Tag: bmw reliability

BMW N63 Problems to Expect – Reliability Report

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Hey guys and welcome back to the SimpleCarGuy channel. BMW N63 is a twin turbo V8 engine that has been powering fast BMWs for over a decade and today we will talk about the common issues, technical updates, best and worst years to buy and my 4-year experience with the engine.

History

The BMW N63 replaced the naturally aspirated N62 V8 engine and had many improvements over the years. It was also the first hot-V layout, first direct injected and first turbocharged V8 engine from BMW.

This engine begun production in 2008 and is still being used in many BMW vehicles. Of course, over the years there were 3 technical updates creating 4 different versions of the engine, adding more horsepower and torque, improving reliability and making a better engine overall. There are lots of forum posts and groups discussing different issues on different version of the engine and it can be a little difficult to keep up. I have sorted through most of this information over the 4 years I had this engine in my BMW 550i and organized it in this video. I will explain the difference between each version and what was updated as well as what BMW models the specific version of the engine was used in. Let’s get to it!

BMW N63

The original N63 engine was first used in the E71 X6 and produced 402 HP and 443lb ft of torque and later used in the 550i, 750i, X5 and X6 between 2008 and 2013 with the exception of the 650i where it was used from 2012 to 2017.

Common Issues:

If you have heard horror stories about the N63 engine, it was probably about this version of the engine, but there are a few common issues across the entire run. To start with, most of these engines will burn some oil. This original version will do so excessively and it’s important to make sure you never run low. In addition to burning oil, the timing chain is a weak point on these and becomes an issue at higher mileage. As soon as you can hear any chain rattle, it should be replaced as soon as possible. Another common failure on this engine was the HPFP and injectors which caused the engine to stutter, lose power and run very rough in most cases. On top of these, there were also issues with mass air flow sensors, vacuum pump, low pressure fuel sensor, turbo seals and crankcase ventilation lines.

Obviously, that is a huge list of common problems on these original BMW N63 engines, but luckily BMW took ownership of the problem and issued a voluntary recall called the Customer Care Package where they revised the service internal from 15,000 to 10,000 miles and fixed or replaced any issues related to the timing chain, fuel system, battery, vacuum pump, crankcase vent lines and more! This helped many owners at the time and prevented many unhappy owners in the future. If you are looking at a BMW with this engine [show cars again], check that this service has been performed or the items have been serviced individually. This is a must.

BMW N63TU

Clearly that was a lot and BMW realized that they had some major issues they needed to fix here and that’s what they did. In 2012, they have redesigned most of the engine in the Technical Update 1. The new engine was now known as the N63TU and it got an updated timing chain, forged rods and crank, new pistons, turbos, injectors and HPFP. On top of that, they changed the VANOS system to the one used on the N55 engine and updated the crankcase ventilation on a new valve cover among many other things. Not only did all of these changes make a huge difference in reliability, it also added 42 more HP and 37 lb ft of torque. This engine was used in the same range of cars as the previous version. [list on the screen]

Common Issues:

That’s a lot of changes, but did any of this help? Actually, YES! The BMW N63tu is a much more reliable engine, but being a typical BMW, it still has its common issues. Oil consumption is typical if thinner oils are used or not changed as often and it can burn a quart of oil between changes, but if you see some smoke out of the tail pipes, it could be much worse as it could be an indicator that the valve seals need to be replaced. My friend had this happen at 35k miles, but the dealer covered it completely. As per BMW, the engine has to be pulled out of the car to do this job and it can get very, very expensive if out of warranty. Of course, there are other minor issues that can creep up on this engine, but nothing too excessive. I’ve seen reports of leaking   here and there but nothing engine destructive. A much better and more reliable engine.

BMW N63TU2

Next update came in 2016 and the biggest change this time was switching to twin-scroll turbochargers giving the engine a wider powerband. Other changes were mostly there to support the turbo upgrade and to optimize the engine. The stock power levels remained the same and so did the reliability. This engine was used in the 750i as well as the M550i between 2016 and 2020. [list on the screen]

Common Issues:

Luckily these changes have made the N63TU2 engine even more reliable with not many common problems. The oil consumption has been reduced and if you change your oil every 7000 miles, you shouldn’t have these issues. A couple problems I’ve seen come up from time to time were leaky coolant lines as well as issues with intercoolers which were covered by a service bulletin from BMW. Overall, a very solid engine.

BMW N63TU3

The last version of the BMW n63 engine is the N63TU3 which is once again used in the top-of-the-line versions of each series. There is a lower powered version making 456hp and 479lb ft that’s used in the regular X5 and X7. This engine received a new ignition system and improved thermal shielding for the crankcase and cylinder head and even forged rods from the S63 engine. The valve stems have been updated as well. The more powerful version of the N63TU3 is used in the M versions of the 5, 7 and 8 series as well as X5, X6 and X7 SUVs. [but not actual M5, M7, M8 etc] It includes all of the updates already mentioned as well as larger turbochargers, different ignition system, rebalanced crankshaft with new main bearing shells, piston skirt coating and electric arc wire sprayed cylinder walls. All of these upgrades result in massive power gains making 523 HP and 553lb ft of torque and it’s not even an S63 motor.

Common Issues:

There isn’t too much information on these engines as far as reliability just yet as they are still fairly new, but since the valve stems have been upgraded among many other things, the engines seem to no longer burn oil even with hard driving. Overall, the N63TU3 is the most reliable and most powerful N63 engine with a decade of improvements and upgrades.

Best and Worst Years:

So, what are the best and worst years to buy a BMW with the N63 engine? In my opinion, unless you are willing to deal with the issues or they have already been completely taken care of, I would skip the original N63 engine cars and go for 2014 or newer models to be safe. [put list of years when switched]. Of course, if you got the cash, the latest N63TU3 is a beast and makes for a very fun driving car with no reliability issues but will cost a pretty penny. [Driving X6M] I think that N63TU and N63TU2 are a bargain at the moment with decent reliability and power figures and that’s the ones I would go for.

Personal Experience:

As I mentioned earlier, I owned a 2014 BMW 550i for over 4 years, so I had the N63TU engine and I have to say, it was VERY reliable for ME. In all of that time, all I have had to do was change the ignition coils and spark plugs around 60k miles and of course changed the oil every 5k miles! This is very important to keep these running smoothly.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this engine gets a bad rap based on the early years, but many issues have been fixed on the second iteration of the engine and further perfected over the years. I wouldn’t hesitate to own another N63 powered BMW as long as it’s 2014 or newer and has been taken care of properly over the years. A healthy BMW N63 provides a very powerful, fun, sporty and torque-y driving experience that’s hard to get anywhere else. Check out my BMW N20 reliability report video and stay tuned for the BMW N55 video coming soon. Thanks for watching, leave your thoughts, suggestions and comments down below and I’ll see you in the next one.

5 Ways to Keep Your BMW Reliable

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BMW is one of the most sought-after premium brands in the world. Blending power and performance with sporty appeal, BMW are sophisticated, classy, and pretty much everything you would want in a car. BMW, as well as their fellow German brands, put all their focus on performance. This can come at a cost to reliability.

If you are a BMW owner, tell us how you keep your BMW reliable down below in the comments.

  1. Do your research (Either before you buy or even after you have bought the car already)
    • Research common failures and be ready to deal with those and do the repair before it’s too late once you have the car.
    • Don’t buy or let your car become neglected    
    • Make an informed decision – get pre-purchase inspection, best way to have a reliable car when buying used is to buy a well taken care of car.
    • Realize that BMWs cost more to maintain, so if you are looking for one, include that in your budget. If you couldn’t afford maintenance on a new BMW and can’t work on your own cars, BMW may not be the best choice.
  2. Keep it stock
    • If you want your BMW to stay reliable skip the performance mods and concentrate on suspension, brakes and visual modifications. Squeezing more power out of an engine will decrease it’s like in most cases.
    • I’d also suggest disabling auto start/stop, especially on the early versions of the feature.
  3. Follow maintenance schedules for items as suggested in your service manual.
    • Excluding oil changes, change every 5k miles.
    • Hardtop roof must be maintained if you have one
    • Buy quality parts, not super cheap knock offs (point to sensor video).
  4. Preventative maintenance is key. When certain parts have ran past their expected life, change them proactively.
    • New OEM spark plugs, coils, air filters – let your engine breathe
    • Thermostat, oil filter housing, valve cover, charge pipe
    • Change gaskets as soon as you start seeing any kind of leak
    • Especially check for leaks around Oil Filter Gasket and Valve Cover Gasket.
    • Once you start seeing a leak or two in your cooling system, replace plastic parts of the cooling system.
    • Timing chain on certain engine if you’re well over 100k miles
    • Wash your car at a touchless carwash if you live in an area where they salt roads
    • Apply leather conditioner every 3 months
    • Lubricate the rubber parts so that they don’t crack and let water in over time.
  5. Learn how to work on your own car if you have the space.
    • Don’t go for crazy power unless you know what you are doing and can fix issues it may cause
    • Mechanic’s tools don’t have to be expensive, check out this video on the tools I use
    • Get a good BMW scanner
  • Drive it… often. Never let any car sit and become a garage queen
    • Don’t store it over winter unless it’s on a trickle charger
    • If the car sits, put it on a trickle charger, most modern BMWs use some power while sitting and will drain your battery putting unnecessary stress on your battery and alternator.
    • Most fluids also have a life time even if you aren’t using it. So, it is wise to drive car every so often and not let it sit.
    • Enjoy your car, don’t let it sit and ‘keep the value’ by not putting any miles on it. It’s not worth it.

Mechanical parts on BMWs are usually very high quality and will last a long time (other than certain engine specific issues like N20 timing chains that affect some engines); however, electronics and the use of plastic parts can cause issues down the road. These small things cause big problems for owners that don’t want to spend a lot of time at the dealer. So, that is something consider and another reason why most people stay away from high end BMWs on the used market.