[Kevin39]

Why bitch about maintenance? You know what you're getting in to when you buy these cars and if you didn't then it's your own fault for not researching things before buying. Sounds like some of you should have bought an Accord or leased instead. I don't know what else to tell you.

[9krpmrx8]

Originally Posted by PORTMOODY

That video is kind of sketch because she doesn't say what the flaw is, just that they addressed it, unless I had my dad ears on and wasn't listening.

Yeah, I was hoping for more technical info.

Originally Posted by Pladi

its not complicated but it can destroy your engine.

Not true, my guess is that it's just more idiots who fail to have an attention to detail when working on something. But overall the instances that people relate a OFHG change to a failed engine are negligible.

[lwgrenier]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Not true, my guess is that it's just more idiots who fail to have an attention to detail when working on something. But overall the instances that people relate a OFHG change to a failed engine are negligible.

I think he was talking about the fact that it can cause the belt to shred and be sucked into the engine.

[9krpmrx8]

Well it doesn't cause that, a lazy owner does. When it leaks, it's barely a leak unless you just ignore it for a long time. If you neglect the car and let the entire engine get coated in oil then anything bad that happens as a result is on you.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Well it doesn't cause that, a lazy owner does. When it leaks, it's barely a leak unless you just ignore it for a long time. If you neglect the car and let the entire engine get coated in oil then anything bad that happens as a result is on you.

I think the point is potential owners of the N55 should know that a "simple" OFHG issue could be catastrophic with this engine. Most users drive the cars and dont open the hood every week. So the chance of missing the oil leak is high. Not too mention that leak is common. Leaks happen with other makes, but leaks that destroy engines thats special. BMW special.

[weehe126]

Originally Posted by Pladi

I think the point is potential owners of the N55 should know that a "simple" OFHG issue could be catastrophic with this engine. Most users drive the cars and dont open the hood every week. So the chance of missing the oil leak is high. Not too mention that leak is common. Leaks happen with other makes, but leaks that destroy engines thats special. BMW special.

No, literally you are the only one saying this. You will get a low oil light forcing you to open the hood before the OFHG causes a belt to explode.

[9krpmrx8]

^ This. And even if you are a neglectful owner that never opens the hood, whoever is changing your oil should mention it if they see an oil leak at the OFH. But maybe not if you are taking it to a quick lube place that employs untrained 18 year old burners.

[lwgrenier]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

^ This. And even if you are a neglectful owner that never opens the hood, whoever is changing your oil should mention it if they see an oil leak at the OFH. But maybe not if you are taking it to a quick lube place that employs untrained 18 year old burners.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, and do all the work I can on my own car. But those "quick lube" places do service plenty of cars that never have issues. I knew when buying this car that I would have to be more astute to potential problems. I'd read about the water pumps, OFHG, HPFP, etc. But many 335s have so many more issues, and not at very high mileage. I've been driving my dad's 2012 s4 for the past month and a half. It has 85k miles on it and not once has it so much as made a strange noise, let alone have the SES light come on. I know it's just one example, but my car that had 68k miles on it needed to be worked on at least once a month since I got it with 50k miles. That tells me that BMWs are poorly engineered and use shoddy materials in comparison to their competitors. They're great cars when they're running well, but keeping them that way is incredibly time consuming and expensive. It's reflected in their depreciation rates.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by lwgrenier

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, and do all the work I can on my own car. But those "quick lube" places do service plenty of cars that never have issues. I knew when buying this car that I would have to be more astute to potential problems. I'd read about the water pumps, OFHG, HPFP, etc. But many 335s have so many more issues, and not at very high mileage. I've been driving my dad's 2012 s4 for the past month and a half. It has 85k miles on it and not once has it so much as made a strange noise, let alone have the SES light come on. I know it's just one example, but my car that had 68k miles on it needed to be worked on at least once a month since I got it with 50k miles. That tells me that BMWs are poorly engineered and use shoddy materials in comparison to their competitors. They're great cars when they're running well, but keeping them that way is incredibly time consuming and expensive. It's reflected in their depreciation rates.

You are not the only one. These cars are literally PLAGUED with issues. There is tons of info on how unreliable the N54 and N55 are. N55 a bit better. Notorious for having random monthly almost issues. BMW seems to be the worst for sure. And i am probably a lucky one who has not had that many issues. I have had HPFP, OFHG, expansion tank and coils/injectors , water pump and thermostat done within like 2 years. After 50 k (I know even a chevy will last up to 200k NP) they just crap the bed. Not to mention a whole thread about people complaing how it can kill you during heavy rain on the highway. I pressed the brake with ZERO lights on dash or warning car veered to the left because of the amazing brake dry feature which should be called BRAKE DEATH.During dry weather brakes work amazing. If the 'brake dry' feature doesnt work very well it can kill you, because it will not warn you that something is not right. They put complex braking but no complex monitoring. Thank god i know a thing or two about driving. I was with my pregnant wife in the car. The platform is PLAGUED with issues, recalls. From Vanos to HPFP to connectors that catch on fire you name it. Sunroof leaking and clogging where water accumulates inside the car and trunk WHAAAT? You wont even get that from a ZASTAVA or old russian LLADA from 1960s. $60k sedan.. lool. The only reason BMW sells more now is because they are making better cars. F30s def better. So OFHG is just 1/50.

Rant over.

[SnapCoupe]

Originally Posted by weehe126

No, literally you are the only one saying this. You will get a low oil light forcing you to open the hood before the OFHG causes a belt to explode.

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

^ This. And even if you are a neglectful owner that never opens the hood, whoever is changing your oil should mention it if they see an oil leak at the OFH. But maybe not if you are taking it to a quick lube place that employs untrained 18 year old burners.

Eh... this isn't entirely true.

A lot of the time the OFHG is leaking from the bottom and therefore isn't visible until the leak is really bad. Also, the condition of your belts prior to them being covered in oil has a big part to play on the "catastrophic failure" aspect of the OFHG leak. It kinda tends to be a crapshoot if/when the OFHG can cause the belt to go.

Also, even at a BMW dealership, if you come in needing an oil top off 9 times out of 10 whoever does it isn't going to notice any leaks. Even if they do, typically they wont bother mentioning it because the people doing those top offs don't get paid to tell you whats wrong with your car. That being said, the OFHG almost always gets caught during a tech's inspection if a car is in for regular service.

[9krpmrx8]

Leaks in that area are easily visible, so I don't know why you think that. I agree on the belt failure being a crap shoot. I have only seen belt failures on high mileage cars, a couple of the locals who had it happen were in older E9X cars with higher mileage.

And I guess it depends on the dealer but my dealer jumps at the chance to point out things they would like you to pay them to change. But my car has only been to the dealer for recalls and things I am not paying for so I would never go to a BMW dealer for an oil top off anyway.

[SnapCoupe]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Leaks in that area are easily visible, so I don't know why you think that. I agree on the belt failure being a crap shoot. I have only seen belt failures on high mileage cars, a couple of the locals who had it happen were in older E9X cars with higher mileage.

And I guess it depends on the dealer but my dealer jumps at the chance to point out things they would like you to pay them to change. But my car has only been to the dealer for recalls and things I am not paying for so I would never go to a BMW dealer for an oil top off anyway.

To the trained eye of someone who is aware of the OFHG its quite easy to see, but to someone who doesn't know of how common that leak is, it can easily be mistaken for excess oil residue from the installation of a new filter.

I agree on it depending on the dealer though. Ours is incredibly busy throughout the day, so most of the time we are just trying to get customers in and out pretty fast if they aren't spending money. Another factor is the slew of repeat top off visits of people who come in every week or so for more oil. Their engine bays tend to be caked with oil residue and they don't care at all, they just want their free refill. It makes sense though, as for someone who doesn't really know too much about cars, being told you have an oil leak that cost 10-15% of the total value of the car to fix is a pretty big pill to swallow. Most people in that position choose to go the "top it off until it dies" route, unfortunately.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Leaks in that area are easily visible, so I don't know why you think that. I agree on the belt failure being a crap shoot. I have only seen belt failures on high mileage cars, a couple of the locals who had it happen were in older E9X cars with higher mileage.
.

In my case my OFHG leak was not visible at all. Granted it didn't start leaking onto the belt yet. It was only leaking under the back of it and creeping down under the intake manifold.

The way I knew it was leaking was my coolant cap had a bit of sludge under it.

[The Silver Slammer]

Originally Posted by Pladi

You are not the only one. These cars are literally PLAGUED with issues. There is tons of info on how unreliable the N54 and N55 are. N55 a bit better. Notorious for having random monthly almost issues. BMW seems to be the worst for sure. And i am probably a lucky one who has not had that many issues. I have had HPFP, OFHG, expansion tank and coils/injectors , water pump and thermostat done within like 2 years. After 50 k (I know even a chevy will last up to 200k NP) they just crap the bed. Not to mention a whole thread about people complaing how it can kill you during heavy rain on the highway. I pressed the brake with ZERO lights on dash or warning car veered to the left because of the amazing brake dry feature which should be called BRAKE DEATH.During dry weather brakes work amazing. If the 'brake dry' feature doesnt work very well it can kill you, because it will not warn you that something is not right. They put complex braking but no complex monitoring. Thank god i know a thing or two about driving. I was with my pregnant wife in the car. The platform is PLAGUED with issues, recalls. From Vanos to HPFP to connectors that catch on fire you name it. Sunroof leaking and clogging where water accumulates inside the car and trunk WHAAAT? You wont even get that from a ZASTAVA or old russian LLADA from 1960s. $60k sedan.. lool. The only reason BMW sells more now is because they are making better cars. F30s def better. So OFHG is just 1/50.

Rant over.

Wow, I agree...Since week one of buying mine i've sunk lots of money into this thing, some upgrades, some fixes, but there is always something, always. E30 and E46 had their issues too, but by far, the E9X is the worst, but with the highest potential of driving fun and HORSEPOWER! That's what always gets me

[9krpmrx8]

No way, an 8 year old BMW needed some fixes? That's crazy.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by The Silver Slammer

Wow, I agree...Since week one of buying mine i've sunk lots of money into this thing, some upgrades, some fixes, but there is always something, always. E30 and E46 had their issues too, but by far, the E9X is the worst, but with the highest potential of driving fun and HORSEPOWER! That's what always gets me

Yes despite my rant dont get me wrong i love the way the car drives. It has an incredibly balanced engine and other drivetrain components. They are very well balanced and special to drive. But it could have been a much nicer package of performance and reliability, I know for a fact BMW knows how to do it right. I am convinced they are concerned at selling parts. Alot of politics ofcourse in this huge industry. Like anywhere else.

I dont mind working on it and enjoy DIY actually its very rewarding. But to sit here and say that this platform is just like any other car and they break just as much thats lying to yourself

[SnapCoupe]

Originally Posted by The Silver Slammer

Wow, I agree...Since week one of buying mine i've sunk lots of money into this thing, some upgrades, some fixes, but there is always something, always. E30 and E46 had their issues too, but by far, the E9X is the worst, but with the highest potential of driving fun and HORSEPOWER! That's what always gets me

Agreed. I bought my 2006 Z4M coupe without any maintenance records with 70k miles on the clock. I daily drove it for 3 years and racked it up to around 115k miles. During that time I replaced 2 coil packs, 6 spark plugs, and the oil pump nut. I beat the shit out of it and it never skipped a beat or left me stranded, if anything it just kept begging for more. With the 335i, I have put an insane amount of money into it and I feel like I am constantly tinkering or hunting down issues with it. While I knew that was going to be the case getting into modifying a turbo BMW, I didn't think it would be as bad as it has been. I am still nervous to track it this season too, as I feel like more shit is going to break.

[feuer]

It's most definitely a trend. Not all failures end up online. With in the last year I have worked on female owned unmolested x3 n55 that seized, female owned unmolested x5 n55 that seized, senior make owned 535xi n54 that seized, not tuned but driven hard 335i n54 with sudden and major rod knock and tuned and tracked n54 with mild rod knock. I have posted nothing not owners did. I was originally thinking is due to leaking injectors deleting the fuel but now I'm not so certain. I know of shops in my area that the majority of the work they do is BMW bearings.

[juld0zer]

Oil filter housing gasket redesign: The components are almost touching when fully assembled. Almost metal to metal. By reducing the amount of rubber that fills the grooves, perhaps the seal compresses better?

In my time with the brand, I have seen very few diesel engine oil cooler gaskets leak and the same can be said for the coolant expansion tanks. Perhaps it is the different oil pressures (lower max RPM) and lower operating temperatures or something to do with petrol being more harmful to these seals than diesel fuel?

A lot of us here are enthusiasts but being an enthusiast does not always mean we are keen to get our hands dirty. Life's priorities often interfere. BMW has an annual/15k km vehicle check service requirement for a reason. It provides an opportunity to inspect your vehicle annually and detect these issues. If you choose to just reset it because you know how to and you see no value in this annual inspection, then that is your choice.
A lot of shops will also do the same. It's sad but it is true. Easy money.
A lot of shops think a service is just an oil change.

An oil filter housing gasket leak does not turn catastrophic overnight. A lot of people replacing the gaskets neglect to inspect the belt or even remove the belt and cover the pulleys. Oil and coolant contaminates the belt drive system. Degreasing solvents dry out the pulley bearings. Dirt gets washed into the pulley bearings.

Our cars are getting old. Things will fail and things will break. Unfortunately parts can be expensive but I guess you have to pay to play sometimes.
Not sure what happened with your brake drying feature, Pladi but I'm glad you and your family are ok.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by feuer

It's most definitely a trend. Not all failures end up online. With in the last year I have worked on female owned unmolested x3 n55 that seized, female owned unmolested x5 n55 that seized, senior make owned 535xi n54 that seized, not tuned but driven hard 335i n54 with sudden and major rod knock and tuned and tracked n54 with mild rod knock. I have posted nothing not owners did. I was originally thinking is due to leaking injectors deleting the fuel but now I'm not so certain. I know of shops in my area that the majority of the work they do is BMW bearings.

Thank you sir ! Your input is valued you actually work on these cars.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by juld0zer

Our cars are getting old. Things will fail and things will break. Unfortunately parts can be expensive but I guess you have to pay to play sometimes.
Not sure what happened with your brake drying feature, Pladi but I'm glad you and your family are ok.

Yeah as long as a engine or a whole transmission doesn't go kaput I'm fine and understand that.

[9krpmrx8]

Originally Posted by feuer

It's most definitely a trend. Not all failures end up online. With in the last year I have worked on female owned unmolested x3 n55 that seized, female owned unmolested x5 n55 that seized, senior make owned 535xi n54 that seized, not tuned but driven hard 335i n54 with sudden and major rod knock and tuned and tracked n54 with mild rod knock. I have posted nothing not owners did. I was originally thinking is due to leaking injectors deleting the fuel but now I'm not so certain. I know of shops in my area that the majority of the work they do is BMW bearings.

It's still anecdotal nonsense without knowing or providing all the details.