Category: BMWs

BMW N55 Engine Rebuild Project Part 10 – BMW Crank, No Start Troubleshooting

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Has this been the longest project ever or is this just how YouTube driven projects go? Welcome back to the last video in the BMW N55 engine rebuild series. This BMW 335i N55 project has been one of the most fun for me, but also one of the more frustrating projects I have ever done. In this video, I will show you what else I did after installing the engine, there are plenty of things to do while doing a swap on a car this age. I will also go through the steps I took and all of the things I tried to get it started when it would crank forever, but not start. This crank, but no start condition took a lot of my time and you will never guess what it was.. I felt a little dumb after figuring it out. At the very least, there will be some kind of conclusion by the end of the video, but before we get there, let me remind you what happened in the last video.

After rebuilding the engine, I installed the high-pressure fuel pump, oil filter housing and of course the VANOS solenoids. Then I ran the fuel lines to the fuel pump as well as to the injectors and on the other side I installed the new exhaust manifold with the turbocharger. At the front side of the engine, I installed all of the pulleys, the vibration damper and then I ran the wiring looms. After doing the rest of the small parts, the engine was ready to be put into the car and connected to the transmissions. Of course, there is a lot more to it, but I was able to try starting it at that point. If you’d like to see details, check out the previous video in this playlist.

Now, before we move on, don’t forget to hit that like button to support the channel and subscribe if you’d like to see more from me!

Right after installing the engine and the rest of the necessities, I scanned the car for codes and deleted anything that was in the history. Then I turned on the ignition to see what would happen. I heard the fuel pump come on and the water pump started pumping and building up pressure as well. These were good signs! Prior to this, there were no signs of life coming from the engine and the fix for that was a ground wire that wasn’t making good contact. Now I was able to scan the DME and the rest of the modules and I was sure the engine would start. I’ve connected my other car for some power annnnnd this is all I got in return. (Play starting click 7077). The engine would crank for as long as you had battery power, but would not start.

This is where I started to think really, really hard as to what could be causing this engine not to start. Sure, I still didn’t have the exhaust or axles or some of the sensors installed, but the engine SHOULD HAVE STARTED now!

From my basic understanding the engine needs 4 things to start: air, fuel, spark and compression. So, I started checking one at a time from the easiest to the hardest. I knew the engine was getting air since there was no obstructions or even air filter installed at this stage. This wasn’t the problem. I then checked the spark. I pulled one of the sparkplugs out and cranked the engine. It was nice and bright, so now I was certain that the spark was not the issue, but what about the fuel? Is the engine getting proper fuel? I was expecting the low pressure fuel pump to turn on each time I was about to start the car as it seems to be that way on my Z4 and it’s the same platform. However, it did not. I was worried the fuel wasn’t getting to the fuel rail. So. I grabbed my ThinkTool Scanner and looked at the data stream for the rail pressure. I had a perfect 12 mPa or about 1750psi of pressure. That’s definitely plenty to make the engine go. To triple check that it wasn’t a fuel issue, I connected a cheap-o oscilloscope to the injector to see that it was getting a signal to fire.. which it was. Now the only thing that was left was compression. Unfortunately, I don’t have compression readings on video but all 6 cylinders were at about 180 PSI, which is just fine for this engine and would not be a cause for the engine not to start.

But of course, with modern engines, even if you have all that you need, your engine still may not start if the computer tells it not to. Or at least that was my thought at the time. I connected any and all sensors that I could find, cleared the codes and tried again. At this time the only code that was present on the car was A738: JBE Power Supply Interrupted. My next mission was to figure out what this code was about and how to fix it. Since I had no other codes, I was certain this would be the solution to my no start issue. As the first step, I bought a used JBE module off eBay and swapped it out. The job is fairly easy, but you do have to remove half of the interior on the passenger side to get to the module. After 30 minutes, I was ready to give it another go.. but unfortunately, it made no difference in my case. The code remained active.

At the same time, I noticed that the car would no longer lock using the button on the inside or even from the key fob. This had to be the issue as the key communication is vital to the engine starting.

Electronics are definitely not my strongest skill set when it comes to cars, but with a help of a few friends online, I tracked many wires, checked resistance on certain wires, replaced fuses and relays, but the JBE code remained active. In the last-ditch effort, I bought the entire fuse box online to see if it would make any difference. Replacing the fuse box didn’t take too much time as I’ve already had good access, but the main power wire that came in did give me some trouble. I knew these are a common failure point on these cars, so it was important not to damage anything. Fifteen minutes later, the new fuse box was in! I erased the codes one more time and guess what?? The JBE Code was gone! I was ecstatic and 100% expecting the engine to fire up.. but guess what? Now I had ZERO codes and the same no start condition I’ve been dealing with for weeks now.

My engine had everything it would need, so what else could it be? I know the computer needs to know position of the engine when it’s cranking in order to have it timed properly, so I decided to check the crankshaft sensor. I removed the starter and tested to make 5 volts were getting to the sensor. All was good there. Since I was running out of options and wanted to rule out as many things as possible, I ordered a used one online for a few bucks and replaced it and as you guessed it, nothing changed.

I then replaced the camshaft sensors, using the old ones I had from the original engine and even swapped out the VANOS solenoids in case they went bad somehow and even updated the DME, JBE, CAS and other modules to the latest firmware. All to no avail.

Since the engine wouldn’t start at this point, I figured I’d get busy with finishing the rest of the items on my list and hoping that at some point the solution will come to me or someone will give me a suggestion I can try. The first item for me was re-attaching the rest of the exhaust. When I initially removed it while removing the engine, I had to cut off the bolts as they were rusted on and wouldn’t come off any other way. That meant removing them from the catalytic converter, getting new downpipe exhaust gaskets and a set of new bolts. It all came together rather nicely after that. After re-hanging the rest of the exhaust and tightening the enforcement plates, it was ready to roar.. well once it starts.

Of course, in order for the car to move or even be lowered from the jack stands, I needed to put the front axles back in. I have a video on how to remove these and as they say, the installation is just the opposite of removal. Only catch here is to use new seals and of course a new axle nut. Once both of the axles were in, I could fill the front differential with gear oil.

Many of you suggested installing an aftermarket charge pipe, so I got a VRSF kit. I swapped the sensor and got it in place. It’s an easy upgrade and seemed to be made of quality material, definitely a better quality over the OEM charge pipe that cracks after a couple of installs or removals not to mention it looks much better.

While working on all of these items and thinking back to all of the suggestions and help I got from wonderful BMW enthusiasts online, I went over the possibilities in my head over and over again. What could possibly make the engine not start when it clearly has everything it needs. 

The only logical explanation at this point was that the engine wasn’t timed properly. BUT HOW? I have reviewed the video I have made on replacing the timing chain and it was done correctly, everything lined up and the engine was in Top Dead Center.. or was it? Let’s investigate.

I couldn’t think of any way to actually test this so I went to work taking off the valve cover and everything that was in the way. The entire process took me about an hour and a half total and that was mostly because I could get the gasket to stay in place when reassembly. I’m moving ahead of myself here, but after taking off the valve cover here is what I found. VIDEO I got to work making sure the timing was perfect this time and still wondering how could I mess up this bad. I have re-watched my video on the timing chain replacement and you can clearly see that the timing was done correctly. Then I remembered that last minute I decided to replace the chain components for new ones and that’s when I must have rotated  has cost me hours and hours of troubleshooting, but I don’t blame myself too much as I learned a ton as to what makes the engine go and what it needs to start. Would I have been happier if it started a couple months ago when I first installed it? Absolutely, but, at the end, the engine is now running and I can’t be happier! There are many other things I want to do on this car once the budget allows, so stay tuned!

Well guys, this might be the longest video I have ever done and if you stuck to the very end, thank you! Let me know in the comments what mistakes you’ve done doing big projects like this and how did you figure it out. I’m curious to know and maybe it’ll make me feel just a little better about this one. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next one!

BMW N55 Engine Rebuild Project Part 9 – Engine Install and Assembly

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It has been over a month and if you are following my BMW N55 Engine rebuild project, you might be wondering what the heck happened and why haven’t I posted a video on the rest of the assembly, install of the engine and of course the engine running! This isn’t because I haven’t been working on it or the lack of trying, but mostly because I ran into a very major, what I assume to be electrical issue that I am not equipped or knowledgeable enough to fix. I wanted my last video in the rebuild series to be where I start the engine at the very end, but unfortunately, it will not be this video. The video where I explain what I have tried and my results is coming up shortly, but in this video, I will go over the remaining assembly and installation of the engine.

But before I continue, check out the BMW N55 engine rebuild playlist from the beginning if this is your first video here and hit that like button for the YouTube algorithm to help out the channel, it’s free!

In the last couple videos in this series, I installed the front and rear crankshaft seals, the valve and oil pan gaskets and the injectors. Now, of course there is still plenty left to do at this point, so I installed the high-pressure fuel pump. I’ve decided not a get a new one and reused the one that came on the original engine. Of course, I got a new O ring installed on it to make sure there were no leaks in the future. With the fuel pump installed, I could then install the oil filter housing, once again, renewing the gaskets as this is a very common spot for oil to leak from on these engines. I then torqued the bolts to spec as I mention in the video.

Some of you will no doubt comment below asking why haven’t I replaced this or that or upgraded certain parts and it’s an easy guess , it all comes to down to cost. Just like with any other project, there is a budget limitation and I have set myself a limited budget for the engine and car. If you don’t like the sound of that, don’t worry! I’ll be looking for my next project in a few short months and I’ll be modifying and upgrading at the same time of the rebuild on that one. Or least that’s my plan. This project was proving to myself that I can rebuild an engine without anyone’s help. Anyway, as you can see, I have also reused the VANOS solenoid. These tested just fine and I gave them a good clean right before installing.

At this point, things started moving a little faster. I installed the high-pressure fuel lines from the fuel pump to the injectors. You want to use a crowfoot wrenches to torque these down and prevent fuel leaks in the future.

With this side of the engine looking a little more complete, it was time to switch to the other side and install the exhaust manifold with the turbocharger.

I scraped remnants of the old gaskets out, cleaned the area and then installed them one by one. They should fit on there snuggly and will be crushed when the assembly is installed and torqued down. The O rings on the oil lines are a quick swap for a set of new ones and it’s time to marry it to the engine. I suggest angling the engine a little more or have someone help you as it can be a little awkward to get it in there and put the first couple bolts in at the same time. A cordless drill makes a quick work of getting the flange nuts finger tight and then it’s time for the torque wrench to get these up to spec. It’s important not to retighten them after the first or second round and follow the procedure exactly if you don’t want to have exhaust leaks in the future. Off camera, I also attached and torqued down the turbo oil lines as well as the bracket below the turbo housing itself and after some more plumbing, this side of the engine is done for now.

I then switched to the front of the engine and the first item on my list was to switch over the belt tensioner from the old block to the newly built engine. This is one of those items I didn’t really think about at the time of building the engine, but I would definitely recommend switching out the idler pulley for a new one. This might be a future DIY I will tackle with the engine in the car. In the meantime, I install the vibration damper, which now I have learned would have benefited from a front crank seal guard plate, you live and you learn! If any of you think of doing something like this at home, it’s honestly worth it just for the amount of engine knowledge you will get in the return, not to mention the patience! Anyway, I drop the front differential in place and torque it to spec. Next on the list is the water pump, this sucker just goes in and with a help of a couple bolts it’s in place.

Most of the big items are now installed, so I install the engine support that will attach to the engine mount and then the heatshield above the exhaust manifold that holds the vacuum regulator. I then position the spark plug and injector wires in their place, torque down the spark plugs and then install the ignition coils. The top of the engine is pretty much done at this stage and I can proceed to installing the wiring loom on the front of the engine. There are lots of small little wires going everywhere here, but luckily, they all seem to just be long enough to plug into the sensor or part that it’s supposed to. The plugs are different between them most of the time as well. One important item here is to not forget the ground wire on the bottom left corner of the engine. The same goes for the intake side of the engine, the bird nest of wires slides onto the engine and then I start sorting them out and plugging in what I can. The rest will be plugged in once the ECU and the rest of the intake sensors are close by.

Look at this beauty now! It’s starting to look more and more like a real engine and at this point I’m getting really excited to get this finished and put it back in the car, but before I get too excited, we still have to install a couple of parts. If you are wondering why am I struggling with this on the engine hoist, well.. it was impossible to do while on the engine stand as the engine stand was in the way of the bolts for the flywheel and I couldn’t think of any other way of doing this at the time.

And now for one of my favorite shots of this video, I love how after weeks of working on this engine and replacing most of the parts on the inside, it slides into the engine bay and is ready to be connected to its life lines. One of the struggles I had here is getting the AC compressor to go around the engine. I chose not to disconnect it as I don’t’ have the equipment to draw off the refrigerant in the system and having to call someone in sounded like a hassle.

THE END:

Well, this part was filmed over a month ago and OH how I wish it went to plan. The engine was supposed to fire up at that point and after some finishing touches, I would be enjoying my BMW 335i and all the work I have put into it. Unfortunately, it did not go to plan from this point on and the engine wouldn’t start. It would crank for as long as the battery would allow, but would not fire or even sputter. With that in mind, it’s time to end this video as it’s already far longer than I wanted it to be, but I wanted to show each step. Subscribe to the channel to stay tuned and to find out what I have tried so far to get the engine started. The list is long and I think you will find it interesting where my head was going troubleshooting this engine. That’s all for now, thank you so much for watching and I will see you in the next one!

Most Requested Mod on my BMWs – Replacing Kidney Grills on BMW Z4 and 550

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. Ever since I started posting videos online, I have gotten many suggestions, requests, complaints and even compliments once in a while, but the part that seemed to bother people the most and maybe had the most comments overall was that I had the M colors on the grill! So, in this video I’m replacing the fake M kidney grills with regular gloss black on both the BMW Z4 and the 550i.

Now, I installed mine before I knew how much people hated these and the stigma behind them. Everyone knows not to put M badges on a regular car, but what’s the harm in the M kidney grills? Well, apparently a lot as you cannot go on a forum or video without people complaining and hating on cars! So, for your pleasure and mine, let’s get these new shiny black ONLY grills installed and make the world a better place!

Do you agree with the general opinion? Leave a comment down below and let me know your opinion on this and while you are there, hit that like bottom for the Youtube Algorithm and maybe more than 20 people will see this video. Let’s get to it!

BMW Z4 Cat-Back Exhaust – SuperSprint Sport Muffler

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Hey Guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy Channel. About a year ago, I decided to upgrade the sound on my BMW Z4 and as the first step, I went with a SuperSprint resonator delete. It definitely made a difference and I got many more pop and burbles while driving, but OF COURSE, I wanted more. So, a few months ago, I ordered the sport muffler from the same company. I’m not sponsored by SuperSprint and I paid full price, the reason I picked them was because.. well, no one else makes stuff for this car. When I tool this muffler to a couple local shops, they all told me it would be 600-800 dollars to make the pipe between the muffler and the existing resonator delete pipe out of stainless steel. Since the pre-made stainless steel pipe was half the price from SuperSprint, I went for it. Unfortunately, it went on backorder and I had to wait a couple of months for all the parts to get here.

Finally, I have everything needed to have a full Cat-back exhaust on my BMW Z4. Meaning everything past the catalytic converter will be aftermarket and should sound much throatier and more aggressive. It will also allow me to start looking into some tunes in the future. Will the sound be worth the price? Let’s get all of this installed and find out together!

After getting the car up in the air as far as I felt would be safe, I still did not have enough space to cut the exhaust off with precision, so I went to my local shop to get it installed instead of proceeding on the driveway. Unfortunately, I couldn’t film as it was getting installed, but here is the end result! It looks great and cost me less than a nice dinner for two but now let’s see how it sounds. There are 3 different version of exhaust in this video. The first few clips I have stock exhaust, then you will hear resonator delete and finally full cat-back super sprint exhaust. Now would be a great time to hit that like button for YouTube algorithm and of course leave a comment down below letting me know what you think of the sound. Don’t forget, this a turbo 4 cylinder and not a V8!

BMW N55 Engine Rebuild Project Part 8 – Front Crankshaft Seal DIY (No Special Tools)

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. I’m still working on my BMW N55 engine rebuild and as one of the last steps, I’m installing a brand new front crankshaft seal. Just like with the rear crankshaft seal, I will not be using any special tools for this job as I think it’s doable with the stuff you already have in the garage. Of course, if you do these often or aren’t sure of my technique, buy the correct tools for the job. However, if you’d like to see my DIY method, this is the video for you! If you’re interested in the rebuild project, check out the link in the description to start from the beginning and don’t forget to give this video a like to support my channel. Now to the job at hand.

If you are doing this with the engine still in the car, you will of course have to remove some parts to get to the seal. Luckily, it’s not nearly as bad as the rear seal. To start with, you’ll remove the underbody protection panel and most of the air ducts that’s in the way on the top of the engine by the radiator and with enough space remove the radiator fan as well. Your transmission oil cooler might be in the way, but you don’t have to remove it. It can be moved to the side. With a lot more space, you can now remove the serpentine belt that’s wrapped around the vibration damper. Now, to remove the 8 screws holding it to the crankshaft, you will need to secure the crankshaft in place or it will move as you try to loosen the bolts. You can get a simple stopper tool for a few bucks and block the crankshaft from moving at the flywheel and release the screws.

Now that you finally have access to the front crankshaft seal, you’ll have to remove it. This can be a little tricky without the special tool, but whatever you do, do not release the main bolt unless you want to be timing the engine as well. The way I removed my seal was by screwing a thin screw into the seal and then pulling it out with a hammer by leveraging it against the engine block. It popped out without much hesitation.

Finally, we are at the install stage and the first step, as always is to really clean the area as well as you can. A good degreaser will help you get rid of any oil on the engine block and insure a good seal. Once everything is clean, the seal can be installed. Once again, you can use the fancy install tool, but I will use what I have.

To install the seal, I use the little plastic cone that it came with and my old seal to get it seated on the crankshaft. No force is really needed here, it should go in easily and once you start feeling a little bit of resistance, grab a mallet and tap it in place. Check that the inner seal is seated properly and not bent over itself as well as the little groves lined up with the seam on the block and then go to town with your mallet. You don’t want to hit it hard, so slow and steady wins the race here. As long as it’s going in evenly, we are getting it done. You also don’t want to hit the seal directly and use the old seal to distribute the weight, this is very important to avoid damage to the new seal. After some time, it will start to feel like it’s not moving anymore and as long as it looks to be in the right stop, you are done with this part.  

The next step is to use a liquid sealing compound to avoid any leaks in the future. There are two different sealants you can use, the one I showed you at the beginning of the video and one I will show you in just a few seconds. Whichever one you use; you will need a primer for good adhesion.

After everything is cured, re-assemble the car and have many more happy miles without an oil leak at the front crankshaft seal. Anyway, thank you guys so much for watching, leave me a comment down letting me know how hard or easy this was for you, subscribe to the channel if it’s your first time watching and I’ll see you in the next one video when we finish the engine and put it back in the car.

BMW N55 Engine Rebuild Project Part 7 – BMW N55 Injector Install and Teflon Rings DIY

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy Channel. Today we are installing injectors on my BMW N55 engine with an early production date. The reason I mention this is because the process is different on newer engines and if you’d like to see what that process is like, check out my video on the BMW N20 injector replacement as it’s exactly the same. In this video, the injectors are already removed from the vehicle, so once again, if you need those steps, check out the N20 video in the description. Now, let’s go to the garage, get the injectors prepared, installed and at the same time hit that like button for the YouTube Algorithms.

Now we are going to replace the decoupling elements and the Teflon rings on my used injectors. These must be replaced or you will have issues in the future such as lose of compression or fuel blowby. The decoupling elements simply pop off with a flat head screwdriver and a new ones can pop back in once we do the seals and clean the area.

Next we remove the Teflon ring seal by carefully cutting it with a razor blade or a box cutter and peeling it off the injector. You don’t want to cut into the injector, so be careful here. With those out of the way, we can wipe the injector with a clean paper towel and pop the new decoupling elements in place. The round part of the element faces the nozzle of the injector. For the next steps you are supposed to use a few special tools, but I do it my own way. You can find the proper tools in the description if you’d rather use those.

This really does work well, you just have to find the correct diameter plastic pieces or cut them down to size.

I have a video on how to adjust the compensation on the injectors from a couple of years ago, so check that out if you need steps. With that, thanks for watching, I hope you found the video useful and I’ll see you in the next one!

BMW N55 Rear Crankshaft Seal Install (No Special Tools)

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy Channel. In this video I will be installing the rear crankshaft seal as part of the BMW N55 engine rebuild project I have been working on. Over the past few weeks, I have bought or borrowed a lot of specialty tools, but this time I decided to install the rear seal without the use of any specially tools so if that’s something that interests you, keep on watching!

If you find this video useful and would like to support the channel, hit that like button for the Youtube algorithms and for repairing these complex beasts at home.

If you are aren’t following this rebuild project, this engine spun a rod bearing and needed a new crankshaft. I have so far replaced the crankshaft, sealed the bedplate, replaced the main bearings, rod bearings, installed a new head gasket and valve and oil pan gaskets. If you’d like to see any of those videos, check out the playlist in the description. Anyway, back to the subject of this video.

As with previous jobs I have done on this engine, the task itself isn’t that hard. The hard part is getting to the part or the rear crankshaft seal in this case. If your engine isn’t out, the recommended path of getting to it is to remove the transmission from the vehicles by removing the stiffening plate and the exhaust system past the catalytic converter and disconnecting the main drive shaft at the transmission side. The transmission can then be disconnected from the engine and dropped down. After all that work the flywheel can be removed and you will finally have access to the seal. Obviously, this is a huge job just to get to this part, but if your engine or transmission is already out and you have a leaking seal, it’s definitely a good time to change it.

I had it a little easier since my engine is on the stand, but the process is the same from this point on. First things first, we have to remove the crankshaft sensor out of the way and then remove the magnet wheel cover. To remove the old seal, you will need a small drill bit that isn’t bigger than 2.5 mm and drill a small hole without touching any metal surfaces. Then the seal can be removed with a help of a sliding hammer. I have done it without the tool before by just using a regular screw and then a regular hammer against a plank of wood that’s against the block to leverage it out of place. Whichever way you go about it, make sure there is no residue or little plastic pieces from drilling. For anything tougher, you can use a fine scotch brite pad and brake cleaner to get it perfectly smooth.

Now that we have everything ready for the new seal, you are supposed to use a special seal tool, but I decided not to buy one and used my own method so that I don’t have to spend the $300 for the install tool.

Obviously, you cannot just hammer the seal in as it would get damaged and wouldn’t create a good seal, defeating the purpose of the replacing it. So, what could you use to drive it in that’s the same size as the new seal? Well, the OLD SEAL. I flipped the seal over and lightly tapped on it until the new one started to get seated on the crankshaft. Now, this isn’t the quick method as it probably took at least 15 minutes of light and not so light hammering to get it seated. I had to stop a few times until I reached the correct stopping point. It should be just past the change in high on the block. Once the entire circumference of the seal is equally seated and will not move any further, you are done! The flywheel can now be reinstalled with new bolts and transmission put back in.

I hope this video helped you get your own rear crankshaft seal installed without having to buy any special tools and if it did, let me know in the comments down below. Check out the rest of the channel for many more BMW specific videos and I hope to see you in the next one.

BMW X5 Problems to Expect – BMW F15

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BMW X5 Problems to Expect

Hey guys and welcome back to another video on the SimpleCarGuy channel. Today, we will look into some common problems you can expect on the 3rd generation BMW X5 which is also known as the F15. We’ll discuss the best year AND model to buy if your main concern is reliability and which version to avoid, if any.

In this generation there were a few different versions of the car. There was the BMW 35i that came in RWD as well as AWD configuration and had the same N55 engine. The more powerful version of the X5 was the xDrive50i powered by the N63 engine which is what this car has as well as my BMW 550i, so I’m pretty familiar with this one. The last version was the xDrive 40e with the N20 engine combined with a hybrid system. I don’t know much about the diesels or the X5M, so I will not be talking about those versions here.

Before we continue, don’t forget to hit that like button for YouTube Algorithm and leave a comment letting me know which version you’d want to own.

Now let’s talk about some common issues across the range that are not dependent on the engine. We will get into the engines shortly. Of course, each car is different and even though some of these are common issues, they may never happen to your car, but then again you can easily have multiple issues I talk about here as well, even if you take good care of your car.

The most common issue people have reported is leather cracking on the side of the seat. Just something to look out for as it can cost a decent amount to repair if you’re out of warranty.

Another commonly reported issue is squeaks coming out of the steering column as well as the rattles from the tailgate when driving on rougher terrain and wind blowing through the driver’s door seals at high speeds. The latter one can be fixed with a simple door adjustment, but still something to be aware of.

A little less common, but some X5 cars will have water leaking from the drain tubes in the sunroof after a heavy rain or car wash. If you are looking to buy a BMW X5, check the roof liner and the rest of the interior to make sure there is no water damage.

If car has rear air suspension, the bags can develop little pin holes or leak air in other ways as well. Not only will the car sag after sitting for some time, but that also means the compressor will have to work overtime and can fail prematurely. A lot of them come with springs, but if you have the 3rd row seats, there is a chance you have air suspension.

I have also seen a lot of people reporting issues with the car not shutting down on the first press of the start/stop button, this isn’t something you can fix at home and a dealer visit is required.

BMW xDrive35i/sDrive35i (2013-2018) N55:

Now let’s break it down to specific models. We’ll start with the BMW sDrive35i and the xDrive35i that were available from 2013-2018. The difference between the two is that the xDrive version is of course all wheel drive. These cars come with the n55 engine and I’ll start by saying that this will be the most reliable engine you can get in this car. Does this mean you won’t have any issues? Of course not, but luckily BMW had pretty much figured out the N55 engine by 2013 and any issues they had in the early years were mostly solved. Most notably the rod bearing issues that the early n55 engines suffered from have been taken care of. If you’d like to see what kind of damage that can cause, check out my BMW N55 engine rebuild series!

Some issues you CAN expect to have on these N55 engines would be the oil filter housing gasket leak, which in itself isn’t that big of a deal, but if the oil goes onto your serpentine belt, it can cause all kinds of issues. It’s best to replace it as soon as there is any noticeable seepage.

Another issue that seems to be common and not fixed by BMW is the plastic charge pipe that can crack and cause boost issues. It’s a very popular upgrade for anyone with the N55 engine, even if they are not seeking more power or thinking of tuning.

BMW xDrive50i (2013-2018) N63TU:

Next let’s take a look at the xDrive50i with the n63tu engine produced between 2013 and 2018. This is the car we have here and of course the most fun out of the bunch with lots of power to play with. If you Google issues on the N63 engine, you will get a list long enough to make you cry, but luckily, most of those posts are about the original N63 engine which is not what this car has. The X5 has the updated version, the n63TU, which is a very important distinction. Not only does it have 40 more horse power, but it’s also much more reliable and does not suffer from the same issues.

I’ve done a lot of research on this engine as I have the exact same engine in my BMW 550i and all things considered, this is a pretty reliable twin turbo V8. Personally, I have not had any issues with the engine and I’ve only had to replace the ignition coils and spark plugs on mine. The owner of this X5 has also had to replace a couple ignition coils as the engine was misfiring.

Oil consumption is normal if thinner oils are used or not changed as often, but if you see some smoke out of the tail pipes, it could be much worse. This X5 has had its Valve seals replaced at just (See miles) miles. That’s a VERY expensive, over $10k, job from the dealer, that luckily for this owner was done under warranty. If you go with an indy shop, it can cost as much as $5000 to do.

Of course, there are other minor issues that can creep up on this engine, but nothing too excessive. I’ve seen reports of leaking oil pump gaskets, oil pan gaskets and maybe a head gasket leak here and there but nothing engine destructive. I recommend this engine if you like power and luxury all built into one car.

BMW xDrive40e (2015-2018) N20 Hybrid Combo:

The last model we will take a quick look at is the xDrive40e that was available from 2015 to 2018 and is using a hybrid combo system with the n20 engine. This is heaviest of the bunch and the most complex out of the X5s. While it’s using the updated n20 engine, these are known for timing chain and timing chain tensioner issues as well as rod bearing issues. I’m sure this engine is not very stressed with the help of the hybrid system, but it is a very complex vehicle. The only consistent issue I saw people complain about is the issue with charging at home where it fails to initiate randomly.

Conclusion:

While BMW’s X5 is a very fun SUV that provides luxury and sportiness and is overall a great package, just like any other BMW, there are some problems to expect and I hope this video has helped you make a better decision or prepared you for ownership. So, which model should you go with? As far as reliability, I would say the sDrive35i with the n55 engine will most likely give you the least amount of trouble, but the xDrive50i with the n63tu engine is not a bad buy either and a lot more fun to drive. I would avoid the xDrive40e due to complexity and the less reliable N20 engine. The production year difference is pretty much negligible as there were no updates through the production run. That’s about it for this video, thank you for watching, don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe to the channel for a lot more car content and I’ll see you in the next one!

Top 10 Useful BMW X5 Hidden Features – BMW F15

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Whether you are shopping for a BMW X5 and wonder what are some cool hidden features or you’ve had your BMW X5 F15 for a couple of years, I hope you get to learn at least a few useful hidden features you didn’t know before or least some cool tips and tricks that you didn’t know before. If you know of any other cool features I didn’t mention in the video, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below so we can all learn!

BMW N55 Engine Rebuild Project Part 6 – Valve Cover Gasket & Oil Pan Gasket

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Hello and welcome back to Part 6 of my BMW N55 engine rebuild project that I have been working on for a few weeks now. By the end of this video, this engine is finally starting to look like a real engine and not just a pile of parts around a block. I can almost hear this engine start up for the first time and purrrr with all its new parts, or at least I hope it will! In today’s video I’m replacing the valve cover gasket and installing the valve cover itself as well as replacing the oil pan gasket and installing a new-to-me oil pan. More on that later.

If you’d like this project to succeed, don’t forget to hit that like button for me and of course the YouTube algorithm. Now, back to the project!

I won’t be going into details on how to get to this stage as I’ve shown the steps in my engine removal video. I suggest you watch that video for more details on which parts to remove to get to the valve cover. Basically, you’ll remove the intake housing, fan cowl and move the coolant expansion tank to the side. No need to disconnect it. Then remove the air duct that feeds the turbocharger and now most of the stuff is now out of the way, so you’ll just have to remove the gas pressure lines after disconnecting the battery; of course, and any vacuum and electrical connections. Now the valve cover can be unbolted. If you will be reusing it, make sure to unbolt all 26 bolts in the correct sequence and remember that these bolts are attached to the cover itself and will not peacefully come out past the plastic part.

With the valve cover removed, we can inspect the surfaces on the cylinder head and remove any bigger debris with a plastic razor and use a scotch brite pad for anything remaining. The valve cover itself has 4 different gaskets that should be replaced each time the cover is removed to avoid any oil leaks. Replacing them is very easy, remove the old stuff, clean out the channels of any dirt, insert new gaskets and we are ready to go back on the cylinder head. In my case, I had to install the spark plug housing which came off during the rebuild. With everything ready to go, the cover simple can be lowered making sure everything is aligned and torqued to spec.


Torquing these bolts to spec and in the correct order is probably the most important step as this plastic cover can easily warp or even crack if not done correctly. Refer to the diagram for the correct sequence and then  hand tight or use a power drill on the lowest setting on all of the screws. For round two, each one gets 8.5 Nm in the same order. DO NOT go back to the first ones to check torque or retorque them again. They have to be done in that order and left alone.

If all went well, simply re-assemble whatever you have taken a part to get here and enjoy your new valve cover gasket!

Now onto the Oil Pan gasket and install. As I mentioned earlier, I had to get a new oil pan as the engine I’m rebuilding is from a BMW X5 and the oil pan and pick up tube are different on that car. This one is a lot more complicated to do at home if you don’t have your engine out, but it is possible if you drop the front axle support and remove the front differential and power steering pump. With correct access, this is a simple job just like the valve cover. Just as before, cleaning all of the surfaces is very important to prevent leaks and then we can drop the gasket on the engine block. In this case, there are no guides, so you have to be very careful when installing the new gasket as it will move around if you’re not careful. It took me 2 tries before I got it perfect and I had perfect access, so I imagine it’s a little bit harder while working under the car. With the gasket aligned and the oil pan sitting on top, we can insert new aluminum bolts in a couple of spots and screw them in a few threads. Now comes the important part. If the engine is out, you’re supposed to use an alignment tool to make sure the oil pan is perfectly aligned with the block. If the transmission is still attached, you don’t have to worry about it as it will align itself to the bellhousing. Here is what I did. Then hand tight a few screws to keep it from moving around. All screws on the oil pan are torqued to 8 Nm and then 90-degree rotation for the short ones and 180 degree of rotation on the long ones.

Well, look at my engine looking all spiffy now with the new gaskets and ready for more parts. Thank you so much for watching part 6 of the N55 engine rebuild project and I’m looking forward to seeing you in the next parts where we install the front and rear crankshaft seals, install the injectors, the exhaust manifold and drop the engine in the car. Leave a comment down below and let me know what you think of the progress so far and if you’d like to follow the project, don’t forget to subscribe. See ya next time!