecting all of the fuel injector plugs?

[@derekkchung]

Question. Oil pump picks up oil from pan and NOT 100% send thru oil filter? There is another direct route to go straight to the vanos solenoids? Or does the oil on rod bearing travel inward thru the oil passages on the crankshaft to the neighboring rod bearings and then to everywhere in the engine?

[@gregoryboothe2403]

Are there many differences between the 2014 bmw 740i and the 640i as far as maintenance. I believe they both have the n55. Look for a daily driver. Thanks

[@dobbo_f21]

I killed my N55 on the Nurburgring. A common upgrade is to fit the S55 dual oil pick up and baffled sump On a side note you don’t have to do timing when replacing a vacuum pump as mentioned

[@GarethFoley]

Sorry to hear you had that failure and the S55 parts are definitely to clear go to for serious track use/performance applications. And yes, you are correct. I definitely misspoke. I was referring to the disassembly of the front of the engine to gain access to the mounting screws for the pump.

[@heleneleroy2462]

Hello! I had a motor issue last week on the Nurb. It stopped and i had to go in freewheels to Breitscheid… What was the diagnosis for you ? What repairs did you do?

[@SilverScarletSpider]

He looks so sad that the engine is damaged in the thumbnail. Why are rod bearings a maintenance item on BNW’s but not on equivalent yet performance Merc and Acura engines?

[@jdmtechllc6589]

Nice video guys, just wish you would have tore down the oil pump to show the inside of it, I have an N55 in the shop right now and she’s locked up solid, wondering if I could put a new crank and rod/rods with new bearings and oil pump to save it, or if we should just swing in a used one instead

[@fcpeuro]

Common to end up having to swap out the oil pump, and bearings. That said cost may be the differentiator for you on which route to take.

[@BimmertechG01]

For valve cover jobs on N55 engines you can remove only the fuel lines to each individual injector, theres just enough clearance between the valve cover and fuel rail to remove the VC with the rail still installed. Just wear safety glasses, the rails usually hold pressure and spray a little gas on removal of the lines, disconnect battery for that reason.

[@Hvac.tools_]

Paid $850 to replace mine kinda wish I did it myself now

[@easyrelaxation2246]

Thanks for the video. Im currently considering buying a 2016 F10 535i. It has 88k miles on it. I got a car fax on it. Two owners. First was a lease then sold. I cant find any information regarding the common failure issues being addressed. Ie, valve cover gasket. Oil filter housing gasket, water pump and charging tube. Dealer has done its checks and found no issues. Wanted to get your opinion if this would be a good purchase. They are asking 21k.

[@amzttlobo4488]

Hi. By the way do you know a good machine shop to rebuild BMW N55 crankshaft maybe? I am from FL and bouth all parts from FCP EURO to rebuild a N55 but want to reuse the old crank as possible on next project...

[@iturboh]

Excellent video and very knowledgeable guy, can we get a reassembly with torque values lol

[@tonyhayes8369]

i would like to see a rebuild on a N51 motor 2011 bmw xdrive

[@dangelorayford9565]

Rebuilt my N55 14’ bought it used did 2k in preventative maintenance as soon as a got it 2 months later spun a rod bearing and cylinder 2 greneded. Btw 2 weeks before it went I took it too the dealership and they said it was the exhaust rattling.

[@Jet3ch]

Damn how many miles did it have? Was it modded? I wanted an n55 but now ive been seeing a lot of negative things about i

[@queensfinest18318]

I have a e92 N55 and I was thing on building the bottom end but was wondering if was possible to use the S55 with the N55 head ?

[@carwowsa]

Hello, My car is n55 F87 I have a crack in the Intake Camshaft Adjuster, and I changed it, but with a different part number for n55 but not f87; the power has been dramatically lost. Today I received a new Intake Camshaft Adjuster for N55 F87; during the change, I found damage on ECCENTRIC VVT CAMSHAFT, and noise from eccentric camshaft sensor actuator motor My question is, Is this problem because I replaced the Intake Camshaft Adjuster with different parts?

[@TravisAndrew1]

what was the cause of failure? was the oil pump dicked? or wing wang oil filter?

[@Mr_frost467]

I have a big turbo e70 n55 with 600hp died on me on the highway after destroying a scatpack on a 60 roll. The exhaust cam seems fine, but the intake cam has the barcode facing almost down when at TDC. I don't understand how this happened. The timing chain is tight. The tensioner is new. The cam ajuster locking tool still fits? Any ideas

[@ericriling3438]

Great video! I just acquired a 2013 F10/N55 and am getting ready to replace the valve cover. Is the priming process required for this type of service?

[@fcpeuro]

Hi Eric, no need for just doing the valve cover!

[@garypeatling7927]

I have n45 deisel 4cylinder 2012 , oil vacuum pump combined not pumping any oil .? Even once removed driven with nut gun . ..? Does look bad

[@NICK-qu8io]

I have 2012 F30 335i N55 130k Getting oil from lines to boost solenoid. Replaced solenoid and it failed again. I'm getting an oil leak somewhere and looks like from the solenoid lines. I'm thinking the vacuum pump is failed. How hard to replace without tearing down engine? I'm not finding anything online for this pump replacement. DIY thanks Note: since 85k been having oil leaks. The mechanic replaced oil filter housing, lines, and then a year later said the valve cover gasket. I changed the gaskets and checked they're not leaking. still getting oil from left rear. Traced it to what seems like the solenoid. Tried replacing with no luck.

[@isrealperez9069]

I've read that this is the most common thing on an n55 BMW engine but can you tell me what model is the n55 so I can avoid it I'm still rocking the m54

[@boston05011]

So I have a 2013 650 N63TU I believe engine. Recently stalled twice rowed to dealer an there telling me the engine is seized.. the pit a borscope an seem nothing. An so the warranty is asking for a tear down of the engine to find root of cause. So with your expertise what would you think happened ? Always serviced dealer an maintained

[@MarioDallaRiva]

Super interesting! Great way to see the inner workings. Wouldn't it be nice if the side body fenders could easily pivot away from the engine to allow better access when in the engine bay for doing work?!?

[@thereaperboyz5555]

Need the video for specs to put this back on!

[@ShortReelsFromMoss]

Guys, are u planning on opening something in europe ?

[@theblacklast]

what are the consequences of the bed plate not being sealed properly?

[@herlegz6969]

Has anything changed on the b58 to reduce oil circuit air being trapped after opening them up? Priming engines by filling the oil filter housing and 3 10 second cranks should be religiously followed either way.

[@GarethFoley]

The B58 is an entirely different engine in every way. The N55 was an evolution of the N54 with shared design architecture. The B58 along with the other B series modular engines are an entirely new design. They are too new to have a sense for long term pattern failures. There are also two main variations of the B58 (B58 and B58TU) so it will be interesting to see what the weak links are between the two variants as time goes on.

[@GarethFoley]

And I agree, priming any engine after a major repair should just be standard practice.

[@nascarenthusiast3233]

What model is this build?

[@jackhere4594]

are the pistons Forged or Hypereutectic? crank? rods? hypereutectic pistons shudnt be cracking not before cast pistons. i jus read alot about these crackin on n55. maybe thats for people pushing above 600hp i dunno

[@JacksonODJ]

As a fellow large, sweaty guy, please turn the AC down in that shop. It has AC, right? Right??? Thanks for sharing. Going to have to do (much of this) soon, and while I'm not looking forward to it, I appreciate the thorough breakdown.

[@zunaids4036]

hi. I have a bmw f30 328i. I'm getting error codes. P0012, p0015, P0172 any idea what parts needs to be changed?

[@mxlibano]

Great video! I have a 2012 x3 with 237000 miles that has a clanking sound inside the engine. The car still runs! My question to you and your team is if this type of major teardown can be done without removing the engine from the car? Well, hoisted but still attached to the transmission?

[@AllThingsFlightSim]

Sounds like rod bearings

[@HaiderAli-ot2gg]

n55 engine??? HOW TF DID U GET AN X3 TO LAST 237000 MILES

[@peterjg001]

@@HaiderAli-ot2gg probably not an n55

[@philska8er]

@@HaiderAli-ot2gg 274000 on mine. Owned since new. Changed oil every year regardless. Never thrashed from cold. Only failures are rocker gasket, oil filter housing gasket, crank seal, sump gasket. Just oil leaks 😃👍

[@imperial1037]

@Sha Ting If i see 200k I'll be proud of my little n55.

[@Renatotexas]

I need buy a crankshaft for n55 engine bmw 135 6 cilinders

[@kellyhankins8002]

No oil cooler lines on the oil filter housing ?

[@GarethFoley]

I don't think the oil filter housing that was on this engine was the correct one. Since it was only held on with one screw it looks like it was just thrown back on the core.

[@carlyletom301]

This looks like the 1st N55 engine from the E90. The 2013 N55 E92 looks different.

[@Chris-rs3dj]

N55 overall is pretty solid. Unfortunately it seems like very early builds suffered from rod issues even with proper oil changes

[@HaiderAli-ot2gg]

the problem is that people run the car hard before warmup bhvmhmhgmg

[@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth]

Solid? My servomotor just failed. Needs new eccentric shaft and shorted my DME.

[@IvanTheHurricane]

Were the connecting rods PN 11247624615? According to RealOEM, these are the same between the N55 and S55 which are forged in the M motor. I've heard it was for later model cars, but this looks to be a PWG engine. I'm also trying to figure out if the numbers were just updated in RealOEM vs what was ogininally put in the motors.

[@fcpeuro]

Hi Ivan, unfortunately this block is long gone, no way to confirm those numbers at this point. Keep us posted if you do find out that info.

[@patrickconway2587]

might have missed it, but whats the year on that engine? im pretty sure the bearing weres improved after a certain year

[@APATHTC]

This has to be true. The N55 underwent a change for 2014-2015 MY. Since the intake is missing, the telltale sign is the PWG (in this year down) instead of a EWG.

[@Anthony-qh1xv]

Great video! One question though, My N55 has 78k miles on it. It runs perfect, there is only one thing, it has a slight tick from under the car, as it runs, what is that? Is that normal? Thanks!

[@imperial1037]

Most likely the injectors, this motor has very loud injectors that sound like ticking, and is amplified if you take the engine cover off. The source of the noise are the injectors aggressively open and closing.

[@DigitalDissident]

Injectors, normal. They are loud if plastic beauty cover is rrmoved.

[@BurrNinja]

My question is, doing a oil filter housing gasket taking off the house exposing the inside of that area is similar to pulling the filter? How does an oil change not give the air pocket the same way?

[@Trump-The-GREATEST]

Im think because the oil filler cap has an inside valve that lets oil pass by and not. This is why one must replace the oil filler cap every 50k miles to keep ur oil fluently across the engine in top shape. Its also a cheap part to replace and if u hear noise coming from the oil filler cap, then its a must to replace asap.

[@BurrNinja]

@@Trump-The-GREATEST No I mean taking the oil filter out of the housing, it exposes air just as much as pulling the entire housing off the head.

[@jamsbong]

I think it was starving for oil. Probably from hard cornering G forces on a racetrack and low oil level.

[@seollenda]

Heard people in the N55 community say the car goes through terrible oil starvation under intense turning force or when doing donuts

[@GarethFoley]

Completely believable. There is zero scavenging/baffling in the typical N55 oil pan. The pickup is also not very deep in the pan either. Based on the design I would not consider tracking one of these cars without some oiling upgrades (minimum a baffled oil pan).

[@Heavlysedated]

U want to do donuts buy a Miata or a vet. Bimmers are for comfort. None of them are high horespower in my op. I’ve had like 8 bimmers. There comfy. Sound proof. Kids beating on shit usually leads to everything breaking.

[@jkay3735]

​@Ryan Blake my M135i with N55 is 418 bhp, it is very fast.

[@andywelter]

Connecting rod on my 2012 335xi is making noise, but engine is still running and mechanic found evidence of shavings from the bearings. Is the motor a goner, or it possibly rebuildable? Salvage engine looks to cost about $5k, labor in replacement is about $5k, so $10k to get a salvage motor put into it... but the car is only worth about $10k according to what I'm seeing for sale.

[@rochskier]

Every piece of information I've been able to find so far seems to say that a new engine is the better choice. Numbers wise I'm in nearly the exact same situation you are with my 2014 X1 xDrive 35i. At this point, I'm leaning toward selling it to an auto recycler and just moving on.

[@_Wai_Wai_]

If I see metal shavings on the VANOS solenoid screens, that is a definite spun bearing issue?

[@fcpeuro]

Certainly not a good sign, would highly recommend further investigation.

[@stephenbrockett710]

Spindly Looking conrods.I suppose light construction gives fast rev gain?

[@fcpeuro]

😎

[@carpassionllc1378]

Nice video, actually one of the best on the channel and you guys should keep'em coming. Gareth, I own a 2011 X5 35i with the N55 engine. It has 111K miles. Since I bought it at 84K miles it has a slight whining noise that kinda follows the RPM. Not fully related, but so far I replaced the drive belt, pulley and tensioner, HPFP and the power steering pump (this one I bought used), but the exact same noise can still be heard. The only two things remaining are the vacuum pump and the alternator bearings. Those 2 are the only items left in there that might cause the whining. I can't pinpoint the part that might cause it and so I'm trying my luck here: based on your experience, could it be one of these two?

[@briandavila8611]

Could it be the valve cover? Maybe the built in pcv went bad. Try removing the oil cap and having someone else rev the engine a little to see if the whine goes away. If it does, get a need valve cover. I just did mine and bought genuine bmw since mine last 95k miles I figured the same part will last just as long.

[@ichoozjc]

Yeah possibly valve cover. Turbos can whine too.

[@GarethFoley]

Does it sound like it's coming from the right side of the engine bay (turbo side) or more towards the left (instake side)? I know pinpointing sources of noise like that can be difficult but does it sound like it eminates from a distinct side?

[@HaiderAli-ot2gg]

how much does it cost per year to maintain the car?

[@SuperCortes10]

I swear this is the exact motor that came out of my F32, the car ended up going to auction at copart after the engine blew and also months before it went i personally replaced the bearings to connecting rods 5 & 6 and left the others alone, also the oil pump chain guide had pieces missing and it was completely seized also the mileage was close to mine

[@Salpeteroxid]

What tune and mod did you have? I'm on F36 435i 2014 MHDs stage2 + E20, BIG ic and catless dp. Just trying to not kill my engine.

[@SuperCortes10]

@@Salpeteroxid I was bone stock, the N55 is a really strong motor but one of the downfalls of it comes when you are low on oil because the car will tell you it’s low by one quart only, no matter how many quarts low you might be so in my case my engine was about 3 quarts low on oil and when it’s that low and you take a corner hard and at high rpm the oil sloshes to one side of the oil pan and now the pick up tube can no longer pick up any oil, your pump runs dry for a split second and it fry’s your rod bearings, i upgraded to the S55 in the F82 and they solved that problem with an improved oil pump and pickup as well as extra baffles in the oil pan to keep the oil in place, but just keep oil in it and you’ll be fine because I beat the dog shit out of mine and got it to 95k miles

[@SuperCortes10]

@@Salpeteroxid Oh also if you plan on making big HP like over 500 look into getting the crank hub done, it’s a bigger issue on the S55 engine but i do believe the N55 carries that same problem dude to it sharing 75% of the parts between the two engines

[@MRMV483]

Please do a video on B48 reliability!

[@fcpeuro]

They are pretty damn bulletproof!

[@MRMV483]

@@fcpeuro thanks for the comment. my 520i G31 has about 100k miles, I should not be worried about timing chain issues?

[@audriusmackevicius1433]

I've heard that oil starvation on these engines happen due to cracked plastic oil pickup

[@vb7037]

Will rod bearing issues affect stock cars that are just road driven moderately? Just curious if I should do this as preventative maint, I want to keep the car for a long time. I barely go above 4k rpm maybe 3 times a month, the rest is just normal driving. The car is an 11" with 180k kms (120k miles ). )

[@fcpeuro]

Hi VB, this can happen to any vehicle. The best thing to do is simply stay on top of maintenance on your N55 and maintain stict oil change intervals. There may be a need to consider bearings for long-term mileage on N55's without updated bearings.

[@DigitalDissident]

I got a 2011 n55 e82 that's been on the nurburgring, and I regularly do 250-280kmh on the autobahn in it. Haven't had anything fail & it has several bolt ons. It's made to go fast so get that carbon out of there and don't baby foot it.

[@LanceLisciotti]

I just did my OFHG 2 nights ago and I didn't prime my engine after the repair, 2011 n55 e92 xdrive. Is it to late or can I still prime or what's my best option? Ty

[@briandavila8611]

If you already turned on your engine and everything is okay then no need. Your oil is already circulated.

[@GarethFoley]

You would have problems already if the system didn't prime properly. You're good at this point. If you wanted to prime it for your own sanity you can unplug the injectors and crank the engine three times for 10 seconds.

[@gerardogarcia4737]

Can one rebuild the engine with forged parts after all these problems?

[@fcpeuro]

You can do anything you set out to do.

[@prayformojo1117]

Everyone asking what oil should they use, the answer to that depends entirely on your climate. 0W-30/40 if you see -20s or below, and 5W-40 if you're in a warm climate.

[@TheMidnightNarwhal]

Eh not really, 0W-40 is really only required starting at -35c. I run 5W-40 here in Canada.

[@prayformojo1117]

@@TheMidnightNarwhal It doesn't go from thin to solid, 5W-40 if you're hard starting in -20s is still not good. These cars have sketchy bearings and the slightly better high temp protection is worthless with low flow cold starts. There's a reason BMW went to 0W-30 in all these engines beyond fuel economy gains. Mine had lifter noise at -10 and below with 5W-30 Twin Power. Poor oil circulation.

[@TheMidnightNarwhal]

​@@prayformojo1117 What do you mean it doesn't go from thin to solid? And yeah sure maybe noise wise it might help but from a wear standpoint the differences are marginal if the temps are not more than -35c. It is not required. And yeah no, it's mainly for fuel economy yes. Look it up I'm not claiming anything. I used OW-40 before and didn't notice any changes when going to 5W-40.

[@marius8298]

Which engine is better: N55 (F series) or Audi 3.0 supercharged? Especially important to me is reliability after tuning it on stage 2? (no ethanol; nothing too crazy)

[@nycshelbygt500]

BMW B58/S58

[@kaydan9906]

🙌 down the Audi 3.0 only issues are breather valve and water pump leak very reliable motor easy to tune

[@MrKobedagreat24]

Also audi has the dct tranny known for issues

[@alangil40]

The Audi 3.0T will have timing chain tensioner problems when it gets older and a full timing chain job is engine out and will cost more than $6k, but then it will be good to go again. Another 3.0T issue is carbon build-up in the secondary air passages which cannot be walnut blasted. This only affects cold start, but can cause a CEL. Its relatively expensive to have them cleaned. The N55 has rod bearing issues and I read its possible for oil starvation to happen under g-force load both laterally and during acceleration/braking, so I don't trust it anymore (I had one with a spun bearing). The N54 despite its many minor issues is probably safer from catastrophic failure. If you can swing it get a B58 powered BMW. I don't know how tunable those are, but they seem to have fixed a lot of the N54/N55 issues.

[@marius8298]

@@MrKobedagreat24 I would go with b8.5 model which no longer has this issue as I know

[@nerkatomkus5639]

The main thing for oil starvation for this engine is bmw's beloved shitty plastic oil suction tube. It has welded coned part on the bottom and the seam tend to crack. This how you get air in sucked in oil and after pump oil is with with air bubbles in entire engine. So lubrication is no longer sufficient especially on high loads( track driving high rpm). The consequences is famous bearing failure. In general many problems in BMW engines are their morbid love to make details from shitty plastic for very hot running engines. Maybe it's done with purpose to make engine time ticking bomb after warranty.. Because you can make that oil suction pipe from steel tube and have no problems trough entire car life. I think engineer who made decision to make it from plastic is or mentally retarded or made with purpose the engine to fail after few years. Thank you for your attention.

[@sajadeshahidpour2008]

Hello, this is a very interesting analysis and I certainly agree that the BMW engineers have desperating love for plastic at the worst place (charge pipe if only). But my understanding was that the main cause for driving based oil starvation (as opposed to non priming starvation) is the flawed design of the N55 oil sump. The s55 has a baffled oil sump which allows to always have some oil for the suction hose to take. In addition, the s55 has an additional scavenger pump.

[@mikemacdonald1801]

Good engineers design things to last. Rich engineers design things to last just long enough.

[@adolfoblanc9652]

Got a 2015 535i with n55 what grade oil and brand would be the best for these engines?

[@Drtbiker88]

Been running Mann Filters and Liqui Moly 5W-40 since brand new on my 2015 335i. All my oil change kits I have bought from FCPEuro

[@GarethFoley]

I use Liqui Moly Leichtlauf 5W40. In addition to that I use Cera Tec every 25K miles with MOS2 used at every oil change in between the 25K mile Cera Tec intervals. As part of my general maintenance regimen I also use Liqui Moly engine flush every 10K miles to help clean any varnish. My primary reason for use of the additives is to prevent Valvetronic eccentric shaft wear (common issue if the oil squirter for it becomes clogged).