BAD BMW 328i N20 Engine Teardown! Customer Returned, And Now Its Ruined! What A Waste!
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2022
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Today we tear down a customer returned BMW N20 Turbo 4 cylinder. These engines are a super hot commodity in the salvage industry and with multiple failure modes its easy to understand why. This is the very first N20 I've torn down but its fairly similar to the N55 engine, which I have torn down on this channel. These engines are suprisingly simple to work on, although they have complex systems like Valvetronic for example. This engine came out in 2011 and can be found in the 3 series, 320i, 328i, The X1, X3, and the 5 series, 528i. Other displacement N20's are also found in front wheel drive mini coopers.
If you're wondering why i'm doing this: I own and run a full service auto salvage yard and part of our model is dismantling blown engines to salvage the good parts to resell. Our business name is Importapart but we do domestic vehicles too.
As always I appreciate all of the comments, feedback, and even the criticism.
Catch you on the next one!
Will there be a midweek video? You'll have to wait and see!
-Eric - Авто та транспорт
I look forward to these videos, every Saturday evening. As a mechanic of 55+ years, it's always enjoyable to see an engine teardown. It reminds me of my long career.
55 years as a mechanic/tech is pretty long. Congrats to striving for that long to spin wrenches. I went 2.5 years and said nah this ain't for me....main reason is I lacked motivation to work on my own projects and junk after working on other peoples shitboxes/crap 55 hours a week. Merged into HVAC/reefer...11 years later now a Union Building Engineer. Now I just work on big ass buildings and everything in them and operate 4000+ ton chiller plants😆
With the sand on the intake manifold,water damage could be flood damage.Non running flood damage
Flood engine - yes.
One of the only BMW engines I've had to replace (while working for a German car specialist, and not including Mini even though the are BMW) was one of these. It was a 5-series that only had like 50k miles on it and had a very unusual tapping sound and a failed HP fuel pump. The car was owned by a used car dealer, and their in-house "mechanic" (I use that term very loosely) had already shotgunned a ton of parts at the car, including a "engine rebuild." The HP pump didn't make any pressure at all and the tapping noise wasn't obvious, so I replaced the HPFP first. After that, it drove perfectly but still had a tapping noise. The problem ended up being that one of the connecting rods was very slightly bent. I found it by measuring the piston height when each of the pistons was at TDC and one of them was a couple mm less than the rest. I took the bottom end of the engine apart and all the bearings looked perfect. Never figured out how one of the rods got bent, and the dealer "mechanic" had messed with so much stuff on the engine it was impossible to know what was the original issue at what got installed by them. Luckily, on a 5-series, these engines are wonderfully simple to replace (by BMW standards).
The "oil pump assembly" on these engines includes counter-balance shafts. That's the only reason it is so big. The oil pump itself is nothing special.
To be clear, there are plenty of other BMW engine issues out there that are *incredibly* expensive to repair, but most of them don't require replacing the entire engine. Their reliability is horrible, but except for the newer turbo engines, catastrophic failure that requires replacing the entire engine is rare.
The Mini engines, pretty much from the moment that BMW re-released the Mini, are all junk, and I mean *junk* . The early ones are basically a Dodge Neon engine and have constant timing chain issues. The newer ones are BMW design and are basically guaranteed not to make it to 100k miles, even if you take good care of them.
That's interesting on the Mini side of things, we have a 2017 R60 1600cc auto, runs beautifully atm, only 36k kms and I make sure that it is looked after with good synthetic oils on a regular basis. Hope it lasts longer than the 160k kms as you say.
Earlier minis are horrible. I've heard less bad things about prince engines, but they aren't stellar.
@@vumba1331 dude, you car has only 22k miles….of course it runs fine. You’re still within the engineered “within warranty” lifespan of the engine components. If you can make it to 36k miles or 58k kms report back😂
I've always been impressed with BMW's engine longevity considering the insane oil change intervals they used to spec. My N52 328i with 150k miles has received 15k oil changes all the way up until I bought it. Engine doesn't burn ANY oil, runs smooth as a new car. Lots of varnish when I got it but a quart of marvel mystery oil cleaned it up a fair bit and took care of a noisy lifter.
I've trusted it as my daily driver for the past year and have driven it across the country three times now. Haven't had a problem with it besides a starter going out. Curious to see how long it'll last, probably not as long as my 450k mile Honda Accord but time will tell.
I’d only buy an inline-6 from BMW. Currently have a B58 & planning on getting an S55 next. Previously owned an N52 & M54. Never had a major issue with any BMW I’ve owned. Actually the biggest issue I’ve ever had was a flat tire.
It's 1:51am here in the UK but still here I am
Yes mate
1:12am for me in the US
2:01am 😂
Rust dust shooting out the plug holes? Nice
Some notes for future vids and to anyone working on these:
Yes, vacuum pump has to come off to do the valve cover or gasket. It is not difficult to reinstall, just don't mess with the gear and it will slip right in, you'll feel it. There are also dowels of sorts for the bolts so just put it where it was before and you'll be able to reassemble it with no problem. You also should remove the VANOS solenoids so you aren't fighting them like Eric was, it is literally 2 screws on each one, just don't fuck up the placement
Turbocharger linkages are known to have issues with pins rusting in place and/or breaking. This can happen on the turbo side or on the wastegate side
They had vacuum wastegates in the first year or two and electronic ever after
The intake has to come off per the FSM to replace the oil filter housing or the gasket. You can instead loosen the five nuts that hold it and have either a buddy or an object of some sort hold up the intake while you force an E10 (or E12, can't quite remember) over the bolt with a swivel and an extension attached. In either case, the computer has to come off so be gentle with harnesses. I find it easier to remove them entirely. If you are gentle and a little lucky, you can get away without ripping the intake seals and just put it back on as is.
if you unclip the coils, injectors, grounds, the entire harness on the front of the valve cover can be removed as a unit after also being disconnected from the ECM. The Valvetronic harness is also easy to remove as a unit, all it has is 4 pins for the motor and its position
Humble request, and you probably never see these in your shop because... well, why would you? But I'd love to see the following: Old Mopar small block, like a 318; A high-revving supercar engine like a Ferrari 12 cyl, and something with a huge displacement like a boat engine - perhaps a Volvo Penta or Cummings.
Eric, we love to see you come out ahead!
Great Video! The N20's and N26's (SULEV) that were installed in xDrives, were fitted with a metal oil pan. The non xDrives have a plastic oil pan.
Discovered your channel recently.
I'm not a car person by much, mostly an interesting topic to me as my hobbies are computer related.
How ever you've given me so much more knowledge on engines through the teardown videos that I decided to do work on my own Prius engine and did head gasket and a few other things on my own.
Thanks a lot!
Thank you for finally doing an N20.
Most people don’t realize it but the N20 is exactly 1/2 of the N63 V8. Engine geometry, Pistons, cylinder head, fuel injections, valvetronic, many gaskets and seals, and…….. *oil pump* are all shared with the N63 V8. That would probably be why the oil pump is so huge for such a small engine.
I was going to guess that the oil pump houses balance shafts for the engine, but that also makes a whole lot of sense.
Wow, just another reason not to buy one of these. 😂
I always assumed the N20 was just the N55 missing two cylinders. This is what BMW has done with their modern B48 engine which is just the B58 missing a few cylinders. N63 engines are 4.4L, with a bore of 89mm and a stroke of around 88.3 something mm. I own a N63Tu and though the reputation for N63 engines are pretty down in the dumpster, i’d consider them to be at least slightly more reliable than the N20s just from what I’ve seen.
Personally I can't complain about my N20. I have a '13 528i xDrive i've owned since new and aside from 5k mile oil changes, one motor mount, and turbo oil check valve replaced under service bulletin, the car has given me 9 years and 100k miles of impeccable service.
The carnage teardowns are entertaining for sure, but I get just as much enjoyment watching a regular teardown. It's still interesting to see how things are supposed to be.
Same! It's always neat to watch an engine get torn down, and every time I see one it builds confidence that engines are, ultimately, simple beasts once you get past the wiring harness and emissions crap.
.............. except for German cars lol
10K oil changes is from the marketing department to make people think they're cheap to maintain. All they care about it they get through the warranty period with as few claims as possible. If you rent it, then do what they say. If you own it and want to keep it, every 6 months or 5K.
Agreed… also why a feller should be really careful on the used market
10k oil changes should be criminal.
@@rickmoranis392
I saw this when I worked for Audi.10K service interval. Constant vehicles coming in at 7K with an oil level light on. They asked to top it off. Then they take that 2 quarts of fresh oil along with the sludge that was in there out to maybe 11 or 12,000. So by the time they turn it in at 50k, it maybe had four oil changes. It's the poor sucker who buys them off lease thinking they bought a low mileage well cared for vehicle that gets stuck with the problems.
Also, lifetime trans fluid is part of that "inexpensive to maintain" bs.
And yet I test my oil every change at 9-9500 and ZERO wear issues. There are companies out there who can tell you everything about your oil and engines, seen data with good oil and 20k no problems
@@ronnymb67 exactly! People say to buy used cause it’s the best deal… I beg to differ. I change all of my fluids before the OEM recommendation. Pretty much every new vehicle has quirks these days. I have a GMC Sierra. Direct injection only, so I had to add a catch can. Recommended oil change is around 7500 I think… hard pass! Transmissions run too hot and fry torque converters… gotta bypass the trans thermostat and change the fluid before recommendation. These new vehicles only last if you buy them new and know not to follow the OEM guidelines… IMO (for the internet lawyers). I’m sure there’s that one guy that only followed OEM recommendations and has 500K miles on his BMW he bought new in 2014
The complexity of this engine is daunting.
A friend moving to NY asked me if I wanted to buy their M4. It was squealing so replaced a lot of tensioners, pullies, and belts. Turned out to be a bad PCV valve (built into the intake manifold. $600 worth of plastic (It does come with new hardware permanently affixed to the plastic which is cool. Some how it would up taking almost 6 hours to replace. Spent about $1200 on it and fixed the noise, but I gave it back to her. Had no idea how cramped working on an inline RWD could be and how difficult they could make a valve cover gasket job or even spark plugs.
Shout out to Brian Patton from Ontario!
you are right! engine is expensive. oil change is cheap! I use synthetic oil and change every 5k religious
Been a tech for 36 years, I change the oil on my 2011 camry v6 every 4k k s with high quality synthetic oil. That 60.00 I spend every 4-5 months is nothing compared to the money you save in the end
Not just an adjustable flow oil pump, but the balance shafts and gears are in that lower housing.
I have a 2014 Z4 (E89) with this engine. The engine is fine, light and punchy. But there is a class-action lawsuit settlement for the timing chain guides disintegrating. Mine came from the factory with a cracked valve cover though. The car ALWAYS smelled like burning oil after I'd drive it. Just for a few seconds. Turns out the leak was teensy and it would occasionally drip oil onto the cat. I am eternally grateful to the BMW tech who finally found it and replaced the cover (7 years after I bought it). Sorry we didn't get to see the turbo. But I'm glad this one came up!
Changing the valve cover gasket was a PITA and they recommend replacing the whole valve cover at the same time! Plastic fantastic.
And this is the reason why i got rid of my pre-production F30 328i. When it ran well, it was fun to drive, but at idle it sounded like a diesel, made funny noises and within a year of me selling it, the timing chain guides went, on a car that had less than 30k km on it.
That was so cool to see how the valvetronic works. Thank you for showing us!
I love me some 90’s and 00’s BMWs! Got to ride in a ‘95 M3 lightweight at an autocross once. It was sublime! The e36 and e46 had some real classics among their ranks.
Working on my E30 and E39 was always fun and straightforward. My e92 335i was a pain in the ass. My wife has a e90 328i and while I love the handling, I hate the SULEV valvetronic N51 engine. Not only does it feel choked in both performance and tone from the extra cat, the valvetronic system really takes the fun out of revving it out. My M20 (and later M50) e30 loved to rev and sing to redline. Same with the 540i. The N51 seems to resist it. Perhaps I need to drive an N52.
Honestly, that seems to explain many of the turbo 4 cylinders these days. They all seem to run about the same and feel soggy in the last 500-1000 rpm. A lot of cool engines are getting superceded with lukewarm turbo 4 cylinders. 240 hp doesn't feel all that fast anymore and less than 200 hp feels like a dog with the kind of curb weights rolling around out there these days. Cars just aren't as fun to drive as they used to be.
I do 10K oil changes on my Tundra and did the prior two Tundras. I use Mobile1 0W-20 and a mobile 1 oil filter (although they cheapened it this past year) So far on my current tundra combined with the last two, I have 1.4 million collective miles. If you buy a quality vehicle with a quality engine and use quality oil, 10K is no big deal.
rust dust was poofing out the plug holes 😆
Well done my friend..keep up the great work !!!
Those years of training came in handy when using that small rod fuel injector tool
Took me a second but 😂
You have definitely found your niche on UA-cam! Another great video my friend!
Excellent video, as usual. Thanks, Eric!
Keep the great videos coming. How's the new family member doing? It was good seeing ya out at the Cars and Coffee at Holman Motors
Another great informative video. Especially love when you comment about a part that's in perfect shape and then we hear it being flung across your shop 🤣
Maybe a video on how to inspect a engine to see if it was in a flood? With the hurricane, I bet a lot of salt water flooded engines will be popping up.
rust in places it isnt normally. the exhaust and anything that gets hot rusts up fast, but anything else rusty is a bad sign
@@bradhaines3142 you havent worked on cars that drive on salted roads
That was my first thought--flood car, typical salvage engine guy was like "this is fine." Nope.
@@alexstromberg7696 I live in Québec, Canada and I agree with you. We have 7 months of winter and we couldn't keep a car for more than 5 years in the 80's. Especially Ford and chrysler products. They rusted aways pretty fast. Early Japanese cars too.
Aw yay, glad to see the drift arrived! Hope it serves you well, Eric. Thanks for this and the many, many videos you've put out. Keep up the great work!
In addition to a piece of brass bar stock, I keep a piece of 1/2" hard copper water line in my tool box for tapping rods and pistons out. Slip it over the rod bolt and tap it with a hammer. Gives me enough control to make sure the rod doesn't hang up on the bottom of the cylinder bore. Cheap and works great.
How bout a grandfather chain cutter restoration video. That thing is righteous! Glad to hear you can sell some parts off this. Your time with us is worth that resale value. Great job Eric.
Well Rod Berings are a wear item on most newer BMW engines 😂
No they’re not unless new to you is 15 years ago
Finally getting to see the engine I have in my car here, for better or worse. "They are kinda buzzy" is an understatement, the N20 noise is notorious among other things.
How’s the timing chain doing
The direct injection 4s sure are noisy. I've got the VW group EA888 in my car, and it sounds like a bag of bolts from up front.
You'd think it was some kind of deeply concerning valvetrain noise if you were coming from a port injected car. Plus it's got a single mass flywheel in it now so it sounds even more broken at idle, lol
@@user-ie4kp7ni9d Any N20/N26 manufactured after 2015 has the revised timing assembly.
Yeah, all these luxury manufacturers went to 10,000 mile oil change intervals when they started offering oil changes as part of the initial service package that came with the car. It was never in the best interest of maintenance or longevity. I was just marketing to dangle a carrot in front of the consumer and then trying to pay as little for that carrot as possible.... consequences be darned.
Please keep doing Videos
We really to enjoy them !
“The rod is never long enough” perfect setup for a that’s what she said joke
I wonder if the monster sized oil pump has a balance shaft or weight hiding inside it.
Even the chain drive looked like it had a 1:2 ratio.
I was asking myself the same question.
It does. I had to look it up but the pump and balance shaft assembly are one happy family. Quite a pricey one too.
@@agenericaccount3935 Wow, no wonder they're valuable. Leave it to the Germans haha...
@@agenericaccount3935 because it’s for the V8 engine, the N20 uses same head, piston, rod, as the N63 V8.
@@PatricioGarcia1973 neat, I guess?
another great teardown video. thanks
It looks like 8 computer controlled mouse traps run the valve train train, or is it valve valve train, hmm.... Watching you tear down things, build things, restore things, clean things, breath on things, sell things, and generally work in your shops is one of my favorite weekly things to do. Keep it up.
the valvetronic is interesting but also adds complexity. No throttle body, all air flow is controlled by intake valve lift. They say it minimizes pumping losses for efficiency.
But when the valvetronic motor and/or eccentric shaft goes, you're looking at a pretty expensive repair. The shaft alone is $1K!
Interesting engine with the design of valvetronic as well as how they chose to isolate the fuel injectors and spark plug tubes from the rest of the head.
This may be my overactive hoarding instinct but I get the sense in 10-20 years some people would have been interested in some of those mint looking timing chain guides that get chucked when the replacements are ether bad or non-existent... I know they always get replaced if there needs to be a timing service due to the time and labor cost but I could see that part on some engine being the linch pin on a restore job.
None is going go restore the cars that have these engines
Grandpa’s chain cutters still work!
I always enjoy your videos
Excellent work 👍
Love the clouds of dust coming out the plug holes when you barred that over, lol.
Great show
The rod is never long enough in who's tool - oops, forget that. LoL As a retired Aerospace engineer, thanks for showing and explanation the elaborate BMW valve system operation! Plus, thanks for the entertaining narratives in your informative disassembles.
Eric, I must agree with all of the comments below concerning oil change / fluid replacement but that's the MARKETING DEPT FOR THE ULTINATE DRIVING MACHINE BS. Thank you for another wonderful video sir but best if all how is you new baby doing ???? ❤️ congrats Eric. My best to all TMP from N.J.
Awesome video!!! TY
Thanks. Great job!
Would love to see a supercharged w11 engine out in the early 2000s Mini Cooper S.
Or even the dreaded N16 from the R56 S
@@headcas620 My neighbour has a modded R56 cooper S, it’s always got something wrong with it.
It’s a shame, they could be a neat car.
@@zeroyon4562 I had an R53 MINI Cooper S. It was a riot to drive. No engine issues with my supercharged unit, even after a few mods. I'm glad it went to a good second owner.
if you can find one lmfao I didn't think any of those were still alive
I love the carnage teardowns, but for a higher-tech engine pulling apart a mostly-good one is entertaining just to see how the tech is packaged and actually works.
Glad your viewers get to see what a mechanic goes through to fix an engine now days, no longer a Back Yard mechanics job!
4:52 Is that dust shooting out of the engine or????
Out of the cylinder. Good eyes
I saw that and chuckled
Rust
When I brought my 128i in for the Takata airbag recall, the service manager told me to stay away from anything with an N20. Amazingly, the timing chain guides on this one were not worn out. That leads me to think this is either not a high mileage engine, or they've been replaced. Those rod bearings didn't look great.
My 2.0 TDI (240bhp) oil changes are every 10k. I now have 160k. Engine still like new and no oil burning between changes.
I don't know why but I find your tear down videos extremly interesting. Let's do an Abarth 1.4 MultiAir Turbo, plz.
I've also asked for a Fiat engine (any will do) so let's hope we get lucky!
I'm also a Landcruiser and Bmw Enthusiast.... I have both also. So I completely get this channel..... Nice videos!!
Eric I think you made a good point when you took apart this engine .
You like me we tend to like the older engines better than the newer engines and that's because he's a new engines are just so damn complicated I mean look at the valvetrain in that engine you just took apart .
I like the late seventies all through the '80s and early 90s engines they're not as complicated as the ones made now , I like the older engines a lot better than the new engines that's just my opinion and I think a lot of people will back me up , as always keep up these great videos I look forward to watching them each week .
I have always had my oil changed religiously at 5k. I never had a problem with smoking out the tailpipe or oil consumption. I have a Honda accord 2008 with 202 808 km and never added oil between changes. I am very happy you have a lot of good parts.
I believe starting in 97, BMW engineers added a a minimum 1/8th inch of dirt to the top of the intake manifolds from factory. 🤣
Great channel Erik! As anotther BMW owner/ fan I would love to see an M54 teardown.
Try to find a 2ZR-FAE or 3ZR-FAE, they both use a VVL system on the intake cam (Vavlematic) that is powered by a electric motor that is known to fail that is similar to BMW's Vavletronic system.
Blew up two of these now I’m watching this
Great video and word to the wise. Squirt some wd40 on those cylinder walls when removing the pistons and it might help the Sliiiddee out :)
I agree with you, though the E30's from 1984 to 1990 were damn good. My first one was a 1985 2-door 323i. If anything it was better built than the following two E30 325i's I owned (1986 4-door, 1987 2-door). All told about 330,000 miles with all three car's mileages added together and no significant problems, didn't have to replace anything mechanical. Loved the M20 engines, loved the cars, they drove really nicely. The 1988 cars were the first ones fitted with cats in the EU and were slightly softer.
I love my N52 in my 128I. Such a smooth running engine!
I have a 2013 X3 Xdrive28i with the N20 and I change the oil based on season. Pennzoil 5W-30 in the summer and Pennzoil 0W-30 Euro LX in the harsh winter. I only use it around town so sometimes there's less than 1000 miles between oil changes. Its not a waste in my eyes as the 0W-30 helps a whole lot starting in winter. Oil changes do not have to be pricey if you learn how to do them yourselves. I am a mechanic and I believe anyone can learn basic maintenance and save money.
Wow that valve control? What a jumble sale to put together! Give me a Model T Ford gearbox any day! I loved working on the old engines from yesteryear, spent many years as a mechanic on buses, even screaming jimmies, or 1960s Leyland lay on its side engines. Thanks Eric, keep up the good work. Ted from down under.
Great video! Would love to see a Honda B series, a B20 out of a CR-V would be common and cool!
Can’t wait to see the work on the Lexus behind ya!
That is one smart engine.
The oil pump could also be reconfigured as an oil extraction pump.
Thus evolving the oil change procedure.
outstanding teardown! Would like to see a Toyota 2GR-FE 3.5L V6
The car probably got submerged while parked. That's how the engine took water. So they pulled it and it sat for awhile.
Thank you!!
My Ford recommends 10k mile oil changes, I do it myself every 5k miles. Oil change is approximately $35, new engine is several thousand dollars.
It's crazy to recommend oils change at 10k. It's not for the consumer advantage for sure. I never do the mileage but I change it every 6 months or less.
"the rod is never long enough", that's what she said
The last engine I tore down was a 1960-something MG 4 cylinder. It had about as many parts altogether as the valve train on this engine.
Yeah baby right on time! Love this as my Saturday night routine
One of my favorite entertainers, thanks for the laughs and your knowledge.
20:50 RWD N20 engines had plastic oil pans
@24:20 Sparks flew when grandpa's old cutters had the chain make its peace with it.
Love the "poofs" of dust from the spark plug holes when turning over the engine
Impressive technique removing the injectors!
Would love to see a Hyundai gamma 1.6t gdi engine teardown
I have that same harbor freight socket wrench. Had it for years now
You should have been able to remove the bolts holding the oil pump to the bottom of the engine and pivot it to remove the chain.
Pretty nice and simple engine design.
28:40-Besides the PCV diaphragm rupturing in a valve cover, that's a nice view of why the N20 uses so much oil.
BMW "pretty good". I bet you say the same thing about hemorrhoids.
Pretty good because he must make alot of money from them
Love that fuel rail just hangin out way out there like that, hahaha.
I agree, the n52 was sublime
Loved it 🤠
good afternoon......the Crankshaft for the N20 engine can be rectified
Literally been waiting for this engine lol
The Prop 65 warning is due to the lead in the brass. It's required for items sold in California...
Yeah subaru tried saying cvt fluid does not to be changed and that is one big reason they had issues early on.
The poof out the spark plug hole was perfect @ 4:40
Watching you dismantle that insane valve train makes me wonder . . . was Rube Goldburg ever a BMW employee? My favorite engines, and the last two I ever went south of the valve covers on, were the Ford 200 cu inch straight sixes in my 65 Mustang and 70 Maverick. Butt simple and tough as nails. Love the videos. I was an electronics service engineer most of my working life, and retired in 2013, but I still love seeing how these modern engines work. Or don't. Thanks for all you do.
I am ALWAYS interested in your teardowns. I am not interested at all in a four cylinder BMW engine (unless it is an S14).
What a dumb statement, read what you write before you send it. Formulate your thoughts better.