Excellent video, and very useful information for N55 owners. I'd like to add some additional points of interest for N55 owners. Having owned an 2011 E90 335ix since 2013, I have over a decade of experience with this motor and E series platform. My E90 is totally stock, zero performance upgrades for power, just upgrades for longevity and peace of mind. Classic issues with these motors are in several areas... - Oil Filter Housing Gasket (OFHG), will leak and cause oil to drip onto your serpentine belt,(More about this further down) - Water pump will eventually fail, for rear wheel cars, not a bad DIY, for ix (all wheel drive cars) its a bitch of a job due to limited space for front transfer/differential car. Plus the H20 pump is expensive if you buy a genuine BMW one, which I would recommend because you do not want to have to due it again!!! - Coolant reservoir will eventually crack at the seam and cause you to lose antifreeze. (Cheap easy replacement fix) - Mickey Mouse Flange - it will eventually just disintegrate and fall apart. Just buy a aluminum one off eBay, inexpensive easy DIY. - Our motors have this uncanny and horrible propensity to eat/inhale the serpentine belt if the belt comes off due to oil leaking on it (see first bullet). The motor can inhale/eat the serpentine belt through the front crankcase oil seal when the belt comes off the pullyes due to oil or old frayed belt. This makes for a really BAD, Very VEry VERy VERY BAD DAY if this happens to your motor, (Google it...). Highly recommend that you install a crack case oil seal guard for peace of mind!!! HIGHLY RECOMEND. - Oil Pan Gasket (OPG) will eventually start to leak, cheap part (buy genuine BMW gasket) and its a royal bitch to change, - Our motors are direct injection and have a tendency to get oil contaminated valves due to oil vapors coming into the intake manifold. This will gum up your intake valves/manifold, requiring a walnut blasting to clean it out. Not a terribly hard job, but it's not fun. Easy to avoid by simply installing an oil catch can. Problem solved. - Replaced my serpentine belt, tensioner and all pulleys at around 75K miles, nothing wrong with them, they were just getting old. Ethan hit the nail on the head, when he stated to keep up on maintenance. Change: - Oil and filter EVERY 5k miles or every year if less then 5k annual miles driven. (Super easy DIY) - Brake fluid every two years.(Easy DIY) - Power steering fluid every 3 years. (Super easy DIY) - Antifreeze/coolant every 3 years. (Easy DIY) - Differential oil every 30 or 50k miles (Super easy DIY) - Replaced spark plugs at 50K, still have the original fuel injectors installed. (Easy DIY) - Air filter and cabin filter, I change mine every year, probably excessive, but that is what I do, (Super easy DIY) - Replaced automatic transmission fluid and solenoids at around 80k miles. (I had my BMW indy shop do this) - As far as the charge pipe is concerned, definetly change it, but I did not go the expensive route here, I bought a cheap China one off eBay 6 years ago for $60.00 and its been fine and super easy to install. All it is, is just an aluminum tube... (Ultra simply DIY) Sounds like a-lot, but this is what I have done since 2013, and I have never had any major issues. just some gasket leaks that I changed promptly, the OFHG and OPG when they started to leak, and the Water pump was changed by BMW under warranty when it started to leak. Best of luck to you all, love my 335 / N55.
Hi mate, I had the exact same issue with the coolant return hose, I got my 235 about 3 months ago and it burst as I was driving along - nice vid, just subscribed 👍🏼
my OEM chargepipe blew while drining normally, its stock. replaced with a nice aluminum one instead, took a couple of hours since im a rookie in the garage but works and looks perfectly!
Hi Ethan, pretty good video, if you do all the supportive mods, the engine can last forever and looking for rod bearing maitenance 80-90K miles if you do track or drift with it.
Hi Ethan. An issue I have is that I've only got heating on the passenger side of my car. I think I need to flush the heater core. Any idea how to do this?
hi, i’ve literally just experienced the same issue with mine this week, I’m going to do some research on it and figure out how to fix it, however off the top of my head i’m pretty sure you do have to flush the heater core yes.
If you found the video helpful then please consider Subscribing:)
Long live the N55, has so much more character than the B58. 💪💪
so true!
Excellent video, and very useful information for N55 owners.
I'd like to add some additional points of interest for N55 owners.
Having owned an 2011 E90 335ix since 2013, I have over a decade of experience with this motor and E series platform.
My E90 is totally stock, zero performance upgrades for power, just upgrades for longevity and peace of mind.
Classic issues with these motors are in several areas...
- Oil Filter Housing Gasket (OFHG), will leak and cause oil to drip onto your serpentine belt,(More about this further down)
- Water pump will eventually fail, for rear wheel cars, not a bad DIY, for ix (all wheel drive cars) its a bitch of a job due to limited space for front transfer/differential car.
Plus the H20 pump is expensive if you buy a genuine BMW one, which I would recommend because you do not want to have to due it again!!!
- Coolant reservoir will eventually crack at the seam and cause you to lose antifreeze. (Cheap easy replacement fix)
- Mickey Mouse Flange - it will eventually just disintegrate and fall apart. Just buy a aluminum one off eBay, inexpensive easy DIY.
- Our motors have this uncanny and horrible propensity to eat/inhale the serpentine belt if the belt comes off due to oil leaking on it (see first bullet). The motor can inhale/eat the serpentine belt through the front crankcase oil seal when the belt comes off the pullyes due to oil or old frayed belt. This makes for a really BAD, Very VEry VERy VERY BAD DAY if this happens to your motor, (Google it...).
Highly recommend that you install a crack case oil seal guard for peace of mind!!! HIGHLY RECOMEND.
- Oil Pan Gasket (OPG) will eventually start to leak, cheap part (buy genuine BMW gasket) and its a royal bitch to change,
- Our motors are direct injection and have a tendency to get oil contaminated valves due to oil vapors coming into the intake manifold.
This will gum up your intake valves/manifold, requiring a walnut blasting to clean it out. Not a terribly hard job, but it's not fun.
Easy to avoid by simply installing an oil catch can. Problem solved.
- Replaced my serpentine belt, tensioner and all pulleys at around 75K miles, nothing wrong with them, they were just getting old.
Ethan hit the nail on the head, when he stated to keep up on maintenance.
Change:
- Oil and filter EVERY 5k miles or every year if less then 5k annual miles driven. (Super easy DIY)
- Brake fluid every two years.(Easy DIY)
- Power steering fluid every 3 years. (Super easy DIY)
- Antifreeze/coolant every 3 years. (Easy DIY)
- Differential oil every 30 or 50k miles (Super easy DIY)
- Replaced spark plugs at 50K, still have the original fuel injectors installed. (Easy DIY)
- Air filter and cabin filter, I change mine every year, probably excessive, but that is what I do, (Super easy DIY)
- Replaced automatic transmission fluid and solenoids at around 80k miles. (I had my BMW indy shop do this)
- As far as the charge pipe is concerned, definetly change it, but I did not go the expensive route here, I bought a cheap China one off eBay 6 years ago for $60.00 and its been fine and super easy to install. All it is, is just an aluminum tube... (Ultra simply DIY)
Sounds like a-lot, but this is what I have done since 2013, and I have never had any major issues. just some gasket leaks that I changed promptly, the OFHG and OPG when they started to leak, and the Water pump was changed by BMW under warranty when it started to leak.
Best of luck to you all, love my 335 / N55.
Really good information there mate, thank you very much for your input
Hi mate, I had the exact same issue with the coolant return hose, I got my 235 about 3 months ago and it burst as I was driving along - nice vid, just subscribed 👍🏼
appreciate you subscribing:), it’s such a annoying issue hence why I carry a spare in the back of the car 👍🏻
You need to make some more pov’s if you can mate they’re class
I want to, unfortunately weather has been so bad, but i’ll get it done soon for sure.
@ tbf weather has been rough recently
super helpful thanks boss
no worries
my OEM chargepipe blew while drining normally, its stock. replaced with a nice aluminum one instead, took a couple of hours since im a rookie in the garage but works and looks perfectly!
Yep unfortunately even the stock ones aren’t amazing, but now you have an upgraded one you won’t have any issues.
Hi Ethan, pretty good video, if you do all the supportive mods, the engine can last forever and looking for rod bearing maitenance 80-90K miles if you do track or drift with it.
Appreciate the advice, i’m not looking to track or drift mine so I presume rod bearings should be ok?
@ pretty sure it will be ok
Hi Ethan. An issue I have is that I've only got heating on the passenger side of my car. I think I need to flush the heater core. Any idea how to do this?
hi, i’ve literally just experienced the same issue with mine this week, I’m going to do some research on it and figure out how to fix it, however off the top of my head i’m pretty sure you do have to flush the heater core yes.
@ethantyrerf22 thanks mate. Please let me know your findings as you seem to know a lot more about this than me