For those of you who are trying this on your own and it's not working quite as well as you'd hope, try putting in some Seafoam into the oil too. The issue with compression for me was actually the valves sticking on cylinders 2 and 3. I also used the Seafoam you spray in through your intake and that completely solved the issue for me. This was on a M54B30 with 396k miles.
Are the rings actually freeing up ? Or is the compression just bumping up temporarily, only because the rings are wet for the time being (like a wet test) ?
Genius! I picked up a M54B25 for cheap as there was 'something wrong' with it. It wasn't in a car so I couldn't check it out much. The cams and VANOS were 1/2 inch thick with crud! I cleaned and cleaned and then did a compression test. All cylinders registered 180 (somethings?), except cylinder 4 which had a hard time getting to 30! . After i stopped crying I thought 'What would Nathan do?'. I found this video. All I had in the workshop that would clean was full solvent brake cleaner. I mixed that 50/50 with red ATF and FILLED cylinder 4. I noticed the red concoction dripping slowly from the exhaust manifold!. when I tried a compression test, the red fluid shot out of the exhaust manifold. I filled the cylinder again and rocked the engine around TDC on CYL #4. I did this with a big bar and socket on the crank bolt. then I screwed my compression tester in to CYL #4 with it still full of fluid. It was 'hydro-locked' and wouldn't budge. That made me think the cylinder was holding pressure. I removed the compression tester, cranked the engine until the fluid had all shot out, then re-inserted the tester. Would you believe the compression reading is now 160! Not 180 but then I only let it crank 3 times. If it's still good in the morning, I owe Nathan a kiss! I hope this might give hope to others. Simon Edwards Queensland, Australia. BMW 318is (M44) about to receive an M54B25 transplant
Should I use just the Lucas injector cleaner or an injector & upper cylinder lubricant cleaner to sit overnight? Think I’m having this problem with my N52 motor
Since the pistons are on a slant, wouldn't gravity cause the cleaner to fall to the bottom half of the piston rings and not do much for the upper half?
@@NathansBMWWorkshop I’m having trouble he issues now .. on m62tu .. cylinder 1 is 90 , 2 is 20, 3 is 125, 4 is 150 . I didn’t check the other bank but the car sat for a good time then suddenly this happens . I’m going to put some sea foam it it
you said to pour into each of the six cylinders and let it sit overnight then blow it out whats the best method removing the cleaner do you use a vacuum extractor and then compressed air and do i need to do an oil change afterwards just want to perform this correctly
Hi my bmw 1 series. The timing chain climb off and hit 2 valves we did fix it and replaced new timing chain. And so on the car did drive not far but stalled. So now it doesnt want to start Had a mechanic look at it. He said no compression. So what does it mean. And what can i do to fix it. And check for
Will this work on a Subaru wrx 2018 ? I have 60 psi in one cylinder and my car won’t start all the other cylinders have 120 psi and would that be the reason for the car not starting cuz low compression in one cylinder?
so checc this out. I'm having the same issue. I've tried the seafoam it worked but then the car cuts bacc off as if it lost compression again... I'm confused at this point. I'ma try what you have . I've changed camshaft sensors, crank shaft, fuel pump, spark plugs etc I had a reading that said that I had multiple misfires ... After I tried this fix . Should I try it again?
Before you put everything back together, you crank the car (3 - 4 times for 3 seconds) .. making sure you cover the holes with a towel so that the liquid wont shoot everywhere.
Each cylinder would have to be in the correct crank postion to hold air from a compressor... with a tee to the gauge... Unless this is a bad idea.. Not a mechanic.
What brand of injector cleaner have you used to loosen up the pistonrings? Thank you very much, my wife's Alfa Romeo has stuck pistonrings on piston nr 2.
Transcript says he should have dumped the Deluca.. (in the other two cylinders, as well) I heard Should have dumped the Lucas. (will try the penetrating oil pre-treatment, too)
I have a 97 740il. Bought car with pvc valve that went bad. Had the smoke from hell every now and then till lost compression( was planning on fixing that pvc that Friday before car gave out). Replace bad unit and plugs, but notice now lost compression in a couple cyliders. Want to try this trick, should I use the same 1-2oz as well?
To do a wet test put a little shot of oil to coat the top of the piston. Equal amount of oil per cylinder. Do same procedures as dry test. Wet test helps find out if it’s rings or valve issue. Doing a wet test before a leak down test will hide issues that could otherwise be uncovered because it covers up potential air leaks locations.
When doing checks on the e36, are you supposed to pull all plugs out and then do the test? I saw someplace else that stated to pull fuse for fuel pump too. Anyone know which fuse that is? I did not see it listed on fuse panel box.
This might be 6 years too late but, fuse 18 is the fuel pump on an e36 and you should pull all the plugs. Just putting that out there if anyone else is troubleshooting an e36
Do you recommend any kind/brand of gas additive, to clean the injectors? I wonder about about the "Chevron Techron" additive I see at Auto Zone. Do you think it's worth it, or is it just automotive "snake oil" that does more harm to 02 sensors etc? The highest octane gas in Calif. is 91. I've heard some folks get 98! octane in other States. Thank you.
Hi Nathan, dude I'm super frustrated and hate to give up. I bought 06 N52 that shop says all cylinders at 50 psi. I bought it cheap but the interior is extremely clean and am wondering if the next step should be to have shop remove cover and see if belt stuck in there. Would that cause that issue? Help please
@@bubblerings I ended up keeping it until I find someone that can fix it. If not it's a spare parts car for my other 06 525. I'm not giving up on it yet
Erased my advice about RESTORE...in a can. Not sure what would happen from only 50 psi compression. EDIT. Timing CHAIN. "N52 timing chain" A video pops up.. "When to Replace timing chain..." Good luck.. 👍
I'm a huge fan of your channel I just got a question I have problems with M50 motor on a 95 525i it cranks but it's making a loud popping noise I try to look information but nobody's talking about that do you have any idea what would it be just wondering if you could help me out appreciate it
I have X5 Bmw 4.4..& have Cylinder Misfire 1..fuel shut off..confused like crazy...in morning, have to accelerate to hope that it doesn't shut off..but In return, receive Engine light...I've changed spark plugs, coil, injector, camshaft sensor, and is starting to believe the cause can be due to valve seal, O ring etc of that nature...Every 5 days spark plug in cylinder 1 become black..if I change it, normal again..but then 5th day, again black[with engine oil grease]...any advice much appreciated, Sakou
![FAST BMW E36 Engine Teardown [Pt1]: How to Remove VANOS and Cylinder Head (m50 m52 s50 applications)](/img/n.gif)
For those of you who are trying this on your own and it's not working quite as well as you'd hope, try putting in some Seafoam into the oil too. The issue with compression for me was actually the valves sticking on cylinders 2 and 3. I also used the Seafoam you spray in through your intake and that completely solved the issue for me. This was on a M54B30 with 396k miles.
Thanks for the info, I just picked up a really clean e46 with 164k and it’s got low compression thru 2-5, hopefully this can help it a lil
@@soho281 how did it turn out?
@@WayneBanga compression built up from 0 to 90-115, got rid of the car tho, needed a new motor 🤣
yep for NA motors it works good but us N54 guys have to clean valves by hand :D
Ah, new reply. I guess I'll update you all. The engine is still running at 426k miles.
Are the rings actually freeing up ? Or is the compression just bumping up temporarily, only because the rings are wet for the time being (like a wet test) ?
Genius! I picked up a M54B25 for cheap as there was 'something wrong' with it. It wasn't in a car so I couldn't check it out much. The cams and VANOS were 1/2 inch thick with crud! I cleaned and cleaned and then did a compression test. All cylinders registered 180 (somethings?), except cylinder 4 which had a hard time getting to 30! . After i stopped crying I thought 'What would Nathan do?'. I found this video. All I had in the workshop that would clean was full solvent brake cleaner. I mixed that 50/50 with red ATF and FILLED cylinder 4. I noticed the red concoction dripping slowly from the exhaust manifold!. when I tried a compression test, the red fluid shot out of the exhaust manifold. I filled the cylinder again and rocked the engine around TDC on CYL #4. I did this with a big bar and socket on the crank bolt. then I screwed my compression tester in to CYL #4 with it still full of fluid. It was 'hydro-locked' and wouldn't budge. That made me think the cylinder was holding pressure. I removed the compression tester, cranked the engine until the fluid had all shot out, then re-inserted the tester.
Would you believe the compression reading is now 160! Not 180 but then I only let it crank 3 times. If it's still good in the morning, I owe Nathan a kiss!
I hope this might give hope to others.
Simon Edwards
Queensland,
Australia.
BMW 318is (M44) about to receive an M54B25 transplant
What ever happened?
How is your car now after the experiment? I would appreciate your answer.
Some people. I guess I'll just crank it three times and wait until the morning. Shish boom bah Nate! @@davidtheinspector
Should I use just the Lucas injector cleaner or an injector & upper cylinder lubricant cleaner to sit overnight? Think I’m having this problem with my N52 motor
Since the pistons are on a slant, wouldn't gravity cause the cleaner to fall to the bottom half of the piston rings and not do much for the upper half?
+hnkfsh81 It could i guess but in this case the cleaner worked really well
In that case, just jack up the passenger side so its flat. Simple trick!
@@NathansBMWWorkshop I’m having trouble he issues now .. on m62tu .. cylinder 1 is 90 , 2 is 20, 3 is 125, 4 is 150 . I didn’t check the other bank but the car sat for a good time then suddenly this happens . I’m going to put some sea foam it it
Good video. Just wondering that after treatment is it must to change oil?
Will be continuing my head job today keep up the good work
Do I have to change the oil, after putting that injector cleaner in the pistons?
obligatory
Why
you said to pour into each of the six cylinders and let it sit overnight then blow it out whats the best method removing the cleaner do you use a vacuum extractor and then compressed air and do i need to do an oil change afterwards just want to perform this correctly
I'd probably just crank the engine with a cloth over each hole so you don't get spray everywhere.
sprayed what kind of oil in the back two? couldnt make it out
would carb cleaner work or does it need to be fuel injector cleaner?
What did he put in the cylinders? Seafoam???
Hi my bmw 1 series. The timing chain climb off and hit 2 valves we did fix it and replaced new timing chain. And so on the car did drive not far but stalled. So now it doesnt want to start Had a mechanic look at it. He said no compression. So what does it mean. And what can i do to fix it. And check for
Will this work on a Subaru wrx 2018 ? I have 60 psi in one cylinder and my car won’t start all the other cylinders have 120 psi and would that be the reason for the car not starting cuz low compression in one cylinder?
Awesome! That's a good trick to know.
so checc this out. I'm having the same issue. I've tried the seafoam it worked but then the car cuts bacc off as if it lost compression again... I'm confused at this point. I'ma try what you have . I've changed camshaft sensors, crank shaft, fuel pump, spark plugs etc I had a reading that said that I had multiple misfires ... After I tried this fix . Should I try it again?
Did u solve the problem?
Did u solve the problem?
Hello, My BMW E36 318is M42 is showing 175psi in all four cylinders. Is it good?
It supposed to be very good not excellent
What if you press the gas pedal before cutting the ignition to let the gasoline unburned in the pistons?
just one question how to remove the cleaner from the combustion room
too bad this guy doesn't seem to answer any important questions
Before you put everything back together, you crank the car (3 - 4 times for 3 seconds) .. making sure you cover the holes with a towel so that the liquid wont shoot everywhere.
Thanks from Sweden
I found a n52 engine at the junkyard how do I get the compression up without cranking it
Each cylinder would have to be in the correct crank postion to hold air from a compressor... with a tee to the gauge... Unless this is a bad idea.. Not a mechanic.
What brand of injector cleaner have you used to loosen up the pistonrings? Thank you very much, my wife's Alfa Romeo has stuck pistonrings on piston nr 2.
He says Lucas a couple of times
do u know how to install a ccv on a 1998 328i?? i have a vacc leak there an am trying to find a diy video to see how to replace it..
+Josef Jones I have a video up for the ccv delete on the m52 engine
What is the fuel injector cleaner you used? I have to do something similar on a E39 530i
Transcript says he should have dumped the Deluca..
(in the other two cylinders, as well) I heard
Should have dumped the Lucas.
(will try the penetrating oil pre-treatment, too)
I have a 97 740il. Bought car with pvc valve that went bad. Had the smoke from hell every now and then till lost compression( was planning on fixing that pvc that Friday before car gave out). Replace bad unit and plugs, but notice now lost compression in a couple cyliders. Want to try this trick, should I use the same 1-2oz as well?
Any luck?
How much was the initial compression?
I suspect this is the same as comparing between dry and wet tests.
wet test results will be a bit higher
To do a wet test put a little shot of oil to coat the top of the piston. Equal amount of oil per cylinder. Do same procedures as dry test. Wet test helps find out if it’s rings or valve issue. Doing a wet test before a leak down test will hide issues that could otherwise be uncovered because it covers up potential air leaks locations.
My X3 has lost compression in cylinder 2 and 4. How can i fix it
Junk it
Hi Nathan should you do compression test while car is cold or warm ?
HOT AF
do it when it's warm but lower than normal running temperature
you know? what size are the clams for fuel hose filter gas thanks
+Trino Munoz I don't remember , you should be able to get them at the parts store
Thanks because I need to change the fuel filter
Trino Munoz good video
is it recommended to pull the DME relay before cranking engine with ignition parts unplugged?
hi...plez teach me....my 36 is low compressor
When doing checks on the e36, are you supposed to pull all plugs out and then do the test? I saw someplace else that stated to pull fuse for fuel pump too. Anyone know which fuse that is? I did not see it listed on fuse panel box.
This might be 6 years too late but, fuse 18 is the fuel pump on an e36 and you should pull all the plugs. Just putting that out there if anyone else is troubleshooting an e36
Do you recommend any kind/brand of gas additive, to clean the injectors? I wonder about about the "Chevron Techron" additive I see at Auto Zone. Do you think it's worth it, or is it just automotive "snake oil" that does more harm to 02 sensors etc? The highest octane gas in Calif. is 91. I've heard some folks get 98! octane in other States. Thank you.
Hi Nathan, dude I'm super frustrated and hate to give up. I bought 06 N52 that shop says all cylinders at 50 psi. I bought it cheap but the interior is extremely clean and am wondering if the next step should be to have shop remove cover and see if belt stuck in there. Would that cause that issue? Help please
Did u fix it??
@@bubblerings I ended up keeping it until I find someone that can fix it. If not it's a spare parts car for my other 06 525. I'm not giving up on it yet
Erased my advice about RESTORE...in a can.
Not sure what would happen from only 50 psi compression.
EDIT. Timing CHAIN.
"N52 timing chain"
A video pops up..
"When to Replace timing chain..." Good luck.. 👍
I'm a huge fan of your channel I just got a question I have problems with M50 motor on a 95 525i it cranks but it's making a loud popping noise I try to look information but nobody's talking about that do you have any idea what would it be just wondering if you could help me out appreciate it
Seems as if it’s off time, check the timing on it.
I can be completely wrong on it but it seems like a timing issue
I have X5 Bmw 4.4..& have Cylinder Misfire 1..fuel shut off..confused like crazy...in morning, have to accelerate to hope that it doesn't shut off..but In return, receive Engine light...I've changed spark plugs, coil, injector, camshaft sensor, and is starting to believe the cause can be due to valve seal, O ring etc of that nature...Every 5 days spark plug in cylinder 1 become black..if I change it, normal again..but then 5th day, again black[with engine oil grease]...any advice much appreciated, Sakou
Hello did u ever find the issue??
clever
...OH..X5 BMW 4.4...CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE FUEL SHUT OFF