As you can see, if you want to go more than 200,000 miles, these costs can mount up. Simply analyzing mileage is not a very good science either. Additionally, aging is hard on many components. The extra wear it places on sensors, plastic hoses, gaskets, etc. Driving 200,000 miles in ten years is simpler than doing so over the course of twenty years.
In any case, how you perform any repairs or preventative maintenance is a significant element. If you do all of the work yourself, the N54 can actually be quite affordable. You’ll pay a lot of money for the BMW N54 if you get it from a dealer or a high-end independent shop.
Let’s connect this to the core idea here once more. If you have the money, the N54 can and frequently does last 200,000 miles or more. The N54 can provide good reliability and lifetime if repairs are made correctly. The cost of repairs and maintenance will ultimately exceed what these vehicles’ 10-15+ year old engines are worth.
In This Article...
Is it thought that the N54 engine is unreliable?
Unfortunately, a number of inherently flawed auxiliary engine components contribute to the BMW N54 engine’s lack of reliability. Additionally, a lot of N54s are modified, driven aggressively, and not properly maintained, which might exacerbate the engine’s problems.
The N54 is known for being both quick and delicate. Some issues can start to show up as early as 60,000 miles, especially if the engine hasn’t had the required maintenance over its lifetime.
Many of these issues are expensive to repair and call for pricey OEM parts as well as skilled BMW technicians to complete the work.
And if you reach 100,000 miles, the issues may start to mount even more quickly. Let’s take a look at some of the N54 issues that owners report happening the most frequently.
Ah, the notorious N54 Of course, we’ll talk about it. So prepare to stand.
The N54 platform is quite durable. We won’t get too deeply into it because you can find a ton of information about the motor by performing a quick search. According to the majority of the community, the N54’s forged crank and rods (yeah, okay, this is up for argument, but we’re basing this on our personal experience) have produced up to 800+ horsepower on STOCK INTERNALS.
To our surprise, it appears that at this stage in their history, they have developed a reputation for being quite unreliable.
The majority of N54s that pass through our shop every day have already spent the first half of their lives as fully bolt-on/tuned vehicles.
At 80,000 miles or more, the second and third owners of these cars are now reporting failures of gaskets, water pumps, electronics, turbos, etc.
Each motor experiences typical wear and strain. Completely stock engines frequently have broken coolant lines, blown turbos, and leaking gaskets. These products have a limited lifespan. especially considering that the majority of these goods are made of plastic. You may speed up that process by taking into account the extra heat, power, and torque that are applied to these motors as they are tuned.
You have a duty to comprehend and respect the functionality this platform offers you as the present owner. Hold on to it!
You must educate yourself if you want to be the new owner. Investigate the vehicle’s history, modifications, mileage, previous maintenance, and any necessary repairs.
The owner’s neglect of maintenance is what ultimately led to the unfortunate failure of the N54 platform.
We cannot emphasize maintenance’s significance enough. You’ll thank us later when you have a dependable 600+ horsepower N54. We realize it sounds silly to spend $2,000 on maintenance when you could make 500hp and more with the same money.
Our good friend Cristian, also known as Vehicle Virals or as some of you may know him, is a prime example of this exact conversation. He and we have been working on his 335i for quite some time. We had a similar discussion regarding his thoughts on the dependability of the N54 motor when he first came to see us. The fact that the car at this stage in its life needed so many repairs irritated him. Cristian, like the majority of others, did not, however, consider the vehicle’s present mileage in relation to the additional power that he has now decided to add.
We give clients like Cristian the choice to drop the motor and completely reseal it when they require turbos, gaskets, or other maintenance supplies. By taking this path, we may complete the replacement of all gaskets as well as the turbos within the same amount of time. Basically, you guys save money and get more!
Cristian made the decision to follow the same path and made the choice to record this procedure with us for his YouTube channel.
He explains why we offer this choice and a lot of our thoughts on the N54 in his films, which cover a lot of this process in-depth. Look them up!
Leaking Oil Pan Gaskets
When the time comes, I’m not looking forward to doing this one, which is the one to watch out for. On N54 engines with higher mileage between 80,000 and 120,000 miles, the oil pan gasket is known to leak. It’s an easy task for the majority of cars, but not the N54 engine. To remove the oil pan, which is located right above the subframe, you must completely disassemble the subframe. This work isn’t tough; it just takes a lot of time. If your oil pan begins to leak, I’d advise performing other repairs and/or upgrades concurrently, such as water pump/thermostat, turbo upgrade, and replacement.
Reliability (With Some Exceptions) (With Some Exceptions)
We must give the BMW N54 credit for its dependability because it would not have won any awards otherwise. We cannot, however, ignore the fact that this engine had numerous problems along the way. For instance, the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injector were recalled for BMW. There were issues with the early component deterioration as well, which calls for routine maintenance.
Fair enough, BMW did fix some of these problems. As a result, the N54 is often very dependable. Simply put, motorists should perform more frequent inspections, especially before purchasing a car with the N54.
Which BMW engine has the best reliability?
BMW is known for producing high-end vehicles. You could be wondering if they are trustworthy, and the answer is that they are absolutely trustworthy. Even though they have quite high price tags, they are still worth the money. They have superb and potent engines that will allow you to use them at their maximum speed.
- 1. BMW B58 Motor
- 2. BMW M20 Motor
- 3. BMW M50 Motor
- 4. BMW S62 Motor
- 5. BMW N52 Motor
- 6. BMW M54 Motor
Is the 3.0 Twin Turbo engine in the BMW reliable?
2020 Wards 10 Best Engine and Powertrain Award winner is the BMW B58 TwinPower Turbo 3.0-Liter Inline Six-Cylinder Engine, which produces 382 horsepower. BMW B58’s 3.0-liter engine has won the Wards 10 Best Engine title twice in a row. BMW Turbo’s 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder won the 10th Wards 10 Best Engine award.
What power does the N54 engine have?
On the stock block and internals, the N54 can handle roughly 600–650 whp and 550–600 wtq. Later in the post, we’ll go into more detail on this. We’re keeping it straightforward for the time being, but this following sentence is crucial.
Estimates for the stock N54 engine’s upper limitations. The statement “the N54 will run for decades at 600whp, but it will blow up instantly at 651whp” is not accurate. Risk still exists. In all other respects, the danger you take increases with the amount of power you apply to the N54.
How long is the life of a N54 engine?
In order to summarize our research on the BMW N54 engine’s dependability:
- Due to some auxiliary engine component design flaws and the high likelihood that the current or prior owner has modified it, it is regarded as being unreliable.
- The main problems are a broken high pressure fuel pump, a broken serpentine belt, significant oil leaks, clogged fuel injectors, a broken water pump, and a broken turbocharger.
- Each of these frequent problems can end up costing a lot of money to cure.
- By following maintenance schedules, spotting and fixing issues as soon as they appear, and without altering the engine, reliability can be increased.
- A properly maintained N54 may still travel well over 200,000 kilometers.
- The N55 engine, which took the place of the N54, is less adjustable but more dependable.
Despite its flaws, the N54 continues to be a very well-liked engine among BMW enthusiasts from all walks of life, especially those who enjoy tuning and customizing their vehicles.
Although it wasn’t the most dependable engine ever created, BMW’s return to the realm of turbocharged engines will always be cherished.
Are you a N54 owner? Are you satisfied with its dependability and performance? Tell us in the comments section below.
Which issues does the BMW 335i have?
One of the most prevalent 2007 BMW 335i problems is engine troubles. Some vehicles from this model year frequently experience turbo failure, low gas mileage, rough running, and engine overheating. Some owners claim that their vehicle automatically enters limp mode when it overheats.
Why do BMW turbos break down?
The primary reason for turbocharger failure is oil-related, typically as a result of either low oil levels or soiled oil. The lengthy oil service intervals appear to be the root cause of turbocharger failures in BMW vehicles. (Depending on when the car’s indication suggests to perform it, the dealer normally advises oil changes every 12,000–18,00 miles.)
Which one is more trustworthy, N54 or N55?
I concur that the N55 is more dependable than the N54. The N55 does respond well to modifications even though it may not have the same tuning potential as the N54. People who are unaware of the development of the N55 platform tend to hold the opinion that a N55 isn’t worth tuning.
N54 engines are they forged?
Turbochargers are a fairly common feature in cars today. They are available on virtually every type of engine arrangement. The most effective approach to produce electricity may have been discovered a long time ago, and BMW was at the forefront of this progress. BMW introduced the 2002 Turbo, the country’s first production turbocharged vehicle, in 1973. It also essentially established what a “sports sedan” is in the modern sense.
With Brazilian Nelson Piquet at the wheel, BMW became the first turbocharged engine manufacturer to win the Formula 1 world championship in 1983, continuing its ascent to glory. For qualifying sessions that year, BMW was able to extract more than 1,000 horsepower from its 1.5-liter inline-four. When BMW released the N54 in 2006, it once more left its mark on the history of turbocharging. The N54, a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with 300 horsepower and over 300 lb-ft of torque, made its debut in the 2007 model year 335i. The torque is steady at 295 lb-ft from 1300 rpm to 5000 rpm while the 300 horsepower peaks at 5800 rpm.
This is made feasible in part by the VANOS system from BMW. Variable camshaft control, or VANOS, enables the camshafts to turn in response to engine speed.
The camshafts will move to open the valves later at low speeds in order to optimize idling and smooth out the engine. The N54 also employs direct injection, in which highly pressurized gasoline is delivered right to the combustion chamber of the cylinder. The N54’s intercooler is built to cool the turbocharged air by up to 80 degrees Celsius, which significantly contributes to the engine’s power. Now, the car’s two turbochargers are there to get rid of “turbo lag.” To shorten the time it takes for the turbo to work at low engine speeds, one turbo develops pressure while the other idles. A good tune will extract some good power gains out of the engine because the computer controls so much of it.
However, N54 owners are reporting power improvements of up to 707 horsepower at the wheels, without modifying the internals, with a few bolt-ons and a twin-scroll turbocharger. This is so because the N54’s internals were forged at the factory. Although the exact distinction between forged and cast components is debatable, it is generally agreed that the crankshaft and rods were forged while the pistons were cast. Nevertheless, that impressive power increase from 300 to more than 700 whp was achieved without modifying the internals. Until BMW produced what is thought to be a more cost-effective engine, the N55, the N54 was used in the 335i. In the 335i from 2006 to 2010, the 135i from 2008 to 2013, and the 740i from 2008 to 2012, the N54 was employed.
The Z4 sDrive35is featured a stronger N54 variant. Although it produces the same amount of power as the stock N54, if not more, depending on the year, the N55 is perceived by some as a step down from the N54. Given that it only has one turbo and cast internals, its tuning skills could be a weak point. The N54 might succeed the 2JZ. The N54 has the potential to go down in history like the Toyota engine and Nissan’s RB26DETT, especially among tuners. The fact that all three engines are inline sixes cannot be a coincidence.