My '13 328i has 108K as well, still good but thinking of proactively changing the timing stuff. X-Drive, so it's supposed to be an engine-out job, but I think I can do it in-chassis. How hard can it be? 🤔😂
I recommend you guys to do the chain and tensioners asap. My friends n20 blew up at 100k cause the timing guides broke. It was 7000 for the new used rngine and labor. Id rather pay the 1200 for the chain every 80 to 100k than 7000 lmao
Meh, mine did 131K with 0 issues and counting. It can blow up tomorrow, sure, but I'd still say that there rather is more of the good ones than the bad ones. Even if 10% are bad that's tens of thousands of bad engines - more than enough to get bad rep.
If you watch the video you’ll see he mentioned oil starvation In other worse if this engine had been getting regular oil changes it would not have needed a tear down
@@benderr424 - Regular oil changes won't protect the defective plastic timing chain guide from breaking and getting sucked-up into the oil pick-up though.
@@benderr424 and also if you watch the video you'll see the reason the starvation happened in the first place. Pieces of timing chain guides got sucked into the oil pickup and thus prevented correct oil flow. This engine has upgraded timing chain parts specifically because of this
N20s are pretty good engines. If you do the timing/oil pump chain before the guides break they run forever. I've seen them over 200K. Maybe a new turbo every 100K and a few injectors here and there.
Actually almost spit my food out from laughter at that start up. Seeing the thumbnail & those F30 headlights, it was already obvious what this was about. It's so unfortunate that a company that did SO much, that was capable of SO much, doesn't give 0.5% of a shit whatsoever in any regard. They can engineer if they want to. If they WANTED to, they would've stopped timing chain guides from disintegrating & bearings from spinning over 20 yrs ago across literally every platform. But engineering properly & using proper internal components isn't profitable. Extremely sad.
@@Sequel7 Pretty sure that he wasn't talking about the fact that it has a timing chain guide. He was just saying they could have updated/recalled the timing chain guides much sooner than they did. BMW did eventually change the design of the guide to be stronger (maybe new composite as well?), but it was after years of this being a common issue.
I see a lot of the N20 motors didn’t get as lucky as mine did, made it to 198k miles before needing a new engine (I blew the ringlands out on cylinder 2) and now it’s going back together with a sleeved block and forged bottom end. I actually really like this motor even with its pitfalls.
@@fantasy11222 I wouldn’t pin it down to one specific thing, only thing that I could think of to link to the cause would be a misfire that I got suddenly when I was driving home on the freeway, had to limp the car from the fast lane over to the shoulder, other than that I honestly have no complaints about it. Timing chain guides of course are a very big thing to keep in mind for long term longevity of the engine/preventative maintenance so glad to hear you’ve done that already. If you take the car on hard spirited driving or to the track I would see about investing in a baffled oil pan to help mitigate any oil starvation issues from high g cornering/braking. I haven’t come across the issue personally on that one. It does seem to pop up a fair amount in the forums about peoples logs showing the dip in oil pressure, Navardi tuned makes the only option I’m aware of for a baffled oil pan (it’s the one on the new motor for my car) the extra piece of mind is nice because I intend on taking the car to track days or auto cross type events with some friends for a little friendly competition later down the line. Running stage 2 you will want to stay on top of your spark plug change intervals because they will be significantly shorter than the stock interval. I end up changing them a little before 10k miles of run time on them and gapped within the recommended stage two range of .020-.022
You are the macgyver of cars - some of the projects you do IM like “impossible” like carving out the steering wheel to retrofit paddles - like who would bother instead of just buying one but you prove how creative you are - I wonder who bought your 335 that would be the best used 335 to buy I’d want your signature on it too ! Cheers and thanks -2011 335 msport owner (my car looks just like yours right before you sold it )
Great job guys. Does this mean cylinder 4 is the last cylinder in the oil supply chain, as there was not enough oil pressure to feed this bearing? Or because cylinder 4 is back on the engine and runs under more heat beneath the hood? Dutch regards, Nico.
Thanks! We had actually checked that there was sufficient oil pressure at idle via a scan tool when we were running the engine. My theory is the oil pickup was partially blocked and would have been able to supply enough flow up until the RPMs climbed. This car did break down on the highway. Oil pressure should be even at all parts of the engine once the pump starts spinning but it takes second to build up. If there wasn't enough flow to maintain that the passage furthest away from the oil pump feed would likely experience diminished flow first.
This is EXACTLY what happened to my N20 in my 2014 328. I had 260k kms on it and the turbo started acting up. I had the dealership put a turbo on and when I got it back it started knocking. I was on the freeway a couple of days later and it got really loud. I shut it off and got it towed to the dealership. I had to put a new motor in. I do not have the skill to do this myself, but I do have a shop that I could if I had help. It's back on the road now and I have a new motor with 24 month warranty unlimited kilometers. I really like the car and now is no time to try and find a new car.
Really enjoy all your BMW videos! Ours has almost identical damage.Are you planning a rebuild video on the engine???That would be great.Can't seem to find any good ones.Thankyou
Awesome! We did a proactive timing + oil pump chain renew on my wife’s 2012 N20 E84 a few years ago just so I could sleep better at night! Low mileage, we bought it new. Hoping to keep it for a while. Who says plastic is weaker than metal! 😜
Great video, interested to see the outcome! Just crossed a buck fifty on my 2016 320i. I have truly over maintained the vehicle and pay close attention... it is flash tuned and has full bolt ons as well. I baby it for the most part- especially when cold... but do pound on her occasionally! No real issues to speak of except for a small coolant leak at one of the turbo seals. Not big enough to tear apart yet (only requiring a top up every several thousand miles) but at least I've identified the source. If the turbo itself continues to hold strong, plan to rebuild it entirely at 200k miles.
Ah ha🤗 I waited for this moment the whole time I watched your videos. Fault of same nature. I was pumping my e93 N54 engine until it lost power after a traffic calming hump. I had to stop immediate and tow the car to mechanic. The engine was running except for a slight rattling sound from underneath. Mechanic told to buy new engine but I was against that. After careful study of your videos on rod bearing, timing change .... I decided DIY is better experience. After thorough inspection without a portable device (scanner) no metal or rubber pieces found in oil & pan. Timing oil pickups 👍 I found the following: 1. Oil leaks on oil housing and valve cover. The belt slightly chewed up {bad} 2. Oil inside the spark plagues [6&3 worse]. Coil 6 plugged with oil 3. ROD 2&3 slightly loose. I suspect that's where rattling came from. I am hoping from this video I'll have better results. Of course after repair scanner will be used. Thanks for great tutorial videos✊
Yep that was my N20 at 104K miles. Followed BMW maintenance schedule to the T. And it grenaded. And you have people out there driving Toyota's at 300K miles with no issues. I put a new N20 in my car. We'll see how it goes. I'll never own a Toyota!
Could you help me, I need to rebuild my engine, it's an N20B20 and I would like to know what kind of spare parts I need for the engine, I'm from Chile South America, there are no components here. I have to bring everything to the USA and I need guidance. There are many suppliers, I need connecting rod metals, crankshaft metals, rings, pistons, cylinder head gasket. Best regards
What would you get done on b58 gen 1 to make sure I get much miles out of it as possible while on mhd tunes. I change my oil every 5k , 3k if I run ethanol blend. Spark plugs every 20k is in the plans as well. And coils every 40k. Anything else I should keep an eye on? I want to learn to read datalogs too!!!
Changing coils every 40k isnt necessary. The spark plugs, itll help performance, but the coils are just to send the signal to the plug. Unless they go bad, it wont affect the car at all changing em. If you really want as many miles as possible, the most important thing is keep up with all the fluids(oil coolant trans fluid etc) and to allow your car proper warm up time on cold starts and to push it hard every once in a while to open up the engine a bit. Thats all you have to do, if something breaks or needs servicing, fix it asap so the problems dont start piling up. Goodluck w the b58, i love those thangs
100% correct. I have an 06 N52 and only recently have I had real problems with the car. after 200k mile I started slacking off on the maintenance and now she’s acting up at 239k
Had an N52 that had same exact issue. Just polished the crank and through in a new set of rod bearings and still running today. Did while the engine was in the car.
@@francispowell1811 at 176K right now. No signs of any issues. Nice thing is engine looks a lot cleaner now. Replaced a lot of gaskets “while in there”. So don’t have all the oil leaks anymore either.
Why do you people constantly show videos of running engines that obviously have bearing damage and doing compression test. My goodness people you know it's damaged don't continue to beat it to death and make people think that it's okay to do on their own cars.
@@hasan_440i -- Actually it wasn't until the 2017 model year that the B48 appeared in the F30 3-series. Many 2015 and all 2016 model F30s received the n20 with revised timing chain components.
@@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow I am not from usa I do own 2016 320i lci with b48 engine as my dailey in my country the last year for the n20 was 2015 after that came the lci b48 Sorry for my bad English
@@hasan_440i -- India is cool; your English is good; thanks. You might be confused regarding the B48 being in the 2016 model year though. True -- 2016 was the first year of the LCI -- however, the LCI still received the n20 until model year 2017.
Freak'n beeeeeemers............Quote good as it almost made a hundred K miles.............OUCH! ...been there done that .....get a REAL car and Drive for 300 k plus no issues...drive a Lexus!
@vehicularDIY Is it generally pretty safe to pressure wash BMW engine bays? I’ve got a 2013 X3 on deck for timing chain replacement at 109k but the engine bay is FILTHY. PO must have lived on a diet road or something. I guess the electrical connections are all theoretically sealed, just makes me nervous.
Mine will. I'm less than 5k from it. I bought it with 43k on it it's an 09 with N51 B30A engine. The only maintenance not done by me on it was for new tires and cracked windshield.
hey Musa, this video was interesting to see as my 328i did the same except it is fully seized probably due to oil starvation. Car itself is mint, had the full msport front end, forgestarwheels and all carbon interior. Now i am trying to figure out if it is even worth swapping the motor
This car is RWD. Yes more work would be involved if it was AWD. No oil pressure warnings came up or were stored which was a good thing as the rest of the motor looks fine given there was oil pressure feeding the rest of the engine.
It seems to be surprisingly common thing that the broken chain guides destroy the whole engine. Probably need to replace them on my car asap, or trade it for something else..
Hi I am watching your videos for a while. They are awesome. I have x3 28i. The check engine light is on. Drivetrain malfunction alert is coming everytime I drive. Leak was diagnosed near throttle body and bank one. One screw was missing from throttle body. I opened the whole thing and replaced the seal and missing screw. But after that I got these codes P0238, P007d. Any suggestions is appreciated. Thanks.
I would like to ask how can you get away by cleaning the engine with liquid soap and water? Now I am a complete noob and know little to nothing about cars (perhaps a lil more than that) but I have long heard, never use a hose to spray off your engine because of all the sensitive electrical components which can get fried. You obviously know what you are doing and the why behind it, so could you enlighten a noob?
@@igotaction 70 000mils is pretty laughable, it shouldve been at atleast 140 000 miles. An engine failure in a car thats been serviced at the correct intervals should simply not have a chance to fail before at least 200 000 miles... N20/N26 and N13 are such gigantic engineering failures.
I want to know what the cylinder walls look like from pushing glitter through the engine and starving it of oil. How bad can they be before you scrap the block totally? I'm slow rolling a rebuild on a 2012 right now and I have been him-hawing final assembly because of the the plasma spray coating not being perfect. I wish someone would just say... "Clean the varnish off the cylinder walls with xxx color scotch bright and WD40 for lubricant until clean. Then reassemble engine with proper ring clearances." My engine has just over 100k miles and was very well maintained, but still had obvious signs of buildup on the cylinder walls. Do you guys just leave it as it comes out of the washer or do you dress the cylinder walls in any way? I know hone's and dingle-berrys are 100% out of the question.
My 2013 N20 Msport is tuned and over 200k and running extremely well. Ive not done the timing chains nor injectors. I purchased all the parts but seeing if i can get to 250k 1st
I have the 14 328 with 92000 on it have some work done to it too I'm pushing some power out of it. Love the car putting a new chain in it end of summer beginning of fall though just to be safe.
Thanks for the videos, do you know any good repair manuals for this engine? I'm in the process of rebuilding mine but bmw tis is no longer available. Thanks again
The S55 is naturally balanced and won't suffer the same fate in terms of the timing guides but I'd look into pinning the crank hub to avoid crank hub slip.
Use a pressure washer and foam cannon and you seriously decrease the amount of actual water you are introducing. Then come right behind with a blower. Pooling/standing/sitting water is your enemy.
I think I got lucky when I bought a 2016 328i (build May of 2016) -- supposedly it has all the timing chain related fixes for the n20. I still feel a bit uneasy about it though.
Post 2015 models have the upgraded chain and guides (supposedly stronger plastics) I have the same car but built March 2013. So far no issues/noises thank god! Currently at 57k. Looking to change my chain soon just for prev maint.
@@RothBeyondTheGrave I actually have a 2017 X3 with the N55 motor but heard that these things can happen to N55’s as well. I heard sometimes it’s caused from lack of regular oil changes
@@davejohnson6144 it literally happens to everything they've made since the late 90's. Some like N52's are WAY less likely, but it still happens. N55's seem infinitely more safe than 80% or so of what they've made since, but yes keep on top of those oil changes. I'm sure most stick to around 5k intervals? I'm far from an expert, but I've been doing my BMW homework from afar in my Benz in hopes of having one as a 2nd car asap. I just don't get why they completely stopped giving a shit. (Other than profit obviously). I cringe at the Toyota/Honda, etc comparisons, but even with Benz, this stuff just DOESN'T happen. It's literally guaranteed with BMW.
@@davejohnson6144 th-cam.com/video/rPUUNhjJjHU/w-d-xo.html Great place to start if you haven't already watched this one. FCP also has an N55 teardown vid of....you guessed it....one with a spun bearing.
Iam done with BMW. That brand has lost my respect. missing old days when you had to change timing belt and be happy. vintage amps and vintage cars its going to be the same now
My girls x1 has the n20 with 78k has a some ticking at start up but settles down shortly after warm up. I believe you showed the timing chain upgrade can be done without pulling the motor..is that correct?
Ticking is probably valve lifter tick, which is pretty much on any engine beginning with "N". However, if your engine has a but of a mild rattle, then that's a problem. Regardless, if its the early revision N20, youll want to get that problematic chain assembly out soon.
@@indianboy0453 yeah pretty used to the BMW lifter noise. Been following DIY for years he helped me take care of 90 percent of maintenance in my own garage.
@@mikebrooks447 Discovered his channel about a year or two back. Love the content and his explanations. He actually opened my eyes to the potential reliability of the engines in my parents garage. Mothers N52 is pretty much solid as of now, and Dads N55 needs a little work but I took care of the major early failure points so far. Just not entirely sure if I should advise my dad to keep it or not.
Early years N20 that almost did 100K miles? that's over achieving.
Mine did 260k km before the timing change, although mostly highway kms.
I have a 2014 x1 with the n20. It's got 108k miles, still on original timing guides. Still runs great 🤠
My '13 328i has 108K as well, still good but thinking of proactively changing the timing stuff. X-Drive, so it's supposed to be an engine-out job, but I think I can do it in-chassis. How hard can it be? 🤔😂
I recommend you guys to do the chain and tensioners asap. My friends n20 blew up at 100k cause the timing guides broke. It was 7000 for the new used rngine and labor. Id rather pay the 1200 for the chain every 80 to 100k than 7000 lmao
Meh, mine did 131K with 0 issues and counting. It can blow up tomorrow, sure, but I'd still say that there rather is more of the good ones than the bad ones. Even if 10% are bad that's tens of thousands of bad engines - more than enough to get bad rep.
Well it's an N20. Not surprising the motor needed a tear down.
If you watch the video you’ll see he mentioned oil starvation
In other worse if this engine had been getting regular oil changes it would not have needed a tear down
@@benderr424 - Regular oil changes won't protect the defective plastic timing chain guide from breaking and getting sucked-up into the oil pick-up though.
@@benderr424 and also if you watch the video you'll see the reason the starvation happened in the first place. Pieces of timing chain guides got sucked into the oil pickup and thus prevented correct oil flow. This engine has upgraded timing chain parts specifically because of this
N20s are pretty good engines. If you do the timing/oil pump chain before the guides break they run forever. I've seen them over 200K. Maybe a new turbo every 100K and a few injectors here and there.
That's why he's making videos on it, no one else is deep diving into why shitty it is and how to keep it running if you do own one.
Actually almost spit my food out from laughter at that start up. Seeing the thumbnail & those F30 headlights, it was already obvious what this was about.
It's so unfortunate that a company that did SO much, that was capable of SO much, doesn't give 0.5% of a shit whatsoever in any regard.
They can engineer if they want to. If they WANTED to, they would've stopped timing chain guides from disintegrating & bearings from spinning over 20 yrs ago across literally every platform. But engineering properly & using proper internal components isn't profitable. Extremely sad.
Planned obsolescence. It goes hand in hand with the right to repair and the companies objecting.
Most turbo engines from all manufacturers use a timing chain guide
@@Sequel7 Pretty sure that he wasn't talking about the fact that it has a timing chain guide. He was just saying they could have updated/recalled the timing chain guides much sooner than they did. BMW did eventually change the design of the guide to be stronger (maybe new composite as well?), but it was after years of this being a common issue.
2016 328i n20 stage 2 for 2 years 102k miles oil change every 5k maybe 3k if I run e85 for e40 running strong 💪🏼
I see a lot of the N20 motors didn’t get as lucky as mine did, made it to 198k miles before needing a new engine (I blew the ringlands out on cylinder 2) and now it’s going back together with a sleeved block and forged bottom end. I actually really like this motor even with its pitfalls.
Nice man. Mine has been great also but I change my oil every 3-4k.
@@CastroJordan I follow a similar regimen for oil changes, little longer though I typically change around 5k miles
Nice, what year was yours?
@@VehicularDIY April of 2012 is the build date for my car, early year/pwg car
@@fantasy11222 I wouldn’t pin it down to one specific thing, only thing that I could think of to link to the cause would be a misfire that I got suddenly when I was driving home on the freeway, had to limp the car from the fast lane over to the shoulder, other than that I honestly have no complaints about it. Timing chain guides of course are a very big thing to keep in mind for long term longevity of the engine/preventative maintenance so glad to hear you’ve done that already. If you take the car on hard spirited driving or to the track I would see about investing in a baffled oil pan to help mitigate any oil starvation issues from high g cornering/braking. I haven’t come across the issue personally on that one. It does seem to pop up a fair amount in the forums about peoples logs showing the dip in oil pressure, Navardi tuned makes the only option I’m aware of for a baffled oil pan (it’s the one on the new motor for my car) the extra piece of mind is nice because I intend on taking the car to track days or auto cross type events with some friends for a little friendly competition later down the line. Running stage 2 you will want to stay on top of your spark plug change intervals because they will be significantly shorter than the stock interval. I end up changing them a little before 10k miles of run time on them and gapped within the recommended stage two range of .020-.022
I was thinking either rod knock or spun bearing, but damn, it was both! LOL. Hopefully, the crank can be polished and is still within clearance.
You'd do well to spin a bearing and NOT develop rod knock...
@@kamilzmich5961 🤣🤣🤣
You are the macgyver of cars - some of the projects you do IM like “impossible” like carving out the steering wheel to retrofit paddles - like who would bother instead of just buying one but you prove how creative you are - I wonder who bought your 335 that would be the best used 335 to buy I’d want your signature on it too ! Cheers and thanks -2011 335 msport owner (my car looks just like yours right before you sold it )
Great job guys. Does this mean cylinder 4 is the last cylinder in the oil supply chain, as there was not enough oil pressure to feed this bearing? Or because cylinder 4 is back on the engine and runs under more heat beneath the hood? Dutch regards, Nico.
Thanks! We had actually checked that there was sufficient oil pressure at idle via a scan tool when we were running the engine. My theory is the oil pickup was partially blocked and would have been able to supply enough flow up until the RPMs climbed. This car did break down on the highway. Oil pressure should be even at all parts of the engine once the pump starts spinning but it takes second to build up. If there wasn't enough flow to maintain that the passage furthest away from the oil pump feed would likely experience diminished flow first.
that thing looks over designed... hella failure points. i'll stick with my inline 6
Can't ever go wrong with a straight 6.
1:17 that sound hurt my soul 😢 had to quit watching
141K miles so far. Had to change alternator twice and oil filter housing twice. Other than that still running strong.
N20 motor?
@@DuckMcDuckinson yep
have u had it all 141k or did u get it 100 miles ago tho lol
This is EXACTLY what happened to my N20 in my 2014 328. I had 260k kms on it and the turbo started acting up. I had the dealership put a turbo on and when I got it back it started knocking. I was on the freeway a couple of days later and it got really loud. I shut it off and got it towed to the dealership. I had to put a new motor in. I do not have the skill to do this myself, but I do have a shop that I could if I had help. It's back on the road now and I have a new motor with 24 month warranty unlimited kilometers. I really like the car and now is no time to try and find a new car.
If the replacement motor has the updated timing guides, you won't have much to worry about for the future.
@@VehicularDIY Yes, I specifically asked about the updated timing guides and they are the new ones. I think I'll get another 300k out of it now.
Really enjoy all your BMW videos! Ours has almost identical damage.Are you planning a rebuild video on the engine???That would be great.Can't seem to find any good ones.Thankyou
Thanks for watching! Yes that is the plan, the crankshaft is being dropped off at a machine shop once we receive replacement OEM bearings.
The N20 is hot garbage. BMW should have kept making NA inline-6 engines. An N52 successor would have been amazing.
Awesome!
We did a proactive timing + oil pump chain renew on my wife’s 2012 N20 E84 a few years ago just so I could sleep better at night! Low mileage, we bought it new. Hoping to keep it for a while.
Who says plastic is weaker than metal! 😜
Nice! You'll be in good shape going forward.
The four cylinder engines seem to be the ones to stay away from. I've owned a few with the inline six engines, and they are nearly bulletproof.
My B48 4 cylinder was fine in my daily, but yes compared to all my in-line sixes they are all more reliable and just better driving engines
Now try it with the XDrive. 😂😂
Thanks to your earlier video, people can see how to update their timing chain & guides so this doesn't happen to them! Thanks!! 👍
That 1-post lift freaks me out.
Especially in an earthquake zone.
I use a tripod lift to stabilize it, once things for sure it is very convenient lol.
Regards from Athens Greece...
Man… that lift looks intimidating 😂
Great video, interested to see the outcome! Just crossed a buck fifty on my 2016 320i. I have truly over maintained the vehicle and pay close attention... it is flash tuned and has full bolt ons as well. I baby it for the most part- especially when cold... but do pound on her occasionally! No real issues to speak of except for a small coolant leak at one of the turbo seals. Not big enough to tear apart yet (only requiring a top up every several thousand miles) but at least I've identified the source. If the turbo itself continues to hold strong, plan to rebuild it entirely at 200k miles.
Ah ha🤗
I waited for this moment the whole time I watched your videos.
Fault of same nature.
I was pumping my e93 N54 engine until it lost power after a traffic calming hump. I had to stop immediate and tow the car to mechanic.
The engine was running except for a slight rattling sound from underneath.
Mechanic told to buy new engine but I was against that.
After careful study of your videos on rod bearing, timing change .... I decided DIY is better experience.
After thorough inspection without a portable device (scanner) no metal or rubber pieces found in oil & pan. Timing oil pickups 👍
I found the following:
1. Oil leaks on oil housing and valve cover. The belt slightly chewed up {bad}
2. Oil inside the spark plagues [6&3 worse]. Coil 6 plugged with oil
3. ROD 2&3 slightly loose. I suspect that's where rattling came from.
I am hoping from this video I'll have better results. Of course after repair scanner will be used.
Thanks for great tutorial videos✊
Yep that was my N20 at 104K miles. Followed BMW maintenance schedule to the T. And it grenaded. And you have people out there driving Toyota's at 300K miles with no issues. I put a new N20 in my car. We'll see how it goes. I'll never own a Toyota!
Love it!!! Keep it up !!! More content, you are doing great
Thanks!
What year was this n20?
Could you help me, I need to rebuild my engine, it's an N20B20 and I would like to know what kind of spare parts I need for the engine, I'm from Chile South America, there are no components here. I have to bring everything to the USA and I need guidance. There are many suppliers, I need connecting rod metals, crankshaft metals, rings, pistons, cylinder head gasket. Best regards
I’m at 189k on a 2011 535 GT. What should I be doing now to keep it going?
The N55 is naturally balanced luckily so it wouldn't be impacted the same way.
I used that same song (starting at 2:52) in one of my videos, really a cool tune. Nice vid again man
Guys let’s get this man to 100k subscribers for Christ’s sakes!!
You found someone who knows how to use an oscilloscope!
My new favorite viewer😂
What steps can I skip if mine is a rwd and I don’t got a lift at home. Just a borrowed Hoist and engine stand from harbor freight?
What was the outcome of this motor and crank? I can't seem to find the 2nd part of this, if there is any?
Omg the first start was horrific. Can't believe someone let it get so 😞
It probably happened pretty quickly, from what I could tell the car was somewhat decently maintained.
Timing chains never last the life of the vehicle
Hmmmm i do like the n20 but i hear that after 2013 theyve fixed the issue from some other video
BMW must have saved a ton of money on those cheap plastic timing chain guides
What would you get done on b58 gen 1 to make sure I get much miles out of it as possible while on mhd tunes. I change my oil every 5k , 3k if I run ethanol blend. Spark plugs every 20k is in the plans as well. And coils every 40k. Anything else I should keep an eye on? I want to learn to read datalogs too!!!
Changing coils every 40k isnt necessary. The spark plugs, itll help performance, but the coils are just to send the signal to the plug. Unless they go bad, it wont affect the car at all changing em. If you really want as many miles as possible, the most important thing is keep up with all the fluids(oil coolant trans fluid etc) and to allow your car proper warm up time on cold starts and to push it hard every once in a while to open up the engine a bit. Thats all you have to do, if something breaks or needs servicing, fix it asap so the problems dont start piling up. Goodluck w the b58, i love those thangs
100% correct. I have an 06 N52 and only recently have I had real problems with the car. after 200k mile I started slacking off on the maintenance and now she’s acting up at 239k
The messed up comment about Copart is very common.
Had an N52 that had same exact issue. Just polished the crank and through in a new set of rod bearings and still running today. Did while the engine was in the car.
what was the mileage on the N52?
@@SamBao 154K. The bad rod cap was discolored to be completely black. Used Emory cloth and shoe string to repolish the crank.
@@thomaslefler5242 and what is your current mileage? I have a similar issue with an M62b44 (V8) right now.
@@francispowell1811 at 176K right now. No signs of any issues. Nice thing is engine looks a lot cleaner now. Replaced a lot of gaskets “while in there”. So don’t have all the oil leaks anymore either.
@@thomaslefler5242 Nice. Keeping my fingers crossed. Best!
Why do you people constantly show videos of running engines that obviously have bearing damage and doing compression test. My goodness people you know it's damaged don't continue to beat it to death and make people think that it's okay to do on their own cars.
N20s are among the worst engines of all time
There are WAY, WAY worse engines than the n20! And if you got an n20 built after March 2015 there's nothing to worry about.
@@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow they replaced the n20 with a new engine b48 after 2015 way better engine
@@hasan_440i -- Actually it wasn't until the 2017 model year that the B48 appeared in the F30 3-series. Many 2015 and all 2016 model F30s received the n20 with revised timing chain components.
@@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow I am not from usa I do own 2016 320i lci with b48 engine as my dailey
in my country the last year for the n20 was 2015 after that came the lci b48
Sorry for my bad English
@@hasan_440i -- India is cool; your English is good; thanks. You might be confused regarding the B48 being in the 2016 model year though. True -- 2016 was the first year of the LCI -- however, the LCI still received the n20 until model year 2017.
Freak'n beeeeeemers............Quote good as it almost made a hundred K miles.............OUCH! ...been there done that .....get a REAL car and Drive for 300 k plus no issues...drive a Lexus!
@vehicularDIY Is it generally pretty safe to pressure wash BMW engine bays? I’ve got a 2013 X3 on deck for timing chain replacement at 109k but the engine bay is FILTHY. PO must have lived on a diet road or something. I guess the electrical connections are all theoretically sealed, just makes me nervous.
Mine will. I'm less than 5k from it. I bought it with 43k on it it's an 09 with N51 B30A engine. The only maintenance not done by me on it was for new tires and cracked windshield.
Great video! Do you know if an N@0 manufactures on 10/2014 has the upgraded time chain guides? Thank you.
hey Musa, this video was interesting to see as my 328i did the same except it is fully seized probably due to oil starvation. Car itself is mint, had the full msport front end, forgestarwheels and all carbon interior. Now i am trying to figure out if it is even worth swapping the motor
Is it without xdrive? Don't think you can pull out xdrive ones like that? In that case doesn't low oil pressure warning come up?
This car is RWD. Yes more work would be involved if it was AWD. No oil pressure warnings came up or were stored which was a good thing as the rest of the motor looks fine given there was oil pressure feeding the rest of the engine.
Just have to disconnect drive shaft on most xdrives and take the front diff with the engine. I have pics of my M57 X5 engine pull just like that.
It seems to be surprisingly common thing that the broken chain guides destroy the whole engine. Probably need to replace them on my car asap, or trade it for something else..
The infamous rod knock
Hi
I am watching your videos for a while. They are awesome. I have x3 28i. The check engine light is on. Drivetrain malfunction alert is coming everytime I drive. Leak was diagnosed near throttle body and bank one. One screw was missing from throttle body. I opened the whole thing and replaced the seal and missing screw. But after that
I got these codes P0238, P007d.
Any suggestions is appreciated. Thanks.
I would like to ask how can you get away by cleaning the engine with liquid soap and water? Now I am a complete noob and know little to nothing about cars (perhaps a lil more than that) but I have long heard, never use a hose to spray off your engine because of all the sensitive electrical components which can get fried. You obviously know what you are doing and the why behind it, so could you enlighten a noob?
Pay a little more and get a b48
Bmw has recall or law suit about this knock some case I heard they replace engine is that right?
They extended it to 7yr/70,000 in USA
@@igotaction 70 000mils is pretty laughable, it shouldve been at atleast 140 000 miles. An engine failure in a car thats been serviced at the correct intervals should simply not have a chance to fail before at least 200 000 miles... N20/N26 and N13 are such gigantic engineering failures.
I want to know what the cylinder walls look like from pushing glitter through the engine and starving it of oil. How bad can they be before you scrap the block totally?
I'm slow rolling a rebuild on a 2012 right now and I have been him-hawing final assembly because of the the plasma spray coating not being perfect.
I wish someone would just say... "Clean the varnish off the cylinder walls with xxx color scotch bright and WD40 for lubricant until clean. Then reassemble engine with proper ring clearances."
My engine has just over 100k miles and was very well maintained, but still had obvious signs of buildup on the cylinder walls.
Do you guys just leave it as it comes out of the washer or do you dress the cylinder walls in any way? I know hone's and dingle-berrys are 100% out of the question.
N20 = piece of junk !!! i rather stay with mine 2006 N52 !!!!
There is an active recall on timing chains for these n20 engines from BMW
The recall sucks tho, BMW arent paying it for it the majority of the time. If youre lucky then you might get BMW to split the bill with you.
It's a shitty recall most of the cars covered were already passed the mileage that they would even pay for it fully.
My 2013 N20 Msport is tuned and over 200k and running extremely well. Ive not done the timing chains nor injectors. I purchased all the parts but seeing if i can get to 250k 1st
E84 with N20 and 185k. No problems so far. Not tuned.
how is the hoist , work out, is it safe, is moveable , can you send me some feedback about the lift you use , thank you
what do you think of you using a standard 50 mm set, instead of the bmw color?
I have the 14 328 with 92000 on it have some work done to it too I'm pushing some power out of it. Love the car putting a new chain in it end of summer beginning of fall though just to be safe.
Thanks for the videos, do you know any good repair manuals for this engine? I'm in the process of rebuilding mine but bmw tis is no longer available.
Thanks again
Classic N20!
128k miles on my 2006 328i still going strong n52 e90 power
250K is not out of the question on those.
@@VehicularDIY that gives me peace of mind (:
I mean using plastic in an engine is not smart.
Good job brother
Can you send me the part numbers for the bearing you used?
I got 155k on my 335i e90 and stilling running good
make another video when you install the parts and first run!
Sounds just like my N54 that spun a rod bearing about 3 weeks ago. RIP.
Sorry to hear, hopefully you get it up and running quick.
My n52 is at 125k and going strong
Im so glad i dont have the N20 in my 330e... I am getting kinda nervous about the M3 im getting tho, hope the S55 isnt gonna have the same issue.
The S55 is naturally balanced and won't suffer the same fate in terms of the timing guides but I'd look into pinning the crank hub to avoid crank hub slip.
e90, n46 440k km, greets!
I'm at 112k miles on my 2014 N20. FBO Stage 2 and been tuned since 65k miles
I'd look into installing the updating timing guides.
I love your content man
Thanks!
That thing sounds great!
any prevantative maintenance to make my n20 last longer?
Change the oil every 5000 miles. Change the water pump and chain every 60k miles.
Y’all are so brave for pressure washing the engine. I’m afraid of getting an electrical issue from it.
You can cover sensitive electronics, we were mindful of not directly spraying anything like that.
Use a pressure washer and foam cannon and you seriously decrease the amount of actual water you are introducing. Then come right behind with a blower. Pooling/standing/sitting water is your enemy.
Wait, you have your own shop?
Its just a filming studio at the moment.
I think I got lucky when I bought a 2016 328i (build May of 2016) -- supposedly it has all the timing chain related fixes for the n20. I still feel a bit uneasy about it though.
Post 2015 models have the upgraded chain and guides (supposedly stronger plastics) I have the same car but built March 2013. So far no issues/noises thank god! Currently at 57k. Looking to change my chain soon just for prev maint.
Yes you have the new guides so not much to worry about.
What year was that 328i ?
2012
How do you prevent this from happening?
Don't buy anything with an N20 in it. Very simple. I don't mean to be sarcastic or rude either. They're pieces of complete shit.
@@RothBeyondTheGrave I actually have a 2017 X3 with the N55 motor but heard that these things can happen to N55’s as well. I heard sometimes it’s caused from lack of regular oil changes
@@davejohnson6144 it literally happens to everything they've made since the late 90's. Some like N52's are WAY less likely, but it still happens. N55's seem infinitely more safe than 80% or so of what they've made since, but yes keep on top of those oil changes. I'm sure most stick to around 5k intervals?
I'm far from an expert, but I've been doing my BMW homework from afar in my Benz in hopes of having one as a 2nd car asap. I just don't get why they completely stopped giving a shit. (Other than profit obviously). I cringe at the Toyota/Honda, etc comparisons, but even with Benz, this stuff just DOESN'T happen. It's literally guaranteed with BMW.
@@davejohnson6144 th-cam.com/video/rPUUNhjJjHU/w-d-xo.html
Great place to start if you haven't already watched this one. FCP also has an N55 teardown vid of....you guessed it....one with a spun bearing.
Just install the updated timing guides around 90K miles and change the oil at 5K intervals and you shouldn't experience this.
Iam done with BMW. That brand has lost my respect. missing old days when you had to change timing belt and be happy. vintage amps and vintage cars its going to be the same now
The N20 hasn't been used since 2018. The B engines that replaced it have been amazing so far going on 7 years. It's good time to stay with BMW.
I think BMW has been done with BMW for some time now.
@@RothBeyondTheGrave You're going to have to explain that to me
My girls x1 has the n20 with 78k has a some ticking at start up but settles down shortly after warm up. I believe you showed the timing chain upgrade can be done without pulling the motor..is that correct?
Yes but the motor comes out almost as easy as the subframe
Ticking is probably valve lifter tick, which is pretty much on any engine beginning with "N". However, if your engine has a but of a mild rattle, then that's a problem. Regardless, if its the early revision N20, youll want to get that problematic chain assembly out soon.
@@indianboy0453 yeah pretty used to the BMW lifter noise. Been following DIY for years he helped me take care of 90 percent of maintenance in my own garage.
@@mikebrooks447 Discovered his channel about a year or two back. Love the content and his explanations. He actually opened my eyes to the potential reliability of the engines in my parents garage. Mothers N52 is pretty much solid as of now, and Dads N55 needs a little work but I took care of the major early failure points so far. Just not entirely sure if I should advise my dad to keep it or not.
Yes I have a couple videos showing it done in the car.
First!