How Bad are Rod Bearings after only 30,000 miles? E92 M3 S65

[@travis4161]

Mike is such a great mechanic. So knowledgeable and willing to share it all.

[@wettm3]

he's awesome. so genuine and extremely knowledgable

[@Motorsports_3]

@@wettm3 hey I was wondering how much would they charge me to do the rod bearing service?

[@VacidGaming]

@@Motorsports_3 2-4K usually

[@Motorsports_3]

@@VacidGaming they got me for 2.1k with motor mounts

[@normandy1140]

First, I am impressed there is an E92 M3 with 30k miles. Second, I am really surprised how after only 30k miles this thing needed new rod bearings. Definitely an educational video.

[@wettm3]

thank you! glad you enjoyed the video. yep, it's crazy how worn they were after only 30K, especially how focused the wear was on some of the bearings. def part of the way I drive it contributed to the accelerated wear, but more people need to know this

[@DJJumpdancer]

why its not a ferrari or something its still a bmw 3 series just with a big Engine

[@DOMS4.]

@@DJJumpdancer Lool hater alert, hater alert

[@DJJumpdancer]

@@DOMS4. nope

[@LeMans.M3]

@@DOMS4. definitely a hater. “It’s still a 3 series” umm which is still iconic to this day. 2021 and I still see videos praising how good the E9x M3 is. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@H.S.H.M.]

Learned a bunch from this video...wish I lived closer to that shop...they'd get all my business for sure

[@mike786551]

RS3 here but much respect for this iconic car man, esp urs cause of the the way it looks and it's pristine condition

[@wettm3]

I appreciate that thank you!! I live the RS3 👍

[@danwal5695]

Great video..I've watched a few videos now on rod bearings and yours is by far the best and most informative

[@wettm3]

thanks for watching! I appreciate the kind words, glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@naterockwell7735]

Mine had 86k on the clock and they didn’t 👀 as bad. I went back with BE bearings new mtr mounts and exhaust gaskets. Ive been using Redline 15w50 because of the excellent shear strength capabilities it has.

[@hectorportillo7719]

they did my M3 rod bearings and i am very happy with there work will need fluids replaced later on

[@wettm3]

nice!

[@FishFind3000]

5:10 they were also required by the EPA to change materials used for compliance. They had to stop using lead and other toxic materials in engine parts and what not.

[@TazawaTanks]

I have 23k miles on my 2013 E92 M3. I should probably think about doing this in the next year or so (I don’t put many miles on this car clearly).

[@wettm3]

yeah it’s good to just get it out of the way, not worth the risk for me with such low miles. yours are low too, start enjoying that thing!

[@TazawaTanks]

@@wettm3 Yeah, I agree. I really should enjoy the car more often. I’ve had it for over 6 years!

[@manvirjeet123]

Finally a proper video explaining this. Sick car btw!

[@wettm3]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@pmui2000]

Really wish Mike and Precision Dynamics were in Chicago!

[@RevyM3]

Well done, everyones a critic with these cars when it comes to bearings lmfao.. Glad you decided to do it now, though it's pretty crazy how fast the LCIs wore out. Drive hard drive fast 💪

[@wettm3]

yeah seriously. I was very surprised by the wear on mine. Thanks!

[@idreamofm3841]

Thank you so much for posting this. I've a 2012 and knew about the material difference but hadn't collected any cases of people with post LCI bearings showing dramatic wear. Bought mine last year at 47k. Will definitely look to do this now.

[@wettm3]

yep, keep it on your mind to do in the near future 👍

[@idreamofm3841]

@@wettm3 Your video inspired me to get my post-LCI bearings done at 52k. Good thing I did, they were in pretty bad shape. Thanks!

[@fourthirtysl]

Great video! You have the best mechanic. Props to him.

[@wettm3]

thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, and yes he is awesome. Extremely knowledgeable and always willing to share/help others out

[@builtforspeed5274]

That wear is called timing mark if your knock sensors aren't sensitive enough could result to that and most likely bad oil

[@ViiralDzn]

Great informative video, loving the channel and happy to see it coming so far🤙🏼

[@wettm3]

I appreciate that! thanks for watching, it only progresses with this kind of support. thanks again 🙂

[@DOMS4.]

WOW after only 30,000 miles driven the way it was supposed to be

[@wettm3]

yep! I enjoy my car :) too much fun

[@mperformance3502]

“The way it was supposed to be” lol it’s not a race car. It’s a 3series luxury coupe. Apparently the motor doesn’t like being driven that way. But props to wetm3 for having a clean well modded m3!

[@Xpertgamingtech]

@@mperformance3502 It is not a luxury coupe, it's definetly a sports car. Also, the motor does love revving it out. Just the rod bearings don't. Just test drive one, you'll know what I mean :)

[@frankybaez1737]

@@mperformance3502 bro u just mad u got the shitty e46 instead of the e92

[@mcjong2205]

@@Xpertgamingtech rod bearings do love it if you drive it hard if you focus on hard driving like on the nurburgh ring for example the wear will be less on them (sorry for my bad english i am trying XD)

[@pimpdailer]

lol im hesitating a little bit to get one but the job doesn't look that bad im sure i can do it myself.i hear nothing but good things when you replace them and get it over with and since you supplied the link for them makes it even better.

[@hazey888r]

Rod bearing issue is biggest fear tactic plaguing the S65. Think about this, clearance is the issue and oil is too thick, when the bearings wear down isn't that creating increased Clarence? How is it even possible that the wear location would continue to wear thinner causing the bearing to collapse in the center which = spun bearing like described by the mechanic. The wear is actually creating the clearance for the oil to lubricate. Warm the engine allowing oil to thin out which gets into the bearings before redlining and you will be fine. Of course if you don't know the history of the car (some exec who had it on lease and flogged it cold out the driveway) but even then I still believe the wear just created the clearance which allows lubrication. If this was really an issue bmw would have done the recall very early on or at least changed the clearance for the later model years. Keep fear out of your lives, be sensible and enjoy this masterpiece engine.

[@wettm3]

they increased clearance on the newer bearings (as I mentioned in the video) and it still isn't enough. aftermarket bearings further increase the clearance so oil can properly lubricate. www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=892838

[@abrahamg3354]

2012 ZCP, 71k miles. IDK what to think. I do warm up my engine and drive it granny style the first 10 minutes. I think after 15 minutes I sink the throttle to the floor. I do this daily. Personally, I have high confidence in these engines.

[@wettm3]

yeah I always let the car get up to temp and then get on it. a lot 🙂

[@leeengland1748]

I heard the harder you drive the car the better as the reason they wear is because the tolerances are so small but driving hard forces the oil around them more wearing them less

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

Mahle has released a new set of replacement bearings, much better than the BMW original design or any other brand. Same materials and design they use on their F1 engine components. I just did mine 5k miles ago. Car had 85k and the rears were down to the copper. Previous owner was not very kind to it.

[@javarithms]

I have the same exact car 2013 with 30K and you just convinced me to change my bearings... I was dragging my feet but not anymore after seeing those horrendous bearings. I will go with BE bearings and change them myself since I have a 2-post lift. I disagree they need to be changed every 100K miles especially if you use a bearing that has the right tolerance.

[@wettm3]

yep, better safe than sorry!

[@erickramirez9093]

I'm at 130k miles and still oem rod bearings 😂😂 wish me luck !

[@wettm3]

omg haha be careful!!

[@djzaki]

Sweet man i go to their shop with my m3s too.. Im the exact opposite 🤣. One or two canyon runs a year and otherwise 2,000 miles every year of babying the car and occasionally driving crazy.

[@wettm3]

enjoy it!!

[@Thetru_champ]

Great video! Hella informative about the s65

[@wettm3]

Appreciate it and glad you enjoyed! check the link at the very bottom of the description for more info

[@RawTyler]

Other maintenance and why it's needed!

[@wettm3]

will do! I'll think of more stuff to film

[@itsBlack]

I'm 3200 miles away from personally putting 100k miles on mine lol. I did mine at 97k miles and currently at 156k miles. Not gonna do RB again. If she blows it was just her time lol

[@wettm3]

depends what bearings you put in the car 😬

[@NFiltr8Red]

I miss mine, some day I will get another M3.

[@wettm3]

yes!!

[@archiegarcia626]

That’s awesome I didn’t even realize how low mileage your m3 was! What is your daily driver?

[@wettm3]

Yep! finally able to drive it more often, so I've been enjoying it. X5

[@TheMrwinkleberry]

Mine looked about the same at ~50k miles. I have ~13k miles on new BE Bearings.

[@wettm3]

yeah mine were pretty bad. Good that you replaced them!

[@abelucious]

I watched a guy on you tube who went and changed his rod bearings as a preventative maintenance on a perfectly working N54 engine and about 3000 miles later he spun one of them and destroyed his engine, that made me worry about messing with mine.

[@wettm3]

well he didn't do it right haha. and not sure why he did it on an n54??

[@abelucious]

@@wettm3 N54 and N55 engines are notorious for rod bearings failure , and it seemed like he did it right , he didn’t look amateur.

[@trevorwelsh6240]

waiting for the pov vid to drop👀

[@rajr4034]

this makes me worried lol 98k original rods, but getting it done next week. great video

[@wettm3]

thanks for watching! def time to change the bearings haha

[@vascopallotta5164]

Thank you so much for this great video! BMW M3 is my dream car and I've been wanting one for some time now but the rod bearing always intimidated me. This video answered most of my questions and reassured me quite a bit. I didn't even know there was 2 different types of rod bearing! I was wondering if it's possible to put stronger bearings than the copper or aluminum ones? Thank you again.

[@wettm3]

you will be fine once you swap them out with aftermarket ones 👍

[@seanlee2379]

Hi, thanks for helpful video since I am a prospective E92 M3 owner. In S.Korea where I am now, the norm is that you shouldn't really worry about rod bearing issue because it only occurs rarely and if it does, you should get covered by warranty (BMW Korea importer replaced entire engine under warranty when it failed. There were few cases reported that the entire engine failed due to rod issue under 50k KM mileage). I wonder how hard you drove this vehicle, to get this much wear within 30K miles. Were you following all engine warm-up procedure and oil change interval? I know few owners who drives more than 200K KM without rod bearing replacement at all, as a daily driver. It seems that the throttle actuator issue is more prevalent among the E92 M3s.

[@wettm3]

yes I drive this car pretty hard but I always let the car warm up to operating temp. throttle actuators may seem like it occurs more often but that’s because there is no threat of extreme failure to the engine if they fail. you just simply replace them. if rod bearings fail, then the engine is typically seized and cannot be recovered so you have to buy a new engine, hence why people replace them beforehand and do not let them reach failure

[@ndj4267]

Man you need to get an engine tune with catless/hi-flo exhaust. The DME is constantly adjusting timing to different values than it is used to with stock cats...which is why I had some detonation at low rpm with my straight pipe setup. Car now drives silky smooth and torquey with an ESS tune.

[@cameronallen1345]

Do a video on other maitanence you should do when buying the e92.

[@wettm3]

will do!!

[@alfa_media9654]

Thanks so much for making this video! How was the drive to and from SoCal? Any bottoming out issues?

[@zegast]

I also have 30k miles on mine... 2011 e92 m3.. fck.. now i have to change them... thanks

[@zegast]

Btw, carbon plenum coming soon?

[@wettm3]

glad you found it informative, yours will likely not be as bad as mine but always a safe bet to change them early. Sign up for the group buy!

[@wettm3]

I hope!

[@justinwallace3848]

Is this your daily? If not it would be a good video to introduce it to your channel.

[@wettm3]

no, but since covid, I drive this more than my 'daily' haha

[@terrancecollins2696]

It’s so weird the discrepancies we get in the states vs Europe ... Misha Charoudin just did a video on this and the guy Fabsan84 said he never had an issue with bearings before ... but when you see someone do the service the bearings clearly need to be changed

[@aaaaaaxaaaaaa]

Tom at EAS has noticed this as well versus Europe and thinks that part of it might have to do with the shitty gas we have here in US but we still don't really know why it's so different

[@wettm3]

yeah i’m not too sure to be honest

[@noahalonzo8423]

At the end of your video you were driving past my hometown San Mateo,CA. You stay in La or the bay? And did you literally drive from the bay to Mike’s shop In LA?

[@whitenoise5161]

Great video, everything Mike said is correct. Although I did read that the only reason BMW stopped using the lead/copper bearings is because of EU regulations banning the use of lead in car production. Don't know for a fact if that's true, but a softer bearing is always easier on the crank. I had my RBs changed at 40k KMs (25k miles) on my 2010 and while there was a bit of wear on them, it was nothing serious. I went with BE bearings and ARP bolts. Not sure how BE compare to ACL. It's such a mixed bag with these cars. I wonder if the previous owner of your car didn't treat it well/warm it up properly?

[@wettm3]

yes you are correct about the EU regulation, I only found that out after we shot the video. unfortunately still not enough clearance though 😬

[@Enzo-hw1ft]

this video was so informative. thank you.

[@wettm3]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching. check out this link for an enormous amount of info on the S65 Bearings: www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=892838

[@niurou]

I think reasons are tight bearing clearance, thick oem oil 10w60 and rev engine to high rpm before the engine is warmed up.

[@wettm3]

engine is always up to temp before revving

[@reinhart482]

Doesn't this mean the actual crank is damaged too? Does just changing the rod bearings mean the crank has worn unevenly and will prematurely start wearing down the new set of rod bearings too?

[@wettm3]

I don’t believe so, but check on this because I don’t know for certain. my understanding is once the crank is damaged you’d need to do a quite intrusive overhaul of the engine, or buy a new one dependent on mileage/cost of replacement. crank shouldn’t be damaged here, i’m guessing because it’s harder than the bearings, the crank only gets damaged when the bearing spins. again all of this is my thought I have zero certainty about this, maybe someone else can shed some light on this.

[@artura8798]

I’m confused. In another video Mike says not to change Diff oil. Metal shavings mixed with oil is good for Diff. Correct me if I’m wrong

[@hxllxman]

In my country, there is only one 2010 E92 M3 with around 70k miles. I want it but man... Bearing are scary. Should I by the only one available?! No track, old lady driving it as a daily and sometimes kids used it... 😂

[@m5p944]

So you’ve replaced rod bearings with larger tolerances just to put more pressure on main bearing?

[@Dr.Noobster]

I've been meaning to change the Rod Bearing on my 70k mile M4. I just want to see if it does need changing. Peace of mind thing!

[@im_pharaoh]

I've heard of exactly zero rod bearing issues on the S55, but if it helps you sleep at night...

[@wettm3]

I haven’t heard of any issues with the S55 engine regarding rod bearings. The issue with the S55 is the crank hub. Please send me an email if you would like to inquire for a crank hub for your M4 as we are doing a group buy for this as well. only for March 2021 🙂

[@brandonpainter7085]

I have a question: What the best option for replacing TAs? Rebuilt kits? Stock?

[@wettm3]

I'm not sure about rebuilt kits, the biggest thing is to never get used ones. the plastic gears will have already started to wear down, so if a rebuilt kit has new gears it might be ok, but in this case just get new.

[@im_pharaoh]

Buy new from FCP Euro. Lifetime replacement if they ever go bad again.

[@RSKY65]

Evolve Automotive just came out with there version lifetime warranty as well.

[@CRYPTOSLO_OFFICIAL]

Whats the exhaust on that beast?

[@petercsurkay6670]

Great Video Mike, can you provide part# for the ACL Bearings and Carillo Rodbolts your using so I can order, unfortunately I'm in Cnada, otherwise I'd get you to do my Pre LCI 08 E92 M3 rod bearings

[@JosepinoRizal]

I changed my oil every 5-6 k miles or every 6 months which comes first.

[@wettm3]

good practice for sure. 👍

[@goodnaruk]

sorry for the comment on a super old video, but I am curious why the Main bearings dont give up if the crank is pushing the bearings out of round?

[@rjac001]

Use the correct oil and let the engine warm up properly and you won't have any issues with rod bearings

[@wettm3]

yeah I've been using 3W21 need to start using 6W33 :/ www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=892838

[@neohackett3545]

How much did you pay for your service? I wanna ship my car to Mike

[@mayobimz1367]

You should replace rod bearings on any car? Even if not an M3 E92?

[@andreipenghis6935]

Hi, What brand of rod bearings do Mike recomands. Is there an AfterMarket producer that is better than OE?

[@damon123jones]

didnt see you check clearance? should it be larger than spec ?

[@NurburgringUP]

Lci rod bearings do have a copper layer

[@pbellissimo]

Throttle Actuators please

[@harryramcharran2373]

The fact that rod bearings need to be changed as a maintenance item is not surprising. The fact that this owner's rod bearings has signs of premature wear at 30K is not surprising. This dude (from his videos) beats the shit out of the car. Bouncing off the rev limiter frequently is sure to cause premature wear.

[@kid2519]

The premature bearing wear could be that the car wasn't properly warmed up prior to pushing it.

[@wettm3]

always warmed up before driving hard

[@weaver4907]

maybe the previous owner did not@@wettm3

[@repairitdontreplaceit]

uk m5 s85 with 77k miles on it three shells down to copper

[@smokky3v]

After replacing the bearings is the issue solved or do you have to keep replacing them

[@RSKY65]

How were your motor mounts? Have you felt any difference after RB service?

[@wettm3]

I actually forgot to look at them or film them. oops!

[@danmcgowan4761]

Great video! Super important if you are in the market for an E9X M3. I

[@wettm3]

thank you!!

[@MarioLopez-qd4xz]

Great stuff! N55 335i

[@wettm3]

Thanks!

[@chowdhurykarim3673]

Does the MT feel better after the new fluid? I am at 66k miles and debating whether to do a transmission fluid flush.

[@waltergreif4836]

thanks for the heads up!!

[@hynos323]

People who don’t know shit about cars will get duped by this channel.

[@willcountypowersports6338]

What grease did you put on the bearings??? Do I need to put it on the inside and outside?

[@waynerose9863]

Harrop Supercharger installed would be great for your car

[@angelrodriguez2854]

cant wait to get my m3 man, you have a beautiful car

[@wettm3]

Thank you!! I appreciate that!

[@anthonyb2990]

How do you put 7k miles in three years.. it ain’t a Bugatti. But I know a big thing with this M3 is to let the car warm up to proper temperature before you start driving hard, that will help with the overall life of the engine and rod bearings.

[@Bmwstephen]

this is a reoccurring maintenance item every 30-60K? even after you replace the oem ones with aftermarket?

[@akshaythakore6688]

anyone ever bought wett’s bearings and bolts ? if so how have they held up? would u put more in after they go out ? would u go a different route ?

[@Karl-by6ub]

That's what happens if you rev your engine before it gets up to temp! Just the guy did at the end of video, reving a cold engine.

[@wettm3]

it was up to temp, I didn’t include the car just idling up to temp in the shop, would’ve been boring

[@Karl-by6ub]

Thanks for the update 🙂! To bad your not close by, I'd have you do them for me! Great video 👍🏻

[@JJFLD]

BMW, the only manufacturer that makes rod bearings as consumable items.

[@eldrl001]

Objectively untrue as evidenced by Mike in the video in reference to performance oriented powerplants 😂

[@JJFLD]

@@eldrl001 Sunshine, I own a BMW, I drive it everyday, and even though it is breaking my wallet, I still love it. However, it is absolutely asinine that ROD BEARINGS are a consumable item on these damn engines, regardless of how powerful it is.

[@eldrl001]

Think what you like “sunshine” a bearing is something that wears and therefore consumable. 😂 You own “a” BMW, good for you lol.

[@halo56822]

is the wettm3special promo code the group buy discount? or is it separate?

[@wettm3]

yes that is the promo code for the group buy but please send me an email if you are interested in joining the group buy. I will send over all the details. if you want just parts, wettm3 is the promo code

[@sman4604]

How much do they charge

[@chevymaro92]

Proceeds to redline the presumably cold engine right after the rod bearing change, No wonder they're shot at 30K.

[@wettm3]

was up to temp before revving :)

[@astaroth5024]

Damn, the previous owner definitely revved the hell out of it without warming up the engine first lol Edit: damn this mechanic is great, wish he wasn't so far from me

[@m3division235]

I’m considering buying a E92 M3 2013 with about 28,000 miles should I do my bearings now or wait ?

[@nitrobiz]

Why ACL over BE bearings?

[@Spiv-Trades]

Great video, thanks.

[@TORTUGAH]

Nicest m3 ever 👌

[@wettm3]

thank you!

[@Luigi12500]

Since no one has asked, is the group buy also eligible for the E46 M3?

[@wettm3]

send me an email and I'll get you sorted to be in the group buy :) [e-mail]

[@marioaqt05]

Great video. Very educational.

[@wettm3]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@dangrass]

Apparently BMW engineering couldn't do any better with keeping the bottom ends together on the V8 than they could on the inline 6. Not surprising, I guess.

[@doctor_who1]

Can you advise, does the g20 m340i/ g30 m550i/f90 M5 have this rod bearing issue?

[@_xspec]

Where are they located?

[@sanmarino_cs1698]

Wait was that pull out of the workshop on new bearings when it was cold? And then proceeds to rev the ass off it??? 😳

[@wettm3]

no it was up to temp, don’t worry :)

[@sanmarino_cs1698]

wettm3 Ah good stuff! As that’s what gets the bearings more than general hard driving. The 10w60 is like water when it’s warm. Treacle when it’s cold. 👍 beautiful car you’ve got 😎

[@Larkc-ty5sz]

how much is the service package?

[@chlpataLOPticKa]

please vid with throttle actuators :)

[@wettm3]

I'll work on it in the future for sure!

[@Batmanforever6969]

How long will this promotion go for exactly?

[@wettm3]

only for March 2021!

[@matthewgreene3636]

How much does tha package cost

[@wettm3]

email for all info

[@BHSAHFAD]

The problem isn't the rod bearings, the problem is the main bearings closest to the chain. The chain puts too much tension on the crankshaft making the main bearings closest to the chain work way harder. If you are thinking all you need to do is replace rod bearings to extend the life of your S65/S85 THINK AGAIN. You know how all these shops pull out the rod bearings and look at them on a piece of paper and say "oh yea its great we caught this in time" it's a bunch of bull. Have them take apart the engine completely down to the crankshaft and have them look at the main bearings closest to the chain, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM! If you actually want your engine to last have them replace both your rod bearings AND your main bearings. Unfortunately you can't just drop the oil pan to replace your main bearings, you need the entire engine taken out and disassembled. BMW Quality!