BMW 3.0 Diesel engine failures

[armalites]

Just looking through next weeks catalogue for a local auction house. They sell a lot of ex police vehicles.

In the next sale they have 24 BMW 3.0 diesels listed as non-runner engine seized/holed!

In the grand scheme the numbers may be small and it may be that these have all been sat waiting for engines and they aren't available. I appreciate these cars have a hard life but some of them have mileage as low as 90K but most are in the 100-140K range.

I appreciate the police probably run hundreds of these but clearly there is some issues with these things.

Auction VT160822: 4x4s, Cars & Vans Auction Bidding Ends: Tuesday, 16th August 2022 from 10:01am - Brightwells

Bidding Opens: Monday 15th August at 10am Viewing will be held by appointment on Monday 15th August, 10am-3pm. Please call 01568 611325. Important Information Please Read: •

www.brightwells.com

 

[Misterg]

I appreciate the police probably run hundreds of these but clearly there is some issues with these things.

I’m not a BMW person, but even I’ve heard of the bearing issues with their big engines - they’re notorious for wrecking the big end bearings at under 100k. The issue seems to stem from badly toleranced bearings (insufficient clearance) and an over-ambitious service interval specification.

There’s a cottage industry (and plenty of YouTube videos) around changing them without taking the engine out.

 

[Robotstar5]

There were problems with the N57 engine in Police use under sustained high speed driving - link to article an officer died when his engine caught fire

 

[500e]

How do they manage with the German autobahn speeds

 

[8ob]

A mechanic I know used to work for BMW years ago when they first introduced the V8, they were fraught with major issues and a lot of them went bang. They were collected by BMW fitted with new engines and returned to the keeper, other than saying it was repaired nothing was ever said to the customer.

Bob

 

[northwest]

On Thursday evening last, about 6.30-ish I came off the saddleworth turnoff and headed over the Moor to Denshaw Anyone who knows this road knows it it is a fast road with some big drops onto the moors. I was blatting along as is my want at about sixty, it had been a long day, I rounded the first major left hander double white lines in the middle of the road and four cars all bunched up. BUT on my side of the road, heading towards me was a 5 series, knocking on too he was. I spent many years on start lines and driving for me is not something I just "do" I take it very seriously, ask @Tinbasherdan he has been co pilot a few times. So quick as a flash I took off to the moors, fortunately, the gently sloping up field as opposed to the drop. Short excursion and then back on the road. I was going to turn around and go after him but like I said, it had been a long day and I wanted to get home, not in handcuffs. I actually put this moment down to one of the culminative episodes that contributed to my current hospitalisation.

BMW drivers eh!

 

[Tinbasherdan]

On Thursday evening last, about 6.30-ish I came off the saddleworth turnoff and headed over the Moor to Denshaw Anyone who knows this road knows it it is a fast road with some big drops onto the moors. I was blatting along as is my want at about sixty, it had been a long day, I rounded the first major left hander double white lines in the middle of the road and four cars all bunched up. BUT on my side of the road, heading towards me was a 5 series, knocking on too he was. I spent many years on start lines and driving for me is not something I just "do" I take it very seriously, ask @Tinbasherdan he has been co pilot a few times. So quick as a flash I took off to the moors, fortunately, the gently sloping up field as opposed to the drop. Short excursion and then back on the road. I was going to turn around and go after him but like I said, it had been a long day and I wanted to get home, not in handcuffs. I actually put this moment down to one of the culminative episodes that contributed to my current hospitalisation.

BMW drivers eh!

Oi, I just bought a bmw!

 

[500e]

Never mind we all make mistakes

 

[slim_boy_fat]

BMW drivers eh!

Oi!! Have a care young man...

 

[tom2207]

bmw do fine naturally aspirated straight sixes ,,, but they cant build a v anything for toffy ...

having said that even the straight sixes have issues but they are known as are the fixes ,,,
[ yep I have one , 130i ]

 

[Tinbasherdan]

To be fair it’s a two wheeled bmw, different breed

 

[roofman]

My old 535d E60 was the best car i ever owned...worst part is my lad now has it and i see it every day. Just a thought on the N57 which i think is a fantastic engine, its the same lump fitted to the L322 Range Rovers is it not which happens to be the best part of that car

 

[roofman]

bmw do fine naturally aspirated straight sixes ,,, but they cant build a v anything for toffy ...

having said that even the straight sixes have issues but they are known as are the fixes ,,,
[ yep I have one , 130i ]

The only real issues they had were the Nikasil bores..the old Alpina BMW,s and the 840 with the V8 i thought were great cars personally

 

[owas]

A mechanic I know used to work for BMW years ago when they first introduced the V8, they were fraught with major issues and a lot of them went bang. They were collected by BMW fitted with new engines and returned to the keeper, other than saying it was repaired nothing was ever said to the customer.

Bob

Same as jag with the nikasil bores and plastic timing guides

 

[Kayos]

My old 535d E60 was the best car i ever owned...worst part is my lad now has it and i see it every day. Just a thought on the N57 which i think is a fantastic engine, its the same lump fitted to the L322 Range Rovers is it not which happens to be the best part of that car

Fantastic cars, friend has just upgraded to a more modern model and has muttered a few times "it's nice but it's not the E60"

I had an e61, one of the best I've ever had. Never had another BMW though

 

[tom2207]

The only real issues they had were the Nikasil bores..the old Alpina BMW,s and the 840 with the V8 i thought were great cars personally

and leaks ,, everything on the inside tried quite successfully to break free, the oil all wanted to get back into the ground again , and the water can look like a small waterfall , and manifold gaskets , and oil pumps , other than that ,,, they are ok ish but then came modules ,,, well I guess I just like old engines ,, the simple ones that work .

 

[tom2207]

mind you they did do a 1500 cc petrol engine that lasted a while and evolved a few times lol ,,, [ the m10]https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1350137
makes an interesting read if your not familiar with the M10 engine.

 

[northwest]

Oi!! Have a care young man...

It had to be done, I just knew you would bite :-)

 

[AVI_8]

BMW 3.0 Diesel engines are a good strong engine which can do monster mileage, I’ve had at least one of them for the past 16 years in various vehicles, currently have an X5 3.0d and a 3.5D X3 which is remapped with 650NM torque, way more than a V8 petrol.
Never had a problem with any if these engines though the earlier ones liked to eat their plastic water pump impellers.
Poor maintenance and that includes the manufacturers recommended 16-18 thousand mile service schedule will probably be why a small percentage have problems with them.
With good clean oil, letting it heat up before flooring the throttle and not trying to Rev it like it’s a petrol, they’ll go on forever and a day

 

[Mr Fro]

BMW 3.0 Diesel engines are a good strong engine which can do monster mileage, I’ve had at least one of them for the past 16 years in various vehicles, currently have an X5 3.0d and a 3.5D X3 which is remapped with 650NM torque, way more than a V8 petrol.
Never had a problem with any if these engines though the earlier ones liked to eat their plastic water pump impellers.
Poor maintenance and that includes the manufacturers recommended 16-18 thousand mile service schedule will probably be why a small percentage have problems with them.
With good clean oil, letting it heat up before flooring the throttle and not trying to Rev it like it’s a petrol, they’ll go on forever and a day

Out of interest - what did the remap do to your fuel economy?


I fancy a bit more poke out of my 535d but as I do a few hundred miles a week I don't want to knack the mpg.